BleedGopher
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My NCAA tournament diary: Day 1
Posted on March 18th, 2009 – 10:12 PM
By Myron Medcalf
Greensboro, N.C.-What’s up, G0phers fans?
I’ve been incredibly busy over the last couple of days and haven’t had a ton of time to blog. But Wednesday was my first live experience at the NCAA tournament. And after a crazy day filled with interviews, practices and a ton of writing, I’m back at my hotel.
It’s kind of surreal for me. It hasn’t been that long since I was a high school student sneaking out of class to watch the NCAA tournament. This has been a cool experience so far. Great people, great food, great basketball, great interviews. And I’ll find out Wednesday if I have a chance to watch some great basketball.
All eight teams playing at the Greensboro Coliseum Thursday hosted open practices and spoke to the media Wednesday. The fans went nuts when North Carolina took the floor. The Tar Heels had a YouTube-worthy dunk fest toward the end of the session. A bunch of kids in the front row yelled, “Psycho T! Psycho T!”
Texas, Minnesota’s opponent Thursday, really looks athletic. Dexter Pittman is in better shape than I initially imagined. He’s a pretty sturdy 6-10, 298-pounder. A.J. Abrams hit shots from all over the floor. And Damion James showed his versatility, working on post drills with the big men and shooting drills with the guards.
Minnesota didn’t have as much fun during its practice, but the Gophers were still loose. I think the players still have a lot of that “Wow!” factor. Even Lawrence Westbrook, who rarely worries about competition, said he was somewhat nervous when his team went out for its open practice session.
Here are some other observations from my first day at the NCAA tournament:
-I don’t know if this is standard practice for the NCAA tournament or not, but a pair of police officers on motorcycles escorted North Carolina’s team bus to the arena. I walked into the venue just before the Tar Heels did.
-Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said he will start Jamal Abu-Shamala, Al Nolen and Lawrence Westbrook Thursday, even though Texas starts a three-guard lineup.
-Texas coach Rick Barnes began his press conference by reflecting on an incident that happened at the 1995 ACC tourney. Barnes, the Clemson head coach at the time, exchanged words with then-North Carolina coach Dean Smith, after the latter had apparently said something to one of the Clemson players. “I wish that wouldn’t have happened,” Barnes said.
-The phone calls and questions about Virginia’s interest in Tubby Smith won’t stop. On Wednesday, a Virginia station called and wanted me to talk on the air about the situation. Writers have asked me if there’s a chance that he might end up with Virginia. I don’t see it happening, but there’s definitely a buzz about it in this part of the country.
http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs.../?location_refer=Homepage:PromoScroller:Blogs
Go Gophers!!
Posted on March 18th, 2009 – 10:12 PM
By Myron Medcalf
Greensboro, N.C.-What’s up, G0phers fans?
I’ve been incredibly busy over the last couple of days and haven’t had a ton of time to blog. But Wednesday was my first live experience at the NCAA tournament. And after a crazy day filled with interviews, practices and a ton of writing, I’m back at my hotel.
It’s kind of surreal for me. It hasn’t been that long since I was a high school student sneaking out of class to watch the NCAA tournament. This has been a cool experience so far. Great people, great food, great basketball, great interviews. And I’ll find out Wednesday if I have a chance to watch some great basketball.
All eight teams playing at the Greensboro Coliseum Thursday hosted open practices and spoke to the media Wednesday. The fans went nuts when North Carolina took the floor. The Tar Heels had a YouTube-worthy dunk fest toward the end of the session. A bunch of kids in the front row yelled, “Psycho T! Psycho T!”
Texas, Minnesota’s opponent Thursday, really looks athletic. Dexter Pittman is in better shape than I initially imagined. He’s a pretty sturdy 6-10, 298-pounder. A.J. Abrams hit shots from all over the floor. And Damion James showed his versatility, working on post drills with the big men and shooting drills with the guards.
Minnesota didn’t have as much fun during its practice, but the Gophers were still loose. I think the players still have a lot of that “Wow!” factor. Even Lawrence Westbrook, who rarely worries about competition, said he was somewhat nervous when his team went out for its open practice session.
Here are some other observations from my first day at the NCAA tournament:
-I don’t know if this is standard practice for the NCAA tournament or not, but a pair of police officers on motorcycles escorted North Carolina’s team bus to the arena. I walked into the venue just before the Tar Heels did.
-Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said he will start Jamal Abu-Shamala, Al Nolen and Lawrence Westbrook Thursday, even though Texas starts a three-guard lineup.
-Texas coach Rick Barnes began his press conference by reflecting on an incident that happened at the 1995 ACC tourney. Barnes, the Clemson head coach at the time, exchanged words with then-North Carolina coach Dean Smith, after the latter had apparently said something to one of the Clemson players. “I wish that wouldn’t have happened,” Barnes said.
-The phone calls and questions about Virginia’s interest in Tubby Smith won’t stop. On Wednesday, a Virginia station called and wanted me to talk on the air about the situation. Writers have asked me if there’s a chance that he might end up with Virginia. I don’t see it happening, but there’s definitely a buzz about it in this part of the country.
http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs.../?location_refer=Homepage:PromoScroller:Blogs
Go Gophers!!
