I wanted to get a good month between this blog and March Madness to ensure some perspective on the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four, especially Kansas's blow-out of the Heels on Saturday night. Here are a few random observations:
* Since I've been a rabid Carolina basketball fan (starting in 1981 with my acceptance into their Ph.D. program in English), I've had three seasons end happily: 1982, 1993, and 2005. That's just 3 out of 27 seasons. I've seen them upset a number of times, the most painful of which was the opening round loss to Weber State in 1999, which I watched in a Cedar City motel room during a cowboy poetry festival. I've seen them lose in the final four, the most painful of which was the loss to Utah in 1998, which I watched in a hospital room with Lu Ann who was recovering from surgery. (For the record, she was a Utah Ph.D. candidate at the time, so she may have given Utah some extra luck.) All in all, this was a great season: Final Four loss to the eventual national champions, ACC regular season champion, ACC tournament champion. It also makes the Worthy performance and Jordan jumper against Georgetown, the total no-stars team effort against the Fab Five of Michigan, and the all-star egocentric team win against Illinois all the sweeter in my memory.
* I have no idea why they came out so flat against Kansas. Thank goodness General Priesthood Meeting saved me from having to watch the first half. If they hadn't had all those turnovers during their second-half comeback run, they would have tied the score and given themselves a chance to win the game.
* I thought it was classy of Roy Williams to show up at the championship game in a Kansas shirt. He gave them 15 good years as their coach. To see Kansas get the championship he couldn't give them must have been bittersweet for Roy, but he took it well and stayed out of the spotlight. Any Kansas fan who still has negative feelings toward him will now go to hell for sure. (I'm not even going to get into all the Carolina-Kansas connections.)
* I knew Tyler Hansbrough would stay for his senior season. He will go down as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time.
* Neither Ty Lawson nor Wayne Ellington is ready for the NBA. I hope they come to their senses before June 16th. (I'm not even going to get into Trent Plaisted or Lee Cummard. They should spend the summer working out with Hansbrough instead of indulging in their delusions.)
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3 comments:
Let's begin the "Roygate" kansas sticker debate...
not a fan.
everything else in your post was lovely:)
Until I read your post, I hadn't realized how much I'd managed to block the Final Four round game from my memory. Seeing Hamilton's baby UNC onesie folded in his drawer has only brought a smile of late. So, um, thanks??
I'm not sure what to make of the Roy-Kansas business, but I will say that the days of Kansas being my back-up team to root for in the Tournament are over.
Great way to wrap things up.
Lawson and Ellington, if you are reading this (you never know), take the Dr's advice, and we'll see you next season.
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