Catching up on hoops
Before a mid-day MSU spring football preview presser that's sure to be newsy. And we start, of course, with Shaka and the Rams. What a Final Four -- the middies on one side, the dirties on the other. UPDATE: But then we come with big news in Atlanta, where former MSU assistant Brian Gregory has accepted the Georgia Tech job.
Back to the Final Four, you have one Cal (ipari) hoping the third time's the charm, after his first two Final Four trips were wiped from the books. The other Cal (houn) has put this messy Nate Miles business behind him with an improbable run.
Around the Big Ten, U-M's Darius Morris will test the waters. Minnesota is losing a big man. Ohio State has high hopes for next season. We may have an answer on MSU's short NCAA stay.
And finally, here's GeorgeK's report from the West Regional final:
This is unofficial West Coast Correspondent GeorgeK checking in after another thrilling finish in the West Regional.
The Heartbreak Kids strike again! With the scarlet of San Diego State swapped out for the cardinal red of Arizona, the Honda Center in Anaheim, California effectively became Tucson West for tonight’s Elite Eight match up. It was a virtual home game for Arizona, but someone forgot to tell the Huskies of UConn.
Right away the arena was electric. Already rocking with “U-of-A” chants, the crowd erupted when the Southeast Regional outcome was announced, with Butler booking a repeat trip to the Final Four. Soon the game on-hand was underway and Arizona picked up right where they left off against Duke, racing to the early lead. During those first frantic minutes, the crowd of 17,856 was on their feet, bringing the house down as UConn struggled to only two made baskets in the first ten minutes.
But just like against the Spartans in Maui, and so many other times this season, the Huskies were not to be denied. With Arizona’s Derrick Williams sidelined by three quick fouls and Kemba Walker heating up, everyone could sense what was coming. The Wildcat fans remained loud and passionate, but basketball is a game of runs and suddenly the “home team” was living on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
At halftime, I overhead some Arizona fans discussing the seven-point deficit, saying how they were down six at the half to Duke the previous game and that they could still come back. A valid theory, but as fellow Spartan Nick Kovacic remarked to me at the time, “Duke didn’t have Kemba”.
Sure enough, those in cardinal red still had much more to celebrate, as Arizona would battle back, getting off two potentially game-winning three pointers in the frenetic final seconds. But in the end, both would fall just short, and UConn is headed to Houston for their fourth Final Four in program history.
Reminiscent of the 2009 MSU squad, who silenced a very pro-Louisville crowd en route to a surprise Final Four, UConn managed to crush the spirits of not one, but two local crowds in their brief stay in Anaheim. Just ask the Aztec and Wildcat fans, who now get to watch the remainder of the tournament on television.
In conclusion, the West regional was an amazing ride, full of great team play and some truly legendary individual performances. By the end, every time Kemba Walker touched the ball, the whole crowd, whether in red or blue, could only “ooh” and lean forward in their seats. What an incredible atmosphere for my first NCAA tournament games.
Many thanks to Joe for letting me play guest-blogger for a few nights, and until next season, this is GeorgeK, signing off. Enjoy the Final Four everyone. Go Butler!
