Tommy TwoStep

March 16, 2007:

The Friday tournament games are underway. Excitement is brewing due to the lack of upsets on Thursday. I am stranded at my Thought Process/Tommy TwoStep cart in the Beaver Valley Mall, miles away from my big screen TV and sofa so I have my laptop in front of me, tournament bracket sheets to my right, my on-line betting account replenished with dough, and the ESPN.com real-time sports ticker updating scores. I am going to keep things fresh with a on-going Friday tournament blog.

Here it goes:

12:29 pm - After inexplicably picking Albany (+8.5) to cover against Virginia, I open up the ESPN real-time sports ticker for the first time -- 21-4 Virginia with 12 minutes to go! What is going on here? I don't even get myself situated and I am down big already. Jamar Wilson is 0-4 from the field and has no points! Gulp.

I’ll take North Texas (+19) over Memphis for the pure reason Memphis plays in the Conference USA. North Texas is up 16-11 early. Could be my early redemption.

1:00 pm - *cough* *cough* Virginia is up twenty at halftime as Albany is shooting .345 from the field.

1:27 pm - Memphis is up nine at halftime. This could get ugly in the second half if Memphis starts to run and put points on the board.

Virginia’s lead has just swelled to 30 points. My head hurts.

Hang on North Texas. Down 15 with 7 minutes to go as the Virginia-Albany game goes final. 84-57. Way to put up a fight Albany, must have spent all your competitive energy LAST YEAR.

2:42 pm - The last 6-11 match-up is underway. I’ll take Notre Dame (-3.5) over Winthrop. The Irish are the six seed. VCU already pulled the 11 seed upset last night, beating Duke, and I can’t see two happening in this year’s tournament.

2:49 pm - The Memphis and UNLV games go final. A 73-58 victory for Memphis over North Texas. [note: yay!!!] UNLV beats Georgia Tech by 4 and coincidently knocks one final four team out of my ‘Freshmen Rules!’ bracket. I guess Thaddeus Young’s shoulder weren’t Durant wide enough or strong enough to carry his team

2:56 pm - Go ahead with Long Beach State getting 8 points. Both LBSt and Tennessee have offensive firepower and should make for an interesting game where no lead is insurmountable. Long Beach State starts five seniors. All good reasons to take the points.

Just for the hell of it. Seems like a good time to take a 10 seed, Creighton (+2.5) as all three 7 seeds have won already.

3:05 pm - Tennessee 29 – LB State 12. Chris Lofton already has 10 points. *shaking my head*

3:35 pm - Wisconsin is down at halftime, shooting 21%, and Alando Tucker is 2-9 from the field. My only money bet is not looking very good.

Speaking of not looking good. Tennessee is murdering LBSt. The score is 90-62 with 10 minutes to go. 90 points with 10 minutes to go!!! Unbelievable.

4:01 pm - On a brighter note, Notre Dame has clawed its way back into its game against Winthrop after being down twenty points early in the second half. Basketball is a game of runs baby!

Nate Funk, keeping it funky, has twelve points at half for Creighton as they are up one on Nevada.

The upset everyone was predicting, but I somehow didn’t fall for after seeing a six seed fall yesterday, has just gone final. Winthrop defeats Notre DAMN IT. 74-64. My afternoon bets are not looking too hot right now.

4:34 pm - It’s a blow out. Tennessee has scored 100 points and there is still seven minutes to go. Wonder what the record is for most points in an opening round game. Or more importantly for Long Beach fans, the record for most points scored in a losing effort because the 49ers are about to shatter it. And here’s a tip for coaches, don’t let the opposing team shoot 60% from the field and 48% from three. You are not going to win too many games that way. Maybe Snoop Dogg can take over coaching duties next year.

4:52 pm - Updated final score: Tennessee 121, Long Beach State 86. Do you think Oregon was taking notes, getting jealous, or getting ramped up for its first round track meet with Miami, Ohio? I hope so.

4:57 pm - Wisconsin takes a two-point lead with seven minutes to go. Only 12 more points to cover. Come on guys!

I unfortunately do not get my money bet in for the Oregon-Miami, Ohio game [Note: Thanks, babe!]. I am pissed. Check the score ticker. 9-0 Miami early. I am not so pissed.

5:30 pm - Wisconsin wins by 13, 76-63. Enough said.

5:33 pm - Creighton falls in overtime to Nevada. All four seven seeds won? What the f*ck. I am zero for four in my afternoon games. Figures that Kemp, not Fazekas, carries the Wolf Pack to the second round game.

Alright Kansas (-19.5), kick some ass and put me back at even.

Oregon is up by only three at halftime 25-22. That seems like that was score with 18 minutes to go in the first half of the Tenneesee-LB State game.

Research complete. Tennessee tied the record for most points in an opening round tournament game with 121. Just typing a three digit number for a college basketball game is exciting. It needs to be done more often.

6:19 pm - Oregon is up by eight with four minutes to go. I am pissed.

Seems like a good time to check the Pirates spring training score. Buccos lost 8-3 to the Devil Rays earlier today. Gorzelanny allows two runs in four innings lowering his spring training ERA to 10.45. This is our future ace??? I thought we already had a soft-throwing, left-hander with a ballooned ERA and WHIP in Zach Duke. Andrew McCutchen bats lead off and goes 1-5 with zero walks. On a brighter note, Neil Walker is batting .391 and Ronny Paulino is batting .440!

6:28 pm - Oregon is up by only 3 with two minutes to go. I am not so pissed. Are we witnessing a bracket breaking upset that NO ONE predicted and will presumably ruin everyone’s bracket that took Oregon to the Elite Eight? I do not know how to feel? I am not losing any money, but I have taken Oregon very far in plenty of my brackets.

6:42 pm - Oregon wins 58-56. Wipe the sweat off of your brow bracket holders. Oregon did not anal rape a kagillion brackets by losing in the first round. Personally, I am thoroughly relieved. Not only did Oregon advance, but also I didn’t lose any money because I didn’t get my bet (Oregon –9) in on time. I still need to get back to even [note: fuck you Wisconsin.].

7:02 pm - C’mon Kansas.

7:07 pm - Go ahead Eric, parlay Virginia Tech (-3) over Illinois and Arizona (-3) over Purdue. Fuck Wisconsin and the Big Ten.

7:21 pm – Ok, so Tennessee’s point total tied the record for points in a first round game. Record for points scored in any NCAA tournament game – 149 by Loyola Marymount in 1990. In fact, they hold the record most points in a tournament game and were on the losing end of the second highest team point total game, losing to UNLV, in the same year! Talk about scoring. Something I haven’t done in a long, long time. *sigh*

Kansas up two points with fifteen minutes to go.

7:32 pm – Texas game is underway. Time for everyone to drop what they are doing, Kevin Durant is playing. Unfortunately for me, I am nowhere close to a television. Durant is worth at least a spread of 8 points himself. I'm excited.

Speaking of freshmen, I hope Chase Buddinger has a great game and carriers Arizona to a victory unlike fellow frosh, Thaddeus Young. The more victories for Arizona, the better, in my ‘Freshmen Rule!’ bracket looks.

7:49 pm – Yahoo Sports live look in box score box shows 35-25 and this one-liner: Kansas picking up tempo, pulling away. Yay!

Illinois is up ten with two minutes to play in the first half. What, did Virginia Tech not want to show up for this game? They are shooting 30%. [Note: So this is the team that lost to N.C. State in the ACC tournament]

7:53 pm – McClellan already has 10 points for the Wildcats. His season average is 9. Is anyone else going to step up for Arizona? Buddinger has 5. Arizona is down two.

7:56 pm – Yahoo Sports live look-in one-liner text – Jayhawks threatening to run away and hide. I don’t know what that means, but Kansas is up 16.

Illinois up eight at halftime. I am wondering, if out of the big-three from Illinois’ championship run three years ago, Deron Williams is a starter Utah Jazz, and Luther Head is a role player Houston Rockets, what happened to Dee Brown? He seemed like the best of the three in college? Is he sitting at his momma’s house watching the games right now?

8:02 pm – Halftime. Kansas leads 52-27. Go ahead Kansas, run and hide baby!!!

The Freshman report: Durant has 10 points on 3-7 shooting. Buddinger has 7 points on 3-5 shooting. Both teams are down three. Hmmmmm.

8:14 pm – All four games are at halftime. WooHoo. Let’s eat some pizza!!!

8:52 pm – Texas is pulling away, up by ten points. Kansas is up close to 40. But sadly my two team parlay does not look like it is going to pan out. The Big Ten is making a statement. Well, except Wisconsin.

Freshmen update: Durant has 15. Buddinger has 10. Seriously though, how is Arizona going to lose to Purdue? Purdue!

9:03 pm – Two teams break 100 points in one day with Kansas hitting the century mark with three minutes to go. A little behind Tennessee’s pace, but still, triple digits in college hoops. I love it. Can these two teams meet in the championship? Or would UCLA and Southern Illinois be appalled.

Reggie Theus you’re killing me!

9:07 pm - Pray for overtime in the VT and ‘zona games. That is the only way I have hope to cover.

9:15 pm – Texas is down three with six minutes to go! The nation is holding its breath. CBS is holding its breath. The player that everyone in the country wants to see and that CBS was to make millions off of may come up short in the first round. If Durant and Texas loss, Durant jumps to the NBA, CBS and the NCAA lose trillions. This is definite bracket buster material here.

9:19 pm – Kansas wins by a cool 40 points. Kansas really showed the country who is the team to beat. They take no prisons, shake off the cobwebs from last year's opening round loss, and murder Niagara. 107 points on the board. 11 players in double figures.

Virginia Tech squeaks by and wins by two. So goes...

9:21 pm – What a back and forth game between Texas and New Mexico State. Texas back up by 5. Durant has 21

9:35 pm – Arizona falls to Purdue 72-63. Purdue! What the %$&#. Buddinger finishes with 13 but it wasn’t enough as my ‘Freshmen Rule!’ bracket takes another potent hit.

9:45 pm – Kevin Durant and company survive and beat upset-minded New Mexico State 79-67. Durant finishes with 27. Thank god.

9:47 pm – Late games are underway.

[Late note: Thanks to Buddinger, Scottie Reynolds, and Thaddeus Young, three of my elite eight teams, two of my final four teams, and one of my championship game teams are out of the tournament already and my 'Freshmen Rules!' bracket is going nowhere. Durant and Oden better hold down fort.]