It was tough to root for the Duke Blue Devils on Monday night in the National Championship. They were, after all, the favorites.
But I rooted for ’em.
I rooted for Mike Dunleavy and his sweet stroke from the left side of the three-point line that led to 21 points.
I rooted for Shane Battier, with his 8.75 GPA and the ridges in his head.
I rooted for Jason Williams, who reminded me of those annoying kids on the playground, slashing and driving to the hoop on each play. Except William s is the player those kids wish they could be, making every one of those amazing shots.
I rooted for Mike Krzyzewski; like a surgeon performing an appendectomy, he used x’s and o’s to out-coach another great, Arizona’s Lute Olson.
It would have been nice to see Arizona win it all. It would have been a monumental tribute to Bobbi Olson, coach Lute’s departed wife. It would have been the exclamation mark on a milestone season for the Pacific-10 Conference, a season that saw four Pac-10 teams make t he NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
But it just wouldn’t happen. Duke had too many weapons, as it has all year. Dunleavy, Battier, Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon, it didn’t matter who scored for Duke.
While Duke may have cut down the nets, a host of ot her t eams created memories along the road to the Final Four this year. Watching CBS’ “One Shining Moment” piece at the end of the tournament made the tears come to my eyes, just like every year.
“Pulling through,” in the lyrics of the song, was Hampt on coa ch Steve Merfel, being lifted up by a player in child-like joy after his Pirates upset Iowa State in the first round.
Pulling through was Temple coach John Chaney, one of the most legendary coaches in college hoops to never make the Final Four, who got oh-so-close this season.
Southern California made the most glorious run in the tournament, upending sentimental favorite Oklahoma State, Boston College and Kentucky before falling to Duke in the Elite Eight.
Pulling through once again were Mark Few and Gonzaga, who made the Sweet 16 for the third straight year and dropped that nasty “Cinderella” tag once and for all.
The Maryland Terrapins pulled through to the Final Four, and a few of their sweet shots made the highlight reel.
And of course, the ultimate man who pulled through was Olson, who survived the unpleasant memories of Bobbi’s death — and all the reporters who grilled him about it — to come within 10 points of winning a national championship for his closest compan ion.
The “shining moments,” were abundant in the greatest amateur sports competition in the country.
One thing that didn’t pull through, and wasn’t exactly a shining moment, was my tournament bracket. My Final Four were Oklahoma, Stanford, Boston College an d Arizona, with ‘Zona over BC in the final.
Yeah.
Oklahoma? Gone in the first round. BC? Dropped by USC in the second. Stanford? Booted in the Elite Eight.
Oh well. But hey, could anyone predict the whole tournament? E-mail me your bracket please, because I don’t think it’s possible.
It is, after all, madness.
So, until next year’s tourney, think Sweet 16, dream Final Four and eat National Championship.
Because there are only 347 days until next year’s shining moments beg in.