Friday, March 22, 2013

3/23 (FGCU!) Quickie

The names are immortal in college hoops history:

Richmond. Santa Clara. Coppin State.
Hampton. Norfolk State. Lehich.

The six 15-seeds that have knocked off a 2-seed, the most exciting and meaningful result possible in the NCAA Tournament (until a 16 eventually beats a 1).

Add to the pantheon: Florida Gulf Coast.

It wasn't close. It wasn't a grinder. It wasn't a nail-biter.

This was FGCU punching Georgetown in the mouth, then continuing to smack them around for the rest of the game (despite the Hoyas' final futile flurry). FGCU earned it all the way, the better team.

(That alley-oop near the end? Ridiculous.)

The Round of 32 is sizing up with a couple of teams that you have to be rooting for, because they deserve the spotlight that comes with being in the Sweet 16:

Ole Miss. VCU. Florida Gulf Coast.

When they play San Diego State on Sunday, FGCU should come in as confident of being a Sweet 16 team as anyone in the field.

More than that, they join arguably the most elite fraternity in college hoops -- the 15-seeds who beat 2-seeds. The name "Florida Gulf Coast" will live in college hoops history and with fans energized by what happened on Friday night.

More:

*My bracket: I'm in the 58th percentile nationally. I went 21-11 in my Round of 64 picks, but lost only two Sweet 16 teams (Wisconsin and Georgetown). Along with the "National Bracket," I am tied for 62nd in the DQR group. Mrs. Quickie is tied for 19th. My two boys -- who picked their own brackets this year -- are tied for 93rd.

*Today's games:
VCU-Michigan is the first (and best) game of the day.
Butler-Marquette is the second-most intriguing.
Give Wichita State a puncher's chance against 1-seed Gonzaga.
12-seeds Oregon and Cal don't feel like Cinderellas if they win.
The only real Cinderella today is Harvard.

-- D.S.

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