Next Stop: AtlanGators

I was both right and wrong as regards my prediction of the outcome of the Midwest regional final match between the Gators and the Ducks. First, the Gators prevailed, 85-77. But on the flip side as evident from the scoreline, the Gators did not win big. But a win is a win.

Another conclusion from the game is that size does matter, at least in basketball. And the two blocks by the Gators’ big men in the second half are the definitive statements of that. First, the block by Big Al on a Brooks' layup, and Al got the ball too, while going airborne out of bound, and had the presence of mind to throw it to his team-mate before he landed outside the court.

Then, in the dying seconds, Corey Brewer made another spectacular block that really sealed the fate of the Ducks.

However, the day belongs to Lee Humphrey, my namesake. I had a premonition of that early in the second half when Lee Humphrey, who is known for his 3-pointer prowess, got a steal and scored on a layup. This happened at 6:30 left in the first half.

Then Lee’s ferocious back-spinning 3-pointer attempt, also in the first half, tore through the net, literally. The game was suspended for about 10 minutes for the net to be replaced, putting the technician on national TV, probably his first time.

At the end, Lee got seven 3-pointers, out of 12. And Tajuan Porter, the diminutive guard of the Ducks that practically demolished the Running Rebels two days before, was practically helpless against Taurean Green of the Gators because of the height disparity. Offensively, he only had 2 points in the first half. What a fortune reversal. But I think he would learn his lessons well.

During the half-time commentary, the hosts brought up a term, spurtability, it being, I guess, the ability to score in spurts. But what sustains a team is the ability to play consistently at both ends of the court, and keeping a cool head under pressure. I think several shot selections by the Ducks in the last few minutes of the game bear testimony to the team losing their cool, shooting blank with their two 3-pointer attempts.

As for my projection of the Gators being due for winning big, today’s result is only delaying the inevitable. That means the Bruins is in for a rude awakening, psyching themselves up for revenge after their lop-sided loss last year to the Gators, despite a convincing win against the Jayhawks.

If only North Carolina defeats Georgetown in the remaining regional final that is ongoing now, then my selection of the Final Four makeup would be complete.

March Madness With Little Surprises

One of the most intense team competitions in NCAA (AKA collegiate) sports is soon to unfold, guaranteeing to capture the attention of most TV viewers, potentially wiping out competing TV programs for the next three weeks. This is also the time when colleagues will close rank to throw in a wager or two, euphemistically called the office poll, as to the members of the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the eventual national collegiate champion.

This is March Madness, and the game in town is college basketball. For the next three weeks, the list of 64 pretenders to the coveted championship will slug it out, progressively being pared down to the Final Four, the winner of which will be decided in the Georgia Dome come early April.

Those college teams who did not merit entry into the elite group will have their own tournament to claim their fame, the second-tier NIT championship.

In my office poll for the previous year championship, I came out top as I was the only one who went out on a limb for the Gators. Kind of unwavering faith, being a Gator myself. I even predicted correctly the total score of the final game, which stood at 131. Talk about clairvoyance, or luck.

Unlike last year, the Gators are ranked number 1 in one of the four regions, fresh from a blow-out series in the SEC championship where they swept their opponents (three in all) by an average margin of 19+ points. So the team morale is high, and all of the starting five have been there, done that. In fact, the Gators are the only team which returns the starting five.

So, for me, the pick for this year’s office poll is easy. And I see no reason to doubt the team’s passion, firing up for the first repeat national champion since Duke did that in the early 1990s. Despite a brief slump toward the end of the regular season when the Gator lost three of their last 5 regular games, all on the road, they recovered in time to dominate their opponents and are poised to start another mini-winning streak right up to the end of the national championship games.

Picking a worthy opponent for the Gators in the final takes some analytical work, which to me is a toss up between North Carolina and Ohio State. In the end I’m going with NC, which has a more balanced team makeup. That means Ohio State will inevitably suffer the same fate as their football brethren but in the hand/foot/head of the mighty Gators earlier in the year, but one game removed from the national championship game this time.

In the other semi-final, I pick UCLA to emerge as the regional champion, but only to be crushed by the Gators in a repeat of last year’s championship game.

In a nutshell, I don't see any George Mason reincarnate this year, the only mild surprise, thought not from my perspective, is UCLA upending Kansas according to my projection.

The only thing left to do now is to enjoy the championship game series, potentially savoring Gators’ every victory along the way. So in this case, the pleasant surprise may just lie in the event that there is no surprise, which I surely can live with.

Is this (courtesy of the GatorZone) becoming a familiar sight or what? Go Gators!