Day 16 of March: The Slipper Still Fits

It's finally here, the greatest week of the year. Literally anything in the entire world can happen later this week, just like what happened in 1999. Back then, Gonzaga was just some tiny school John Stockton went to that had never won an NCAA Tournament game in history. They took out a suspension-ridden Minnesota team in the first round, but when they knocked off two seed Stanford in the second round, everyone started to notice. The Cardinal returned all five starters from their Final Four team the year before, and Gonzaga dominated them. Then, in the Sweet Sixteen game against Florida, we got one of the greatest basketball games ever. The Gators took a three point lead with 45 seconds left and the Zags followed with a Jeremy Eaton lay up to cut the lead to one. And that's when the Cinderella magic started. After the inbounds, 6-9 Brent Wright was pressured by 5-8 Quentin Hall and drug his second foot turning the ball over. With 15 seconds to go and a one point Gator lead, Gonzaga and Gus Johnson took over, and finished off one of the greatest endings in the history of March Madness. Que Gus Johnson's voice: Shot clock turned off... Calvary... Hall... 8 to shoot...Hall... The Runner!!!... Loose Ball!!!!!... It's good!!!!!!.... With 4.4 to go!!!... Shannon... don't wanna foul... Shannon... From the corner!!!!!!!... And it's over!!!!... Gonzaga!!!!!... THE SLIPPER STILL FITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest finishes and calls in the history of sports. My only bone to pick is with the color commentator for interrupting Gus at the end. Of course you don't want to foul, and Gus was in the zone. Why would he want to step in the way of that? Even with that, it will still always be my favorite tournament moment, and my favorite YouTube video (I think 5000 of the views are mine). Anyway, enjoy the Selection Show, enjoy March Madness, and I hope your team gets buckets.

Day 15 of March: You Can't Be Serious

Hopefully everyone is pumped on Selection Sunday Eve as we begin to wrap up with my two favorite March Madness moments. Today we look at one of the greatest collection of characters in the history of sports with the Northern Iowa Panthers. Going against top overall seed Kansas, nobody really gave Northern Iowa much of a shot, and figured they'd get rolled over the way 9 seeds are supposed to in the second round. However, Ali Farokhmanesh, Jordan Eglseder, Lucas O'Rear, and Lucas O'Rear's sideburns had other plans. The Panthers controlled most of the game before withstanding a late Jayhawks run in the final two minutes. The defining moment came with around 40 seconds left with the Panthers up one. The typical approach would be to hold the ball as long as possible, run out some clock, and try to escape with the win. Farokhmanesh had a better idea, though, as he let a deep three fly and buried it, extending the lead to four. After a charge on Tyrel Reed on the ensuing possession, Ali hit two free throws to ice the game and send the Panthers to their first ever Sweet Sixteen. One of my biggest beliefs is that a team gunning for an upset this big has to land the knockout punch when they get the opportunity, and that's exactly what Northern Iowa did. The worst thing a team can do is try to coast with a small lead, and start playing conservatively. You have to go for jugular if you want to take out one of the big dogs. With that said, enjoy the awesome slate of games today, and come back tomorrow to see my all time favorite NCAA Tournament memory (which also doubles as my favorite Gus Johnson memory), it's gonna be awesome.

Day 14 of March: Double Order of Onions

There's only one thing better than March Madness, and that's March Madness with Bill Raftery. This all came in full effect during the Ohio St vs Siena game in 2009 when a record three "ONIONS" calls were recorded. The first came from Buckeye guard PJ Hill after knocking down a pair of free throws with 9 seconds left in the first overtime, extending the lead to 3. Then, after Ohio St questionably decided not to foul, Ronald Moore hit a big three with three seconds left sending the game into double overtime, and earning himself some onions. At the end of the second overtime, down a point, Moore hit another three earning himself an unprecedented double order of onions, and sent Siena to the second round. It truly was "garden variety" with "the little guy knocking them down big time" as the legend Bill Raftery shouted. The Saints were cold from behind the arc for the majority of the game, finishing 6-24, but drilled them when they counted. At the end of the day, that's what having onions is all about.

Day 13 of March: From The Parking Lot

On a cold day back in 2005 in Worcester, Massachusetts, TJ Sorrentine, Taylor Coppenrath, and Germain Mopa Njila made a name for themselves as the Vermont Catamounts upset Syracuse in front of thousands of screaming fans as well as a screaming Gus Johnson. It all started with two minutes left when Cameroonian guard Mopa Njila hit a three to put the Catamounts up by one. Then, after a bad pass by Hakim Warrick, TJ Sorrentine looked like he was just burning clock as the upset minded crowd began going nuts with their U-V-M chants. All of a sudden, Sorrentine drilled a three FROM THE PARKING LOT setting off major excitement from Gus Johnson and major panic from Orange fans everywhere (pause the video at 1:13). This gave Vermont a two possession lead and all but sealed their victory. In the end, the Catamounts held on for a 60-57 win and their first ever NCAA Tournament win, while TJ Sorrentine (with help from Gus Johnson) became a hero for small schools in March Madness.

Day 12 of March: Jayhawks Win The Title

So far in my articles, I've focused more on underdogs and cinderellas, but the Jayhawks' performance in 2008 deserves it's spot. Down seven with two minutes left, Kansas rallied to tie the game on a Mario Chalmers three as time ran down. Of course, this doesn't happen if Memphis could just make their free throws. The Tigers missed plenty of opportunities to put the game away down the stretch. Derrick Rose split a pair of free throws right before Chalmers' shot that could have made it a four point game. This has always left fans wondering if it was a better comeback by Kansas or a choke job by Memphis. In the end, it was a little bit of both. The Jayhawks made big plays when they needed to, but the Tigers just couldn't put the nail in the coffin. In overtime, Kansas took the momentum they built up and coasted with an early lead. It was their first title in 20 years, and will also go down as one of the greatest championship games ever.

Day 11 of March: The Demon Comeback

Straight outta Natchitoches, Louisiana, the Northwestern St Demons met up with Iowa, and for about 32 minutes looked exactly like what you'd expect from a 14 seed representing the Southland Conference. Suddenly, with 8 minutes left, down by 17, Northwestern St launched a massive comeback led by Ben Wallace look alike Clifton Lee  and cut the lead to two with just ten seconds left. Of course a team like this will always go for the win, and while the first three was off, Jermaine Wallace grabbed the offensive board, turned around, and fired while falling down out of bounds, yet still swished it. The Demons were so pumped that they immediately started celebrating and forgot to play defense and gave up a semi open look for the win. Fortunately, Adam Haluska just missed, and Northwestern St was off to the second round. This capped off a thrilling comeback, and will perhaps go down as the greatest shot in history to not receive an "Onions!" but for the Demons it will probably remain the greatest moment in school history.

Day 10 of March: Pittsnogle and Paulino

The 2006 Sweet Sixteen featured a crazy battle full of characters between West Virginia and Texas. The Longhorns were led by Kenton Paulino, a senior guard from Maine, and solid young players like A.J. Abrams and LaMarcus Aldridge. The senior heavy Mountaineers featured Mike Gansey, Johannes Herber, and the insanely popular Kevin Pittsnogle. Texas controlled the game early, but with 15 threes, West Virginia stormed back, tying it at 71 with 5 seconds left on a Pittsnogle three, before Paulino hit another at the buzzer to send the Longhorns to the Elite Eight. This game featured all of the quick turn arounds and momentum swings that make the tournament so exhilarating and awesome. Tomorrow, we'll look at another three pointer buzzer beater from the 2006 tourney, so be sure to come back then.

Day 9 of March: Shootout in Salt Lake

Kansas St vs Xavier in Salt Lake City back in 2010 had everything you want in a tournament game. From crazy shots to clutch threes to Gus Johnson going bananas, it was the complete package. With clutch threes by Jordan Crawford and Terrell (before the Tu era) Holloway for Xavier and Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente from Kansas St, it seemed like the game would never end. With the Wildcats seemingly in control, Holloway hit three free throws at the end of regulation and Jordan Crawford hit a parking lot three in the first overtime to extend the game. In the second overtime, however, Pullen and Clemente outdueled the Musketeer guards, and Kansas St advanced to the Elite Eight and earned a date with Gordon Hayward and the Butler Bulldogs. It was an effort that even led the great Frank Martin to admit that his guys played "pretty good" in the roller coaster of a game. In the end however, it was Gus Johnson who was the star of the game. With a slew of rise and fires and p-ures, Gus stole the show once again, proving that he is the most intense and dramatic play by play man around. Hell, Gus might even be able to make NASCAR and/or tennis actually exciting. Don't worry, as there will be plenty more Gus and plenty more insane highlight videos and head down the stretch for the final week before Selection Sunday

Day 8 of March: Jimmy Chitwood Jr

2010 was personally my favorite NCAA Tournament to watch, and Butler's run to the title game played a big part in that. It kind of surprised me how the media made them out to be such big underdogs, when in reality they were a five seed, and its not all that uncommon for five seeds to make runs. I guess its because many fans, players, and members of the media refuse to believe that good teams can come out of small conferences. The Bulldogs took out the likes of Syracuse, Kansas St, and fellow five seed Michigan St setting up a battle with Duke in Indianapolis for the Championship. Ultimately, Gordon Hayward came about half an inch away from becoming the real life Jimmy Chitwood, and Duke took home the title. (Side note: I wonder if Hickory fans got ripped for storming the court). Regardless, Butler did enough that Brad Stevens and Gordon Hayward will always go down as legends of college basketball. Plus, they did it again the next season. It was one of the most exciting runs in one of the most exciting tournaments ever, I just wish one more shot could have fallen for Hayward. I also wish CBS wouldn't have ruined that tournament with Jennifer Hudson's God awful rendition of One Shining Moment, but that's an article for another day. Check back tomorrow as we revisit the 2010 tourney yet again.

Day 7 Of March: Dunk City

You'd be hard pressed to find a more exciting team than Florida Gulf Coast last year. Led by Andy Enfield, one of very few college basketball coaches with a supermodel wife, the Eagles busted just about every bracket, and put themselves on the national map with wins over Georgetown and San Diego St. They became the first fifteen seed to ever advance to the Sweet Sixteen. With a quick strike transition offense and a barrage of monster dunks, Gulf Coast overwhelmed both teams in dominating and entertaining fashion. Usually with upsets this big, it happens with a ton of threes and a favorite going cold, but both the Hoyas and the Aztecs were completely dominated for the duration of the games. Sherwood Brown, Chase Fieler, and Brett Comer stole the show, and earned millions of fans for the tiny school who had never played in the NCAA Tournament. Florida Gulf Coast ensured that they will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Cinderella stories.

Day 6 of March: Our First Onions

Anyone who has ever watched college basketball knows that the greatest honor a player can ever receive is to make Bill Raftery scream "Onions!". For Demonte Harper and Morehead St, to have it called on a game winning upset of an instate power, it doesn't get any better than that. The Eagles were led by current Denver Nugget Kenneth Faried and guard Terrance Hill who was 5-6 from three, but coach Donnie Tyndall had a dream in which Harper won the game, and he stuck with his gut. Of course it worked out, and when Faried blocked the shot at the buzzer, it was the Cardinals hopping on the next flight back to Kentucky. I'd also like to point out that this was part of the 12:00 slate of games, along with Juan Fernandez's game winner to help Temple beat Penn State. This means that the idiots who went to class that day missed two fantastic finishes. I cannot stress this enough: Going to class or work is not worth skipping any basketball, regardless of what games are on. I have great memories of both games that afternoon, but do you really think I would've remembered what we talked about in Physics anyway? You gotta be able to prioritize, its a basic life skill. See you back here tomorrow as we take a trip to Dunk City for day seven.

Day 5 of March: Hampton Takes Down Iowa St

There's nothing quite like a huge upset in March, and considering no 16 seed has ever won (yet) this is as close as its gotten. There's also nothing quite like the way a neutral crowd jumps all over a massive underdog once they begin to smell an upset. You've probably never seen so many Hampton Pirates fans in Boise, Idaho. And when Senior forward Tarvis (that's not a typo) Williams hit the go ahead bucket late in the game, the Boisians all went nuts. Almost as nuts as Steve Merfield, the Hampton coach, that is. You gotta love the coaches who get just as excited as the players in these big games. Finally, while we're talking about my favorite things about March, why can't they go back to playing on the real floors instead of the stupid generic NCAA ones. The orange and blue is so much cooler than the plain, dull courts they play on now. Anyway, this is one of the best parts of March Madness - rallying around some school you probably have never heard of as they take on a Goliath. Sure, they'd probably lose 99 out of 100 times, but every game has the chance of being that 1%. That's what makes this the best time of the year.

Day 4 of March: Demetri Goodson Coast to Coast

Yesterday, we took a look at Western Kentucky's nice run in '08 and a year later they were back in the Second Round after another upset over Illinois. This time they were matched up with the original Cinderella, Gonzaga, coming off a double digit win over Akron. Down nine with just over two minutes left to Gonzaga, the Hilltoppers went on a crazy run ultimately tying the game on a Steffphon Pettigrew put back with seven seconds left. Those seven seconds were all it took for Demetri Goodson to drive coast to coast and bank in the runner sending the Zags back to the Sweet Sixteen. It also led to one of my favorite scenes in basketball, where an angry coach shakes hands with the winning team and pretends to show good sportsmanship. This was the highlight of Goodson's basketball career, as he ended up transferring to Baylor to play football and has entered this year's NFL Draft. Anyways, the moral of today's story is to get back and play defense. Finally tying the game up with so little time left only to lose on an uncontested runner has to be one of the most gut wrenching ways to lose, but then again 63 teams have to end their season on a bad note (I know I said 63 - the play in games don't count).

Day 3 of March: Ty Rogers' Shot

One of the most popular small conference schools every March is the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. They dominate the Sun Belt and always seem to have their name called on Selection Sunday. They have a unique nickname and a really cool mascot who has been blatantly copied by about 50 schools. In the first round back in '08 they faced a Drake Bulldogs team led by Klayton Korver who loved to chuck threes and not play defense. The result was a game in which 200 points were scored and 30 total three pointers were made. The Hilltoppers were led by Tyrone Brazelton's 33 points and also featured future NBA players Jeremy Evans and Courtney Lee but it was Ty Rogers who hit the game winner at the buzzer and then proceeded to do the soccer celebration of running around while being chased by teammates. This sent Western Kentucky to the second round to take on the 13 seeded San Diego Toreros, who used similar heroics to send the Connecticut Huskies home. WKU ended up in the Sweet Sixteen, while a very sad Klayton Korver went back home to Iowa, but that's just the way March works. Stay tuned tomorrow as we move to number four on my list of great March moments as we see the Hilltoppers on the other end of a game winner.

Day 2 of March: A Hail Mary For Saint Mary's

Not gonna try to sugarcoat it, its been a rough year for the Saint Mary's Gaels with thirty point beatdowns by their biggest rival and recruiting players out of the Twilight movies. But back in 2010, things were a lot better in Moraga. Led by Omar Samhan and a slew of short skinny Australians, the Gaels won the WCC Tournament and stormed into the great town of Providence, Rhode Island to upset the Richmond (Rich-what?) Spiders and the Villanova Wildcats. Most memorably, this was done in front of the legendary Bill Raftery. Down the stretch, the Aussies made some crazy plays including Matthew Dellavedova executing a flawless rendition of Biggie Little before nailing a three with 4 and a half minutes left, Omar Samhan blocking more shots than Stretch (sorry for the excessive NBA Street references) and finally Mickey McConnell's "kiss to be remembered" which nearly caused Bill Raftery to faint. When it was all said and done, the Australian National Team exited the Dunkin' Donuts Center with a 75-68 win, and their first trip to the Sweet Sixteen in over 50 years in the second of El Fuerto's top sixteen March moments. Stay tuned tomorrow for number three.

Guess Who's Back... And Lucious For The Win

Yeah, I kinda figured MIB was dead too. We had peaked with the White Man Tourney, and really there was nowhere else to go. Everything we had to say had been said. But, much like Jesus and CT from The Challenge, some things just can't go away forever. Plus, it's March and I have plenty of inspirations. I've had more discussions and arguments over the best NCAA Tournament games than Kyle Korver has had three pointers drained. Since we're sixteen days away from Selection Sunday, and sixteen is such an appropriate number for March (ie the round the Bearcats never seem to make it to) I thought I'd list out my sixteen favorite March Madness moments. Anyway, here are some rules on how this will go:

1) All the games will be from my lifetime. They don't count unless I watched them live, which means we're starting at the 1999 Tourney. Yes, I skipped school in first grade to watch March Madness. Did you really expect anything else?
2) All the games also have to have a Youtube video for me to link you to. Its no fun if you can't actually see it, which very much limits many games played before 2008. Salim Stoudamire's game winner against Oklahoma St, BJ Raymond's shot against West Virginia, Michigan St vs Kentucky in 2005, and the Ohio St vs Xavier game unfortunately had to be left out for this reason.
3) Bonus points for upsets. Sure it's cool when a one seed wins on a buzzerbeater, but it's way cooler when a 13 seed does.
4) Bonus points for games called by Gus Johnson or Bill Raftery. Honestly, this should go without saying.
5) Finally, this list is very subjective and biased. I also came up with it during an hour long business law class. Long story short, if you don't agree with it, come up with your own. With that said, here is number sixteen.

Korie Lucious For The Win

It wouldn't be March Madness without Tom Izzo and the Spartans, and this game shows why. First of all, Lucious shouldn't have even been in at the time - he was filling in for Kalin Lucas who was injured earlier in the game. Then, when Greivis Vasquez, clearly the greatest Venezuelan to ever play at Maryland, hit the go ahead floater with 6.6 to go, Lucious had to step up. His shot sent Sparty back to the Sweet Sixteen and ultimately another Final Four. Also, quick sidenote here, I love how Tom Izzo barely holds off calling a timeout right before the game winning shot. How funny would it have been if he took it, the shot didn't count, and they had to take a rushed shot off an inbounds play with less than two seconds left. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video, and keep checking back here every day until Selection Sunday for more.