News comes from all the three places – Syracuse, Salt Lake City and Houston. When I say “News” I mean the latest and the unexpected. Or why is it news?
At Syracuse, West Virginia sent top-seeded Kentucky the Kansas way. With a 73-66 win in the East Regional final, WVU have advanced into the Final Four for the first time since 1959. For the second-seeded Mountaineers this is the 10th straight win.
Highlights: Joe Mazzulla scored a career-high 17 points in his first start of the season. Da’Sean Butler scored 18 points. Bob Higgins is a happy man.
My heart goes out to John Wall (about him in a previous post). His 19 points for Kentucky came to a naught.
On to Salt Lake City: Here, Butler lived out the dream you watched in “Hoosiers”. The little team came from behind and did the unthinkable. Yes, Butler did it! They put down Kansas State 63-56 in the West Regional final. And danced into the Final Four. Hey, Syracuse one night and Kansas the next! Talk of the underdogs getting ahead of the fancied!
Highlight: 22 points from Gordon Hayward. Wildcats will get noticed more now. Defense of Nored and Veasley. Another happy man: Coach Brad Stevens.
Finally, Houston. Well, no one can now say Scott Drew’s vision – to be the “Duke of the Southwest” – for Baylor was unrealistic. Baylor sent St.Mary’s packing home and will meet the top seed Duke next. Can they pull off a miracle and enter the Final Four? That would be some match to watch.
It is results like these that make March the month of Madness in America. Over-looked and under-appreciated teams come from nowhere to enter the record books.
Theirs are the stories that Gene Hackman would love.
Coincidentally, Baylor’s women’s team is playing Duke’s women’s team next.
