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<\/a>A perfect example of “the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.” The two players in the foreground just lost to the two in white. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page, of the studio analysts showing the schools they expect to do well in the tournament.<\/p><\/div>\n
And no\u2014this is\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0a Mr. X thing; he often watches only the last minute or so of each game with me. Unlike me, he\u2019s about the\u00a0results<\/em>, not the\u00a0journey<\/em>.<\/p>\n I usually wait until after the Championship Game to comment on the entire tourney, but this first week of the three has been so juicy that I feel I should share it with you now. (Many of the stories will be fun for even non<\/em>-sports fans!) These might even give you all clues as to what to look out for in the rest of the games, which begin on Thursday.<\/p>\n So here are my pertinent thoughts on each day\u2019s proceedings:<\/p>\n WEDNESDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n It cracked me up when LeVelle Moton, head coach of North Carolina Central, told his team, \u201cOne percent of people in this world actually get an opportunity to live their dreams. One percent!\u201d Just where did he get those stats???<\/p>\n Tyson Ward, who plays for North Dakota State, needs to be a broadcaster when he\u2019s done playing. He has a very soothing voice, and speaks so well.<\/p>\n One of the most human things I\u2019ve ever seen in this tourney was that several of the opposing St. John\u2019s players went right over to\u00a0Luguentz Dort of Arizona State to help him up after he had a bad dramatic fall from high up in the air. (And then the idiot refs called a flagrant on one of them! Dreadful call.)<\/p>\n St. John\u2019s players, in red, rushing over to help opponent Luguentz Dort of Arizona State. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Play-by-play guy Spero Dedes called Dort \u201cthe freshman stud from Montreal.\u2019\u201d Am I the only one who thinks that was weird?<\/p>\n THURSDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n The accolades for amazing Zion Williamson of Duke, who will for sure be drafted #1 this year, started right away. His coach, Mike Krzyzewski, said of him, \u201cHe\u2019s hard to explain\u2014you have to experience him,\u201d while Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim summed him up in this amusing way: \u201cHe\u2019s like Charles Barkley was, except he\u2019s not as fat.\u201d<\/p>\n At one point, Vermont players, the Duncan brothers\u2014Ernie, Everett, and Robin\u2014were on the floor at the same time. That\u2019s the first time that has ever happened in the history of this tourney!<\/p>\n I love the great advice that Ja Morant\u2019s dad gave him when he was deciding which college to attend. He told him, \u201cGo where they want\u00a0you,<\/em> not where you want<\/em> to go.\u201d And this under-recruited kid from Murray State is remarkable! Trust me\u2014I\u2019ve watched much more than my share of college basketball for the past two decades, and I\u2019ve not often seen anyone like him. He had a rarely-gotten triple-double in the first game of the tourney, with more than four and a half minutes to go, to boot! [Note: That\u2019s only the 17th one in tournament history, and the first for any<\/em> player in\u00a0seven years<\/em>!!!] And he\u2019s a great example of why to stay in college to mature. As a freshman last year, he was quiet\u2014I watch every second and don\u2019t remember him, even a little. Now as a sophomore, he\u2019s probably the second best player to the amazing Zion Williamson.<\/p>\n Three of the tournament players, including the top two–Zion and Ja–playing on a team together back in the day. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n During his first game of the tourney, Fletcher Magee of little-known school Wofford, got the NCAA record for three-pointers! He now has five hundred nine in his career to date! [Note:\u00a0 But he made none<\/em> in the second, which was an anomaly, but I\u2019m sure he still felt awful, especially because his team lost.]<\/p>\n FRIDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n Tennessee\u2019s Admiral Schofield is my new favorite college player. He\u2019s adorable.<\/p>\n Admiral Schofield. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Now I add my own props of Zion Williamson, with whom I could not be more impressed. Many advised him (publicly, but I have a feeling privately, as well) to not play the rest of the year\u00a0after his terrible leg injury late in the season, to preserve his NBA draft status. But he wanted to be there for his teammates. Or to have the March Madness experience once. Or both. And that was great of him.<\/p>\n SATURDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a pretty spectacular stat: In their second round game, Gonzaga\u2019s Brandon Clarke got thirty-six points, fifteen percent of the entire team\u2019s field goals, eight rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals. What a productive day at the office!<\/p>\n SUNDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n My favorite moment so far was at the end of the crazy, hard-fought Tennessee overtime win over Iowa, after having led by twenty-five points in the first half! Iowa\u2019s star player, Tyler Cook, was inconsolable, sitting on the bench, instead of getting up and getting in line to shake hands with the opponents. So Tennessee\u2019s Admiral Schofield and about five other Volunteers went over to him to surround him, and they each gave him a heartfelt hug. OMG. It took me a long while to stop crying after witnessing that incredible sportsmanship and caring.<\/p>\n Admiral Schofield and teammates consoling Tyler Cook, whose team they had just beaten. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n What a game Duke vs. UCF was!!! It tugged at my heartstrings. I really do think that Duke\u2019s Coach K was more upset<\/em> for UCF head coach (and Mike\u2019s own former player and assistant coach,) Johnny Dawkins, than he was happy<\/em> for himself. The whole thing made me cry. (I later learned more of the history of these two men. You should really research it sometime; it\u2019s quite the story.)<\/p>\n Duke’s Coach K being congratulatied by opposing caoch, and very dear friend, Johnny Dawkins, right after the game. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And I heard in her voice that sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson was emotional, too, when she interviewed Johnny after the loss.<\/p>\n But I\u2019m so glad that I got to see UCF\u2019s 7\u20196\u201d center, Tacko Fall play! That was a treat. And he\u2019s not just tall<\/em>\u2014he\u2019s good<\/em>!<\/p>\n This pic says it all about Tacko Fall’s height! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n A #12 seed (Oregon ) playing a #13 seed (UC Irvine) in the second round is sort-of weird. Especially this year, when all the #1s, #2s, and #3s got through!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>