I Dislike Your Favorite Team

If it weren't for the Rams of Virginia Commonwealth University, I would have been a little annoyed with this first day. I mean, I spend valuable vacation days on the first two days of the tournament, and I expect upsets, dammit!

Two favorite upset teams fell down today. We'll see no more of Oral Roberts University. God called them home. I didn't get much of this game, but by all reports, ORU was in it for awhile, but then Washington State hit some big shots at the end of the first half and tightened their defense, and that was all she wrote. I do believe it was Zach of The Big Picture who stated in our comments his dislike of Washington State but grudgingly admitted that they had the kind of defense to make it beyond the Sweet Sixteen. He may be right. They face Vanderbilt next, who rolled on George Washington like sailors on pier side whores.

The other favorite upset team was Old Dominion University. They fell pretty hard to Butler, which I really didn't think would happen. They hung tough for a half, though.

So unless you somehow count two 9 seeds beating 8 seeds as upsets, and really you shouldn't, there was only one upset this first day. Particularly in the case of Michigan State vs. Marquette. Did anyone pick Marquette to win that game? The Xavier/BYU tilt I considered a bit of coinflip, and while I picked BYU, I'm happy for Xavier, as they took a lot of heat for even being in the tournament. So presumably, like George Mason last year, Xavier's going to end up in the Final Four. They'll just have to beat Ohio State, and then the path will be wide open!

If you picked seeded teams, but switched the 8-9 seeds, you would have gotten 15 games right today. Which explains, I think, why IDYFT Village Idiot Jerious Norwood is currently in the lead after day one for the Jesus Basketball Trophy.

Important fact about Jerious Norwood: several years ago, he got married. My traditional wedding present was (and still is) a Jesus Playing sports statue. His future wife took me aside, and said, "No Jesus playing sports statue. If you get us one of those, I'll never, ever, speak to you again." Jerious' bride is a beautiful and scary woman. I did as I was told. But I think Jerious always thought he had been cheated out of what was rightfully his. He's playing to win, I'm saying. He's giving 110%, even though it is technically impossible to do so. He don't care.

Ah, so let's celebrate the upset of the day. VCU beats Duke! Even getting a career game from 5th year sophomore Greg Paulus. He's a high-school quarterback! He doesn't back down from anybody! Oh, and he flops like he's been made from the genes of Christiano Ronaldo and Jurgen Klinsmann. Note to Paulus: when you flop, make sure you've been touched, you douchebag.

Funny story--IDYFT NCAA Hoops "expert" Barnyard called me, with 3 minutes left in the Duke-VCU tilt to tell me once again that there was no way Duke would lose to VCU. "Coach K won't let it happen, man. This thing is complex, with wrinkles and such. But no way Duke loses this game." Barnyard would remind you of a young Big Lebowski. I mention this to make fun of Barnyard.

VCU point guard Eric Maynor, who we took note of during the CAA tournament, was assassin nasty in the final seconds of this game, and spent much of the game inside Paulus' skull. I don't think Greggy will ever be the same. (Oh, but he's tough. Because he played high school football. When it mattered tonight, he got worked!). The Pitt-VCU tilt is going to be interesting. But we'll worry about that later. Here's a link to Maynor's winning shot (please note that he's working left-handed up until he releases the shot)