Friday, March 14, 2008

The Greatest Tease Of All

And no we're not talking about that Better Than Sex cake that I'll have to take your word on. Actually the Ole Miss Basketball program. Sure we finished with a slightly better record than last year. (21-9 versus 20-11) But we were expecting to be bad so it was kind of exciting. Last year we were excited to make the NIT just because it meant we actually had a winning season. This year we expected to be a little better but not much. Should have held on to that thought. Instead we start a 13 game winning streak, get ranked, and fall into the hype, belief and hope that we really were one of the top teams. Then the UT game, and the Florida game and next thing you know we look like a major player.

And then it all comes crashing down. We loose to Auburn at home. State destroys us. South Carolina beats us at home. Loose to Bama. We get beat bad by Auburn at home. You feel Kennedy's frustration having to rely on so many young guards. At that point I seriously doubt we'll win another SEC game because the team looked like they quit. Then of course we have to beat State, loose by two to Kentucky and then win three straight games. All just to get us excited again and wasting time following bubble predictions and bracketology.

We get the easiest draw in the SEC tourney. A team we beat by 14 on their home floor just six days ago. Analyst say if we can win the next two games we'll be in the NCAA Tourney. So of course we play horrible in the first half with tons of turnovers and are down by ten points at one point. But just like the season as a whole this team teases us by pulling it back close. David Huertas even plays a great game and by far his best in a Rebel uniform. He hits three free throws at the end of regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. Rebels get the early lead in overtime only to squander it and get down again. But then Chris Warren rises up and hits three more free throws with five seconds left to give the team new life again. We'll pull this out after all. Oh wait no they won't. Georgia just goes coast to coast ala Derek Zimmerman for a wide open bank shot.


I start to get mad and first blame Jeff Lebo and Auburn. If they hadn't swept the Rebels to get half of their SEC wins, the Rebels would have a winning SEC record and be a lock for the tourney. I will hate Dave Bliss from now on but it wasn't his fault he made that easy bank shot. No it was my on for actually falling for the Rebels one more time.

The whole thing brings back memories of Bryce Drew and the previous teases of Ole Miss basketball. Or Baseball for that matter. (2002 season, Western Kentucky 04 regional, Texas super regional, Miami Super Regional, Will Kline's Arizona St. Super Regional game.)

Good grief how much longer till the Braves break spring training. At least they normally win the division before bowing out.

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