Oh my fucking God!!!!!!!
With what was a fantastic night of basketball last night, our Georgia Tech has now made it the National Title Game and therefore has at least a chance to win the national title. Now, unlike most of my still in school contemporary friends, I will not start touting WHEN Tech beats Uconn and how Schenscher will dismantle Okafor. Instead, as is the background that I have, I recognize the game in slightly more historic, storied sense.
There is no doubt in my mind that Uconn has an advantage. They have played in this type of game twice before (once losing to Georgetown I believe and once beating Duke in 1999), they were the preseason #1 and don't seem to have many weaknesses. It was clear the Emeka Okafor is a ridiculously dominant force last night, and in previous battles between Duke and Tech, our inside presence is not significantly greater than that of Duke's. This makes me feel that Uconn has the slight edge on the inside (there is the X factor of Schencher being significantly taller than all of the other centers, and the can be a great equalizer). Gordon, Anderson and the rest of the Uconn perimeter game is very solid. I saw moves from Gordon that looked rediculous to defend. Our perimeter game is pretty solid, so I think it is a coiin toss there. Uconn seems a team of destiny and so I expect to hear nothing but Uconn from the sports anouncers making there "unbiased" opinions.
However I still feel Tech has an edge, however slight, that might make the difference. Uconn has won all but their last game by an average of 18 points. Last night's Duke game was won in the last minute, and Duke still had a chance in the end. (Duhon made a half court shot to put the game to one point. The difference in that one point is the fouls. Okafor had shot two free throws on the other end. Two, not one-and-one because of the officiating. Had it been a one-and-one Duke would have had a chance to tie the game with Duhon's shot and push it to over time.) The point is, Uconn has won big until this last game, and in this game Okafor was visibly shaken in the first half because of bad foul calls and being taken out of the game. Tech, on the other hand, has gotten here with an average margin of vitory of 5 points (even with fouling at the end of a game). Every game has been a heart attack for some Tech fan, and our players have risen to the challenge and handled themselves well. They have been down big and mounted comebacks, and always manage to find a way in a close game. We are poised and composed, which is what you want out of a championship basketball team. We will play well, our outside shots will hit, and Schenscher will get some points and maybe even some blocks, and then so will Uconn. If Tech wins this game, it will be their poise that keeps them in the game down the stretch and has them make some harrowing shot with all of fulton county holding its breath. This is how Tech has won, through determination, hard defense, and poise. The same poise that faded away from Duke last night (and had them lose a close game that is very uncharacteristic for them) will be the salvation of Tech fans everywhere.
It has been a year to remember. I can't recall the last time I have been so excited about March Madness, and I am typicall very excited about March Madness. We have all seen what effect Paul Hewitt has had on the players and their game. This final game will show us how much they have grown as Players and how well they can play The Game.
M
With what was a fantastic night of basketball last night, our Georgia Tech has now made it the National Title Game and therefore has at least a chance to win the national title. Now, unlike most of my still in school contemporary friends, I will not start touting WHEN Tech beats Uconn and how Schenscher will dismantle Okafor. Instead, as is the background that I have, I recognize the game in slightly more historic, storied sense.
There is no doubt in my mind that Uconn has an advantage. They have played in this type of game twice before (once losing to Georgetown I believe and once beating Duke in 1999), they were the preseason #1 and don't seem to have many weaknesses. It was clear the Emeka Okafor is a ridiculously dominant force last night, and in previous battles between Duke and Tech, our inside presence is not significantly greater than that of Duke's. This makes me feel that Uconn has the slight edge on the inside (there is the X factor of Schencher being significantly taller than all of the other centers, and the can be a great equalizer). Gordon, Anderson and the rest of the Uconn perimeter game is very solid. I saw moves from Gordon that looked rediculous to defend. Our perimeter game is pretty solid, so I think it is a coiin toss there. Uconn seems a team of destiny and so I expect to hear nothing but Uconn from the sports anouncers making there "unbiased" opinions.
However I still feel Tech has an edge, however slight, that might make the difference. Uconn has won all but their last game by an average of 18 points. Last night's Duke game was won in the last minute, and Duke still had a chance in the end. (Duhon made a half court shot to put the game to one point. The difference in that one point is the fouls. Okafor had shot two free throws on the other end. Two, not one-and-one because of the officiating. Had it been a one-and-one Duke would have had a chance to tie the game with Duhon's shot and push it to over time.) The point is, Uconn has won big until this last game, and in this game Okafor was visibly shaken in the first half because of bad foul calls and being taken out of the game. Tech, on the other hand, has gotten here with an average margin of vitory of 5 points (even with fouling at the end of a game). Every game has been a heart attack for some Tech fan, and our players have risen to the challenge and handled themselves well. They have been down big and mounted comebacks, and always manage to find a way in a close game. We are poised and composed, which is what you want out of a championship basketball team. We will play well, our outside shots will hit, and Schenscher will get some points and maybe even some blocks, and then so will Uconn. If Tech wins this game, it will be their poise that keeps them in the game down the stretch and has them make some harrowing shot with all of fulton county holding its breath. This is how Tech has won, through determination, hard defense, and poise. The same poise that faded away from Duke last night (and had them lose a close game that is very uncharacteristic for them) will be the salvation of Tech fans everywhere.
It has been a year to remember. I can't recall the last time I have been so excited about March Madness, and I am typicall very excited about March Madness. We have all seen what effect Paul Hewitt has had on the players and their game. This final game will show us how much they have grown as Players and how well they can play The Game.
M
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