Saturday Notes - Pitt Beats UConn (Again)

Only one question remains for the Panthers after their 70-60 victory over UConn on Saturday: Great Pitt team? or Greatest Pitt team? In his final game at the Peterson Events Center, Sam Young scored a season high 31 points in a dominating performance to help Pitt defeat a #1 ranked UConn squad for the second time this year. Levance Fields embraced Senior Day as well, commanding the floor as usual to the tune of 12 assists. Pitt (28-3, 15-3) finished the season undefeated at home, going 19-0. This game was a party. Young's ridiculous throw-down dunk with 6:29 to play deflated the Huskies and electrified the record crowd to the point of frenzy. It felt like a celebration. It felt like relief. It felt like maybe, just maybe, this Pitt team is different (and better) than all of the Pitt teams that have disappointed us before. The next few weeks should be a lot of fun.

Some random Saturday notes, for your enjoyment:

• My conference tournament predictions are a disaster! I've already lost three of my prediction champions...all of those losses coming WAY before the Championship games. Vermont (somehow) lost to Albany today 56-52 in overtime. I've also had Belmont and Murray State lose VERY early on. I'm not giving up. I have a lot of work to do if I want to nail 15 of 30 Conference Tournament Champions correctly. But I'm definitely going to be playing from behind from here on out.
• Cornell is the first team to officially earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Penn and winning the Ivy League title last night. This is the second year in a row Cornell will be in the Big Dance.
  
• It's crazy that Louisville could beat West Virginia tonight and win the Big East. Their 5 overall losses probably hurt their chances of earning a #1 seed. However...Pitt is practically a lock for a #1...and if Louisville wins the Big East Tournament, how are they not a #1 seed? The reality of having three Big East teams as one seeds is becoming more and more possible by the moment.
• Creighton won a THRILLER last night when Booker Woodfox hit a 16-foot jumper at the buzzer to hold off Wichita State 63-62. The Missouri Valley Tournament always provides drama and excitement. I was so thankful for this win because I was on the verge of losing another one of my Conference Tournament Champions. Remember how I informed you of Creighton and Booker Woodfox the other day? That's called foreshadowing. You're welcome.
• Two HUGE games in the Horizon League tonight as the semi-finals put Wright State against Butler and Cleveland State against UW Green-Bay. Cleveland State came back from down ten with under 4 minutes left last night against Illinois-Chicago. Lucky bastards! I'm not losing my first official March Madness bet. Butler will move on.
• Iowa battled their hearts out and just forced overtime against Penn State after squandering 9 point lead with under three minutes left. I'm not reporting on the final result (whatever it is) to avoid ridicule or anger from the Nittany Lion faithful.
• I'm especially interested in the Louisville/West Virginia and Wright State/Butler games later today. Also, the first three Conference Tournament Champions will be crowned in the Ohio Valley, Big South, and Atlantic Sun. Tomorrow there's the HUGE Duke vs. North Carolina game, along with Robert Morris' NEC semi-final contest against Quinnipiac. It's a great time of year. Enjoy your Saturday.

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Bracket Busters (Definitely! Maybe?) #1

Ladies and Gentlemen...for my first Bracket Busters selection...may I introduce to you...the Creighton Bluejays!

Last year I went to the Missouri Valley Conference for a solid Bracket Busters selection when I backed the Drake Bulldogs. Unfortunately, Drake fell victim to the #5 seed curse and lost to #12 Western Kentucky (best mascot in college hoops - Big Red) in a 101-99 overtime thriller. Last year's result will not deter me, as I'm going back to the MVC well and predicting the Bluejays to do big things come tourney time. Creighton's last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2007, their last Tournament win was in 2002. The team may have God on their side this year as Creighton is one of 28 member institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The Bluejays may need that help because this is not a particularly strong year for mid-major teams. Creighton might have to win the MVC Tournament in order to make the "Big Dance". I believe they have done enough to earn an at-large bid should they not win their conference tourney. Here are some facts about Creighton along with the reasons I like them to make some noise in the next few weeks:

• Creighton University is located in Omaha, Nebraska which is also the home of Conor Oberst and Saddle Creek Records. Umm...those guys put out some very sad and dark music. Possibly because they're home town teams never win. Not really a good omen.
• The Bluejays currently have an RPI of 39, better than potential NCAA Tourney teams such as Boston College, South Carolina, and St. Mary's.
• Creighton has quality wins against Dayton, George Mason, and New Mexico. They also split the season series with Illinois St. and Northern Iowa...their closest competition in the MVC.
• The Bluejays' mascot is named Billy Bluejay.
• Creighton has not lost a game since January. They are the hottest team in the MVC, riding a 10 game winning streak heading into the Conference Tournament.
• One of the best names in college basketball can be found on this team. Booker Woodfox is a senior guard who averages 16 points a game and shoots over 50% from 3-point land.
• Now to bring back America's favorite running segment from last year's blog! Notable Creighton Alumni include: Mike Fahey (Current Mayor of Omaha, Democrat), Matt Maginn (bassist for the Saddle Creek Records band, Cursive), Kyle Corver (former Creighton basketball standout and NBA player for the Utah Jazz), Todd Fink (lead singer of the Saddle Creek Records band, The Faint), Nancey Murphy (professor at Fuller Theological Seminary), and baseball legend Bob Gibson (Hall of Fame pitcher).

Creighton could end up anywhere between an 8 seed and a 12 seed. No matter where they end up, they will be playing a team that won't be considered one of college basketball's elite in the first round. ESPN's Bracketology Joe Lunardi currently has Creighton as an #11 seed, playing #6 Syracuse in the first round. With that kind of match-up, I'd take the Bluejays every time. They have great senior leadership, decent outside shooting, and enough skill players to make a little run. I'm aware that Creighton is only the #2 seed in the MVC Tournament. Northern Iowa had the same conference record as them at 14-4 and won the tiebreaker for the #1 seed. I should be going with a team from Iowa here, but more than giving props to my home state this year...I want to be right. That's why I'm going with the Creighton Bluejays. Happy Busting.

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