March Madness Memories

This was definitely not the most memorable NCAA Tournament in years past, but it had it share of moments that I will remember for years to come. My favorite day of the tournament was by far the first Friday. Both Marquette and Wisconsin were on tap to play their first round games that day. Marquette was in a back and forth game with Utah State that came down to the wire at the same time that Tennessee and Oklahoma State were going to down to the end. Marquette finally got a little breathing room the final 30 seconds and hit free throws to ice the game while Oklahoma State won on a last second shot in the first really exciting game of the tournament.

But it was Friday night that was even more exciting. It appeared that the Badgers were on their way to a first round exit when trailing by 12 points to high flying Florida State. The CBS halftime crew said that they gave the Badgers no shot to come back. And let's face it. Who would. How were the Badgers going to speed the game up and overcome that sort of deficit. Everyone knows in a Badger game, a 12-point lead is like a 24-point lead. But behold non-believers (including me quite frankly). The Badgers went on one of their pattented 13-0 runs which took like 7 minutes and took the lead. Then when facing a late-game deficit like they have all year and most of the time folded, Bohanen hit a huge three to send it into overtime. At the same time, Ohio State and Siena were heading into double overtime. CBS was switching back and forth as both games came down to the wire. Wisconsin again came back late in overtime to get a huge basket from Trevon Hughes and completed the improbable win over Florida State. Right around that time Siena topped Ohio State.

The weekend was disappointing. Not a lot of good games and the favorites won 15 of 16 in disappointing NCAA-fashioin.

But the following weekend was full of more exciting contests. Missouri taking it to Memphis was shocking as was Villanova destroying Duke. In fact, Villanova became my favorite team to watch that second weekend. The Pitt-Villanova game, sloppy ending and all, was my favorite game of the tournament.

The Michigan State run was fun to watch. Wins over Louisville and Connecticut were very surprising in my eyes but I hope made people realize along with Purdue's run and Michigan's and Wisconsin's first round victories that the Big Ten was for real this year. And as much as I didn't want to see it, the North Carolina run through the tournament was very impressive. For those who said there wasn't a dominant team in the NCAA this year, I think you're wrong. North Carolina won its last three games against the hottest teams in the tournament: Oklahoma, Villanova and Michigan State in awesome sytle.