No Cheeseburger, No Fries, Chips

Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and I have decided what I'm giving up. I'm giving up the All-American meal that is hamburgers/cheeseburgers and french fries. Last year, Lent sneaked up on me and I didn't really give up anything, so I think this will make up for it. I don't think it will compare to 2 years ago when I gave up everything chocolate. I think I ate every imaginable peanut butter desert then, that was hard. This will be hard as well because I probably eat cheeseburgers twice a week on average for meals, it's my safety. But that's what Lent is all about. So I will indulge on Tuesday, and that will be it until Easter.

Have you heard about the story of Jason McElwain? If you haven't, you need to check it out. Jason is a senior at a high school in Rochester, NY. He is autistic, but that doesn't stop him from being a manager for the varsity basketball team. At each game, he's decked out in a shirt and tie and is enthusiastic no matter what the score. Well, at their last home game, the head coach let Jason dress, but not promising him that he would get into the game. Up 20 with 4 minutes to go, Jason was summoned and he entered the game. The student section all had picture cards of his face on popsicle sticks and gave him a standing ovation. After airballing his first shot, Jason in his words was "as hot as a pistol" and he was. In the last 3+ minutes of the game, he made 7/13 shots, including 6/10 three pointers!!!!! Granted, it was a blowout and the game was out of hand, but still?!!?!!? 20 points in 3 minutes is incredible, let alone done by a kid in his first varsity basketball game!!!! At the end of the game, the students rushed the court and carried Jason off on their shoulders. What a moment. And that is what sports is all about. Great job Jason.

This is what I observed watching hoops today:

• The Indiana I saw in the 1st half of the season showed up in the 1st half of today's game. Marco Killingsworth was reenergized, dominating inside, which allowed IU's perimeter game to get on track. Michigan St. meanwhile played soft. Paul Davis was roaming the perimeter, which earned him a seat at the start of the 2nd half. In the 2nd half, the Indiana from the 2nd half of the season came out on the court. Killingsworth looked tired, the offense bogged down, and the defense suffered breakdown after breakdown. For 15 minutes, Michigan St. played up to their potential. Davis was posting up on the block, where he should belong, scoring over Killingsworth. Getting Davis going allowed Shannon Brown and Mo Ager to get their respective games going, getting Sparty back into it. But somehow, IU upped their level of play in the last 5 minutes and got the victory they needed to stay alive for the NCAAs. Marshall Strickland got 3 the old-fashioned way on a tough drive where he finished with his left. Then Robert Vaden hit the dagger 3 off a kickout by Killingsworth. Indiana is still alive, but they have work to do. They need to win at least 3 more games, 4 would be even better. Michigan St. continues to be an enigma. Now, they probably won't be any higher than a 4 seed, and they'll most likely be a 6 at the rate they're going.
• Villanova/UConn wasn't one for the weak. The hustle and intensity was the most I've seen in any game this year I've been able to watch. Villanova, 4 guard Villanova had 21 offensive rebounds!!!! But that wasn't enough to overcome Denham Brown and Rashard Anderson who were on fire. This game was close until the last 10 minutes or so when Allen Ray picked up his 4th foul. Forced to give up their quickness advantage and play big, UConn took advantage by clamping down Nova defensively, giving them transition opportunities and good looks at the other end. I still have one criticism about UConn though: they don't play for 40 minutes, and in the NCAA Tournament, every game you have to play hard for 40 minutes. Rudy Gay can't disappear like he did in the 1st half, and UConn has to take advantage of their size and athleticism inside. They could've won by a lot more if they got the ball inside in the 1st half. Instead, they settled for jump shots, which is what Nova wanted. In the 2nd half, the ball got inside more and UConn controlled the game. Villanova started standing around too much on offense in the 2nd half. When you see Nova start to stand and dribble a lot, they are out of their offensive flow. Nova is at their best reversing the ball quickly off the pass.
• Maryland: Go home, please. For a must-win game, that was a pretty pathetic effort. Tyler Hansbrough, a freshman, made you look as soft as the pillow you sleep on. A freshman (granted, he's the best freshman in America arguably) dominated you. You shot 28% from the floor. 28%?!?!?!?! I love the way North Carolina plays. They play hard, and everyone who comes into the game makes a positive contribution. When Roy Williams goes to his bench, he really doesn't lose anything, which is crazy for such a young team. Maryland, what happened to you? 4 years ago, you were on top of the mountain. Tonight, you were just downright awful.
• Way to go Alabama for bouncing back after blowing it at Arkansas the other night. Ronald Steele is one of the more underrated players in America. Florida is falling fast. They're probably looking at a 4 seed in the NCAAs, making them vulnerable to a 1st round upset. They're not playing terribly, but I don't see the same sense of urgency from them like I did earlier in the season.
• Even though they are tied for 2nd in the Pac 10, California is very much a bubble team. They've got some size, Leon Powe is a great player, but their guard play is inconsistent. They shot a decent percentage, but some bad turnovers and lackluster defense at times cost them tonight at Washington. Honestly, Washington isn't that much better. But they have an x-factor in Brandon Roy. Roy is smooth. He can break you down off the dribble, shoot the 3 and take you inside. He's capable of putting U-dub on his back and winning some games for them, but they still don't play consistent defense and don't rebound very well because they're not that big. They too have issues at the guard position (when will Justin Dentmon stop fouling 3-point shooters?)
• And a message to the fans: stop complaining about every call that goes against your team. Some of them are actually good calls, but since they go against your team, you just assume it's a bad call. Here's some advice: Watch the game!!!!!

I'm off to watch Knight School and go to bed, have a good Monday.