Ok, so a few days ago, I gave you guys my bracket and picks for the NCAA tournament. If you read my blog you now I had New Mexico going all the way to the Final Four before lossing to Louisville. I thought that was a good pick the Lobos had the number 2 Strength of Schedule and a top 5 RPI, however, I should have know that they were just a flash in the pan because of an early season loss to Nate Waltors and South Dakota State.
I thought they had over come that and would finally meet expectations, but Harvard had other plans. The men from the IVY league who lost their top two players well before the season began because of a cheating schandel, led for nearly the entire game and gave UM fits all night. New Mexico had their chances to win the game, especially late in the second half when Harvard went on an eight minute drought without hitting a field goal, but the Lobos looked sluggish and couldn't get over the hump.
I'm not the only one who had the Lobos going far either, upwards of 95% of Americans that participated in the Bracket Challenge on ESPN and Yahoo had New Mexico winning against Harvard.
With almost everyone's bracket busted I hope Harvard goes far and gives people a Cinderella team that makes a run to the sweet 16. Now they have to beat a Arizona team that looked down right ridiculous in their game against Belmont so its a tough task but hey they did it once why can't they do it again.
The Harvard/New Mexico game also epitomizes why I love/hate March Madness. I'm in an office bracket pool and my competitive edge wants to win the bragging rights but man do I love upsets in the tournament. When New Mexico went down I was pissed up excited at the same time because a high seed had finally lost in the tournament. We came close early in the day with Davidson blowing the lead to Marquette late and then watching it slip away on a last second lay-up but until Harvard no big upsets had occurred.
Granted you had two 12 seeds, Oregon and California, beat two five seeds Oklahoma State and UNLV, but both of those games had an expectation that they 12's could win. Oregon won the PAC-12 and was highly underseeded and Cal played UNLV to a one point game earlier this season so while upsets its wasn't as unexpected as Harvard's win.
With my bracket busted I hope a Cinderella such as Harvard or someone lower seed playing today makes the sweet 16 or even Elite Eight cause that what the tournament is all about and with the parody in this years field anything is possible.
As the late great Jimmy Valvano said "Survive and Advance" because in March that is all you can do.
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