It was only this past weekend that the world seemed so innocent and new, and yet here we are on the other side of the flames that temper the hearts of men standing on the precipice of a bold new era for SC Basketball... just kidding. What can I say? I'm a real sucker for flourish and the internet drama reached day-time soap opera-esque levels in just the past couple of days, or at least it did among the hardcore USC fans. For the rest of the world though, the story has been the NCAA tournament and with the Final Four kicking off this weekend let's take a quick look at what the Pac 10 bloggers have to say about the games.
California Golden Blogs: Hypothesis: MSU, UConn, UNC, Villanova. Who wins it all? Show your work! (LS Edit: is this even technically a hypothesis???)
Addicted to Quack: UNC wins it all. Michigan State has gone on a crazy run and Tom Izzo is the man but they just don't have the firepower to deal with UConn and the Tar Heels. Villanova is getting better and better as the season goes on but the season is almost over and I think they would need another few months to get to the level that the Huskies and Tar Heels are playing at. The UNC game vs Oklahoma said it all. They don't need Tyler Hansbrough to score (or even in the game) to shutdown a team's best weapon and outscore them.
Conquest Chronicles (Laughing Stock): I guess I have to go with MSU, for some abstract and not entirely sensical reason that they beat us and therefore them winning it all would have some kind of trickle down Reaganomics feel good vibe for SC fans. In reality though, once all of the teams I am interested in have been eliminated I cannot muster enough interest to watch the games until the championship. By this time of the year ESPN has kind of hype machine'd my psyched into a dark little hole, and I have a hard time just watching the games for the enjoyment of watching the games because of all the overwrought drama and faux suspense. Anyways, in closing I would like to point out that Tyler Hansbrough's face just kind of melts into his neck, and his saucer shaped eyes give him a supernatural (that is, not natural at all) appearance.
Azdesertswarm:I don't have much work to show, but I am going with Nova. They are playing out of the Big East and they seem to be peaking right now. Their dismantling of UCLA and subsequent domination of Pitt (shouldn't have been that close) lead me to believe they have what it takes this year. I am just waiting for the fall of UNC. When it happens, it's going to be all about Lawson's foot, and not about how they can't seem to play as a team EVERY game. There is no excuse for losing to Boston College, Maryland, and Florida State this year. UNC just isn't able to execute sometimes. No matter what, I think the winner of UNC/Nova beats the winner of MSU/UCONN.
California Golden Blogs: I vote for UNC. Why? Because I'm a dirty socialist commie. And Great Premier Leader Obama selected UNC. As goes the Generous, Kind Uncle so goes the people. So, the means of production must select UNC.
Hey, I just wrote a joke? Wanna hear it? How many dirty socialist commies does it take to screw in a lightbulb??? Two!
One dirty socialist commie to screw in the lightbulb and the other dirty socialist commie to raise taxes 4% on the top 2% of America!!!!
Conquest Chronicles (Paragon SC): You know I am going with Michigan State, though I doubt they get past Saturday night. I love how 'Nova dismantled UCLA, and they will probably win it all, but MSU proved me wrong...I thought they were the weakest #2 seed in the tournament but the way they drilled Louisville made my jaw drop. Sure they beat USC but SC almost had them late...with Taj Gibson on the bench.
UNC seems destined but I think that Philly toughness punches UNC in the mouth. I am kind of meh on UConn, and I am in NYC...I am just not a big Calhoun fan but it is hard to argue his great accomplishments the past 10 years.
I like Izzo...he is a great coach, a classy guy and an excellent recruiter. If MSU wins SC can keep their heads held high because they lost to pretty good team.
As for all this commie/socialist talk...your ass is mine!
...And thus begins a new era of proto McCarthyism! I kid, I kid, but in all seriousness, I think that AZDesertSwarm makes the best point. Both UNC and MSU have looked appalingly vulnerable at times, and since UConn's kryptonite (read: Pitt) didn't make it to the final four I might have to lean towards the winner of Nova/UConn winning it all. Then again, Michigan State is playing a de facto home game, so who knows!?