Last week or so…I wrote that the system in which this tournament picks its Great 8 teams is somewhat flawed in that the goal should be to get the best eight teams so far THIS SEASON into the quarterfinal round before the Final Four convenes in Vegas.
We now have four teams still playing while Boston and Cleveland will be absent from the field. Instead, the East will have Milwaukee, the NY Knicks, Atlanta, and Orlando. Yawn.
None of those four teams interest me all that much and Atlanta even has former OU guard Trey Young. The East without Boston is a total wash for me as a passionate NBA fan.
The West is a different matter. OKC, Houston, and Dallas are all trending in the right direction and all three teams interest me heading into the quarterfinals. Golden State is now mirred in a six game losing streak, but if Steph plays… that at the least should somewhat mitigate the Warriors hosting a quarterfinal game. I would have Golden State as narrowly holding on as my No. 4 seed, with Dallas the No. 2 seed, and the surging Houston Rockets the No. 3 seed.
Are these Houston Rockets last year’s Indiana Pacers? They could be. But we’ll have to see if they hold together during the entire 82 game marathon.
To me…the best game of the whole tournament could be in the quarterfinals in the West when the Thunder host the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavs. That’s a game for certain I will not miss.
I will neither miss the Golden State – Houston game, nor the Western Conference Final. These three games are must watch NBA games for El Prez aka Miguel J.
As far as the games in the East…I might be channel surfing trying to find a more attractive college game.
BTW…I saw my No. 21 Sooners for the first time in person on Tuesday night as they beat Georgia Tech 76-61 in the SEC-ACC Challenge to improve to 8-0 for the season.
SEC Challenge results…SEC 14 – ACC 2. Duke at home upset Auburn, while Clemson upset Kentucky.
Jeremiah Fears and Jalon Moore give Porter Moser by far his best one-two combo since he became the OU coach three years ago. If these two guys stay healthy there’s enough around them for OU to get to the Big Dance even in the brutally basketball tough SEC.
Much to Big 12 commish Brett Yormak’s dismay…the SEC has usurped the Big 12 as the No. 1 college hoops conference.
And let me share this thought with you…as this game in Norman concluded…I heard nary a single gloating SEC chant in the building. And when OU dominated Alabama a couple a weeks ago in Norman…I didn’t hear any of that either.
The fact of the matter is…the only time I’ve heard that nonsensical bullshit in earnest was at the last Bedlam game in Stillwater when O State slid by OU and improved its Bedlam record to 20-91-7. I repeat…20-91-7. I refuse to mention the Drake Stoops takedown as an excuse. It never should have come that.
Am I trolling or busting your balls, O State people?
No not at all. But here’s what I would say. There is a message in this. Don’t worry about OU. Take care of your own business. Your football program, like I was two years ago with my Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, is in a catastrophic mode. Not a good place.
Focus on what O State can do to win a single game next season in the uber soft Big 12 .
I think my next blog post will be on Jackson Arnold entering the transfer portal as he just declared yesterday. Like with Dillion Gabriel…I genuinely like both of them as young men and wish nothing but the best for both of them. In fact..I would say from this point on…I’m pulling for Dillion and Oregon to win the inaugural national championship playoff.
Have a beautiful Thursday and pass along the Christmas spirit with each person you meet today.
El Prez, Miguel, or Mike J… take your pick.
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