NCAA Conference Tournament Musings

[Old Titan]

Just watched the closing minutes of New Mexico vs. San Diego State. All sorts of problems because they couldn't hear the shot clock buzzer over the crowd noise. Interestingly, #8 New Mexico lost to the Aztecs. New Mexico finishes the season with only four losses - know who gave them one of those?

I also got to thinking about the San Diego State name - the Aztecs. In our hyper-PC world, how is that name acceptable? Are they under pressure to find some animal that hasn't been used already? The SDSU Turkey Vultures, or something like that? Just wondering.

They can get away with "Aztecs" because there aren't any Aztec Indians around to complain - they were wiped out centuries ago.

Instead of "Fighting Sioux", maybe the University of North Dakota should go totally retro with "Angry Anasazis" or "Really Ticked-Off Clovis People".

Come to think of it, my great, great, great, great, great grandmother was a full-blood princess of the Waxhaw people in South Carolina, a now defunct tribe that was wiped out in the early 1800's by smallpox and wars with the neighboring Seminoles.

If UND wants to become the "Fighting Waxhaws", I'm cool with it, and I don't know of anyone else with Waxhaw roots, so I think it's pretty safe.

[tmh8286]

Now that's using your noggin to come up with a fix that should make everybody happy!!

[Dr. Cornelius]

Nah... just go the UC Santa Cruz route. Banana Slugs!

[Old Titan]

They could always go with the name "Packers", in honor of Alferd Packer, the erstwhile mountain guide who infamously cannibalized the members of his traveling party after getting trapped by snow in the Rocky Mountains back in the 1800's.

The student cafeteria at the University of Colorado in Boulder is named "The Alferd Packer Grill", with the slogans "Serving Our Fellow Man Since 1968" and "Have A Friend For Lunch" displayed on brass plaques.

[tmh8286]

They could always go with the name "Packers", in honor of Alferd Packer, the erstwhile mountain guide who infamously cannibalized the members of his traveling party after getting trapped by snow in the Rocky Mountains back in the 1800's.

The student cafeteria at the University of Colorado in Boulder is named "The Alferd Packer Grill", with the slogans "Serving Our Fellow Man Since 1968" and "Have A Friend For Lunch" displayed on brass plaques.

Ummm!! I like that!!

[ManiacAlum]

They could always go the Star Wars route, like Ole Miss replacing Colonel Reb with Admiral Ackbar

[Texasgrip]

They were thumping SFA.

Just wanted to make sure TMH saw this. One statement that will always make him happy!!

[tmh8286]

[theeagleman5]

Oakland gets a 14 seed and draws 3rd seeded Pitt at Milwaukee....OUCH!....the Grizz won't fair much better than we did a couple years ago.....should be an easy win for the Panthers....but TheEagleman is no U of Pitt fan and will be rooting for the Summit champs to make a good showing....

[LarryL]

The Tiger Bowl (Missouri Tigers Vs. Clemson Tigers) should be a very entertaining game. Both have pressing defenses, both like a fast-paced game, Mizzou is #1 in steals/game, and Clemson is #9. I guess knowing we beat Mizzou at the Mabee gives us some satisfaction.

[theeagleman5]

...and TU draws Kent State in the NIT....interesting matchup there....Kent is a decent team....guess the game is in Tulsa?....

[ttowncount]

...and TU draws Kent State in the NIT....interesting matchup there....Kent is a decent team....guess the game is in Tulsa?....

According to local Channel 6 Sports Blitz, it will be an away game for TU.

Also noticed that as Dean Blevins was covering this story he said something like, "The Tulsa University Golden Eagles will be playing...bla bla bla..." That's about the only mention we got on any of the sports coverage tonight.

[ManiacAlum]

At least Oakland gets to play in Milwaukee, bad matchup though..

[darrenj]

Clarkson is the kid that is going to TU next year. Top 5 player in Texas this year. Very good player but i still don't think they will be as good as this year without Jordan and Uzoh.

OU is a trainwreck right now with the players they have and i think OSU will take a step back losing Anderson.

[Texasgrip]

Clarkson is the kid that is going to TU next year. Top 5 player in Texas this year. Very good player but i still don't think they will be as good as this year without Jordan and Uzoh.

OU is a trainwreck right now with the players they have and i think OSU will take a step back losing Anderson.

Sounds like the state is ours for the taking!

[ManiacAlum]

Looks like one of OU's problem children may already be on the way out the door:

Report: Tiny Gallon accepted money from agent

The term "McDonald's All-American" is probably like a curse word in Jeff Capel's house by now.

[ORUTerry]

When does the NCAA make the decision that Oklahoma has lost 'institutional control'? They have had numerous infractions (football, basketball, baseball, etc) over the last several years.

[ManiacAlum]

Another Sooner out the door, per TW:

Tulsa World: Source: Mason-Griffin leaves OU

Also, James Anderson officially declared today that he's leaving OSU. I actually thought there may be a chance that he would return, with the things went the final few games

[ORUTerry]

Syracuse falls to Butler.... my dream could come true. I want a Final Four of:

Bulter/Xavier
St. Marys
Northern Iowa
Cornell

[Old Titan]

Syracuse falls to Butler.... my dream could come true. I want a Final Four of:

Bulter/Xavier
St. Marys
Northern Iowa
Cornell

Wild to think that ORU was a founding member along with Butler and Xavier of the Midwestern Cities Conference (now the Horizon League), along with St. Louis, Evansville, Loyola (Chicago), Detroit, and Oklahoma City. In hindsight, a heckuva league.

[tmh8286]

Syracuse falls to Butler.... my dream could come true. I want a Final Four of:

Bulter/Xavier
St. Marys
Northern Iowa
Cornell

Wild to think that ORU was a founding member along with Butler and Xavier of the Midwestern Cities Conference (now the Horizon League), along with St. Louis, Evansville, Loyola (Chicago), Detroit, and Oklahoma City. In hindsight, a heckuva league.

Really!! I'd love to see that group together again. Interesting travel, interesting matchups. I guess that OCU isn't even D-I at this point.

[Old Titan]

Ironically, Butler, Xavier and St. Louis were the doormats of the league in the late 70's and early 80's - ORU, OCU, Evansville and Loyola were the consistent upper half of the conference.

OCU had a great program back in those days. Abe Lemmons was there before he went to Texas, followed by former OSU head coach Paul Hanson, then, of all people, former ORU coach Ken Trickey. They gave ORU fits a few times, and the games were almost always high-scoring.

ORU head coach Lake Kelly once complained in a Tulsa World pre-game story that the Chiefs' on-campus facility, Fredrickson Fieldhouse, was so dark you could see bats hanging from the ceiling. Later that same day, Paul Hanson had some of his managers hang a bunch of baseball bats from the rafters, and when the coaches were introduced before the tip-off, he bent down and groped his way along the scorer's table like he was blind as he went to shake Kelly's hand. Then, I'm pretty sure they went out and kicked our butts. OCU had a great guard back in those days named Allen Leavell who went on to play for years with the Houston Rockets along with ORU All-American Calvin Garrett.

I hope someday OCU returns to D-1 and can rekindle that rivalry with ORU - would be super for the fans of both schools.

[tmh8286]

I know that OCU was wanting to go D-I a few years back, but I think they got caught on the wrong side of the moratorium against adding new D-I programs, didn't they? I think three years ago a couple of my son's buddies were recruited there with the promise that they would be going D-I in a year or two . . .

I agree. though, they would make a great rivalry.