Heartbreak on April Fools.
Saturday, 1 April 2006 22:11![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
earthbelow
Good game, George Mason. Good game.
I will not at all mention my slightly perverse glee that the Cinderella Team got shot down by Florida. No I won't. Although, nobody tell my sister 'cause she sort of goes to FSU.
Technically, I should care less because UConn spanked my Wildcats way back and UNF won't be in the same league as anyone cool in the next century. Maybe in 2106 they'll get to dance the dance, but not while anyone in this generation sucks air.
I don't know who said it, but someone said that George Mason was playing beyond their level of talent. And I believe it. And it's not to take away from what they've done. I mean, dude. They pulled off something spectacular.
And I could say, that it was that UConn didn't bring their A-game to begin with, but I believe that UConn is a good enough team that even their B minus game is pretty damn good. So GMU beating them at any point meant something.
But I also believe that being a Cinderella team comes with some risks. Especially when you come up a team that while not as flashy as some has been what the CBS sports caster called "a well balanced team" and that was good.
GMU brought some serious defense, and I will give them credit for that. A lot of times, I really thought Florida was going to lose their lead and get their hearts broken in the last half because the GMU defense was holding their ground.
But Florida had enough talent on both the offensive and defensive sides, especially when it came to turnovers and steals, that they could overcome a defense that at times really *was* better than theirs.
There were times when watching GMU felt like watching an autistic savant. And I say this because they pulled off fast breaks, steal, and slam dunks but I also saw two players on the team who couldn't decide *who* was dribbling the ball after a quick steal, and it took them at least 10 seconds to sort it out. 10 seconds in basketball time, especially in *offensive shot clock* basketball time is like a month. 10 seconds is enough time to get a ball from the three point to the free throw line to under the basket and back again for a shot. Trust me, I know.
6 years of church league basketball, with four other sweaty girls and a tight game and you come to appreciate how long 10 seconds can be. Especially when you're tied.
Back to the point: A similar situation a few minutes later on Florida's side got sorted out much quicker. There seemed to be less confusion about what to do when the ball came into their possession. Less confusion about how to set up a basic starting position to try to take the ball to the hoop.
Key word: basic.
I think it comes down to the fact that Florida could pull off the fancy 3 pointers and fast breaks, but they also could play basic, bare bones, elementary school basketball where you dribble, pass, and shoot without all the hoopla just as well.
Also: LSU vs. UCLA? A good reason for having a "Put Them Out of Their Misery" rule for then it's kind of cruel to make a team keep playing those last 15 minutes when it's obvious it's past their bedtimes.
Remember to set your clocks ahead. Which in Florida means that the sun starts setting sometime about, uh, midnight.
Florida is the only place where you can get a 5 o' clock shadow *and* a 5 o' clock sunburn at the same time.
- Meg
I will not at all mention my slightly perverse glee that the Cinderella Team got shot down by Florida. No I won't. Although, nobody tell my sister 'cause she sort of goes to FSU.
Technically, I should care less because UConn spanked my Wildcats way back and UNF won't be in the same league as anyone cool in the next century. Maybe in 2106 they'll get to dance the dance, but not while anyone in this generation sucks air.
I don't know who said it, but someone said that George Mason was playing beyond their level of talent. And I believe it. And it's not to take away from what they've done. I mean, dude. They pulled off something spectacular.
And I could say, that it was that UConn didn't bring their A-game to begin with, but I believe that UConn is a good enough team that even their B minus game is pretty damn good. So GMU beating them at any point meant something.
But I also believe that being a Cinderella team comes with some risks. Especially when you come up a team that while not as flashy as some has been what the CBS sports caster called "a well balanced team" and that was good.
GMU brought some serious defense, and I will give them credit for that. A lot of times, I really thought Florida was going to lose their lead and get their hearts broken in the last half because the GMU defense was holding their ground.
But Florida had enough talent on both the offensive and defensive sides, especially when it came to turnovers and steals, that they could overcome a defense that at times really *was* better than theirs.
There were times when watching GMU felt like watching an autistic savant. And I say this because they pulled off fast breaks, steal, and slam dunks but I also saw two players on the team who couldn't decide *who* was dribbling the ball after a quick steal, and it took them at least 10 seconds to sort it out. 10 seconds in basketball time, especially in *offensive shot clock* basketball time is like a month. 10 seconds is enough time to get a ball from the three point to the free throw line to under the basket and back again for a shot. Trust me, I know.
6 years of church league basketball, with four other sweaty girls and a tight game and you come to appreciate how long 10 seconds can be. Especially when you're tied.
Back to the point: A similar situation a few minutes later on Florida's side got sorted out much quicker. There seemed to be less confusion about what to do when the ball came into their possession. Less confusion about how to set up a basic starting position to try to take the ball to the hoop.
Key word: basic.
I think it comes down to the fact that Florida could pull off the fancy 3 pointers and fast breaks, but they also could play basic, bare bones, elementary school basketball where you dribble, pass, and shoot without all the hoopla just as well.
Also: LSU vs. UCLA? A good reason for having a "Put Them Out of Their Misery" rule for then it's kind of cruel to make a team keep playing those last 15 minutes when it's obvious it's past their bedtimes.
Remember to set your clocks ahead. Which in Florida means that the sun starts setting sometime about, uh, midnight.
Florida is the only place where you can get a 5 o' clock shadow *and* a 5 o' clock sunburn at the same time.
- Meg
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no subject
Date: 3 Apr 2006 12:45 (UTC)So I was a little bummed. But still, that was a *hell* of a run they put on. :)
no subject
Date: 3 Apr 2006 19:28 (UTC)Yes, it was. And I'd like to see this motivate them to build up a team that can go to the show and *not* be the Cinderella team.
- Meg