Full disclosure right up front: This is coming from the bar downstairs at the Sheraton, otherwise known as Brickhouse South, where it’s crowded, where it’s going to be more crowded, hopefully for a good long while. Anyway. Ready. Set. Drink. I mean blog.
So the Wildcats played 23 Southern Conference games this year and won all 23 of them and won their three tournament games by a combined 79 points. But tonight was HARD. Hard hard hard. Scratches on the arms hard.
But know what? It’s SUPPOSED to be hard.
Question. Real question. Legitimate question. How did that team lose 11 games in the league?
Cheering from the lobby. The bus has arrived.
Teams playing Davidson must feel like they dodge bullets when Steph misses looks that are anything close to open. But then he doesn’t stop shooting. He never stops shooting. He shoots with what I’d called earned audacity.
But his biggest play tonight? THE biggest play tonight? That rebound he got with just under three minutes to go. Up nine, had just been FIVE, and the ball comes off the rim and Steph has two taller guys all over him and somehow HE is the guy who comes away with the ball. And he ripped it away. With a sneer. Steph Curry, sophomore sensation, star shooter -- getting the biggest damn rebound of a Southern Conference championship game.
Will Bryan’s now at the bar and has a relay from McKillop’s speech out in the lobby. “He comes in and talks about family. Talks about how important everyone here is to the way they’ve done this. Talks about the importance of seeing all the players and their extended families here with them. And then he said I want everybody to say a little prayer for us. We’re blessed. We’re blessed with the opportunities we’ve had. God doesn’t stand over the rim and knock some balls in and some balls out. He just gives us opportunities. I know there’s pressure right now. But we’re not crawling on our bellies in Ramadi or Fallujah. I want you to pray that we continue to do this the right way. We represent something here.”
Will: “I need to get me a drink.”
Me, too, by the way.
At the end of the first half Jason found Andrew for a layup and the ball went through the hoop to give the Wildcats an eight-point lead and there was still like 2-point-something seconds left and Rossiter (oopsy) kicked (daisy) kicked (was that me?) the ball out of bounds and the last couple of seconds ticked off and the Wildcats ran off the floor.
Little things.
Little things.
Little things.
Text from Bro Krift up in Pittsburgh: “Never in doubt. Just kidding. FYI we will win in the NCAA tourney. At least once.”
Another text from Bro: “We are good. George Mason good. Gonzaga good. Stan Heath Kent State good.”
The boys are going to be in class tomorrow I’m told. Nice.
Team is out in the lobby. Steph’s signing backs of shirts. Jason’s got the net around his neck. Barr’s talking to some ladies.
This poor bartender.
Matheny is in the house.
According to Matheny, the Southern Conference tournament has been going on for 75 years, and over the last three days the Wildcats set a heck of a record: fewest field allowed in the history of the event.
Comments?
My comment is that it is fun to read that account in large part because *we know what happens next.* The now-me reads over the shoulder of the then-me, and says, something really cool is getting ready to happen, and you are maybe just smart enough to know that that something could be somewhat special, but, man, you aren't anywhere near smart enough to anticipate *this* something. The something that happened was so remarkable that with regard to Davidson basketball, I will never again be without one little part of myself that is willing to expect almost anything, willing to assume that insanely improbable and wonderful things might happen at any time. We might have to wait a decade or three--or not--, but we will be ready.
ReplyDeleteKruse, while rereading old DCats posts this summer:
ReplyDeleteI have to remind myself reading through some of this stuff that THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
No one did.