"This Is My Last Shot At A Winner"

Each day this week, Storming The Floor will be previewing that night's important games. Enjoy.

Yesterday I put out a call for Motivational Platitudes that any coach could use to exhort his troops to greater effort on the court. Tonight, many bubble teams and wannabes will be taking the floor, and we have just the thing to spur them one step closer to that coveted auto-bid: an encouraging quote.

Tonight, if the standard pre-game speeches aren't cutting the mustard, and the kids are still committing costly errors, Gourmet Spud would like to recommend this quote from Major League:

"This is my last shot at a winner. And for some of the younger guys, it could be their only shot. I don't know what happened to you. But if you ever, EVER tank another play like you did today, I'm going cut your nuts off, and stick 'em down your fuckin' throat!"

That might sound a bit harsh, but Spud says he repeats this quote as he looks into the mirror every morning, and it's made him a top commenter, so a little tough love might be just what these kids need to reach their One Shining Moment.

Early Bubble Results

And here's one team that won't be needing any more motivational speeches coupled by one that will need a humdinger tomorrow.

Big East First Round: Villanova 82, Syracuse 63. Far be it from me to suggest that this is the end of the road for Syracuse, lest my house be firebombed with orange paint this evening, but this is the end of the road for Syracuse. The team should be incredible next year, with more experience and a healthy lineup. Super-frosh Greene and Flynn did their damage, but Villanova was led by Scottie Reynolds' 22 points and 6 assists as the Wildcats opened up a ray of sunshine for the Greater Philadelphia area (St. Josephs' game will end too late for this update). Next up for 'Nova is big, bad #1 seed Georgetown.

Tonight's Tournament Action

Numbers before team name are tournament seeds.

Big Sky Final: #2 Northern Arizona (21-10) vs. #1 Portland State (22-9). Lumberjacks vs. Vikings. That sounds like much better television than the new American Gladiators. As the top seed, Portland State is playing at home in the Rose Garden, so if a good crowd shows up, this could be a great one to watch. The Lumberjacks are putting it all on the back of Kyle Landry, who dropped 21 points on Weber State to get them to the final conference tourney game of the Big Sky season.

NEC Final: #4 Mount St. Mary's (17-14) vs. #3 Sacred Heart (18-13). If you think you're having fun with Oral Roberts' bid, imagine what you could do with a Mount Saint Mary's win tonight. The Mountaineers are led by 14 ppg-scorers Chris Vann and Jeremy Goode, and are in the midst of a four-game win streak. Sacred Heart once boasted an eight game streak that had them atop the NEC in mid-season, only to go all inconsistent on us, or "tank". And we know what happens when you tank.

SWAC Quarterfinals: #1 Alabama State (19-9) vs. #8 Texas Southern (7-24). Chief Kickinstallionsims update: The 7'1" All Name First-Teamer had by far his best game of the year in a 103-83 rout of Jackson State to end the regular season. He scored 22 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to propel Alabama State into the SWAC tourney as a clear #1 seed.

Pac-10 First Round: #10 Oregon State (6-24) vs. #7 Arizona (18-13). OK, it's time to stop enabling the Wildcats. They know Lute is coming back next season, and they're playing a team that managed to go 0-18 in the conference. For the love of all that is holy, try and look alive out there, Zona.

MAC Tournament. Speaking of Motivational Platitudes, the suits who run the MAC tournament have sort of given up on happy talk. After years of catchy slogans pumping up the fantastic mid-major conference, they've grown tired of trying to get students to give up spring break for basketball in Cleveland. Sons of Nev report that this year's slogan is "This time... be there". It's the beach or Bowling Green, which would you choose?

See you again in the morning with recaps of the night's tournament action. If you have a Motivational Platitude you'd like coaches to try out, send it to me at stormingthefloor@gmail.com.

5:01 PM on Wed Mar 12 2008
By storming the floor
4,022 views
33 comments

Comments

DontPracticeRenteria at 05:14 PM on 03/12/08
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I CAN HAZ GMAC?
JohnCocktosten at 05:15 PM on 03/12/08
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Is it sad that I am taking off work early tomorrow to watch Auburn get creamed by Vanderbilt? I am rethinking my life at this very moment.
kayceebk at 05:15 PM on 03/12/08
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Cuse started to play better once Devendorf and Rautins were out of the picture. My theory is- if Boeheim doesn't have a Great White Hope to tell to jack shots, the team can come together. Then again, Jonny Flynn couldn't hit water from a boat today. He was MacNamaresque.
Secret Identity at 05:17 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 217

Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves acursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks, that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day!
Gourmet Spud at 05:17 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 437

I also tell myself that I have pecs.
mlmintampa at 05:19 PM on 03/12/08
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@JohnCocktosten: It could be worse. I keep telling myself Florida will be in the tournament when their defense is worse than a middle school team.
dwinn at 05:20 PM on 03/12/08
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I predict that Sacred Heart's team would be lead by either Turk or Dr. Cox.
Its The Beer Talking at 05:20 PM on 03/12/08
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"This is my first shot at dinner."

Mangino'd
Its The Beer Talking at 05:21 PM on 03/12/08
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@Its The Beer Talking: Or, more appropriately given the context, Majerus'd.
StevieY19 at 05:22 PM on 03/12/08
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"It's not worth winning if you can't win big!"
Laser Guided at 05:24 PM on 03/12/08
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@dwinn: With Janitor playing the 4 spot?
JohnCocktosten at 05:25 PM on 03/12/08
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@mlmintampa: Haven't seen Florida play this year so will withhold comment.

Is this DUAN? If so, I saw a sign this morning on way to subway for work held by a homeless guy that said:

"Only Need $4,700 to Get Sex like Governor Spitzer"
gotohe11carolina at 05:29 PM on 03/12/08
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@dwinn: watch of for jd's sky hook though, its a knockout...
ArkansasFred at 05:30 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 141

"This is definitely not my last shot."

-Dana Jacobson
Weed Against Speed at 05:31 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 402

"This is my last shot with a wiener."

--Mike Penner before Christine Daniels
The Diesel at 05:32 PM on 03/12/08
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@ArkansasFred: Wonderful.
JohnCocktosten at 05:32 PM on 03/12/08
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"This is my last shot, I swear Kristen"

-- Client-9
Matt Sussman at 05:33 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 535

omg MAC TOURNAMENT TOLEDO-BG REMATCH JUST BEGAN !!!1!1 *spasm*
SlantedAndDisenchanted at 05:34 PM on 03/12/08
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Northern Arizona vs. Portland State
Mount St. Mary's vs. Sacred Heart
Alambama State vs. Texas Southern

Local cable access hits prime time!
chilltown at 05:34 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 178

It's the beach or Bowling Green, which would you choose?

Its a good thing Suss hates the beach.
Gourmet Spud at 05:35 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 437

"This is my last shot against the winter."

-Sam McGee
Jake Taylor at 05:41 PM on 03/12/08
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If Serrano had learned to hit a fucking curveball, I wouldn't have had to lay down that shitass bunt to win the game. And as for Dorn, I'm glad Veghead fucked his wife.
44 in a Row at 05:42 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 235

Is this DUAN?

You have much to learn, grasshopper.

I'm very excited to start being bored by the Big East tournament tonight.
Matt Sussman at 05:42 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 535

Can't it be both? BG has its fair share of ponds, but instead of sand, we use mediocrity.
44 in a Row at 05:42 PM on 03/12/08
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Connectedness Index: 235

"It's not worth winning if you can't win big!"

Win! Win! Win! Win! Win!
elwood at 05:43 PM on 03/12/08
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@JohnCocktosten: I hate to sound like the newbie, but I never figured out what DUAN stands for. Is it some secret that they only tell the regulars here?
Rickey_Fitts at 05:43 PM on 03/12/08
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@Secret Identity: Is that from Tombstone?
Rickey_Fitts at 05:45 PM on 03/12/08
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Fucking Nibbles...
Rickey_Fitts at 05:46 PM on 03/12/08
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Deadspin Up All Night..
DontPracticeRenteria at 05:47 PM on 03/12/08
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@elwood: Daulerio Unifies African Nations... it's just a tribute to the balls
UkraineNotWeak at 06:14 PM on 03/12/08
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@kayceebk:

You're kidding, right? The team was not better with them out of the way.

This team missed Devo and Rautins. More dependable outside shooting. Never would've blown the Pitt and Georgetown games with them. Upperclassmen leadership and experience would've come in handy not to mention the depth they would've offered
CuseDog at 11:35 PM on 03/12/08
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"Better without Rautins and Devendorf" Shit, who would want their two best outside shooters anyway?

Should have played more man-to-man today Jimmy
kayceebk at 07:14 AM on 03/13/08
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@UkraineNotWeak: @CuseDog: Did you seriously call Rautins dependable? The only thing dependable about Rautins is that he'll turn the ball over.

Granted, it's easy to be the "most dependable" when you've got a 6'11" frosh jacking threesinstead of playing in the blocks, but let's not parse things too much.