Losers Try Their Best. Guess What Winners Do?

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

Today's Motivational Platitude is direct and to the point, and you can even follow it up with "Suck it, Trebek!" if you wish. That's right, make room for Sean Connery, Motivational Speaker.

Deadspinner Joe K. sent us one of Sir Sean's finest moments, from the Nic Cage action vehicle The Rock:

"Losers try their best. Winners go home and fuck the Prom Queen"

And it's double-fun to say it in the Connery accent. Which brings me to one of my favorite things about old-school acting. In the twenty-first century it has become common for Brits and Aussies to play Americans with perfectly trained U.S. accents. Back in the day? If you hired Connery, you were getting his mush-mouth, too. He was a thistle-sporting Russian in Anna Karenina, then he was an Arab Sheik by way of Edinburgh in "The Wind and the Lion", and in "Highlander", he was, oddly enough, chosen to play the Spanish character, while Frenchie Christopher Lambert butchered the Scots burr. Good times.

Now back to sports, as we daydream that maybe, one day, Sir Sean will be tapped to star in the film biography of former Temple coach John Chaney. That would be a challenge.

Early Results

Georgetown 82, Villanova 63. Georgetown seemed to have this game well in hand in the first half, going into the locker room with an eleven-point lead. The blue n' white came out hot to start the second, however, and quickly had the game tied up. In the end, the traditional post-game Parade of Free Throws buried the Wildcats. Do they dance?

Western Michigan 70, Eastern Michigan 61. How the heck else are we supposed to know which side of Michigan is the best? Speaking of Michigan...

Michigan 55, Iowa 47. Manny Harris did his thing, Dawg. He worked it out. So did DeShawn Sims (21 pts, 10 rebs).

West Virginia 78, Connecticut 72 Xavier 74, Dayton 65 Florida State 70, Wake Forest 60 Oklahoma State 76, Texas Tech 72 Illinois 64, Penn State 63 Boise State 80, Hawaii 74 Miami 63, N.C. State 50 Brigham Young 89, Colorado State 62

Tonight's Tournament Action

No do-or-die Finals on today's slate, so it will be more interesting to look at the implications for seeding and bubble burstage.

Big East Quarterfinals: #6 Marquette (23-8) vs. #3 Notre Dame (24-6). "This game will be close throughout. I'm not just sure, I'm HIV positive" /South Park.

Both teams are nationally ranked, which, QUITE FRANKLY doesn't mean shit at this point of the year. Notre Dame can lock up a top-four seed if they win this game. I'm sure Marquette wouldn't mind moving up, either.

Big East Quarterfinals: #7 Pitt (23-9) vs. #2 Louisville (24-7). A Tale of Two Seasons. Pitt started hot and then struggled due to injuries, eventually coming back to form to lock up a tourney bid. Louisville was up and down in the early going before reeling off nine straight dubyas to fulfill their promise. Pit(ino) vs. Pitt! BE THERE!!!!

A-10 Quarterfinals: #7 LaSalle (15-16) vs. #2 Temple (18-12). STF has boots on the ground for this one. Our editor and one of our frequent Road Trip correspondents are both attending the A-10 tournament. Tourney chances are off the bubble and circling the drain at La Salle Balls State, but as long as they can still win the A-10 crown, there's still a chance. /Lloyd Christmas

A-10 Quarterfinals: #6 Charlotte (19-12) vs. #3 UMass (21-9). Again, many pundits have UMass in at this point, so this should be the beginning of the push for a better seed. Charlotte's profile is irretrievably damaged by the fact that they remind people of an emo band, even when they're Good.

Pac-10 Quarterfinals: #6 Oregon (18-12) vs. #3 Washington State (23-7). Call it - this is the Ducks' best chance to make their case for inclusion in a tournament that doesn't play its Final Four in MSG.

Pac-10 Quarterfinals: #7 Arizona (19-13) vs. #2 Stanford (24-6). Here it is, Wildcats. I say (with no authority at all) that if you can win this one, you're in. Stanford is also in a bit of a funk since the wacky goings-on at Pauley Pavilion a few days back. The buzzword here is consistency, as in consistently win one game after another. That's one of those things the Selection Committee likes to see.

Mountain West Quarterfinals: #6 Utah (16-13) vs. #3 New Mexico (24-7). The Lobos are chewing Bubblicious since they dropped into the third spot in the Mountain West. They likely need UNLV to drop out of the tournament early to increase their chances, but for now, they can only control the outcome of this game.

In with Auto-Bids: Cornell (Ivy), Winthrop (Big South), Belmont (Atlantic Sun), Austin Peay (Ohio Valley), Drake (Missouri Valley), George Mason (CAA), Siena (MAAC), San Diego (WCC), Butler (Horizon), Davidson (SoCon), Oral Roberts (Summit), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), Mount St. Mary's (NEC), Portland State (Big Sky)

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 [email protected].

And, by the way: Bob Knight's cat would like a word with you.