Yeah, that little counter-run Memphis put on at the end of the first half did us in. I'm on board with the "Memphis doesn't deserve a 1 seed" school of thought now. They have talent, but little skill; they're basically an And 1 Mixtape team. If you can keep them on the perimeter like the 'Cane did in the first half, you can beat them. Depending on their draw and where they play, they might make it to the regional final but I'll be shocked if they get beyond the Sweet 16.
The way our guards are playing, I want no part of Memphis. They're tall and they pressure you from the moment you step off the bus until the final horn. You think we looked horrible against Mizzou and Louisville last year? Oh, just wait.
I'm just trying to think of a better matchup for us: Pitt would out-physical us to oblivion, North Carolina is still probably the best team in the country, UConn has probably dropped to a #2, and Louisville, well, last year is still a little too fresh in my memory.
I think we're delicately skating around the obvious truth that while we're a good team, we're nowhere as good as our record indicates once the level of competition goes up.
Ha. Tulsa has no chance. Jerome Jordan may be good but as a team, they aren't good enough to defeat Calipari's Tigers. Memphis is the hottest team in the league.
UConn is the first team I don't want to face, then Pitt. I'm fine with UNC and Louisville. Tyler Hansbrough will have a very tough time with Blake and Warren and Lawson are pretty close.
Hopefully, all the teams with burst bubbles that are gonna fall to the NIT now won't squeeze TU out of getting to host at least one game.
TU will host Northwestern at the RenCen for their first round NIT game Wednesday night at 8:05. Game will be televised on ESPNU, and tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at the Reynolds Center box office, by phone at (918) 631-GoTU (4688) or online at http://www.tulsahurricane.com. They'll be $25, $20, $15 and $10. Winner moves on to play the winner of Auburn/Tennessee-Martin. Which will be Auburn. At Auburn. So if you can't make it to Kansas City but want to watch one of our state Division I schools play postseason basketball, come on out to 11th and Harvard Wednesday night for the last game at the Reynolds Center this year.
