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The College Basketball Closer is written by the gang at Storming The Floor.
In typical fashion, political primary season has become more of a referendum on candidate popularity and charisma, with nary a position on the issues in sight. Super Tuesday may have clarified the electability conundrum for some of the rat-racers, but there's one issue we just can't ignore as we march inexorably toward the biggest day on any political pundit's calendar: Tournament Selection Sunday.
Which candidate will do right by college basketball?
Hillary Clinton
• Husband Bill is a huge Arkansas Razorback fan. Was at the 1993 National Championship.
• Would most likely claim to be a fan of all 300 plus college basketball teams.
• Could do wonders for the women's college basketball game.
Barack Obama
• Brother-in-law Craig Robinson is head coach at Brown.
• Noted in "The Audacity of Hope" that watching college hoops was one of the benefits of living away from family in D.C.
• Has been known to play some ball on the campaign trail.
• May be able to revitalize Illini hoops.
John McCain
• Well-known Arizona sports enthusiast.
• Was in Indianapolis when Arizona topped Kentucky for the National Championship.
• Wants to ban gambling on college sports.
• Posted his tournament picks online, picked all #1 seeds to make the Final Four.
Mitt Romney
• Ran the 2002 SLC Winter Olympics, which is at least sports-related.
• Went to Stanford and BYU, both of which will likely be dancing.
• Mormons tend to be good at college basketball (holla atcha boy, Shawn Bradley!).
At Storming the Floor, we've thrown our considerable voting bloc behind Obama. McCain seems passionate, but who picks all #1 seeds? With fitness buff George W. Bush leaving the White House, we'd like to know that our next president can still take down any other world leader in a pick-up game, if it ever comes to that.
Glad That's Over, Let's Do It Again Next Month. Duke 89 - UNC 78. Coach K notched his 795th career victory against his toughest rival, as the Blue Devils poured in thirteen buckets from behind the arc, a stark contrast to the 20 percent from three-point range by the Tarheels. Tyler Hansbrough went out man-style, with 28 points and 17 boards, but beanpole Kyle Singler's 14 and 11 were nothing to sneeze at, either. Duke now has the inside track to easy street.
Dear Diary... Baylor 80 - Texas Tech 74. Bryce Drew has had a few more years to practice this whole "following your dad into coaching" thing, and it showed. According to game reports, Pat Knight had a notebook and was actually writing things down during the game. This does not bode well.
SEC is Resurrection Central. Kentucky 66 - Auburn 63. A quick look at the top of the SEC standings shows Arkansas, Florida, and Kentucky within striking distance of the league's top spot. That's three programs that were left for dead just one short month ago. Injury problems made this an incredibly tight game - The Wildcats used only two bench players, and the Tigers only one. Patrick Patterson provided the winning margin on the road, hitting clutch free throws in the final minute of play en route to a 19 point, 8 rebound night.
Tonight's Big Game, Plus One That's Just Fun to Talk About
Love to Love You, Baby. UCLA (20-2) at Washington State (17-4). Make no mistake, the Cougars are slipping, and the Bruins are streaking. In a recent loss to Stanford, WSU committed only four turnovers while stripping the Cardinal eleven times, so that isn't the problem. A 25 percent rate from behind the arc in the last two Pac-10 losses might need fixing, however. UCLA will soldier on without Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who has an ankle sprain. I hear the other guys on the team are pretty good, though.
I Don't Do Contracts, But My Word's Stronger than Oak. Indiana (18-3) at Illinois (10-13). Fans in Champaign have made a solid verbal commitment to go easy on Eric Gordon. At least they're probably, kinda, maybe, sorta getting the well-traveled Alex Legion next season.
Eric Angevine writes about college hoops daily at Storming the Floor, and is a regular contributor to Chicago Sports Weekly. He can be reached at stormingthefloor@gmail.com.
Comments
Hey look! It's Martin Lawre--
Phew! Almost got ahead of myself there...
no, no, no, meh...maybe, no, no, no, no, add alcohol and possibly, no.
Also, the Gophers are going to the NIT, baby!
Was Eric Gordon also looking at Western University?
Auburn has the smoothest and coldest bourbon in all the land.
/Billy Clyde
*Mitt Romney
Went to Stanford and BYU, both of which will likely be dancing...
Which, in a cruel twist, he is banned from doing.
Man, The White Shadow was an awesome show.
Lots of WNBA fans love Hillary.
Mike Huckabee would likely re-align the possession arrow so it pointed up or down, depending on whether or not the players in question had accepted Jeebus as their personal savior.
May be able to revitalize Illini hoops
As if Leitch needed any more reasons to like Obama.
John McCain
• Poor shotblocker
SEC is Resurrection Central
Except for the beloved Commodores, who started dropping games like Pedro drops roosters once conference play started.
I didn't know that young, polo shirt-clad Bill Richardson was coaching that team. Small world in politics.
Guess which kid was the star of the team?
*Hillary Clinton
Lets her man score at will.
@Gourmet Spud: that was so evil i laughed for 3 minutes
@Gourmet Spud: Took me a second, but excellent.
Kim Jong Il is the Nate Robinson of dictators - you don't want to play on his team since he's a ball-hog, but he will kill with his dunks in a game of horse.
Hillary is also a big fan of Pokey Chatman
Dennis Kucinich rode Man-O-War to a triple crown.
@Gourmet Spud: +1.
How did they manage to airbrush out at least four pencil-thin moustaches from that photo?
Looks like white boy bingo with a free play spot in the middle.
@UkraineNotWeak: It reminds me of the "1" side of a die.
Man, Helen Hunt could shoot the jay at Punahou like nobody's business.
And is that guy on the middle-left a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome?
Bad News Bears 4...the bears play basketball.
Judging from the photo, Griffith Dunne was his coach.
Ummm...I'll take you there...yeah you, in the middle.
Sorry to be a nitpicker, but Scott Drew is the Baylor coach...Bryce Drew is still an assistant at Valpo, I think.
Mitt Romney keeps trying to change up his game to fit the newest style, but he keeps getting away from what he's good at (if anything).
Mike Gravel told young Jimmy Naismith to get off his lawn and take his peach basket elsewhere.
Obama went to Columbia, McCain went to the USNA. Not the strongest of college basketball programs.
Rudy Giuliani used to average 9 points and 11 rebounds a game in high school.
Jesus Christ, Angevine...it's Scott Drew!! Scott Drew! Not Bryce! How many emails do I have to send you about the guy before you get his name right?
@UpstateUnderdog:
Shh! 44 in a Row will hear you.
Is that Timmy Chang behind Obama? Everybody thought he was just a system QB, but his numbers look more impressive now that we know he put them up in his 40s.
@UpstateUnderdog: You'll have to content with me and 44 in a Row on that one. He also could have coached the University of Chicago basketball team more effectively.
who picks all #1 seeds?
A winner. That's who.
WE GO PLAY HOOP
@dumpdolan: sorry guys, remind me not to bring up Columbia football.
Was at a game last night - the St Joe's mascot flapping it's wings the entire game (including half time) was strangely hypnotizing. Not sure why anyone would want that job.
Also hypnotizing - seeing the first triple double in my alma mater's history.
John Amaechi shooting freethrows from the charity stripe = Welfare Queen.
@Phony Gwynn:
That's obviously The Rock. They don't all look alike, you know! What are you, from Boston?
Who is recruiting Kevin Hart ?
@Im a people person. Who drinks.:
I believe the person in the Hawk suit gets a scholarship
@Phony Gwynn:
It could be Norm Cow, who actually went to Punahou. Or Michelle Wie...
@Im a people person. Who drinks.: nice A-10 battle last night. btw, percentage wise I think the A-10 has the most Catholic schools after the MAAC.
@Signal to Noise: That's not nitpicking - that's a valid correction. You'll see as the days go on that I often reverse names that sound alike. Guys named Smith are a real challenge.
@Jack Cobra: I'm thinking two or three more ought to do it. I feared your wrath once S2N pointed it out.
@UpstateUnderdog: but but, Marcellus Wiley!
@Storming the Floor: that's why they need nicknames like Flapjack
Obama went to Columbia, McCain went to the USNA. Not the strongest of college basketball programs.
Whatever, man. We only lost to Villanova by 16 points, and we have an in-conference win. That's a successful season by my standards.
@Storming the Floor: Yeah, his computer is quicker than mine.....
@dumpdolan: don't forget Sid Luckman