4 years ago, today

[The Lens]

We all woke up a probably a little hung over and certainly more Elite.  Buzzard & Vander had led MU to only its 2nd Elite 8 in 36 years. 

I spent this day with my wife flying 3 kids to FLA for Easter Break.  What was supposed to be night spent packing turned into the entire neighborhood on our front porch emptying our bourbon & wine supply.  That 5am wake up came quick.  ORD was a blur but I'll never forget walking thru the ATL airport and seeing Jamil & Davante on the front page of USA Today, I've never been more proud.  Other notes:

- How many games in your MU career did you know were just over?  That was a 1st Rd KO
- Man did we miss some fun having TC choke vs. Cuse
- I'll never forget Buzz at Midnight Madness saying we've been to enough S16s, we need to make a move.  Coaches don't often put themselves out there
- We ended up at one of those blue-collar Chicago condo complexes in FLA where everyone hopes to send their kids to MU, Iowa or Dayton.  The entire place was Warrior HQ until the Cuse tip.  If we had won...

Man it was fun to be Elite.  48 hours of Final Four dreams.

[muwarrior69]

We all woke up a probably a little hung over and certainly more Elite.  Buzzard & Vander had led MU to only its 2nd Elite 8 in 36 years. 

I spent this day with my wife flying 3 kids to FLA for Easter Break.  What was supposed to be night spent packing turned into the entire neighborhood on our front porch emptying our bourbon & wine supply.  That 5am wake up came quick.  ORD was a blur but I'll never forget walking thru the ATL airport and seeing Jamil & Davante on the front page of USA Today, I've never been more proud.  Other notes:

- How many games in your MU career did you know were just over?  That was a 1st Rd KO
- Man did we miss some fun having TC choke vs. Cuse
- I'll never forget Buzz at Midnight Madness saying we've been to enough S16s, we need to make a move.  Coaches don't often put themselves out there
- We ended up at one of those blue-collar Chicago condo complexes in FLA where everyone hopes to send their kids to MU, Iowa or Dayton. The entire place was Warrior HQ until the Cuse tip.  If we had won...

Man it was fun to be Elite.  48 hours of Final Four dreams.

So they send their kids to those schools because they have a good basketball team, not because they want them to get a good education? Unless they are top basketball prospects a pretty poor reason to send your kid there.

[The Lens]

So they send their kids to those schools because they have a good basketball team, not because they want them to get a good education? Unless they are top basketball prospects a pretty poor reason to send your kid there.

Um, I'm pretty sure I said Dayton so good basketball is definitely not the reason.  My inference was everyone was appreciative of a smaller school making a run.

[MerrittsMustache]

Um, I'm pretty sure I said Dayton so good basketball is definitely not the reason.  My inference was everyone was appreciative of a smaller school making a run.

Iowa has over 30,000 students.

[The Lens]

Iowa has over 30,000 students.

I'm aware of their size.  But their Rose Bowl runs are almost on par with Northwestern.  They're the little engine that could of the Big Ten. 

[MUfan12]

Our half drunk plans after the Miami game came to fruition on Friday. Three of us hopped in a car and drove out to DC for the regional final.

Was at the UK game in '03, there was no chance I was gonna miss the possibility of seeing MU clinch another Final Four. Shame they went cold, Cuse was very beatable.

[Galway Eagle]

We all woke up a probably a little hung over and certainly more Elite.  Buzzard & Vander had led MU to only its 2nd Elite 8 in 36 years. 

I spent this day with my wife flying 3 kids to FLA for Easter Break.  What was supposed to be night spent packing turned into the entire neighborhood on our front porch emptying our bourbon & wine supply.  That 5am wake up came quick.  ORD was a blur but I'll never forget walking thru the ATL airport and seeing Jamil & Davante on the front page of USA Today, I've never been more proud.  Other notes:

- How many games in your MU career did you know were just over?  That was a 1st Rd KO
- Man did we miss some fun having TC choke vs. Cuse
- I'll never forget Buzz at Midnight Madness saying we've been to enough S16s, we need to make a move.  Coaches don't often put themselves out there
- We ended up at one of those blue-collar Chicago condo complexes in FLA where everyone hopes to send their kids to MU, Iowa or Dayton.  The entire place was Warrior HQ until the Cuse tip.  If we had won...

Man it was fun to be Elite.  48 hours of Final Four dreams.

Yeah the vast majority of kids sent to MU or Dayton are not coming from Blue collar families.

That little 48hr period was unreal though. Honestly thought we had them, I think Trent Lockett was the one who said they over thought it.

[Dr. Blackheart]

As a reminder, Cuse did NOT beat MU in that Elite 8 game.

[GGGG]

I'm aware of their size.  But their Rose Bowl runs are almost on par with Northwestern.  They're the little engine that could of the Big Ten. 

The only B10 schools to play more Rose Bowl games than Iowa are OSU, Michigan and Wisconsin.

[wadesworld]

As a reminder, Cuse did NOT beat MU in that Elite 8 game.

Bingo.

[The Lens]

Yeah the vast majority of kids sent to MU or Dayton are not coming from Blue collar families.

That little 48hr period was unreal though. Honestly thought we had them, I think Trent Lockett was the one who said they over thought it.

I went to school in the '90s before MU became high brow.

[vogue65]

I went to school in the '90s before MU became high brow.

When exactly did the school go high brow?  In the 60's nearly half the student body lived in Milwaukee, lots of first generation college students.  It was part commuter school part National University.

To be honest, I  for one have lost some identification with the University.  Not with our traditions, but with the direction.

[MUDPT]

I actually thought we played a perfect game to beat them in the regular season (Davante, literally).  I walked out of the BC that night and said to my friend, hope we never see them again (thinking BET).  The only chance I thought we had at winning was MCW shooting them out of it and it didn't happen.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I was born in 1989. So I don't have much context for the anything before the 90s.  But from what I've been told,  Marquette has always been high brow but no one there wanted to see themselves as high brow. Still true today IMHO.

[Newsdreams]

I was born in 1989. So I don't have much context for the anything before the 90s.  But from what I've been told,  Marquette has always been high brow but no one there wanted to see themselves as high brow. Still true today IMHO.

not in late '70's early '80's really

[Sir Lawrence]

As a reminder, Cuse did NOT beat MU in that Elite 8 game.

What am I missing here? 

[brewcity77]

What am I missing here?

That win was vacated by the NCAA.

[MUfan12]

That win was vacated by the NCAA.

It wasn't. The last season with vacated wins was 2011-12.

[MU82]

My wife and I did a very spur-of-the-moment thing and drove up from NC to DC for those two games. We had a great time, especially (obviously) at the Miami game.

I agree that Syracuse was very beatable. We just couldn't hit a freakin' shot and we didn't get the ball to Davante at the FT line enough - that shot was open all day.

Still, a great time. Looking forward to our next Elite experience (and more).

[Sir Lawrence]

I watched the Miami game at Leff's and at half time bought a ticket to DC from my phone.  One and only time I've ever done that.  My son was at Georgetown Medical School at the time, and we made a nice weekend out of it, other than the beat down.  The Syracuse fans filled the Verizon.

I've told this tale before (here on scoop) but a cousin was driving through DC on his way back from his family's spring break (they live in Connecticut) and at the spur of the moment decided to take in the game.  He dropped his family off at a hotel in Crystal City and bought a ticket on Stubhub while taking the Metro in, and never bothered to look to see where is was located, as all that mattered was the price.  He arrived moments before tip off, only to end up in a luxury box.  He was rather surprised when he was met by secret service officers as he checked into the box.  Turns out President Obama was in the box next to the one he was in, and the tickets were released just before game time, for obvious reasons. 

[dajudge]

That is incredible, Sir Lawrence.  I thought my story was good.
I'm trying a two week med mal case (that ultimately ends in a hung jury and I have to try it a second time).  My cell phone is ringing off the hook in my pocket which I obviously can't answer.  When we take a break, I have a vm from one of the kids to the effect: Dad, we just dropped (one of the kids who was going to Ireland) at O'Hare.  Mom decided we should go to the Elite 8 game.  See you Monday!!!
Somewhat surprisingly, we are still married.

[Goose]

Sir Lawrence

Great story. I watched the game with my three sons at the Annex and had some excitement on campus after the game. Four years ago I was nursing a very bad hangover and was in the doghouse at home.

[Sir Lawrence]

That is incredible, Sir Lawrence.  I thought my story was good.
I'm trying a two week med mal case (that ultimately ends in a hung jury and I have to try it a second time).  My cell phone is ringing off the hook in my pocket which I obviously can't answer.  When we take a break, I have a vm from one of the kids to the effect: Dad, we just dropped (one of the kids who was going to Ireland) at O'Hare.  Mom decided we should go to the Elite 8 game.  See you Monday!!!
Somewhat surprisingly, we are still married.

All I can say is you married one amazing gal. 

[#UnleashSean]

I actually thought we played a perfect game to beat them in the regular season (Davante, literally).  I walked out of the BC that night and said to my friend, hope we never see them again (thinking BET).  The only chance I thought we had at winning was MCW shooting them out of it and it didn't happen.

Thomas's 4pt play. That was spectacular

[MU82]

Thomas's 4pt play. That was spectacular

Hmmmm.

There is a lot of "misremembering" about the importance of Thomas' play. The argument goes that it brought our lads to life after a bad start, but the fact is that not long after he hit it, Syracuse ended up building its lead right back up again. We won the game because of many outstanding plays by many other players in the closing minutes.

As far as important shots that season, it's not even in the ballpark with Vander's winner over Davidson (of course), Vander's winner against St. John's for the Big East title, the two treys by Jamil in the Davidson game, and, my choice, Junior's 3-pointer to force OT against UConn in a game we ultimately won, a game that set the tone for the entire season.

I'm not saying you're doing it, but it seems ridiculous for some to elevate a first-half shot by a scrub to anywhere near the magnitude of the other shots I listed. I mean, if Junior's shot doesn't go in, we lose the conference opener to UConn and who knows how the season turns out? And if Vander's shot against Davidson misses, the season will be remembered for losing to a 14 seed.

Heck, Rowsey made two more impressive 4-point plays this season, including one in which he switched the ball to his left hand!