It has been a strange, surprising, and at times frustrating couple of days of basketball. As they were played:

1. As I said yesterday, I didn’t see this Tennessee win coming. It’s  not that I had counted out Tennessee or didn’t like anything in particular coming. It’s just that I couldn’t find a single reason to care about them. They won, though, and they earned it. They played very good defense, and were able to shut down and frustrate everyone not named Evan Turner in the second half. Now they are in their first Elite Eight in team history, and I still don’t feel any affection for them or give them the due they are probably deserved.

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What a freaking game!!! That’s why college basketball is such an incredibly great sport. I’m crushed that Xavier, I team I couldn’t respect more, lost that game, but it’s easier to deal with given that the game was an instant classic. That was seriously as good as basketball can be. Jordan Crawford is such an incredible, incredible player. Unreal.

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Wow. Just wow. What a day of basketball. What a weekend of basketball. Friday was just okay, but the other three days were all but perfect.

I have to start with Cornell. I have had several hours to think about what I saw in that game, and I’m still not sure that I believe it. Cornell was up against a Wisconsin team that was among the most efficient in the country with and without the ball. They don’t mess up often, they score when they have the ball, and they perform very well on defense. Cornell never freaking trailed in the game! They jumped out of the gate like they knew they were going to win, and by halftime they had made a mockery of the thing. There have been many, many impressive performances this weekend, but there wasn’t one better than that. Cornell just knew that they were going to win, and it really wasn’t in doubt. Truly awe inspiring. If that team can carry that game on to next weekend then there is no limit to what they can do. Unfortunately, their next matchup is as bad as it can be. The two teams they have beaten have been thrown onto their heels early and never recovered. Kentucky is dramatically more skilled and explosive than either of those teams, though, so it should be much harder for Cornell to impose their will and stay on top. I have Kentucky in the finals in my bracket, and I still feel pretty good about that, but my heart will be cheering for the Big Red. How can you not love what they are doing?

Continue reading “Sweet, Sweet Sunday!” →