February 4, 2017 - NCAA Basketball Journal Day 1

February 4, Saturday: 9^th ranked Virginia at Syracuse on ESPN2

1:28 p.m. – Seven minutes remaining. Virginia freshman hits a 3, cutting into Syracuse’s lead, making it 47-44.  Syracuse have surged to a lead after being down ten at halftime.  Syracuse are 14-9 and Virginia are 17-4.  All of Virginia’s losses have all been super close and against good teams.

A Couple Reasons Why I’m Writing About NCAA Basketball: March Madness is a month away and I've mostly ignored collegiate basketball at this point in the year.  I need some teams and players to half-heartedly root for when tournament time comes around.  Plus, football is over and I need another sport to zone out to at the end of the long work day.  In conclusion, this blog further justifies paying my cable bill, which is one of the biggest moron rip-offs in modern society.  

What I’m Looking For While I’m Watching These Games: entertaining teams, entertaining players, interesting fan bases, funny-looking coaches, home venues, and entertaining histories.            

Incredibly: another reason why I’m writing this is because I can’t stop myself.  I started to take notes while I was watching these games and couldn't stop.  If you want the truth, I don’t know where it came from.  Perhaps I need an outlet to get away from the tragic news that keeps sucking me into vortexes of despair?

On Gambling: Lately I've been embracing gambling simply because I enjoy the act of guessing games and putting my money where my mouth is.  I’ve come to realize I can make pretty accurate picks with sports if I watch enough of the games.  Volume is key.  I went 7-4 against the spread in the NFL playoffs, including picking the Patriots (-3) in the Super Bowl.  (2-2 first round, 3-1 second round, 1-1 third round, 1-0 Super Bowl).  Can I keep this streak alive?  I’ve been paying almost zero attention to college basketball but have ample free time in the up-coming month to soak in all the hoops.

In the meantime: February 4, Saturday: 17^th ranked 23^rd ranked Purdue at Maryland on ESPN.

 1:33 p.m. - Maryland are 20-2 and Purdue are 18-5.  Melo Trimble is a very good point guard on Maryland.  I happened to catch part of Maryland’s 77-7 win against Ohio State the other night and Trimble stuck out as a guy to keep an eye on.

Also Catching My Eye: The big guy on Purdue looks pretty good.  He goes by the name Caleb Swanigan, and he just stripped Trimble and went in for a lay-up.  Trimble has 5 assists, but also 5 turnovers, and is benched. 

1:33 p.m. -  Back to Syracuse, they’re up 53-48 with 1:33 remaining.  Virginia has hit 10 3’s so far in this game.

Flashback/Tooting My Own Horn: When I was a kid I watched a lot of college basketball and I had a knack for picking outside-the-box champions and Final-Four finalists.  For example, I picked Marquette to make the Final Four in 2003 when they had Dwayne Wade.

1:39 p.m. – Maryland vs. Purdue – Purdue’s Swanigan hits a 3, and serves as an answer to Maryland's glorious ally-oop to their big Russian dude.  Swanigan is 50% from the 3-point line on the season.

1:44 p.m. - Back to Virginia-Syracuse.  Syracuse is up 57-53.  

Flashback: My senior year of college, I was accepted to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications department, but I didn’t catch a good vibe when I went to visit the school.  The five-hour drive from Providence to Syracuse seemed way less gnarly on paper, but I felt exhausted by the time I made it to upstate New York. The first thing I saw were the extremely expensive cars in the huge parking lot.  The second thing I saw at the center of campus was the extremely expensive-looking frat row.  I went to the accepted students orientation, and one of the dudes from the ESPN contest “Dream Job,” Jason Harowitz, dropped in to further sell us the school.  Before he went on-stage, he sat next to me, and I caught a slick used-car salesman vibe from him.  Finally, Syracuse sold hard on the “going abroad experience,” which wasn’t even an idea on my radar.  Going five hours away to college was enough to wrap my head around, never mind leaving the United States.    

Ultimately: Syracuse didn't seem cool, and had a bro-city vibe.  My main focus for getting good grades in high school was to get away from the bros of my hometown.  Plus, Syracuse was expensive, and my eventual understanding of student loans and debt didn't sound appetizing.  Even more alarmingly, Syracuse embraced its Greek Life instead of openly mocking it.  On the way home from Syracuse, my family and I drove through the pretty side of Umass-Amherst, known as Central and Orchard Hill, where the weirdos and nerds live, and that fateful visit helped make my decision to become a Minuteman.  In closing, thank fucking Christ I didn't go to Syracuse.

1:44 p.m. - 60-56, Syracuse is still ahead. I’m openly rooting for Virginia now, based on my last rant.  Syracuse reminded of the song “Rich Kid City” by Austin garage punk rockers Bad Sports. 

1:46 p.m. – Virginia’s London Perrantes hits two clutch threes, making it 60-59 Syracuse.  

1:48 p.m. – Syracuse is up 62-60, 28.9 seconds left.  One of the dudes on Virginia has a man-bun. How many man-buns exist in NCAA basketball?  Man-bun count: 1.

1:50 p.m. - Virginia’s Isaiah Wilkins makes it 64-62 Syracuse with a lay up.  Syracuse’s Andrew White has 22 points and drains two clutch free throws, putting the game away for Syracuse.  This is Boheim's thousandth win all-time. 

More Notes: Syracuse had 22 points in the first half and 44 points in the second half.  This was their second top-10 win this week.  This was an impressive comeback and Syracuse are a team to watch.  I’m still glad I didn’t go to Syracuse.  It was probably such a bitch to get tickets to any home games.

1:54 p.m. – Back to Maryland-Purdue.  Maryland is up 69-66.  There’s a pretty bad foul call on Swanigan, and it’s his fourth foul.  Maryland’s Dodd sinks one of two free throws, he’s a 65% free-throw shooter.  Swanigan has 26 points, hits a three-pointer, and makes it 70-69.  He’s my new favorite player.  He's a beast and/or a savage and will win this game for Purdue. 

1:59 p.m. - I spoke too soon: Swanigan fouls out, another bogus call, the refs are doing some home cooking, and the crowd is chanting something probably vaguely racist at Swanigan.  No fuckin way Purdue wins now.

2:01 p.m. - The crowd is chanting “You are ugly!” to the white guy for Purdue at the line, and he sinks both his free throws.  Trimble misses a shot, and now it’s 72-71 Maryland.  There are 6.5 seconds left.

2:03 p.m. - 72-71, Purdue down one, with the ball.  Edwards is fouled on a kinda weak call on Maryland’s Jackson.  He probably didn't need to come over for the double team, his teammate probably had him, and now Edwards is at the line.  He is a freshman with 11 points.

2:06 p.m. – The camera focuses on a Maryland fan with terrible bucket hat and he looks nervous and has his hands on top of his bucket head.  Edwards hits both his free throws, and with 2.1 seconds left, Maryland inbounds the ball, and throws the ball right to a Purdue guy named Isaac Haas.  He starts to casually walk off the court, thinking the game is over, and is immediately called for traveling.  There’s half a second left for Maryland.

2:09 p.m. – Haas has given Maryland a half-second prayer.  It's rare to see a player screw up this badly.  This is up there with the biggest dumbass move I’ve ever seen on a basketball court, something I would’ve done on my freshmen team.  

Somehow: Maryland is going to in-bound the ball from the baseline, since Haas traveled within the three-point-line.  Maryland gets an open look, and Kevin Huerter misses.  Haas is bailed out from his all-time goof, and Purdue wins.  I hope the Celtics draft Caleb Swanigan.

February 4, 2017, Saturday: Georgetown vs. Seton Hall on FS1.

2:16 – The game is tied at 63 in overtime.  There’s 3:05 left in the game.    Marcus Derrickson on Georgetown hits one free throw to give them a 64-63 lead. 

Theory: The Big East is boring.  There have been 3 points scored so far in overtime. There’s 1:46 left on the clock.  Basket interference gives Seton Hall a 65-64 lead.  I’ve been zoning out and not paying attention and now it’s 67-66.  This game has not changed my assumption that the Big East is a boring conference.  Seton Hall wins 68-66 on the road.  Georgetown had an open look to tie it up, and, bigly surprise, they added another brick to help build their brick city. 

February 4, 2017, Saturday: Pittsburgh at 21^st-ranked Duke on CBS.

 2:29 p.m. - 43-42 Pitt is up on Duke with 9 minutes left.  Pitt has a giant fuckin’ dude, like two Glen “Big Baby” Davises put together.  Duke drains a 3, and Jones on Pitt. answers with bricking a 3.  This puts Duke up 47-43 with 7:55 left.  Pitt is starting to choke, they get trapped on an inbound play, and a guy wearing a face-mask named Michael Young is called for 5-second.  Duke's hilarious troll Grayson Allen hits a three.  The giant tree guy on Pitt nixes a bunny put back, and Allen answers with a drive left and finishes with a lay-up.  Duke is pulling away.

2:40 p.m. – Artis on Pitt drives and scores, but Duke drains yet another 3, and are now up 55-49, with 5:22 left.  Allen drains another 3, and Duke is now up 60-51.  I love Grayson Allen and appreciate his reckless tripping punk behavior.  I enjoy embracing Duke’s douchiness because it upsets the stodgy old talking heads on ESPN.  

Speaking of the Devil: Allen is being a baby with foul call, and now it’s 60-54, and it’s not over, with 2:49 remaining.  Artis has a very fuckin’ sick drive and draws the foul. He has an excellent finish going right and scooping in the layup.   Now Duke is up 60-57, but Allen has been stepping his game up and wow, he hits another 3, and now it’s 63-57.  Pitt answers with an open dunk, Morris to Jeter, making it 63-59.  Allen finally misses a 3, Artis misses a 3, and Duke starts draining the clock.  Allen hits another fuckin’ lucky goddamn 3, he hit the front rim, and the ball bounced in!  Gotta love the home court advantage.  Allen sticks out his tongue, he has 17 points, and, according to the commentators, 'has had a tough year.'  Pitt is done, their seven-point deficit mine as well be 17 at this point.  Pitt is pitiful at scoring, something I recall being the case in years past.  

2:56 p.m. – A cardboard cut out of Coach K. surfs through the student section of the crowd.  30 seconds left, Duke is up 68-60.  This game is over.

February 4, 2017, Saturday: 3^rd-ranked Kansas vs. Iowa State on ESPN

3:36 p.m. – 8 minutes left.  Kansas are 20-2 on the year and Iowa State are 13-8.  Kansas are leading 72-69.  Iowa State’s Deonte Burton is 6-7 shooting 3s and has 26 points.  His next 3 puts Iowa State up 75-73.  Iowa State has hit 14 3s in this game and are shooting 50% from downtown (14-28).  Kansas has a 54-game home winning streak on the line.  There's 6:16 left on the clock.  The crowd is loud and the PA is playing terrible dub step.

3:44 p.m. – Iowa State drains another 3.  Since half-time, Iowa State has out-scored Kansas 40-21.  Jackson on Kansas has a nice and-1 drive.  He has a dope Afro that makes comparisons to Dr. J. even more accurate.  Frank Mason has 28 for Kansas.  The score is 78-78.   Iowa State makes the first of two free throws to make it 79-78.  Solomon Young rebounds the missed second free throw, Burton takes a terrible shot, and on a fast break Kansas’ Mason lands a lay-up and is fouled.  He now has 31 points and puts Kansas up 81-79.  Jackson then grabs a steal from Burton, tries dunking on a fast break, and Burton hacks the shit outta him.

3:54 p.m. – Jackson is a 55% FT shooter and he proceeds brick both shots.  Kansas still leads 81-79 with 2:43 left.  Landen Lucas has 16 rebounds for Kansas.  The Celtics could use a guy like him.

3:58 p.m. - Morris nails a 3 for Iowa State and makes it 81-82.  Mason is fouled at the other end and makes one of two free throws, tying the game at 82.  There are 19.8 seconds remaining.

4:00 p.m. - Woo another close game!  Mason misses a mid-range fade away for Kansas and we are heading into overtime.  Iowa State had been down 15 at earlier in the game.   

In OT: Morris hits a midrange shot along the baseline over his defender and puts Iowa State up 84-82.  Burton follows with a made straightaway 3.  The left-handed shooter makes it seventeen 3s for Iowa State, tying their team record.  This was the only way they would be able to upset Kansas: draining a history number of 3s.  Iowa State is now up 87-85, with 4:12 left.  Jackson drives and is fouled.  He’s still a terrible free-throw shooter.  He hits his first, but misses his second.  

Conclusion: Mason and Jackson seem chill and easy to root for, but Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan is still my favorite player of the day.  

4:18 p.m. - Jackson on Iowa State nails a right hand corner 3, they review it, and the shot stays.  Jackson’s shot has set the team record for 3s for Iowa State at 18! Iowa State leads 90-86.  Devonte Graham hits a 3 for Kansas, making it 90-89.  Morris is fouled and has a one-and-one opportunity for Iowa State with 7.5 seconds remaining.  Morris drains both, Kansas misses a long contested 3, and it's overrrrr 92-89 Iowa State with the big upset win!