We have four very interesting games tonight in Day 1 of our Sweet Sixteen.
In the West, in Game 1, we have Gonzaga vs. Arkansas. You would think this is where Gonzaga begins to flex its muscles a bit. This would start with the Zags getting off to a good start and making their free throws. Arkansas is the last SEC team standing and one would think they’ll be out after this evening.
In the other game in the West, we have Duke vs. Texas Tech. This is a pick ’em game for me. Duke doesn’t have a deep bench, while Texas Tech will throw ten to eleven bodies out there for forty minutes of hell. I would think the officiating will be a key in this game as Texas Tech is one of the most physical teams in the country…if not the most physical.
Down to the South, where we have Arizona vs. Houston in Game 1. I would have Arizona as maybe a 3-to-4 point favorite in this game. Houston along with Villanova and UCLA is extremely well coached. Maybe…Kelvin’s best coaching job of his career.
Arizona fans along with Kansas fans should savor this NCAA Tournament. The word is the NCAA could finally be calling both of these schools sometime soon with a determination of their guilt in the same Lamont Evans scandal which kept Oklahoma State out of post season play this season. That might be a good time for Bill Self to consider coaching a nearby NBA team with some nice young talent. Just a thought.
The other game in the South gives us Villanova vs. Michigan. Michigan has been a nice story so far in this tournament. I love the fact Coach Howard actually punched the assistant coach from Wisconsin. I love that he fought for his team. But the Wolverines are playing perhaps the best coached team in the tournament. That being the Villanova Wildcats coached by Jay Wright. Same thing with Jay Wright if he’s tired of coaching college ball…he would be a great coach for the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder.
Don’t scoff at my Thunder coaching suggestions. They could keep Coach D as the developmental coach and then hire a real coach to move the team thru their next phase of evolution. Lest we not forget, Sam Presti almost did hire Kevin Ollie from UConn and did hire Billy Donovan from Florida.
That’s it for me for me today except with my quote of the day.
John McCain once said, “Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country.”
Mike Jackson just this morning said, ” The Daily Thunder is a message board masquerading as a blog with real genuine written content.”
Go win the day. It should be a nice sunny day in Oklahoma.
I needed a song. I worked hard on the blog this past week with the college hoops tournaments, plus, I had had to re-establish my message-board over at Daily Thunder.
I love this song. Back in Boone’s hay days…he flew Michael Murphy to his football stadium in Stillwater which he built. It was a Thursday night game against Colorado and Gundy still had Brandon Weeden firmly on the bench behind Alex Cates until the second half kick-off.
Boone, on his own dime, paid to have Michael Murphy sing Wildfire because his then third wife Madeline was a big advocate for the wild horses in the West. It was stunning. Probably my best memory of an O State football game. Amy Grant wasn’t there though. She makes this song just right.