[reeftool]

Where as in last night's Ohio State game, in the last 45 seconds two of our best three point shooter had open looks and missed both shots. The difference in the game? 6 points. That's basketball. Good shooting makes up for a lot of bad play. Poor shooting negates doing everything else right.

From a coaching standpoint, forcing a team to fire off 3 pointers is probably a good strategy, unless their shooters are hitting them. Sometimes out to the blue, a player just gets a hot streak and can't miss. You can't really defend against it. Double team him and that leaves the other 4 guys more chances to go to the rim. It's like those occasional baseball games when an average pitcher throws a no hitter.

[texandrews]

My alma mater

Really? An old friend is the gallery director there, just saw him last week. I curated a big show out there a while back, with a small symposium, and participated in a big show out there (big installations, several of us) years ago. So, I have a happy history with them. Great gallery space.

Small world...

---------- Post added 03-18-18 at 03:06 PM ----------

I appreciate all the compliments and good wishes regarding UMBC--it's not my alma mater but I invested the better part of my professional career there and have a number of family connections with the campus.

The thing about the UMBC/UVA game is that it seemed as though it was being played in the Twilight Zone--as if nobody in the arena could quite believe what was happening. My take is that UVA had just not encountered a team with such quirky competence and composure* Whether those traits can take the team deeper into the tournament remains to be seem but it was a really sweet win.

* I might add that that description applies to the campus as well--see the NYT write-up here.

See my comments to Monochrome. Indeed a small world...

[Rondec]

I do think this is what makes the NCAA tournament more interesting than, say, the NBA playoffs. Everything rides on a single game and more than half of the players are still in their teens. It isn't surprising that the "wrong" team wins a fair amount and definitely makes it more exciting (although usually one or two of the top teams always ends up winning in the end).

[monochrome]

Really? An old friend is the gallery director there, just saw him last week. I curated a big show out there a while back, with a small symposium, and participated in a big show out there (big installations, several of us) years ago. So, I have a happy history with them. Great gallery space.

Small world....

I have a friend in DC who recently curated an exhibit of antique and historically significant Japanese textiles at BMA, from her own collection. Had you heard of it?

[RGlasel]

Anyone can get lucky and recruit the right 8 players

In a one game playoff, that's certainly true, although usually it is the team with 5 players working together for a solid defense that wins, not an underdog team shooting the lights out. My example is the 1983 Universiade Games in Edmonton. The U.S. had two national teams of college players, the A team with Michael Jordan was playing in Brazil, the B team with Charles Barkley was sent to Edmonton. On the Canadian side, only Jay Triano ever got to play in the NBA. Back then, Canadian college ball wasn't much better than American high school ball, but there was a pretty good program at UVic, and the Vikes head coach, Jack Donahue, was also coaching the national team. In the warmup for the gold medal game, the Americans put on a shooting and slam-dunking clinic, but relentless pressure from the Canadians kept it close enough until the last minute to end up winning by a few points.

For all the sudden death drama of March Madness, no school makes it to the tournament without having a top notch program for a long time. UMBC just got a big recruiting boost for the next 5-10 years, regardless of how deep they go this year.

[texandrews]

I have a friend in DC who recently curated an exhibit of antique and historically significant Japanese textiles at BMA, from her own collection. Had you heard of it?

That would be Anne Marie Moehler (sp.?). She was co-/guest curator with Anita Jones of the BMA. My wife was slightly involved with that exhibition, as she is the curator of Asian Art there.

[boriscleto]

CUSE is in the HOUSE. Oh my <insert patriarchal deity here>

Next up Duke...

And today my high school alma mater won its first state championship, becoming the 8th team to go undefeated in Section III history. The coach, Ryan Blackwell, is a former SU player. I'm willing to be he'll be coaching a college somewhere next year...

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Last edited by boriscleto; 03-18-2018 at 03:04 PM.

[dadipentak]

CUSE is in the HOUSE.

That was a grueling game to watch but props to Boeheim!

[monochrome]

That would be Anne Marie Moehler (sp.?). She was co-/guest curator with Anita Jones of the BMA. My wife was slightly involved with that exhibition, as she is the curator of Asian Art there.

6 degrees again. We need to talk.

[dadipentak]

Dawgs go down fighting to K-state but what a terrific game!
I'm so proud.

[gaweidert]

Syracuse into the "Sweet Sixteen"!!! Whoood a thunk it?

[boriscleto]

Syracuse into the "Sweet Sixteen"!!! Whoood a thunk it?

In Boeheim we trust.

[normhead]

That was a grueling game to watch but props to Boeheim!

Syracuse out muscled Michigan State, and that's hard to do. I've seen other refereeing teams in the tournament that would have called 100 fouls in that game. Usually it's Michigan State who wears down the refs who seem to get numb to fouls because they just can't call everything and still have any continuity to the game when they play. Syracuse out "Michigan Stated" them. Basketball turned into football. Fortunately I like football too.