Dear Lord

[tower912]

Sometimes, you are the team that 'peed down their leg', leading people to post unholy screeds about the team and its coach.   Sometimes, you are the team that makes the huge comeback, leading same poster to.......find some different way to downplay the accomplishment.    Character revealed, yet again.  BTW, quit quoting him.   It negates the 'ignore' feature. 

[Atticus]

IU has back-to-back Top 8 recruiting classes. Crean is ready to reload for a Final 4 run.  Bank it.

Btw, Zona has back-to-back-to-back top 4 recruiting classes. I'll bet against them, too.

[muarmy81]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-EdfwyLvZk

I still nearly sh!t my pants watching this.  Being in the stands for it was insane.

Agreed. Best sporting event I have ever had the privilege of attending. Hugging strangers in blue and gold...unbelievable.

[wadesworld]

I keep watching and waiting for Davidson to pee down their leg and MU to be so lucky. OK, Davidson did have one (1) turnover down the stretch, but they made 3/4 free throws and scored 7 points in their final 5 possessions? Is 1.2 points per possession gagging? I thought it was pretty damn good. Unfortunately for Davidson, MU scored an ungodly 13 points in those same last 5 possessions. Call us lucky if you will, but all of the shots we made were pure. Epic.

Agreed.  Yes they made 1 critical turnover, but besides that they really couldn't have played the last 1:15 any better.  They got the ball to their best free throw shooters, made their free throws, ran clock, and played good defense.  Defensively, they didn't let Marquette get quick baskets at the hoop (obviously other than the last play), and they didn't give up any open shots.  All 3 of the 3 pointers were very well contested, Jamil and Vander just had some big balls.  Marquette made the plays they had to and took the game, Davidson did not give Marquette the game.

Agreed. Best sporting event I have ever had the privilege of attending. Hugging strangers in blue and gold...unbelievable.

Yeah if all things are equal that's the best game I've ever seen live.  My first thought was "Someday I'll tell my kids I was at this game."

Taking into account situations, I'd say the '03 Kentucky game was the best game I've been to live.  Got us to the Final Four and could not have possibly played a better game or dominated from start to finish anymore than we did (although the first 5ish minutes were pretty sloppy both ways).

But I am blessed to be able to say I was part of both of those weekends.  The Davidson game was an insane comeback and the Butler game was just about as well played of a basketball game as you will find from both teams.  And '03 the Pitt game was also a very well played game both ways and then again the Kentucky game I was just on cloud 9 for 40 straight minutes.

[wadesworld]

Also just kind of noticed watching it again that following Davidson's missed free throw before our 1st 3 pointer you can tell Jamil knows exactly what he wants to do.  He slows down and lets everyone get up the floor before him so he can be the trailer and get a look at a 3.

[martyconlonontherun]

Puts into perspective how big of a crapshoot the tourney is. We went from a horrible upset loss to having a great Elite 8 season.

[MU82]

Yes, we were crappy for about 39/40ths of the game.

Yes, we were lucky (and incredibly good) at the end.

Yes, I don't care what anybody wants to call it, because I call it awesome!

I still don't believe we won that game.

[AZWarrior]

MU stunk for 39 minutes of that game, you bet there was some luck involved.

I prefer to think of the last minute not as luck, but as "regression to the mean".   

[Dr. Blackheart]

I'd gladly bet that if you put t cap on the time span. 2 years? 3 years? No problem.

IU isnt the only program bringing in great talent. Over the next 3 years, UK will prob win 1 of those. So, you're down to 2 chances.

Atti,
CTC knows a Final 4 team when he leaves one. With all that talent coming in, there is no way he doesn't come through on his prediction of delivering one to I4. I mean, he had two starters on the USA World University team. He is a man of his word. Candy Stripes forever!

[muwarrior97]

Need a "Love It" button on YouTube....from agony to ecstasy in a minute and 16 secs, thanks Marq hoopers

[77ncaachamps]

I was at the NCAA game in San Jose.

Left my buddies in the seats watching the game to zip down to the gallery/pub to watch the MU game.

Frustration into incredulousness into hope into relief.

I think *I* peed in my pants watching it. It was THAT big of a relief.

There was break between games and people must've heard it was an upset as the space around me filled up quickly with 3 minutes to go. I was getting asked, "Do you think they'll do it?" I heard, "Davidson's gonna pull the upset!"

And as the Jamil three went in.

"OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" went the crowd.

And the Vander three.

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!! Unbelievable!"
Someone said, "Vander's the man. I'm pulling for MU because I like Vander."

And the errant pass.

"OOOOHH MY GOD!"

Finally the Vander layup sent some scattering.
The rest just waited until the pass was thrown.

game over.

This guy took a deep breath, smiled, laughed a bit to himself, and then slowly returned to my seat.

[PaintTouches]

The reaction at Caffrey's >>>

http://painttouches.com/2013/03/21/best-video-reactions-to-blues-shot/

[77ncaachamps]

The reaction at Caffrey's >>>

http://painttouches.com/2013/03/21/best-video-reactions-to-blues-shot/

College sports in a nutshell.

[GGGG]

C'mon, there was nothing unfair about that.

MU stunk for 39 minutes of that game, you bet there was some luck involved.

Nope.  I am not sure what was "lucky" about it.  It was basketball players hitting basketball shots at the right time.

IMO, there is very little room for "luck" in sports.  Was the ending surprising?  Unexpected?  Yep.  Lucky?  No.

[Lighthouse 84]

How many others here watched this since the OP and threw up their arms when VB made the final basket?  as if you couldn't believe that just happened?

[GGGG]

How many others here watched this since the OP and threw up their arms when VB made the final basket?  as if you couldn't believe that just happened?

I was too busy giving a primal scream to know what I was doing with my arms.

[chapman]

The reaction at Caffrey's >>>

http://painttouches.com/2013/03/21/best-video-reactions-to-blues-shot/

The classroom video...it looked half empty, but still, that many kids went to class during the game??? 

[real chili 83]

Nothing lucky about it.  Just guys making shots when they needed to.

[MU82]

Nope.  I am not sure what was "lucky" about it.  It was basketball players hitting basketball shots at the right time.

IMO, there is very little room for "luck" in sports.  Was the ending surprising?  Unexpected?  Yep.  Lucky?  No.

Hmmm, you and I usually agree, but I was thinking just the opposite. There is a TON of luck in sports. Even Woods and Jordan and others among the best in history have talked a lot about how luck factored into their brilliance.

Athletes still have to make plays. They have to create luck sometimes and they have to take advantage of lucky breaks when they get them. And it seems the greater you are, the luckier you are, too.

But there certainly is luck in sports.

[martyconlonontherun]

I thought it was over when the inexcusably let the clock run down from 26 to 20 seconds only to foul the best FT in the ranks. I don't know how you can say having one of the worst 3 point shooting teams in the league hit 3 threes in a 30 seconds is anything but luck.

[MU82]

Not to thread-jack, but ...

What would folks be saying about Buzz and the program if we lost this game?

Sorry. Never mind. Too ugly to think about.

[GGGG]

I thought it was over when the inexcusably let the clock run down from 26 to 20 seconds only to foul the best FT in the ranks. I don't know how you can say having one of the worst 3 point shooting teams in the league hit 3 threes in a 30 seconds is anything but luck.

If memory recalls, they ended up shooting less than their season 3 point average for the game.  Nothing lucky about it.  Just hitting shots.

[GGGG]

Hmmm, you and I usually agree, but I was thinking just the opposite. There is a TON of luck in sports. Even Woods and Jordan and others among the best in history have talked a lot about how luck factored into their brilliance.

Athletes still have to make plays. They have to create luck sometimes and they have to take advantage of lucky breaks when they get them. And it seems the greater you are, the luckier you are, too.

But there certainly is luck in sports.

By definition, you can't "create luck."  

Luck is defined as "Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions."

There was nothing "brought about by chance" at the end of that game.  It was all through the players "own actions" that they won.

Again, I think you people are mixing up "unexpected" or "unlikely" with "luck."

[MU82]

By definition, you can't "create luck."  

Luck is defined as "Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions."

There was nothing "brought about by chance" at the end of that game.  It was all through the players "own actions" that they won.

Again, I think you people are mixing up "unexpected" or "unlikely" with "luck."

"Creating one's own luck" is a cliche, and I didn't mean it literally, but your point is fair.

And if I agree that there was no luck in that game and that there is no luck in sports, I guess I'd have to postulate that there's no luck in the world, period.

I'm not ready to do that, but I guess you are.

[muarmy81]

Agreed.  Yes they made 1 critical turnover, but besides that they really couldn't have played the last 1:15 any better.  They got the ball to their best free throw shooters, made their free throws, ran clock, and played good defense.  Defensively, they didn't let Marquette get quick baskets at the hoop (obviously other than the last play), and they didn't give up any open shots.  All 3 of the 3 pointers were very well contested, Jamil and Vander just had some big balls.  Marquette made the plays they had to and took the game, Davidson did not give Marquette the game.

Yeah if all things are equal that's the best game I've ever seen live.  My first thought was "Someday I'll tell my kids I was at this game."

Taking into account situations, I'd say the '03 Kentucky game was the best game I've been to live.  Got us to the Final Four and could not have possibly played a better game or dominated from start to finish anymore than we did (although the first 5ish minutes were pretty sloppy both ways).

But I am blessed to be able to say I was part of both of those weekends.  The Davidson game was an insane comeback and the Butler game was just about as well played of a basketball game as you will find from both teams.  And '03 the Pitt game was also a very well played game both ways and then again the Kentucky game I was just on cloud 9 for 40 straight minutes.

I wasn't at the 03 game but I guess the other satisfying reason was the group of Davidson fans on our side of the court about 3-4 sections down...behind their bench.  This group was wearing some sort of frat uniform and talking all kinds of trash, especially near the end of the game.  It was sooooo satisfying to have them shut up and sit down.

Great, great game.