After a relaxing spring break, Sunday night provided more than its share of frustration and anxiety.
Driving back to Oberlin on the eve of the NCAA Championship game, I listened as talk show hosts in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio previewed the matchup between the formidable Duke Blue Devils and their underdog opponents, the Connecticut Huskies. Needless to say, I was disheartened by their predictions. They said that UConn couldn't win. They said that no college team could challenge a Duke squad that boasted the talents of center and national player of the year Elton Brand, shooting guard Trajan Langdon and an impossibly strong bench. They said that the Blue Devils were one of the best teams in the long, distinguished history of a tournament that has, over the years, featured the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Lew Alcindor and some guy named Michael Jordan.
They were wrong.
Perhaps Duke is a more impressive squad on paper; to be sure, their staggering team statistics and their 35-1 regular season record made them the clear favorite to survive the madness that traditionally surrounds the big tournament each March. They averaged 93.3 points per game during that season; the Huskies averaged just 77.5. When you consider the fact that Duke's reserves would have little trouble starting for the other 63 schools in tournament competition, it becomes obvious why the Blue Devils were favored over the powerful Huskies (34-2) by nearly 10 points.
Luckily, championships are not awarded to teams based merely upon statistics and big, bad reputations; instead, they are awarded to teams whose players possess the talent, passion and courage to deliver their best performances under the hot glare of the spotlight, in the waning seconds of an important game. And that, friends, is what makes March Madness so damn special. Because of its all-or-nothing, single-game elimination format, the NCAA Tournament requires its 64 participants to bring their finest games to the court for each harrowing round. Rankings lose their significance, and upsets abound as Davids (Gonzaga, Valparaiso) trounce upon cocky, complacent Goliaths (Cincinnati, Arizona.) Ultimately, the first team to string together six consecutive victories earns the right be heralded as the national champion.
On Monday night, the UConn Huskies earned that right. They did so with the help of an explosive offensive performance by forward Richard Hamilton (27 points), the clutch shooting of point guard Khalid El-Amin and the heroic defensive efforts of shooting guard Ricky Moore. Throughout the contest, they managed to contain the fiery Brand, who scored an underwhelming 15 points en route to Duke's second loss of the season. With less than 10 seconds left on the clock, they forced the resurgent Blue Devils to turn the ball over, denying them a key opportunity to tie the game. Thus, the Huskies, who had warned the press that they would "shock the world" by defeating Duke, delivered the goods.
Quite frankly, it was about time.
Long-suffering Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun has led teams into the tournament on 28 different occasions. During the past decade, he has presided over one of the most successful college basketball programs in the country. Some of his former Huskie pupils - Travis Knight, Donyell Marshall and Ray Allen among them - have graduated the ranks of the amateurs to enjoy success in the NBA. Yet Calhoun was always missing something, something that no great coach should be denied. Prior to the enchanted 1999 season, he and his vaunted Huskies had never won a trip to the Final Four, much less a championship ring.
Monday night changed all that. For that matter, it changed the fortunes of an entire state. During the past two years, Connecticut sports fans have watched helplessly as their two home-based professional teams - the NHL's Hartford Whalers and the ABL's New England Blizzard - have bolted for more lucrative pastures in other regions of the country. Meanwhile, they have been reluctant witnesses to the slow decline of the New England Patriots and even the UConn women's basketball team, which suffered a disheartening loss to Iowa State in the third round of the tournament. But now, those are merely things of the past. Now, the Huskies are national champions.
Pardon me if I cannot wipe the smile off my face. Having spent my entire life as a Connecticut native and a loyal Huskies fan, I cannot claim to be reporting from an objective point of view. Hell, when Oberlin had no more use for me after my own subpar sophomore season, the good folks at UConn spotted me enough credits to get back in and resume my liberal arts education. So, once again, forgive me if I am somewhat biased.
Still, I believe that UConn's 77-74 victory over Duke provided sports fans throughout the nation with plenty of reasons to celebrate. For one, it was a tremendous finish to the tournament, featuring a healthy share of spectacular defense, dazzling offense and last-second heroics. Furthermore, it was an uplifting battle won by a classic underdog, a team with heart and determination that had been discounted by sportswriters who were prepared to award the NCAA Title to Duke before the final game had even been played. But more than anything else, it proved that sports in their purest form can still be breathtaking and beautiful. I don't know about you, but I think that's something to cheer about.
Copyright © 1999, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 18, April 2, 1999
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