It Can't Get Any Worse

And just like that, the worst 24 hours of my college basketball eternity has come and gone.

I'm still not sure what happened or how it happened, but both schools that I attended and graduated from are now going to the NIT. Both schools won their regular season titles and choked in the conference tournament.

For Bucknell, the loss was unbelievable. In a rare show of cockiness, I was so confident that they were going to win that I told everyone about it. No way would Mike Muscala let this team lose I said. And yet somehow even with 30 points and 14 rebounds, I felt like he could have done so much more. Credit to CJ McCollum for getting his points - 29 in all - but I think the real difference was the 23 points and 7 rebounds put up by some guy named Gabe Knutson. No disrespect to Knutson, a 12/6 guy during the regular season, but there was no way he should have put up those numbers against Muscala. I know most will point to the lack of production by Joe Willman, Cameron Ayers and Brian Cohen, but Muscala couldn't lead the team when they needed him the most. It sucks that I am putting a lot of blame on his shoulders, considering the great numbers he put up, but when it came down to it, CJ McCollum showed why he was the 2012 PL POY and not Muscala. he got the job done when his needed it. Bucknell came out flat and never led. It was a gut punch because we essentially wasted away a golden opportunity.

As for UW, man what can you say. I said how a single win over OSU would not mean they were any more deserving than they were the day before, but a loss? Man, that hurts. The committee was looking for a reason to keep them out and I think they found one. I still believe in my heart that they deserve a bid, but wow, you CANNOT lose to OSU and expect to make it in. Credit the team with coming back from a 13 point halftime deficit. They could have easily folded up shot. Instead, Tony Wroten showed us all why he is so highly thought of. He dominated the Beavers and wrestled back the lead for the Dawgs. Up by 6 points with as little as 3:22 to go in the game, it looked like the Dawgs were going to escape. Up to that point Wroten had hit 9-12 free throws including 7 straight and they looked in control. Then they got a little sloppy and pooof!, the game was out of their hands. A turnover, 4 missed free throws from Wroten, a few fouls and all of a sudden OSU was up 1. I didn't get to watch the game, but I did intently study the play-by-play and I'm not sure you could draw up anything worse. In the final 1:03 the Huskies shot 0-1 from the field, 1-5 from the line and committed 5 fouls and 1 turnover. Amazingly they only lost by 1 because OSU in that same time only shot 1-1 from the field and 2-7 from the field! 2 for freaking 7 and somehow they won. That is simply amazing and a HUGELY damning mark on the Huskies resume. This team still deserves a shot, but damn they dropped the ball.

So yeah, two losses by #1 seeds in the past 24 hours. I have never felt so worse about college hoops as I do right now. Thank goodness the Sounders won or you might never have heard from me again.

It's a No Brainer: UW Deserves At-Large Bid

I'm not gonna lie. This is the start of my three favorite sports weeks every year. It's not just the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it's Conference Championship Week that makes it so good. Ever year, there is a team that gets hot at the right time and wins its conference tournament with a losing conference record. Some might not like it (ie - fans of the teams that get upset) because seemingly more deserving teams are left home, but the fact is that America loves underdogs.

For one-bid conferences, upsets don't really mean anything to the entire field. But for other leagues, such as the Missouri Valley, an upset will have major ramifications for the entire field. You see, Wichita St and Creighton are locks for the tournament. Even if neither had won the MVC tournament, they both would be going to the Big Dance. Had Illinois St pulled the upset over Creighton in the finals, the league would then have 3 bids rather than 2. And that of course means that someone was going to get squeezed. Or more appropriately someone's bubble would be burst.

Now most pundits are suggesting that UW is actually one of those teams on the bubble. They would suggest that UW needs the Creighton's, Gonzaga's, Murray St's of the worlds to win their conference championships. They would suggest that I shouldn't be excited about upsets.

Here is the thing - I think they are absolutely out-of-their-mind crazy. I'm sorry, but UW just won the Pac-12 conference with a 14-4 conference record. Let me repeat that, they won the outright conference regular season title in a Power 6 conference. I know all of their warts - no wins over top 25 teams, a 4-8 record against top 100 RPI schools, a home loss to South Dakota St and Pac-12 runner up Cal and road losses to Nevada and St Louis. But the biggest wart is something they have no control over - the Pac 12 simply sucks this year. Back when I was writing blog entries on a regular basis, I would have looked up the exact specifics, but right now I'm just winging it. Pac 12 teams went something like 1-30 against the other Power 6 conferences. They have no teams even close to the Top 25 and it is ranked something like 10th in conference RPI.

I know the conference is down, but they finished 10 games over .500. I know the Big East and Big 10 are better conferences, but how can you tell me that Seton Hall, a team with a 8-10 conference record is more deserving than UW? I know they have some quality wins, but I am absolutely sure that UW could have a few quality wins on their resume if they played the same schedule. I know they had their shots against Duke and Marquette in December, but they are simply a better team now. If they had the opportunity to switch February schedules with the Hall, I think they would have a signature win as well. I'm not saying they would go 14-4 in the Big East, but they could definitely have won 9 games. If these two particular teams are the same, I think the edge should rightly go to the conference winner. I'm not sure the same should count for a team like Cal, but certainly the conference winner. (btw - I love you Seton Hall, you just helped me make my argument...Jersey pride).

Here is one thing that annoys me - people say that UW needs to win a game in the Pac-12 tournament in order to make the Big Dance. I understand the idea, but the presentation is all wrong. They don't need to win a game - there is no difference between 21-9 and 22-9 with the 22nd win against Wazzoo - they simply need to not lose the game. If they were to lose to Wazzoo (or OSU) that would be damning - a sign that they don't deserve an at large bid. Somehow 0-2 in their final 2 games means much more than 10-3 in their final 13 games or 16-5 in their final 21 games. The Pac-12 tournament is actually a no-win situation (unless they actually do win). When I see a top seed lose in the first round, my first thought isn't that they don't deserve a tournament bid. Instead, I tend to think that it could be a sign that they won't go very far in the Big Dance. One game isn't enough to wipe away 20 games. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Reward the team that was best in the regular season.

I can handle a 11 seed - that is fair, but to imply that there are 37 better at-large teams than UW is simply insane. They don't need to be given a birth at the expense of a team from the Atlantic 10, Mountain West, Colonial, West Coast or Missouri Valley. No, they need to be in because they are a good team that won a Power 6 title. It shouldn't be at anyone expense - it should simply be because they are a better team than the Big East's 9th best team. You want to know why the 9th Big East team has a high RPI? It's because their Strength of Schedule is so damn good. Every week they play a top-10 team. That doesn't necessarily mean they are any good or more deserving than the Pac-12 champion.

Don't reward teams for simply being in the same league as some damn fine teams. That says nothing about the tea, but rather the league. Take UW. Keep Seton Hall at home.


***********

On a totally unrelated note, my Bucknell Bison play Lehigh for a birth to the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night. Normally I would be very complimentary of their opponent and very scared of the game, but I have 100% confidence that we are going to win. Part of it could be that I am officially becoming a snob due to their recent success (remember, we are the only league school to win a NCAA Tournament game...and we did it twice!), but the real reason is simply elementary.

Lehigh came to Bucknell a few weeks ago and knocked us off on a last second 3 pointer. We won at their place. They won at our place. Now we get Game 3 at home. Some will say that Lehigh has a chance because they know that they can do it, but I see it the other way. Bucknell is the superior team. After they lost to Lehigh they dropped one at Holy Cross. No disrespect to the Ass Crusaders from Wochester, but they didn't beat us - we had a letdown. It was a mental lapse and they took advantage of it. I believe in Mike Muscala, the should have been 2-time defending Player of the Year. He is going to take the team on his shoulders and will them to victory. He will not let them come out sluggish. In fact, I expect them to be pissed off and focused. They know what happened the first time around. They are not scared of it happening again - I truly believe they are angry and motivated to show that it was a fluke. I think we not only get the job done, but we win by at least double digits.

[Now with all that being said, let me channel my inner 2005 self and say that we could use all the support and positive vibes. 'Ray Bucknell]

Come On, Lunardi

Every so often, I like to check out Joe Lunardi's Bracketology to see what seed Bucknell is likely to get come tournament time. This week I scanned the 15's and didn't see them. Then I looked at the 14s and didn't see them. Then I went to the 13s, a seed that I think might be a bit too high, and didn't see them. So (gulp!) I looked at the 16s and saw a weird name - the American Eagles representing the Patriot League...

I'm sorry Joe, I know there are over 300 teams in D1 basketball and I know you know more about each team than 99.9% of the world, but I'm sorry...you are an idiot. I'd like to admit that I am being a homer here, but it's not the case. I don't care about their record, but American is NOT a better team the Bucknell. They will not win the Patriot League title this year. It is just not going to happen.

It's clear that Joe really does all his homework on the big leagues, spending his time deciding whether the Big East gets 10 teams in or not. He doesn't have time to carefully study the small leagues, so he goes with record. So let me do the work for him and go over the two seasons to date.

With a 26 loss to #17 Georgetown, American is now 8-4 on the season. As of his last update, they were 8-3 with their 3 losses coming to Richmond, Maryland-Eastern Shore and St. Francis. RPI's for those three are 77, 279 and 310 respectively. They have a quality win against RPI 22 St Joseph's (and non other than Joe Lunardi's employer). They had only played 4 teams with RPI's <200. Three of their wins were against Howard (313), Maryland Baltimore County (336) and Hampton (335).

Prior to Bucknell's win at home against Richmond (a team that made the Sweet 16 last year) they were 5-4 against D1 schools with their losses all coming on the road to Minnesota (RPI 21), Vanderbilt (RPI 7), George Mason (RPI 182) and LaSalle (RPI 132). While they had no signature win, they had no terrible loss to a team in the 300s. Oh, and their losses to Minnesota and Vandy were by 12 points. This isn't Maryland Eastern Shore- these are two teams from power conferences.

If that isn't enough, they have two common opponents - St Francis and now Richmond. Bucknell is 2-0 and American is 0-2. With a high profile game against #1 Syracuse on Wednesday, I expect to see their RPI surpass American's and I expect it to stay that way for the rest of the season.

The Bison returned 4 starters including League POY Mike Muscala and league Defensive POY Brian Cohen from a team that went 13-1 in conference. American lost 4 starters from a team that went 11-3 in conference, but didn't even make it to the PL Tournament final. I could have handled it had Lehigh been the prediction - at least they have the leading scorer in the league - but American? Come on. That is a joke.

Continued Excellence...and other things

This right here is the Bucknell logo. Take a look at it because it means excellence. It's hard not to become a snob when your team was recently named the Patriot League's best athletic department for the 17th year out of the past 21 years, including 13 of the past 14. I know that we are minnows against elite competition, but against our main rivals we are untouchable (I'm talking to you Lehigh, Colgate, Holy Cross, American, Navy, Army, Lafayette). Every year we get it done thanks in large part to the success of the less glamorous sports such as track, swimming and cross country, but this year was extra special as the Bison won 3 of the 5 most important titles - men's basketball, men's lacrosse and men's soccer. It is good to be a bison. Ray for the Orange and the Blue.

********

Two other things that are on my mind this morning:

First, great response by the Bruins last night. I questioned whether the heartbreaking losses in Games 1 and 2 would be too much for the B's to overcome, but after the loss of Nathan Horton they erupted for 8 goals in two periods at home. I think it would be easy for most people to assume that Boston will win game 4 and make it a series. I'm not as convinced. I mean, sure 8-1 is humiliating but so is 5-1. At some point you have to believe that the Canucks realized they weren't going to overcome the emotion of the Bruins. They took the loss and tried to stay healthy knowing they were still up 2-1. Give the Bruins credit though - instead of collapsing, they went the other way. I think it might be a one time thing and that the series will be even form here on out. All the crazy shit has happened - a goal with 18 seconds left, a goal 11 seconds into OT and now a 8-1 killing. It is bound to be normal from here on out.


Second, it struck me that for all that is being made about the Mets payroll next year, the new regime will ultimately be judged by what they do over the next few days. Sandy Alderson brought with him Paul DePodestro and JP Riccardi to help make the organization more efficient and less top heavy. Sure, the Mets can continue to spend money like any good NY club does, but they can also be smarter with their drafts. In the first two rounds this year, they selected Brandon Nimmo, an OF from Wyoming (and the first Wyoming player ever to be drafted above the 4th round) and RHP Michael Fulmer from Oklahoma. I don't know anything about any of these players, but in reading some reviews, it sounds like they didn't go the safe route and instead drafted based on a ceiling. With Nimmo, they apparently like his raw power, his arm and the fact that he is a lefty bat. Interestingly though, the state of Wyoming doesn't sanction baseball as a sport, so his only competition has been AAU stuff. Some wonder if he has seen proper competition, but to his credit, he was named MVP of the Under Armor All-American Game. Fulmer, meanwhile, is a righty pitcher with a great curveball who flew under the radar. Both picks appear to be surprises (and I never feel good about HS pitchers), but I will reserve judgment for another 3 years on whether the new regime knows what they are doing - I can't believe either pick will be anything more than a long-term projects.
[Update: An interesting tid bit- apparently both Nimmo and Fulmer committed to play ball at the University of Arkansas this year, so maybe we have someone there that is giving us some information]

Who to Support When Your Team Loses

A common sports dilemma is who to root for once your team has been eliminated in the playoffs. Some fans believe you should root for the team that eliminated your team...the thinking that if you are going to lose, it is best to lose to the best team. Other fans are so vindictive that they won't ever root for the team that ended their team's season. I've always struggled with the correct response, but after what has happened to my Bucknell Bison over the past two months, I think I have a better opinion on it.

As many of you may know, my Bison were blown out by the eventual champs, UConn in the first round of the NCAA basketball Tournament. Prior to the game, I talked myself into thinking that they could win, so much so that I had a list of 5 legitimate reasons (or so I thought) why they could pull the upset. In the end, they got dismantled and I was left to think what could have been. Of course, though, when you get blown out, it's hard to think that anything really could have been. I don't like UConn in the slightest, so I wasn't happy to see them win, but I can tell you that it had nothing to do with the fact that they beat us.

Fast forward about two months to the NCAA Lacrosse Championship where the University of Virginia beat Maryland for the title. As I sat there and watched the clock go to zero, I couldn't help but be bitter about the result. I mean, this was the same UVA team that BU had a 10-6 fourth quarter lead on...the same team that was so close to losing if not for a HUGE Bucknell fold. We lost to UVA 12-11 in OT in the first round. We could have and should have beaten them. Then we could have and should have beaten Cornell in the second round. And in the Final Four, we should have had as good a chance as anyone else. Bottom line is that in blowing a lead and losing a tight game to the eventual champs does not make me feel any better. I am not happy that we could have won because we didn't win. There is no such as a moral victory when you should have won.

Each situation was entirely different and I think might help inform a common fan how to feel in the future. If your team is swept then it is probably ok to root for the team that beat you, long as they are not your team' most bitter rivals. However, if you lose in 7 games, then you might just want to break out the voodoo dolls and wish harm on your opponent. The wounds are probably still deep and I'm not sure anything but time will heel them.

Tuesday Morning Five-Pack

A lot of stuff is going, but nothing significant enough for me to write a whole entry about...instead, here is a 5-pack of goodies to get your Tuesday morning off to the right start.

• David Wright will be out for at least the next 10 days with a lower back stress fracture. The injury supposedly occurred during an April 19 game against Houston. Thinking that it was just a muscular season, Wright says he has been on medication and anti-inflammatory meds since that date. I appreciate my boy trying to fight through injuries, I really do, but at some point, doesn't the organization have to step in? It's only 10 days, but had he kept playing, it could have been a lot longer. I know this team isn't great, but having Wright, even with his .226 average, out of the lineup is a big blow to any hope at .500. It's been a month - someone had to notice something.
• Bucknell lacrosse blew an amazing opportunity, losing 13-12 to 7th seed Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Bison were up 10-6 with a little under 3 minutes left in the game and couldn't close it out. They would have gone on to face 2nd seed Cornell in the Quarterfinals. It definitely is a disappointing result as this was the best Bison team ever, finishing 14-3 and going undefeated in the Patriot League. Making it to the Quarterfinals of a legitimate NCAA Division 1 sport would have been huge. (interestingly enough, a lacrosse player in The Wife's class actually knew of Bucknell because of the team...not bad for a little school in PA).
• I am not a Yankees fan. Everyone knows that. But I can't help but feel a little compassionate for what Jorge Posada is going through. As you may have heard, he was dropped to 9th in the lineup over the weekend and asked to be taken out of the game. He said he needed some time to clear his head, but it was obvious that he was rebelling against the embarrassment of hitting that low (not that it's a huge deal in the AL where the lineups are stacked). Here's the thing about athletes - they all get old. No one is mortal. How they, their managers, the organization and the fans handle getting old is always the tricky part. Posada is one of the last 3 Yankees from the dynasty years and will always be considered a legend, but he needs to come to grips that he is hitting .165. He needs to know that his time is almost up...he can pout about it or he can adjust. (and pouting is never a good choice in NYC)
  
• So Nate Robinson is in the center of a Seattle controversy for his recent tweets that the Oklahoma City fans "are the best on the planet." It's a no brainer - I mean, he is toeing the party line. He is saying what any other player would say in the same position. The problem obviously is that Nate is a homegrown Seattlite - hearing those comments pours salt into the still open wounds of what happened to the Sonics. To me, a non-native Seattlite, it should be a non-issue. I mean, the dude doves more for Seattle sports and talks more about Seattle sports that any other athlete. Sometimes your job requires you to say things you and others might not like (analysts speak ill of their former teams ALL the time, but it is part of being objective), but you do it. Get over it Seattle.
• In the world of MLS, the LA Galaxy continue to roll along as they trounced Sporting KC 4-1 on goals by Donovan, Beckham and Angel. The star power to this team is obviously there, but it is not entirely what makes me scared...I mean, we have seen numerous great teams falter come playoff time. No, what makes me scared is what I saw after Angel scored his first goal of the season. A lot of people were asking what was wrong with Angel after going his first 10 games without a goal. Was he done? He and the team insisted that wasn't the case, and after he scored you could see how happy everyone was for him. Donovan and Beckham had authentic smiles on their faces which makes me feel like this is a team that actually likes each other. Add in that Beckham actually seems interested in going out a winner and I think this is a team to look out for. They have had the talent for a few years - now they might have the chemistry as well. Watch out.

OK, so that's the end of the 5 pack, but I do have two minor things: 1). shame on the critics for doubting Kevin Durant after his terrible Game 6 - dude is allowed to have a bad game and 2). my Jersey boy Vin Mazzaro accomplished something no other pitcher has ever done-he gave up 14 ER in 2 1/3 relief innings last night -never had anyone given up that many without going 3 innings. Ouch.

Tuesday Morning Five-Pack

Here is a 5-pack of sports bubblies to get your morning off on the right foot:

• This is a sports blog. I occasionally will delve into pop culture, but that is more an exception than a norm. Politics are never discussed. With that being said, please allow me me take this opportunity to put down my thoughts on Osama bin Laden's death. News of his capture and killing was met with widespread excitement around the country. Live feed from outside the White House showed young Americans in a U-S-A! U-S-A! chant and on Facebook, their was open mocking of bin Laden. I believe that all Americans are allowed to react in whatever way they want to, especially if they were personally effected by the 911 bombings. I will not tell you how to feel. I, however, will not be openly cheering anyone's death, no matter how many people he killed. In my opinion bin Laden deserved to die, but I am not going to sing Na-Na-Na-NA Hey Hey Hey Goodbye. A person losing their life is nothing to celebrate. Instead, I will save my cartwheels for when this world is completely free from racial, social and religious hatred.
• OK, let's get back to sports, shall we? Anyone been watching the second round of the NBA Playoffs? If so, can you please tell me what is going on? (I only got to watch the 4th quarter of the OKC-Memphis series) The Hawks, Grizzlies and Mavs up 1-0? Very interesting to say the least. Now, I'm not sure if any of these three have a real shot at winning a 7-game series, but the favorites are definitely in a hole. Now comes the time for D-Rose and the Durantula to step up and take the next step.
  
• Like OKC-Memphis in the NBA, could their be a worse series than San Jose-Nashville in the NHL? I know several things still have to happen (Nashville winning both home games to go up 3-1 and SJ winning one of the next two on the road to also go up 3-1), but would this not be equivalent to hockey apocolypse? I mean, the Hockey Gods have to give us Vancouver-Detroit instead...right?
• We have been hearing about it for weeks now - Bill Simmons' new sports/pop-culture website that he will be editor-in-chief of. Up to now, the names of the authors (besides one of my favorites, Chuck Klosterman) and the name of the whole site has been under wraps (or at least to me they have been). Finally, yesterday on ESPN.com, Grantland.com debuted with two introductory articles from Molly Lambert and Katie Baker. My first impression - definitely someplace I am going to visit multiple times a day. Is it just me though or is the name a little boring? I realize it is in honor to Grantland Rice, but it's not exactly eye-catching or sexy. Maybe it will grow on me, but for now it makes me think of the Civil War.
• I am hoping to post volume 2 of Obscure Sports Friday this week, but in the interim would like to say something about Bucknell Lacrosse. I know lacrosse is a obscure sport to most, but anyone who has ever played it (D-Lib) or watched it knows how 'cool' the sport is. In it's most fundamental state, you have one team trying to score on another team. Nothing special, I know. Well add in a stick (that you are allowed to hit your opponents with) and keep them off of ice and you have an amazing sport to watch....anyways, the BU lacrosse team has been a fringe top-20 team for the past decade (10-5 in 2008, 11-4 in 2007, 10-4 in 2001, 12-0 in 1996) but have always seemed to come up short in the Patriot League Tournament. Since 2004 they have made the league tournament (top 4) 7 of 8 years but had failed to win it until this past Saturday when they routed Colgate 10-3. They are 14-2 on the season and ranked #12 in both polls. I'm not sure how we will fair against the rest of the country, but will be excited for the first round of games on the weekend of May 14. Ray Bucknell!
  

Should Have Seen It Coming...

Ouch. That is the only word to describe the ass-whooping we just received from UConn. It was not pretty. It was not even close to pretty (ok, I take that back. It was 27-20 before UConn went on a 28-5 run). It was so bad I actually left the bar with 17 minutes left in the game...

When I take a step back and think about it rationally, it is the correct result. I mean, #3 seeds are supposed to beat #14 seeds (since 1985 #14 seeds are 16-88). It is just what happens. Still, this one stings. My initial reaction to seeing us playing UConn was 'oh, shit. we're in trouble' and yet in the hours after the bracket was announced, I decided to talk myself into the reasons why we could win. Hell, I told all of you 6 reasons why we could get it done. The problem was that I forgot to mention all the reasons why we couldn't get it done. Now I could go over all the reasons, but the basic truth is that UConn is a hell of a team and even though they just won 5 games in 5 days, there was no way Calhoun was going to let them come out flat.

Over the first 5 minutes I honestly thought we belonged. Our shots weren't falling but there wasn't one second where I thought we were being outclassed. Sure our defense wasn't good, but I figured that UConn had to cool down sometime. I mean, you can't shoot that well against a good team for the entire game....and then it smacked me in the face....Bucknell isn't a good team (to be fair, we are good, just not UConn good). UConn was having their way not because they were hot - they were having their way because they are better.

Moments like this remind you what it is like to be a fan. Against all odds, you convince yourself you are going to win. Even if you know the odds are stacked against you, it still hurts when you lose. No matter how long this game is played, Bucknell is always going to be the underdog. We are always going to have a crooked number next to our name. Yet, the amazing success that we had in 2005 and 2006 made me think that we were suddenly big time...that anytime we made it to the tournament we were going to win. And that is the real beauty in the ass-whooping we took. It makes you realize how special that 2005 team was. I'm not saying that the 2006 team that earned a 9 seed wasn't special - they were flat out good, as evident by the high seed. No, the 2005 team was special because no one believed in us. Hell, no one had even heard of us. So winning was extra extra special. I honestly thought this team could bring back the glory, but in the end, we knew our role and took a beating.

Tomorrow when I wake up I am going to feel differently than I feel right now. I am going to realize that this is not the last of Bucknell. The fact is that we return 4 of our starters including the amazing Sophomore trio of Mike Muscala, Bryson Johnson and Joe Willman as well as freshman Cameron Ayers. If anything, we probably overachieved this year. Our destiny was to win in 2011-12 and 2012-13, so this appearance was a bonus. It will prepare us for next year. It will be good for us. No way Muscala forgets the feeling of losing by 29. No way any of the returning players forget what it feels like to be humbled...they are going to come out and dominate the league again.

So, yes, we got our asses kicked, but in the long run it might be good for us. Or at least that is what I am talking myself into believing.

We Can Do It

This is what being a fan is all about: Bucknell, the tiny private liberal arts university in central Pennsylvania with only 2 NCAA tournament wins, facing off against UConn, the Big East heavyweights with 2 national titles in the past 15 years. It is a match-up that 9 out of 10 times will be won by UConn. It is a match-up that based on talent should be won by UConn. In terms of athleticism and pure skill, no one on the Bucknell team should even be holding Kemba Walker's jock strap. And that is what makes this so perfect.

Six years ago we exploded onto the national scene with a one point win over 3-seed Kansas. It was an amazing game that still to this day ranks as my best sports memory. Ultimately we did not make the Sweet 16 that year, but for a team that had never won a tournament game; for a league that had never won a tournament game and for a school that everyone expected to roll over and played scared it was a watershed moment. The following year was even better as the Bison finished the regular season at 23-4, earned themselves a 9 seed and again beat a higher ranked opponent, Arkansas. Two straight years of beating the big boys with inferior talent.

Here we sit again. Five years later, getting even less respect than before. To be fair, it's not because people think less of the Bison, but simply because they think very highly of UConn. This is a team that amidst low expectations won the Maui Invitational by beating highly-ranked Michigan St and Kentucky. This is a team that was 17-2 on Jan 25. This is a team that just won 5 games in 5 days to win the Big East Tournament, a tournament that some say was more difficult a test than what they face in the NCAA Tournament. Simply put, this is a team that should beat Bucknell.

With all that being said, being a fan is about believing that above all odds, your team can get the job done. When it comes to Bucknell, I am that fan who can rationalize reasons why we can win (hell, we did it before, why not again?). Here are the reasons I have come up with as to why we CAN win:

1. History is on our side. The last team to win at least 4 games in 4 days to win the Big East Tournament was Syracuse in 2006. Led by an amazing individual performance by Gerry McNamara, Syracuse entered the conference tournament as a 9 seed (7-9 in conference) and a solid bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. Four days later they won the conference and were given a 5 seed that in hindsight was WAY to high. In the first round they were sluggish and lost to 12th ranked Texas A&M. UConn can certainly come out sluggish and underestimate the Bison.
2. One area that Bucknell has the advantage is in foul shooting where we rank 3rd nationally at 78.6%. If it is a close game look for BU to have the advantage.
3. There is a huge drop-off between Walker (23.5 ppg) and the team's second leading scorer, Jeremy Lamb (10.8 ppg). If Bucknell is somehow able to make Walker uncomfortable; if they are able to contain him; if for some reason he just has a bad day, I have to wonder where the scoring will come from.
4. The Huskies are just as inexperienced as Bucknell. After Walker (JR), the next 5 players in terms of minutes per game are all Sophomore's or Freshman. While UConn is always a powerhouse, it's not like any of their current players were around for those big games. They will be no better served for the NCAA Tournament than we will be.
5. We are familiar with playing Big East opponents - Nova and Marquette in 2011, Notre Dame in 2010. Sure all three games were losses, but all three were on the road in an environment that is way more hostile than what they will see in DC where geographically they will be the home team.
6. UPDATED - We are 7th in the nation in 3-point shooting (40.2%) while UConn is 226th (33.2%). This is another area of strength that we can hopefully take full advantage of.
   

So there are 6 reasons why we CAN win. Now the reason why we WILL win:

1. Belief. I believe in this team. T-Wetz, C-Steb, Stollercoaster, Gorman, The Wife, Mikey MLF and all of my fellow Bison believe in this team. All my non-Bison (D-Lib, Hopper, J-Will, The Mayor, Irish Mike) believe in this team. It is going to happen. We are going to shock UConn.

Double Dancing

The past 72 hours have felt like basketball bliss for me. First on Thursday night, UW exercised some demons in a 89-88 win over the Cougs. In a game where Klay Thompson put up 42, the Dawgs overcame a sluggish start and held on to win. Combined with an Oregon win over UCLA, the road to the Pac-10 Final was made a little easier.

Then on Friday afternoon, my Bison led wire to wire to make it back to the NCAA Tournament. It was a glorious game. By my side were both my beautiful wife and my beautiful daughter both in there orange and blue BU sweats. When they won we danced and sang and it was glorious beyond belief.

The game itself was a little closer than I would have liked. It was a five point game at halftime and even though we were still up by 5 with about 10 minutes left I started to get real nervous - I mean, Lafayette was pressuring us and we weren't handling it well. In fact we had just gone scoreless for six and a half minutes and crazy thoughts started going through me head. Could we actually blow this? Could our amazing season be all for naught? Could we actually lose? Then in an instance, GW Boon drove the lane and hit Mike Muscala with a bounce pass right as the defense was closed down on him. It was the tension cutting bucket we needed. We went on a 10-4 run and never looked back. In the end, we won 72-57 and the orange clad fans rushed the court. I may be 3000 miles away but damn it kind of felt like I was there with them.

Then tonight I watched my Huskies take down the 13th ranked Arizona Wildcats in OT. Zona led for most of the first half and I just had this feeling that while we were hanging around, we wouldn't be able to finish the job. And then it happened: the Huskies found the heart that I was asking for. It was in the form of Isaiah Thomas (28 points, 7 assists, 5 boards) who would not let the team lose. UW was down 4 with 32 seconds left when Thomas hit a three. Then down 4 with 19 seconds left, he drove the lane and found a wide open Terrence Ross in the corner for a three. With 10 seconds left, he repeated the feet when he drove and found CJ Wilcox in the other corner for the game tying three. The Huskies were going to OT. Thomas, Bryan-Amaning and N'Diaye all had 4 fouls so it would definitely be a tough 5 minutes.

In OT, Arizona hit a three to tie with 20 seconds and the ball was put in Thomas' hands for the final shot. I normally hate it when UW holds the ball til late in the shot-clock - they never get a good shot off and are always better when they shoot early. However, with 20 seconds left, you knew the best option was for IT to win it. With the ball at the top of the key he took a step in, step back and drained the fadeaway as time expired. There is no reason to wait around to see if we get in as an at-large - we are going dancing.

I called this team out as recently as two weeks ago. After losing to the Cougs I called them soft. I said they had no heart. But I also said I expected them to win the Pac-10 Tournament. It seemed like something this team could do. I mean, they have the weapons to score a lot of points. With that firepower winning 3 games in 3 days is more than possible. And with how up and down this team has been, it's not surprising.

So now we get to sit back and wait to see what the fates hold for both teams. For Bucknell, probably a 12-14 seed and a date with a top 15-program. For UW probably a 8-10 seed and a winnable first round game followed by a real test against a top 5 team in the second round. But that is in the future - for now, I am going to enjoy having both my teams in the Big Dance.

24 hours away...

...The Patriot League Championship Game is less than 24 hours away. My boys, the Bucknell Bison take on the Lafayette Leopards for a birth in the NCAA Tournament. We have not faced the Leopards in the PL Final since I was in school -the days of the hated trio of Brian Ehlers, Tyson Whitfield and Tim Bieg and I am still smarting over it. Not only do I want the Bison to go back to where they belong, but I want them to beat the Leopards to get there. I hate Lafayette.

Now, don't be fooled - we are the better team. No one but residents of Easton want the Leopards in the tournament...I mean, come on...they're 13-18 on the year. They don't belong.

The deck is stacked - they have to beat a team that finished 13-1 in conference and they have to do so at Sojka Pavilion, where BU is 13-1 on the season. Man, we need to win. We need to beat Lafayette. There is no reason why we should lose. I don't want to write a post tomorrow night about how Championship Games suck...I don't want the NIT. I want the NCAA Tournament. Come on, Bison....Let's get it done.

Wednesday Morning Five-Pack

Need a break from work today? Try this 5-pack of sports goodness...

• Congrats to the 2010-11 Patriot League Champions, the Bucknell Bison. I don't want to sound too stuck-up, but it's about time that the trophy came back home. American and Lehigh tried to treat it well, but it needs to be in Lewisburg. With that being said, I am a little concerned about our game on Wednesday against Army (the only conference team to beat us) and equally concerned about either Holy Cross or American in the final. On paper we should win, but anything can happen in the tournament. If we don't win we still go to the NIT, but the NIT is the NIT...it's not the NCAA Tournament. We need to stay focused and get the job done. 'Ray for the Orange and the Blue!!
• In what can be considered a very pleasant surprise, Carlos Beltran has decided to move to Right Field. I know that I have been down on Beltran more than the average Mets fan so I am just very very happy with this development, especially since he appeared to be entirely selfish last year with his rehab. Now I am not naive enough to think that this current decision is only about the team. In fact, it is about getting a new deal. Beltran knows that his next contract will come as a DH so he needs to stay healthy and produce in 2011. His knee is totally shot. He is smart enough to know the strain playing Center Field will put on it. He needs Right Field and luckily the team needs him in Right Field too. It is a perfect match for both parties.
• FIFA awarded CONCACAF a 4th World Cup spot and I have to say, it's about time. I know that we are not the deepest confederation (their is a big dropoff between the 4th and 5th teams), but our top 3 teams have consistently outperformed (38% winning pct) their counterparts in Africa (35%) and Asia (30%) over the past 4 World Cups. Again, I understand that top to bottom Africa might be deeper (8 teams in FIFA Top 50) than CONCACAF (4 teams), but adding a 4th team to CONCACAF help improve the quality within the confederation. No longer will it only be the US and Mexico - now Canada, Jamaica, T&T, El Salvador and Guatemala will have a legit shot at joining those two and Costa Rica/Honduras at the biggest sporting event in the World. With that incentive within reach, their will be no excuse not to beef up the effort.
• Doug Gottlieb of ESPN has created a Best Sports Video game bracket. I'm not sure if it is because we are the same age, but I could not agree any more with any of his top seeds: Tecmo Super Bowl, Mike Tyson's Punchout, NBA Jam and NHL 94. Those are the original titans of the genre and deserve to be recognized as such. We have all played Punchout and NBA Jam, but they actually weren't my favorites fo the four. I loved NHL'94 and I still LOOVVVE Tecmo Super Bowl. I don't play any of these new fangled video games so I don't have too much authority on it, but in my mind there is no comparison between Tecmo Super Bowl and any of the current stuff. Some of my other favorites to make the list: Blades of Steel, Tecmo Super NBA Basketball and RBI Baseball. Just great stuff.
• In light of Monday night's game game against Phoenix, I was planning on writing an open letter to D-Will today, asking him to reflect on the potential that the Nets have. I didn't see the game, but the highlights showed one thing: the crowd was TOTALLY into it. They were going apeshit - something that hasn't been seen in Jersey since the J-Kidd days. I was going to talk about the building blocks, the draft picks and the cap space. Then I realized that Devin Kharpertian of TrueHoops did a better job, so I will point you to his stuff instead.

Friday Morning Five-Pack

It's freaking cold here in Seattle this morning. Here is a Friday morning five-pack of sports goodness to get ya going.

• There is a very interesting situation in the Patriot League this weekend. Bucknell, who recently clinched the regular season title with a 12-1 record, will host last place Army this weekend and then turn around and host them again in the first round of the PL tournament the following week. It would appear on paper to be a big mismatch, except for one thing...when the Bison went up to West Point they got it handed to them in a 90-70 loss, their only conference blemish to date. So what do the Bison do? Do they rest their starters and go vanilla on Army? Or do they come out and destroy the Cadets for the earlier loss knowing that Army will have a 'practice' game against them before the tourney starts? To me, it's simple. Don't stop your momentum - kick the crap out of them on Saturday and then turn around and do it again. They are vastly superior to the Cadets and they need to show it.
• One of my favorite sports topics is race. It's not something I blog about much because frankly, it's a subject that no one knows how/wants to talk about. The fact is that while no one wants to admit it, race still plays an integral role in all sports, as it does society. My favorite writer on the subject, Jason Whitlock had Buzz Bissinger on his podcast to discuss Bissinger's recent comments about whites not watching the NBA. Take a listen if you have some time.
• A lot of trades before yesterday's NBA trade deadline. I won't discuss all of them, but three stick out. First, Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson traded to OKC for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. Most experts are floored by this trade since Boston essentially weakened their only area of strength over Miami, but I really have to wonder if Perkins is fully recovered from his injury. It will be interesting to see what he is moving forward, because if he is completely back, OKC may be the best in the West. As far as Nate goes, you have to believe that deep down he is miserable that he has to play for Clay Bennett, the man who stole his NBA team. Second, Baron Davis shipped to Cleveland for Mo Williams. Simply put, the Clippers actually did something smart. While Baron has shown signs of life lately, he remains a cancer; it was only time before he brought the lockerroom down. Finally, in a non-trade, Memphis' trade of OJ Mayo to Indiana did not beat the deadline. There have been definite character questions surrounding Mayo in the past, so you have to wonder how he will take the news, knowing that he is basically a lame duck in Memphis. How do the Grizz move on with this over their heads? Very interesting.
• The Sounders continue to train in Florida with nothing more than blog posts and the daily video to keep fans up to date. Obviously it's hard to form any opinions on who looks good and who doesn't, but I get the general sense that Sigi is not happy with Blaise and that he loves both rookie goalies. They currently have between 32-34 players in camp which means Sigi will need to cut some people before the March 1 deadline. I see Noonan and either Scott/Graham being cut along with one of the keepers, Johnathon Prieto and unfortunately Lamar Neagle. Again, these are based on nothing more than speculation on my part.
• Finally, I am quietly becoming very excited for the Mets season. New manager Terry Collins has brought a lot of energy to camp (hopefully he can keep it up in the dog-days of July) and the constant upbeat reporting of Matt Cerone of metsblog.com has me starting to dream of a special season. Right now I think the most interesting parts of camp is who will win the 2nd base job between Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus and Luis Castillo; whether Izzy can make the team and the bullpen; who will be the 5th starter and whether Beltran and Bay can bounce back and have big years.

That's all I got for now. Enjoy the weekend.

Time to Panic

I started a running commentary of the Super Bowl and half way through realized that I wouldn't be able to finish it because of my fatherly duties. Besides that, it really sucked ...you know really fun stuff like alternate programming on the other channels, how Fergie officially killed anything left to GnR, A-Rod and Cameron Diaz making the nation vomit and of course, how boring Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are.

Anyways, I decided to stay away from the Super Bowl and instead talk about UW basketball. Wait, I take that back...not talk about UW basketball, but rather sound the panic alarms about UW basketball.

I saw the loss to Washington St coming. After all, it had all the makings of a trap - rivalry game in a crazy environment that was extra ravenous because of comments by Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning the week before. Their was no way the Cougs weren't going to come out fired up.

At the time, I convinced myself that 15-3 in conference was still a very real possibility. After all, the Huskies were the best team in the conference. The loss at Wassou was only a blip in the radar. Then they went to Oregon St, a frisky Jeckyll and Hyde team, and laid an egg. Still I assumed that when we were 14-4 at the end of the year and looking back at our season, the two game slide would simply a distant memory.

And then the unthinkable happened. We went to Oregon and lost to a crap team in green. In doing so, the Huskies now sit a full two games behind conference leaders Arizona, which means that beating the Wildcats on the road in two weeks won't be enough. We will need the 'Cats to slip up to another conference foe and we will need to run the table.

I don't know what the problem is with the team (I actually haven't been able to watch any of the previous two games), but I am freaking out. We are now 15-7 on the season and 7-4 in conference. We have only beaten one top 25 team on the year and will only face one more for the rest of the season. If we don't turn things around immediately, 7 conference losses could be staring us in the face. Entering the Pac-10 tournament with 19-10 record and an RPI of in the 50's, we might be at risk of missing the tournament if we get tripped up.

This is absolutely shocking to think about. I am in total panic mode.

************

On the positive side, the Bison bounced back from their 20-point thumping to Army with a 25-point win over Navy. I was more shocked than upset when they got ambushed in West Point. I wasn't expecting it, but I don't think it's the worst thing. Getting a beating by a team that was below .500 in conference is a good wake-up call. Starting the season 6-0 in conference is obviously awesome, but for a squad that hasn't experienced such heights in a few years, it would be easy to let things go to your head. You start taking shortcuts and don't work as hard. So now it's out of the way, well before conference tourney time. We still have our two rivals, American and Lehigh at home so I think 13-1 is a real possibility.

Monday Morning Five-Pack

If you're like me, you got a case of the Monday's today. So to help, here is a Monday morning five pack of sports goodness. Hope you enjoy.

• What has gotten into the Devils? They are not 6-0-1 in their last seven, having outscored opponents 28-13. They have pulled themselves into a tie for last in the league with the Oilers are are only two points behind the 14th place Islanders in the East. I said I would start believing if they beat the Flyers on Saturday. Well, they did. And then they beat Florida. I'm ready to go into 100% hope mode, but they remain 20 points out of the playoffs. That is ridiculous. So if they beat Detroit on Wednesday, I'll start to believe.
• Since Mikhail Prokhorov officially called off the negotiations with Denver, the Nets are 2-1 (and would be 3-0 if not a one point loss to Dallas). I'm not naive enough to say the loss of the distractions are the only reason for the improved play, but it definitely has to be part of the reason. Also contributing is the resurgence of Brook Lopez, the return of Anthony Morrow from injury and some straight-up stability. After tinkering with the lineup for a good part of two months, it seems like Avery Johnson finally has settled on his rotation.
• I unfortunately did not watch one down of either conference championship games Sunday and I'm not sure that I will be able to give any sort of breakdown of SB45. What I can say though, is that the match-up is all that we could have hoped for. I know that won't go over well with Seahawks fans, but having the Steelers face the Packers is perfect. You have the NFC/NFL's most successful team, the 12-time champion Packers against the 6-time Super Bowl Champion Steelers. It's like the NFL version of Celtics-Lakers or Canadians-Red Wings. I am super stoked.
• My college basketball teams continue to roll. The Huskies eked out a tough win against a gritty ASU team in a game that past teams may have gotten tripped up by. If they want to finish the conference with 1-3 losses and improve their seeding, they need to win games like this. Bucknell on the other hand improved to 4-0 in the Patriot League but actually saw their RPI drop because of how poor Colgate is this year (330+ in RPI). I am sold on us winning the regular season crown, but terrified that we might somehow get upset in the PL tourney.
• Finally, a word on my favorite soccer player, Clint Dempsey. Some of you may be aware that I met Clint at an airport in 2005 as he was on his way back to the Revolution after being cut from National team camp. He was a totally cool dude who didn't tell me to get lost when I approached him. I have been a big fan ever since. Anyways, the dude is the best American playing in the EPL. He has already become a Craven Cottage legend for his relegation saving goal against Liverpool in 2007 and his miracle goal against Juverntus in 2010. Every year time the Fulham is nearing relegation, he is there to save him. The dude just kills it. With rumors of a Liverpool transfer undying, Clint went out and scored two against Stoke City on Saturday - including one PK, a spot where very few Americans have ever scored from in the EPL. I'm not sure whether I want him to go to Liverpool. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with Liverpool, I just don't want him to get stuck on a bench. Sure, they are less likely to get relegated in the next five years, but he has a good thing going right now.