I am happy when both teams do well. It’s an attitude unlikely to garner much approval from the hardcore partisans, I know, but such is life. When they happen to meet, I choose which one to pull for based on whatever factors amuse me. I was pulling for the Wildcats during this most recent game, for instance, because I thought they had a much better chance of winning it all. As good as the Cardinals were this season, I’d clearly prefer to put my trust in Anthony Davis and the other future NBA draft picks. If God descended from the heavens and simply forced me to adopt one side and renounce the other one forever and ever … well, I picked out the school that I went to, whereas I didn’t pick out my birthplace, so I suppose I’d cast my lot with UK. But until God does that, I will continue to leap back and forth.
Just over 2 hours until game time, and I’m gonna say that my pick is Kentucky. Kansas got lucky that the Buckeyes fell apart in the last 2 minutes of the game on Saturday; the Wildcats will not make those same mistakes.
Kentucky is still -6.5 to win; not sure if they can cover that spread or not.
Here in Kansas KU’s arch rival is, of course the Kansas State Wildcats. I think it’s funny for them to be playing a team tonight that is also the Wildcats.
I’m in Topeka, about 25 miles from Lawrence, and you couldn’t go anywhere today without seeing people in KU garb.
Lawrence has been stupidly fun all day. On campus this afternoon I saw a frat rig up a 100-foot slip-n-slide out of trash bags and two old mattresses.
I live 10 blocks from Mass, and my block is completely parked. I’ve been watching from my porch as people have streamed downtown for four hours now.
And it’s going to be great no matter the outcome. Everything since the Sweet 16 has been house money.
As the first half draws to a close, it’s not looking to me like Kansas is even going to cover the spread. They’re getting pounded on the boards, are taking terrible shots, and are just generally being out-classed all over the court.
And so far, Anthony Davis hasn’t scored a single point. If they work him into the offense, ISTM that it’s only a matter of time until Withey fouls out.
Down by 14 at the half, I think the only hope that Kansas has it take it hard to Davis and try and get the freshman to commit fouls. Gonna be hard to do, tho; he’s one of the 2 or 3 best players on the court.
The National Anthem by The Fray was the worst I have ever heard live.
If anyone has noticed the giant blue faced banana at the game rooting for UK (he was quite visible bouncing like an idiot behind the booth at halftime)…that would be my cousin. So proud to share 6.25% of my DNA with him.
I had never heard of that band until last year when they played at a corporate event I working (I did the lighting for the event, not for the stage). They were awful. Truly terrible, whiny music. And the lyrics were as whiny as the music. I didn’t hear the anthem tonight, but I wouldn’t be surprised if somehow they managed to make it whiny as well.
Grats Kentucky Wildcats (and Coach John Calipari, too)!
Anthony Davis, despite only scoring 1 basket, deserves both the player of the game award as well as the Naismith trophy he received earlier. He is truly an outstanding basketball player, and AFAICT a really nice guy as well. Congrats!
My bracket finished in the 98.5th percentile in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. I barely follow college basketball outside the Pac-12 and even I was able to predict Kentucky would win. Rather than being boringly predictable, they were fun to watch because they were so good. They played great team ball.
Congrats to Kentucky!
As a KU fan, it was a frustrating game to watch. I knew we’d outperform UK in the second half. The question was always whether we’d get in too deep a hole in the first half.
We did.
Props to the Wildcats, and enjoy your eighth title.
As for KU… What a hell of a run. Thanks for letting me actively enjoy basketball into April, just like '03 and '08.
All those in Larryville, stay classy. I can hear the yells and car horns from here, and I’m sure Mass St. is a party. I was never prouder of this town than in 2003, when it turned out to celebrate an awesome season, not to mourn a loss. From the cacophony I’m hearing right now from my porch, this year is just as classy.
Rock Chalk!
HOW BOUT DEM CATS!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Boy Kansas had me sweatin’ for a while!
C-A-T-S Cats Cats Cats!!! Woooooooo hoooooooo!!
And yes, I know everyone will say " when is it going to be vacated, blah blah blah" I’ve got two words for you, but I can’t say them outside the Pit.
I knew a KU win over UK was going to be a long shot. But I still had hope when we got within 5 with a couple minutes left (remembering Calipari’s Memphis Meltdown in 2008). Alas a couple of bonehead plays sealed the deal for Kentucky.
But I’m not at all disappointed. This was a hell of a run for a team that Bill Self himself admitted after the Davidson loss in Dec “isn’t very good.” Yet they managed to exceed all expectations. An eighth straight Big 12 title. A 19 pt comeback against Missouri in the final Border War game. A run to the NCAA title game. Hell of a ride, guys. Thanks for everything.
Any pool winners (brackets) here? I came to gloat… 2nd place! By tiebreaker - I had 129 points. Winner beat me by 4 points in the standings but I’m still collecting a four figure check! Woot!
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You can say “four years” outside the Pit.
What about the supposed “unwritten rule” that the NCAA won’t vacate a Division I men’s basketball championship, even if somebody shows video of one of the players accepting cash from a booster? (Insert your favorite reason for why such a rule might exist here; mine is, “They don’t want to have to go through the bother of why the runner-up (Kansas, in this case) doesn’t get the National Championship” (which, if you ask me, is fair; Kentucky’s semi-final win over Louisville would also be vacated, so why wouldn’t Louisville have just as much a claim to the title as Kansas in this case?).)
For those of you who responded along the lines of “USC football”, that wasn’t an NCAA championship.
Damn you for beating me to it.
Although I was going to say “three years”.
That wasn’t a college basketball game. That was some mix of the Globetrotters (including the sometimes blind referees) and the NBA All-Star game. I’m not saying that as a put down, I’m complimenting the level of raw talent on the floor.
How did UK lose a game this year with that juggernaut?