Just Another Day In March...

There isn't a greater time for basketball than right now. There's a reason people invented the term "March Madness". It's these days when unknown players turn into heroes, when masses become fans of teams that they haven't seen before, when careers are ending and careers are made. Moments are made. Legends are made. Seconds become eternities. Winning and losing are as close as ever. These are the days a basketball fan wants to shape all days upon.

Madness is finally here! After a rather quiet first day of the NCAA Tournament yesterday, this Friday has been nothing short of spectacular. Upsets, overtimes, buzzer beaters, floor burners, hard fouls... make your pick, we have seen it all today!

The day started with what should have been an easy game for the number two seed from Tennessee. But the resistant American Eagles gave the high flying Volunteers all they could handle. In the end Chris Lofton and company did what not every favorite was able to, they survived with a scare. From Little Rock we go to Raleigh, North Carolina, where the young Stephen Curry proved to be everything experts made him out to be before the first round clash between his Davidson Wildcats and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. And even more. Curry, son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, put his team on his smallish shoulders and they sunk the Zags 82:76 from downtown. In the end he had 40 points, 30 of them in the second half, to give Davidson it's first Tourney victory since the 1960s. Talk about making history! Back to Arkansas and another small guy stepping up big. Miami's Jack McClinton shook off a sluggish start against St. Mary's and scored 38 points. He even finished with 32 in the second half to power the Hurricanes to a 78:64 win.

On to the next round for the Hurricanes and for us to Tampa, Florida. Or overtime town as we might call it today. Drake vs Western Kentucky - OT! Drama all over the court. Jonathan Cox, a walk on for Drake, exploding for a double double but on the other side tiny guard Tyrone Brazelton would not be denied. He took it to the hole time and time again and he also found the ball in his hands down one and with only seconds to go in the extra period. What does he do?! He just scored a career high 33 points but he gives it up to Ty Rogers, who lets it go... for the win... got it! At the buzzer! The first huge upset of the Tourney! Players fall all over each other after the 101:99 thriller win! About 2 and a half hours later we are right in the middle of another dandy. UConn faces elimination but the Huskies won't back down from the San Diego Torreros. Without their leader A.J. Price (best wishes to him and a quick recovery) they never give up, only to fall short in the end. The clock showed 1.2 seconds in OT when all dreams of San Diego came true and all the Huskies hopes shattered with a basket by De'Jon Jackson. The final pass, a hopeless attempt at stopping the inevitable, got intercepted and the party was on for the Torreros!

This is just a short try to put a little of the excitement, of the fascination, of the drama into a text. You gotta see it to believe it. Today was a day that showed everything March Madness is about. And it was just the start to another great time of basketball. To another terrific NCAA Tournament. Even though it was just another day in March...