Post by chilled on Mar 13, 2004 17:36:06 GMT -5
TOURNAMENT TIME
By: Bill Reeseman[/center]
It’s that time of the year again and many teams’ bubbles are bursting. The NCAA Tournament is quickly approaching and come selection Sunday some teams with be dancing while the others will be sobbing.
With Championship week all this week some teams will be cutting down the nets as conference champions and will receive an automatic bid into the “big dance”. More conference titles are still on the line later this week.
This is the best time of the year for any type of sports fans said by ESPN announcer Dick Vitale. With the NCAA tournament just around the corner, I recently got a chance to sit down with Central Florida Guard Troy Lindbeck who is making his first appearance in the NCAA tournament.
“Its great, I play with a great group of guys and our coach is amazing, this is the time of my life playing for these guys” Lindbeck said when asked about playing for Central Florida. Central Florida made it to the conference finals last year but lost, which Troy called it a devastating loss after working hard all year. Missing out on an NIT bid the team was poised to make a run for the NCAA Tournament this year and they knew they had to win the conference title to get an invite. This year they set out to do it and against Troy State they made their goal a reality beating the Trojans 60 to 55.
We have a great shot at doing some damage in the NCAA tournament Troy said. “We should get between a 12 seed to a 15 seed, we hope the selection committee looks at our 25 and 5 record and gives us a good seed” Lindbeck stated. Proving to the country is what not only the Central Florida Knights will need to do; they have to prove to themselves that they have the talent to do it! “With one of the best guards in the country in Dexter Lyons I really think we can knock out a major seed” Troy said.
This is Troy’s first appearance in any type of post-season play. Although he is not a starter he is looking to get decent minutes off the bench. “I feel that if we are down and need a few threes to get back in the game the coach will put me in and let me shoot and get us back in the game”.
“Beating Troy State in the conference finals this year was easily the greatest moment of my life. It was amazing; it was nice to see that all the hard work we put in this year has finally paid off” Troy said, when asked about how it felt after winning the Conference Title.
Other teams are not as lucky as Central Florida; some teams have yet to play in their conference tournament and must win their conference crown to get into the NCAA Tournament. “It is an experience every young fellow should experience, this is why kids should come to college to be apart of this” Dick Vitale said.
The Undefeated Saint Josephs lost today by twenty points to an under matched Xavier team. With Saint Joes being a lock to make it to the NCAA Tournament, which leaves one less spot in the field of 65 for those bubble teams looking to get in!
“It is really March Madness with all the games, the emotions, and all the teams giving it there all just to advance to the NCAA Tournament and cause some damage” a local sports fan stated. This is March Madness at its best, there is no clear cut team to win it all, all the teams have a shot at brining home the title Vitale said.
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As Always Feedback is welcome
...lol. But I was mad lazy in college and couldn't take the work...I heard I would have to to a 25 page paper....and I didn't come back next semester...haha.