Sunday, March 30, 2008

Thank you, Davidson!

Kansas' victory early this evening over #10 seed Davidson signifies that for the first time since the NCAA has created seeding, all 4 #1 seeds have made it to the Final Four. So, what you'll see next weekend are battles of titans -- Carolina versus Kansas and Memphis versus UCLA.

But for a while late this afternoon, the #10 Davidson squad carried the hopes of most of America. Yes, the theme from "Hoosiers" was replaying itself in my head, as Stephen Curry and the kid they call the "white lobster" kept Davidson in the game until the very end. Had Davidson run a better play in the final 15 seconds, you could have a variation of the Sesame Street song about things that do and do not belong together. Alas, it was not to be, as a very long three missed the mark, preserving Kansas' victory and sending Jayhawks' coach Bill Self to his first Final Four.

The real story of the tournament, though, has been Davidson, and I would submit that the MVP of the tournament should be Stephen Curry, even if his team hasn't made it to the Final Four. The kid was simply phenomenal, and his school's journey will be remembered for quite some time.

Thanks, Davidson, for giving me an underdog that played both smart and with a lot of heart, to watch deep into the tournament. You made this version of March Madness tremendous, and while I expect two great games in the national semifinals, the Final Four will be less special because you're not in it.