How I am Still on the Hook to Meet the Mother... or MacGuffin.

I don't watch a lot of TV these days. Let me qualify that-- I don't watch a lot of scripted programs nowadays. NFL and NCAA regular and postseason make me rearrange gall-bladder operations... and the NBA and MLB playoffs catch my eye until the teams I love and teams I hate are bounced. But as far as network TV, first-run programming? I'm the Nielsen nightmare.

But let the record show that when I find a program-- I'm with it usually to the bitter end. And in TV, most ends are bitter. Remember how Cheers limped through its last season to an underwhelming final episode? Couldn't leave the party early. Recall how Dallas lost its way after the killing and then dreamily resurrecting Bobby? Locked in. Or how 90210-- never Shakespeare or high drama-- was completely unwatchable for the last season and a half? Hanging out at the Peach Pit. Or how much Happy Days and The Love Boat sucked in their final seasons? On the hook for every last recycled plot-- from Ted McGinley to... Ted McGinley.

Two of my shows went off the air last spring-- one to plenty of fanfare (LOST) and the other to "we've already done everything possible in sixteen different combinations-- plus every body's been killed" (24). That left me with The Office-- which will be on Threat Level Midnight with Steve Carrell (ultimate sit-com glue guy) departing-- and How I Met Your Mother.

HIMYM's premise is Bob Saget's voiceover (no stories about Uncle Jesse playing bongos for the Beach Boys or Dave Coulier hooking up with Alanis Morrissette, unfortunately) leading his kids through the journey about how he met their mother. And it's been a long and winding road. Through meeting the girl of his dreams (I'm still on the hook for Cobie Smulders) to getting engaged (Sarah Chalke never made sense) to the latest season involving a scary captain, an imploding building, and guest spots from Ben Vereen and John Lithgow as baby-daddys turned responsible men.

The season finale leads us to think that we'll meet the mother... but it never happens. Instead we're treated to Barney (played by perfection by Neil Patrick Harris) continuing his maturing from rake to nice, sweet, sensitive guy. Remember when Steve Sanders would go "sensitive" in "very special" 90210 episodes-- from "LETS CHUG!" to "Brandon, why do all the girls like you instead of me?"-- that's the amazing growth we're seeing.

This is a big moment because although the character Ted Mosby (played by Josh Radnor) is technically the lead, Barney has long been the meal ticket for laughs-- both cheap and inspired. Over the series run, HIMYM has been a TV version of a well-drilled basketball team. Ted is the point man... running the offense through each week's premise. Marshall is the big man in the low post who provides a moral center more often than not. Barney is the small forward wildcard who can generate laughs from the inside or outside. And the girls (Robin and Lilly) screen and rebound while the guys run around like fools. I have a feeling next season will be all about Barney and his road of redemption from rake to groom. Which means more laughs, and no mother. Like that damn sled at the end of Citizen Kane, the "mother" is merely a MacGuffin-- look it up. Can't wait for September.

Turgeon a Terp as the College Coaching Carousel Continues...

So much for easing into his tenure at College Park. Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson makes the second of two program defining changes in his first year on the job. Less than six months after ending Ralph Friedgen's ten year tenure and replacing him with fresh-from-the-Fiesta Bowl Randy Edsall... Anderson replaces the retiring Gary Williams with a coach who has four straight NCAA Tournament appearances under his belt.

Mark Turgeon comes to College Park having built a program at Wichita State (Sweet Sixteen in 2006--they lost to George Mason in the regional semis)... and having continued Billy Gillespie's success at Texas A & M (averaging 24 wins in four seasons). His hoops roots are solid-- having played for Larry Brown at Kansas in the mid-80's and then having served as an assistant under Brown and Roy Williams. Turgeon's won wherever he's been... from Jacksonville State to Wichita State (2006 Sweet 16 run that ended with a loss to George Mason) to Texas A & M.

His tenure in College Station saw four NCAA appearances-- one #5 seed, one 7th seed and two #9's... going 3-4 with three trips to the round of 32 (sorry, NCAA-I can't call it "Third Round" just yet). A&M gained the reputation as a guard oriented team under his tenure... playing man to man with occasional zone defensively. Turgeon's recruited locally in the Lone Star State (8 of 14 players on last years roster) and will likely maintain his contacts in Houston and Dallas. He's not unfamiliar with ACC country-- having landed players from Baltimore, South Carolina and Miami in recent years.

The more things change-- the more they stay the same. In 1989 Maryland hired a 44-year old coach who'd been at three stops previously with an average record of 19-12 over 11 seasons. This year the Terps tap a 46-year old who'd had three previous head coaching jobs-- averaging a 19-12 mark over 13 seasons. This in no way guarantees Turgeon will be a slam-dunk... but all signs point to this being a good move for both the new coach and his new employer.


Foggy Bottom Forecast-- George Washington brings Mike Lonergan home to the district... the onetime Catholic University coach (led the Cardinals to the 2001 Division III National Championship) comes to the Smith Center fresh off six successful seasons at Vermont (including 2010 NCAA and 2011 NIT appearances). Lonergan looks to bring an up-tempo feel to the Colonials and can definitely build on the progress begun by coach Karl Hobbs over the last decade. Different types of coaches have won at GW, from Mike Jarvis to Tom Penders to Hobbs... and there's no reason to think Lonergan won't do the same.


VACANCY-- Navy has an opening... after seven seasons at the helm, Billy Lange leaves Annapolis for Jay Wright's staff at Villanova. The Midshipmen were 93-113 under his guidance-- with a peak of 19-11 two years ago and a second place Patriot League finish in 2008. He'd previously been an assistant with the Wildcats. Navy's last postseason appearance came in 1998 under Don DeVoe... and the troubles of recruiting to a service academy (one with height restrictions to boot) is always a challenge in basketball.

Gary Gone-- in other words... Williams waves goodbye.

Gary Williams retiring should not be a surprise.

He's 66 years old in a sport dominated by much younger men willing to recruit 24-7/365. While his age is merely a number, his attitude is regarded as antiquated: Williams has remained above the fray in an era when even the seemingly righteous run into ethical issues bringing players to campus... and the questionably dirty are downright filthy. And he's accomplished everything a coach could: guiding his Alma mater to a first ever Final Four... and then a National Title a year later... followed by an ACC Tournament title (as a #6 seed with an overtime win over Duke in the finals) two seasons after that. Plus, he outlasted his biggest critic as former Athletic Director Debbie Yow is reduced to firing shots from Raleigh.

Why now, though? Why make this move in May? Finding a successor of his caliber will be nearly impossible. The next Maryland coach will also have to fill the huge hole of Jordan Williams-- now officially departing for the NBA. Regardless... this is opportunity #2 for less than a year at the helm Athletic Director Kevin Anderson to make a statement hire. Or is it in the best interests longterm of this program to hire a stop-gap for a year... and then open the job again in 2012 when the candidate field will be better and more apt to make a move?

Gary Williams rebuilt a proud program from the dark, dismal days of the Bob Wade era (what's worse than 0-14 in the ACC? How about double-secret probation!) and guided the Terps to places they only dreamed about. The gold standard of Maryland basketball remains the era that began during Joe Smith's freshman year (and the takedown of Georgetown)... the first of eleven straight NCAA seasons (wrapping up with the improbable ACC title run). In the seven years since-- just a pair of over-500 in the ACC seasons...one trip to conference semifinals and no sweet sixteens at a program that was beginning to expect such situations as annual birthrights. So despite the fact that nobody will ever coach this team and represent this program as well as Gary, maybe it is time for him to walk off into the sunset.

Williams retirement also completes a near-clean break from the ACC's glory days: eight schools with no play-in games or rounds come conference tournament time... a coaching fraternity that included Dean Smith and Jim Valvano... as well as Bobby Cremins and Terry Holland. The league has morphed from hoops heaven with a football chaser into a football wannabe plus an unwieldy basketball bonanza... and Coach K is now the only link to the 80's... or even the 90's. And the best basketball league has now been turned into a Blue Devil playpen (10 of last 13 tournament titles). Gary's been the second-longest tenured coach for some time-- now that honor (do we dare call it the Prince Charles Award?) goes to Florida State's Leonard Hamilton.

The Drafting Dozen- and will the sun set in the sunshine state?

Another step from the NFL wilderness was taken by the Burgundy and Gold as the brain trust of Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan not only kept their original allotment of draft picks... but added picks through trades and had a total of 12 selections-- their most since 1985. And that was with a 12-round draft and five picks after the seventh round. This year's crop features 8 of the first 178 players picked. Can Ryan Kerrigan adjust from being a 4-3 defensive end into a 3-4 outside linebacker? Will Jarvis Jenkins solve the nosetackle issues? How quickly will Leonard Hankerson affect the passing game (let's be honest, the Skins haven't had great luck drafting wide receivers recently)? And will the band start to learn the lyics to "Hail to the Huskers"? With twelve picks, you'd think at least four or five will work their way into the two-deep--with most of the rest getting a "redshirt year" on the practice squad. It's a shame the lockout is preventing this year's rookie class from assimilating itself to the Redskin system.

Capsized-- Two games at home against Tampa Bay-- and two tough losses that saw Dwayne Roloson turn into a brick wall (61 saves on 65 shots)... a power play vanish (0 for 11)... and a bad line change turn into a game losing goal in overtime. Down 0-2 with two games on back to back nights in the Tampa Bay the Bruce Boudreau Era is meeting its moment of truth. Another early exit could doom a regime that has revitalized the Red... as well as hockey in the district.

Drafting ... Lightning and Departing...

The Redskins prepare for another fun-filled weekend of offseason excitement. Sadly the Skins are one of the teams affected the most by the lockout: with no free agency, how can one win the offseason? The tenth pick of the draft is no guarantee-- but looking at this past season's All-Pro team one sees 17 first rounders (including 4 of 5 offensive linemen and 7 of 8 front seven defenders), 1 second rounder and 2 thirds. The problem for the Skins hasn't necessarily been their drafting, but the lack of picks year in and year out. That's the case again this year (thank you Donovan McNabb). One hopes that the team continues to build the offensive line as well as its defensive front seven (just one draftee last year despite the switch to the 3-4).

Capsule-- Tampa Bay's seventh game victory over Pittsburgh means the Lightning come to Verizon Friday for game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Caps won the regular season series 4-2 with a 19-7 goal advantage... but dominated the first two games by a 12-3 count in November-- a hockey lifetime ago. Michal Neuvirth started the November 11 game-- and had to leave the March 7th game with an injury after one period. Braden Holtby came off the bench to post 29 saves in a 2-1 shootout victory.

Coaching Carousel-- in the past week the area lost a pair of long-term hoops mentors. Jim Larranaga left George Mason after 14 years of turning a CAA afterthought into a poster child for Mid-Major schools (descendant of Gonzaga... predecessor of Butler). While the Miami job is far from being a first-tier ACC position, it's still in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a former UVa assistant who always wondered if he could build a program on the biggest stage couldn't resist the opportunity. Best Case?-- he takes the Hurricanes to that next level they weren't able to find under Frank Haith and the U turns into a contender. Worst Case?-- he retires in five years after middling results, padding his retirement fund and enjoying a lot more sun and golf after 14 years in Fairfax.

George Washington is also looking for a new head coach-- as Karl Hobbs is fired after ten seasons. After guiding the Colonials to a little mid-decade run that included a top ten ranking in 2006 and an improbable Atlantic Ten tournament title in 2007, GW averaged 13 wins over the last four campaigns. And although there was improvement this winter (10-6 in the A-10), a first round flameout at the Smith Center in the Conference Tournament was an unfortunate end to a tenure that had quite a bit of promise. So much promise that Hobbs was on the short list for more than a few higher level jobs in 2006 and 07. He stayed and instead of continued success finds himself on the way out. The precarious shelf life of any coach is one of the reasons why the Larranagas move for greener pastures when they get the chance.

Caps come through-- and other late April thoughts...

Now that was 60 minutes of playoff hockey. For the first time, Bruce Boudreau and Alex Ovechkin guide the caps to a series victory before the seventh game-- thanks to one incredible effort against the New York Rangers in game five. Can Mike Green recover from a puck to the head? Last fall he took one to the shin and Boudreau remarked "it frickin' hurts"-- and with Green's concussion issues one hopes he'll be rested and ready for the next Game One. But against whom? If Buffalo beats Philadelphia in game seven of their series, it's the Sabres and red-hot goaltender Ryan Miller. If Montreal gets the better of Boston (series tied 2-2 now) the Canadiens and Carey Price (remember him) get the Caps next. Otherwise it's the winner of Pittsburgh-Tampa Bay (Penguins lead 3-2...minus Sidney Crosby). Hmm...


Pay no attention to the lockout-- everything's fine, thanks... situation normal. The NFL released its schedule last week of games we don't even know will be played... and is drafting players this week for what will be the sole purpose of not bringing them to a training camp that as of now doesn't exist. I feel the tremor of two Harrison Ford films... Presumed Innocent when they can't find the glass with his fingerprints that places his character at the victim's house the night of the murder, and Star Wars when there's mass devastation at the prison block and he has to talk down the Imperial on the other end of the intercom asking what the hell just happened. "We're all fine, thanks. How are you?" I was hoping that someone would break down the NFL schedule but with the labor lockout impasse-- and I think I just got my next blog topic-- never mind.


No love for the glove-- Eighteen errors so far this season. Six miscues for Ian Desmond. Four for Jerry Hairston. Three big ones against Pittsburgh Saturday to help the Pirates plate five in the first off Livan Hernandez. The Nats' bats give this team enough cause for concern (and while the pitching is improved, it's not that much better)-- the last thing they can do is make life easier for the opposition.


Office Transition-- Three years ago I watched 24, How I Met Your Mother, The Office and Prison Break. PB was replaced by LOST after another breakout from an impossible to break out from prison and after one of the most self-congratulatory and lamest final seasons LOST left the air. Jack Bauer finally retired his shouting, shooting and ridiculous plotholes. Now The Office could be rendered unwatchable as well with Steve Carrell's departure. Simply put, the man says things you shouldn't even think and makes it funny. Will Ferrell as his "replacement" (for a few episodes) is a stopgap-- if anybody other than Ferrell was saying those lines they wouldn't be funny at all. Can Dunder-Mifflin survive?

Lazy Days of April...

Where did the last three weeks go? Oh, yeah... sleeping in, taxes and leaving the country for a few days. Hopefully the batteries are recharged and I'm back to unleashing ridiculous rants on a regular basis again. Here's what I've been thinking but not yet writing--:

Huskies and Bulldogs play a dog of a championship game. Two very decent semifinal games and one dog of a championship contest in Houston. Butler hit a serious wall in the title game to the point where I was feeling really uncomfortable watching them miss (reminiscent of Jon Favreau's famous phone call sequence in "Swingers"and takes its place next to Houston 83-84 and Michigan 92-93 as back to back runners up. A great run by a team that almost lost its first round game to Old Dominion. A greater run by a team that finished .500 in its own conference and somehow put together 5 straight nights of winning hoops followed by 6 more victories at three different locales. Eleven triumphs in 28 days? Congratulations Huskies.

Talkin' Baseball-- the Nats and O's have enjoyed intriguing Aprils thus far filled with rainouts and doubleheaders (let's also add that a March 31st Opening Day anywhere but Florida, California, Texas or Arizona is NOT AWESOME). So far the pitching has been a pleasant surprise for the Nationals while the offense is enjoying an early season nap (I never thought I'd be saying thank goodness for Danny Espinoza!).

The Orioles looked great early on but have found their own water level recently (a week long losing streak will do that). But this is the first time in a while one can get genuinely excited about this team without getting carried away.

Regardless of where they finish-- I like MASN's ad campaign with Showalter and Riggleman going through situations... much better than the annoying fans of years past. Now if only Teddy Roosevelt can win the damn race.


Capitalizing or Capitulating?-- Once again the hearts are in everyone's throats in an about the beltway... as the Capitals have a crucial longterm stretch ahead. Lose another first round series as a top seed-- and Bruce Boudreau could be bounced. Hockey coaches have been heaved for far less. Can they thug it up with the Rangers? Will Ovie take this team on his shoulders? And will they wear the classic jerseys just once during the playoffs?


NFL-- business as usual?-- Thank goodness I now know the NFL schedule as the 1000 pound gorilla takes our attention away from the NBA and NHL Playoffs. Amidst the lockout at least the league can hold the drafting of players they'll be locking out.

Final Fourcast-- a Contrast to comprehend...

Hello Houston! This year's final four has a Texas twist... in another football stadium for the sports most important games (could you imagine baseball moving inside a dome for the world series? Or hockey players having to climb ladders?). Now I know that domes have housed NCAA Final Fours for years-- but the recent shifting of the court and raising it takes what was a minor adjustment and makes it a major minor adjustment (not major yet-- that would be when the NCAA adds a lazy river around the court).

How did we get here? My bracket imploded not once but twice. First, my Bold, Fold and Gold picks turned into mold... although Florida and North Carolina were in position to make me proud. In my sheet I also had Kansas (whom I was never sold on after last year's collapse to Northern Iowa) and Duke... so an optimistic Saturday afternoon turned into a "wha happened?" Sunday night.

Credit VCU with putting a major chip on their shoulder and playing its way through a scheduling (5 games in 12 days) and seeding gauntlet... Shaka Smart the clear-cut emerging star of this tournament. One can wonder how long he'll stay in the CAA as the former Florida assistant will be a hot commodity in the coaching carousel... especially with his big-time experience on the recruiting trail (something Brad Stevens doesn't have).

The Rams represent one half of the underdog undercard... as Butler is back thanks to two last-second wins, an overtime victory and a Wisconsin wilt (thanks offensively challenged Big Ten for participating). While Stevens led the Bulldogs to their first ever final four last year, the school is familiar with March-- as former coaches Barry Collier, Thad Matta and Todd Lickliter each piloted the program successfully. Does this make Butler the "established upstarts"? One thing is certain-- the Butler job is better than more than a few BCS conference gigs when one looks big picture. Just ask Barry Collier (a blast at Butler and a bust at Nebraska), Dan Monson (success at Gonzaga and a much less at Minnesota) or Keno Davis (up and coming at Drake and down and out at Providence). Which is why bigger isn't necessary better on the college coaching carousel. And if Stevens or Smart eventually jump-- make sure it's a somewhat safe landing.

While the two mid-major little engines that could are on a collision course in the early game, a Blue Blood Battle Royale is expected to yield the favorite in Monday's championship game. Both Kentucky and Connecticut have enjoyed plenty of success-- the Wildcats boast 7 national titles while the Huskies have won two championships since 1998 (Kentucky's last banner). While there's been success on the court with both schools, both have run into more than a little trouble with the NCAA. Jim Calhoun and John Calipari are phenomenal program builders, but neither is as pure as the driven snow-- or even the snow you get on the side of the road in New Jersey. Each have vacated tournament runs... although with Calhoun it's just a top seed, while Calipari has two vacated Final Fours to his credit. And surprise!--even this year there are shenanigans surrounding both programs.

This is the aftertaste we get as we prepare to watch two markedly different mindsets and matchups-- one between schoools that in theory represent all is good about college hoops and another that is Exhibit A for the excesses. The game has long been a murky marriage between competition and commerce... as coaches who leave programs placed on probations under a cloud to the tune of "who was that masked man" (Tim Floyd) only to get hired immediately elsewhere-- while others who don't push the envelope on the recruiting rules are accused of mailing it in (Gary Williams).

Thank goodness the college game is a stage that supersedes the seedyness. A world comprised of 94 feet-- no matter how configured inside a football stadium. Five players coming together to form a unit-- no matter how many illegal text messages they received before their junior year. Coaches with a gameplan to get it done-- even if a longterm plan means packing for a more productive paycheck. Forty minutes to get it done-- even if there's twice as many minutes of commercials. And hopefully a magical moment or two-- because even if a banner gets vacated... the moment still means something.

UConn over Kentucky... VCU over Butler... and the Huskies ending the Rams run Monday night. For one shining moment, at least.

Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Moving on from March...

March enters like a Lion and ends like a Lamb? I don't know about the lion part but the hopes and dreams of college basketball teams end with a thud.

Georgetown saw its March slide conclude with a 74-56 loss to VCU... as the Rams were busy transforming themselves from "the worst at-large team ever to make the even-expanded field" to Cinderella Darlings. Seniors Austin Freeman and Chris Wright closed out their careers shooting a combined 6 of 27 and 0-13 from three point range. While Wright was injured during the five game flameout the disappearance of Julian Vaughn (2-21 from the field during the swoon) was equally as debilitating. Bring on the Hollis Thompson era.

Alma Mater Update-- a rough finish for the Orange saw Syracuse stumble in the second round 66-62 to Marquette (a team they lost to earlier this year) with a blown backcourt call to feed my conspiracy friends. How do you lose to a team coached by Curly of the Three Stooges? Maybe Larry Fine's a relative of Bernie Fine-- I don't know. Still, a tough way for a season that had quite a bit of optimism surrounding it (18-0 start and a #3 ranking) to end.

Big Least? After getting a record 11 schools into the NCAA Tournament, the Big East went 9-9 with just two schools advancing to the Sweet Sixteen-- UConn and Marquette. I wasn't a fan of bracketing conference schools together in first weekend foursomes... and anyone could have figured slumping Villanova and Georgetown wouldn't stay long... and underachievers Pitt and Notre Dame... well you get the picture.

George Mason after a last-second thriller against Villanova but couldn't keep up with the #1 team in the nation... slipping to Ohio State 98-66. Anytime David Lighty lights you up for 7 of 7 from three point range-- it's not going to be a good night. The Patriots put a 27-7 season to bed with plenty of talent coming back next year... as Cam Long gets quite a senior sendoff.

The Capital of Basketball? Evidently Richmond did rise again-- with a pair of teams in the sweet sixteen. While VCU is in the Regional Semifinals for the first time ever, Richmond is more than an occasional upstart in the big dance- although this is the schools second ever trip to the second weekend. And who wouldn't want to see the Rams and Spiders square off Sunday?

Snubbed-- from the NIT quarterfinals... Virginia Tech had cause to say they belonged in the NCAA's. Unfortunately, they didn't play their way into the Tournament-- and played their way out of the NIT with a home loss to Wichita State.

Maryland Women's Moment-- the tone was set from the opening tipoff when Georgetown stole the ball from Anjale Barrett... the Hoyas jumped out to an 11-0 lead, closed the first half on an 11-3 run and began the second half on an 11-2 run. Other than that... Sugar Rodgers was unstoppable (21 of her 34 points came in the first half on 6 of 8 three point shooting) and Georgetown advances with a 79-57 win. Maryland regroups after a 24-8 season with everybody coming back this fall.

Bold, Fold, and Gold in the Big Dance...

Every year there's a rush to fill out sheets and figure out who will advance, who will steal our hearts and who will break them. Coupled with St. Patrick's Day... the President making picks... and a Husky bailout it'll be one incredible day. Time for the annual BOLD (lower seed to surprise), FOLD (beware these favorites) and GOLD (who gets into the Final Four) picks.


East-- the regional weekend shifts to Newark from the tried and true East Rutherford... I'm hoping eventually they'll build an arena in Paterson. Bold-- Xavier begins its tournament run in Cleveland against a bad Marquette team (I thought the Golden Eagles didn't belong in the field) and potentially play a Syracuse team that has had trouble defending the three. Fold-- Kentucky has been consistently uneven this winter and plays a Princeton team that will stretch them in every way; and coach John Calipari's teams never outperform their seed. Gold-- North Carolina has lost two games in the last two months-- both to a red-hot Duke. After not caring about last weekend's ACC Tournament, the Tar Heels infuriate everyone by turning it on and off at a whim when it suits them.


Notes on the "First Four"-- I was actually more interested in the NIT games... a shame St. Mary's lost with Teenwolf playing for them (Rob Jones)-- perhaps he should have stayed the wolf throughout the final minute of play.


Southeast-- I was surprised to see Michigan State make the field... and the Big Ten was the home to uglyball this past winter. Word is instead of waterboarding they show gametapes to suspects. Bold-- Old Dominion upset Notre Dame last year-- and has the talent to win a pair of rounds this year... especially against a Pitt club that falters in March. Fold-- BYU has the tournament's best player... but lost a key component a few weeks ago and doesn't defend well. Gold-- Florida has a decent draw and the Gators have played better as the season's progressed. Billy Donovan is a proven tourney coach too.



Southwest-- not the Midwest mind you... as this has been referred to in the past... as the NCAA must keep directional integrity. Bold-- Georgetown was 10-5 in the Big East when guard Chris Wright went down with a broken hand... Hoyas are 7-4 under coach John Thompson III's tenure. Fold-- Louisville reached the Big East finals last week... but under coach Rick Pitino recently the Cardinals have developed a reputation as a lamb rather than a lion in March. Gold-- Notre Dame completes my Big East fixation... the Fighting Irish no longer have the guy who took Brenda Walsh to the senior prom but Mike Brey's bunch looks like they will break through.




West-- UConn is in the dance with the major bounce of having won five games in five days at the Big East Tournament... and I have tickets to the games at Verizon so I invited my buddy "UCONN JAMES"-- and he respectfully declined, saying he was partying on St. Patty's Day. I was shocked that a Husky fan would skip watching his team. Bold-- Temple tangles with a less than beautiful Penn State (36 points in a win? Only in the Big Ten!) and a San Diego State that is largely a mystery. Fold-- UConn spent itself to get to the dance... and UCONN JAMES won't even watch them play? I'm ashamed to even know you, buddy-- and your Huskies will feel the pain. Gold--Duke has played well all season and gets guard Kyrie Irving back for the tournament-- game, set, match.