All I know is, I could barely get out of bed this morning to go to my job where I sit quietly at my desk reading Deadspin comments all day. I don't think I could have psyched myself up to play a basketball game today, let alone play in a highly-competitive basketball game with the entire nation's gaze fixed firmly on me. But I guess that's why I'm not on the Syracuse basketball team. That and that the fact I'm a 30-year-old white guy who last played organized basketball in a Jewish sleep-away camp fifteen years ago. So...
No rest for the weary as the Syracuse Orange, 19 hours removed from their last game, will play West Virginia this evening in the Big East Tourney Semis. Lost in the madness from last night's classic was the fact that West Virginia posted a nice upset of their own, beating #2 Pitt 74-60. Devin Ebanks led the way with 20 points for the 23-10 (10-8) Mountaineers.
So how much of the UConn game will affect Syracuse tonight? Vegas certainly thinks it's going to bring the Orange down, positing West Virginia as a 6.5 point favorite. West Virginia fans don't seem to convinced though. Over at The Smoking Musket, folks think it will work in their favor but not to the point where we should put the Mountaineers in the Big East finals just yet.
Here's a random question...what if the SU-UConn game had been played before the WVU-Pitt game? What if West Virginia's tip-off time was around 11pm last night? We'd both be in the same boat, likely. Be thankful the seedings the way they were, WVU.
SU has won 9 of the last 10 from WVU, including a win earlier this season where Devo and Flynn both scored 22. But of course, throw all that out the window for this one.
Some are wondering if SU will "throw" the game and rest the starters in the 2nd half. I highly doubt that will happen, short of an early WVU blowout. Especially not when Gerry McNamara is in the building watching. If there's any school that knows what you can do in the Big East Tournament on raw emotion, it's Syracuse. A day removed from "The Greatest," SU is gonna go for an encore.