We’ll get to the Mark Schmidt stuff, because we need to wait until the wire on that, and if I leave a space here that says [Hey Stu, write this before you click publish] there’s a chance I will forget to write it. So, that’s coming last. As dessert. Vegetables first.
The First Two NIT Quarterfinals Were Bananas
B-a-n-a-n-a-s.
The crowd was the story in Charlottesville, with a packed house on hand, Bonnies fans filling their own section loudly, UVA fans getting into the action but pretending to not be into it on Twitter but then getting really salty about a bad call at the end, and me being reminded how pompous it is to call your campus “the grounds.” Losers. Literally, that’s what UVA was last night. UVA lost. I like Virginia (really, I prefer them over at least 50% of the ACC and I generally have positive vibes with most colleges), but they lost. They are, technically speaking, losers.
Osun Osunniyi’s block was dramatic and stole the show, but Kyle Lofton’s free throws were equally if not possibly more necessary. Perfect night from the stripe for the Bonnies, and what a comeback there at the end. Yes, it was a bad call on the Beekman charge, but part of the deal with college basketball is that the refs are bad. It introduces randomness. Like the Green Monster in baseball, or football players’ ACL’s. We must deal with this.
Speaking of ACL’s, Paul Scruggs’s is torn, and Xavier—despite that, despite playing at the end of what’s been called a collapse, despite being coached by an interim guy (Jonas Hayes for Coach of the Tournament, if such an award exists)—is into the Final Four. They were down big at one point against Vanderbilt, but they roared back, they made the buckets when they needed to, and a late turnover on an inbounds play didn’t doom them.
To Vanderbilt’s credit, the Commodores went all out on this. Scottie Pippen was there. They bussed students and cheerleaders and a pep band up for the game. The NIT quarterfinals are fun—home courts, everybody’s deep-enough in to care—and last night’s were about the two most fun you could have. Pressure’s on for tonight. Let’s look at those two:
College Station, Provo, My Heart
The three places where the NIT rings loudest this evening.
Wake Forest @ Texas A&M (7:00 PM EDT, ESPN2)
Despite being, on paper, the best team left in this thing, Wake Forest is not a favorite tonight. Reed Arena is expected to be loud, the Aggies are expected to be proud, and A&M is expected to find a way, though forecasters have this slated to be a very, very close game.
The Deacs have more individual talent, or at least more developed individual talent. But A&M plays junkyard basketball Wake didn’t see much of in the ACC. I’m not trying to make it SEC vs. ACC, but the fact of the matter is that A&M is a different team from what Wake Forest is used to, and in a more stressful way than things will go in the other direction. A&M will put pressure on Wake Forest. The Deacs might handle it. But it’ll be something of a new experience for them.
Washington State @ BYU (9:00 PM EDT, ESPN2)
In another expected close one, Kyle Smith and his internal spreadsheets of glory and terror go to Provo where Mark Pope and his program-on-the-rise lie in wait. Smith protégé Todd Golden famously out-mathed Pope two years ago, fouling Yoeli Childs, a poor free throw shooter, late in the game despite trailing by two. Will BYU get its revenge on the Billy Beane to Golden’s Theo Epstein, or will the guys who know things know things well enough again? The winner will be the western half of the United States’s Final Four representative. Not life or death stuff, but about as close as it gets.
NIT: No MSG
In much sadder news, this will be the NIT’s last Final Four at Madison Square Garden, at least for a few years. I blogged about this earlier this afternoon, so you can get our full thoughts there. Since that was posted, Pete Thamel listed Hinkle Fieldhouse and Las Vegas as potential destinations, which is better than I feared. No hate to St. Louis or Frisco, but I would rather the NIT be somewhere more widely loved in the college basketball landscape, for the NIT’s sake. I will support Sports City USA, but Hinkle Fieldhouse is a better spot for the NIT Final Four.
Pete also said the decision was mutual, but another guy named Pete chimed in and said James Dolan was at fault, and I like where second Pete’s at on this. James Dolan sucks. Let’s blame him.
National Puppy Day
It’s National Puppy Day, and that makes this a good time to remind you we have an Instagram page and we sometimes use it to post content of Fargo. It’s been quiet the last few months, but it’ll come roaring back with the summer brackets starting in a few weeks (summer comes early in Texas). So if you’re new around here, give us a follow, look at our cute dog, and get ready for more fun post-NIT.
Sens Nonsense
The Dadonov trade is officially off, and I haven’t heard yet if the Senators or Pierre Dorion actually did anything wrong or will receive any punishment, but we just might get away with this one, guys. Meanwhile, the fellas lost 3-0 to the Islanders in a game that was scoreless after two periods. Only one of the three was an empty-netter. Mathieu Joseph looked good, Anton Forsberg wasn’t bad, just a loss. Another loss. Next game tomorrow up in Winnipeg.
Ok the Mark Schmidt Stuff
Earlier today, for those who didn’t spend their whole day on Twitter like I did (God blesses you, He really does), an old reporter who purports to be an insider tweeted that St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt would be taking the job at UMass. He walked it back shortly thereafter, but for those of us with no dog in the fight but a peripheral interest in the whole thing, it became a mess. There was a long Twitter space in which Mark Schmidt’s real estate situation was discussed, both UMass and the Bonnies seemed unhappy with the process, and the “insider” who started it all sat in the audience and didn’t utter a peep. Then, later in the day, after the “insider” said Schmidt would either be announced as UMass’s coach or have an extension announced in Olean, neither of those things happened, with Thamel (he was all over our neck of the woods today, props to Thamel) reporting Frank Martin is the favorite to get the UMass job.
The best part of this is that it’s still up in the air. Thamel didn’t report that Martin is definitely getting the UMass job. Mark Schmidt didn’t tweet the Wolf of Wall Street “I’m staying” gif (Schmidt might not have Twitter), the “insider” did report the extension would be happening but it’s not like this guy has a record of being right about things, and we all can continue having a great time. Three theories on who put the “insider” up to this:
1. Xavier
The obvious one, St. Bonaventure’s Final Four opponent. Looking to distract.
2. St. Bonaventure
The sneaky one, setting themselves up for an emotional high when they were planning on giving Schmidt a raise the whole time.
3. The NCAA
Just as the NIT builds some huge momentum, the NCAA tries to sow chaos at its heart. What an NCAA move.
Anyway, great intrigue to put in the twenty hours between NIT quarterfinals. Lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who organized that.
***
You know the viewing schedule ToNITe. ESPN2? More like ESPN Stu. Because I’m planting myself on that couch and we are watching history get made, friends.
See you there.
