![\"Yaxel](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9081-e1775857381767.jpg\")
<\/a>Yaxel Lendeborg looking serious after he got hurt. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
That entire team did his part, but the stand-outs were little Elliot Cadeau<\/strong>, who won the tournament\u2019s Most Outstanding Player award, (MOP,) and very injured Yaxel Lendeborg<\/strong>, who played despite serious knee and ankle injuries he sustained in the penultimate game.<\/p>\n So many people ask me why I watch every second of this three-week event. The answer is that in addition to loving sports, in general, and basketball in specific, I absolutely adore the many personal human interest stories. Just about every single player has a fascinating life tale.<\/p>\n But I hate that college teams don\u2019t stay together anymore. Back in the day, I looked forward to seeing the same guys for four years. Now, the players change teams seemingly every year! Who do they think they are\u2014me<\/em>? (I went to four colleges, because that\u2019s where life took me, and I recently found-out that because of that wandering, Mr. X assumed that I didn\u2019t graduate! Is he nuts? I have two degrees! How did he think I was able to teach in public schools without graduating college?!) At the beginning of the tourney, I was actually a bit worried about my memory because I didn\u2019t recognize anyone! No lie.<\/p>\n This is my DVR during March Madness! (Price Is Right is there only because a game went long!) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n But I calmed down by the second round, when I had gotten used to this<\/em> crop of players and coaches. And I enjoyed it all. Except for watching the losing guys be miserable. But the reality is that sixty-seven teams will lose because, of course, there can be only one final winner. That\u2019s life.<\/p>\n And here\u2019s a note to all<\/em> sideline reporters everywhere in all sports: You need to stop saying, \u201cGet over here!,\u201d to the people you want to interview after a win. It\u2019s soooo creepy. And rude. Many<\/em> are guilty of it, but Lauren Shehadi<\/strong> is the worst because she always<\/em> says it!<\/p>\n Lauren Shehadi on the right, interviewing the Arizona coach and players who had just won their game, despite looking so sad! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n I wish I could claim authorship of this alliterative quote, but it was studio analyst Clark Kellogg<\/strong> who said March Madness is \u201ca mosaic of magic and memories and moments.\u201d I love that guy! And I also appreciate that he\u2019s always trying to keep the peace on the panel, and move things along.<\/p>\n Now here are some of my thoughts as March Madness went on, in the order that they occurred:<\/p>\n Penn\u2019s coach Fran McCaffery<\/strong> has a wonderful full circle story. He grew-up in Pennsylvania, played college ball at Penn, and now, over forty years later, after a long coaching career, he\u2019s their Head Coach! Love that!<\/p>\n Illinois player David Mirkovic<\/strong> gave the most thoughtful, intelligent answers, despite not even being really fluent in English. (But he did start with \u201cI mean!\u201d Oysh.) One of his teammates even told him, \u201cGreat job\u201d after one interview.<\/p>\n Braden Smith indicating he’s #1 now that he has the record for assists. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And how interesting that he\u2019s one of five Balkan players on that team!<\/p>\n Georgia\u2019s Jeremiah Wilkinson<\/strong> gave a perfect, intelligent break-down of his team\u2019s performance at halftime in the first round. Good for him! And St. Louis\u2019 Dion Brown<\/strong> did the same thing for his team.<\/p>\n There are many great monikers in the tourney, but the best<\/em> name, for me, is Kingston Flemings<\/strong>, who plays for Houston. (For now\u2014he\u2019s a freshman who\u2019s due to get drafted early.)<\/p>\n Virginia\u2019s Jacari White<\/strong>\u00a0has quite the difficult life story. So I\u2019m very happy for him. What a nice kid! (He lost his hair at age seven, and then lived in a car with his father for three teenage years. Here\u2019s the link to a full story about his life: www.basketunderreview.com\/inside-jacari-w<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Skyy Clark’s broken front tooth. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Duke Brennan<\/strong> of Villanova should become a commentator later in life. Or, at the very least, a coach. He\u2019s very well-spoken and intelligent.<\/p>\n We got to see a thirty-three-year-old record be broken!!! Purdue\u2019s Braden Smith<\/strong> broke Bobby Hurley\u2019s assist record from Duke waaaay back in the day! (If you\u2019re curious, Braden\u2019s new record is 1,103 assists.)<\/p>\n You can see the tooth being knocked out! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n A few minutes after I had made a note to \u201clook up Themus Fulks<\/strong> of UCF to see his strange tooth,\u201d (because, as good as his chompers mainly looked, one side tooth appeared to be a tad wanky,) the guy\u2026knocked-out UCLA player Skyy Clark<\/strong>\u2019s front tooth!!! By accident, of course. He felt awful. As do I<\/em> because I feel like, somehow, it was my<\/em> fault for doing some sort of writer\u2019s voodoo.<\/p>\n Mr. X finally noticed what I\u2019ve been saying for years\u2014that UCLA coach Mick Cronin<\/strong> is a dick! Even to his players! (So is very famous coach Rick Patino<\/strong>, by the way. I guess that\u2019s why both coaches’ first names have \u201cick\u201d in them!)<\/p>\n Canadian teen, Olivier Rioux–what can he possibly be looking up at??? Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Canadian teen, Olivier Rioux<\/strong>, who plays for Florida, is the tallest player ever, (for reals,) at 7\u20199\u201d. And I just read that he\u2019s going to transfer schools to get more playing time. What kind of nutty coach doesn\u2019t regularly play a guy who\u2019s almost 8\u2019 tall???<\/p>\n Tiny (5\u201910\u201d) Dominique Daniels<\/strong> from Cal Baptist was so fun! I love that guy! I think now everyone<\/em> does. And he and his team have the most fun fan base.<\/p>\n Master P\u2019s son, Mercy Miller<\/strong>, plays for Houston! Who knew?!<\/p>\n Virginia\u2019s coach, Ryan Odom<\/strong>, gave a great time-out interview. He actually answered honestly, (which is rare,) and gave a perfect breakdown of what was needed from his team.<\/p>\n Malik Thomas<\/strong> of Virginia showed that humanity matters more than competition when he picked up a Tennessee opponent, little Chance Mallory<\/strong>, he had just knocked down by accident. I loved that! (Mr. X is the one who actually noticed it first.)<\/p>\n Alvaro Folgueiras and his ecstatic mother after a win. Get out the tissues! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n This story made me cry. It was only the third time ever that Iowa\u2019s Alvaro Folgueiras<\/strong>\u2019 mother had seen him play in college; they\u2019re from Spain. And you can tell he loves his mom more than anything. Through tears, (his and<\/em> mine!,) he said, \u201cMy mom is there after fighting for me her whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n UConn\u2019s Alex Karaban<\/strong> has played in nineteen<\/em> March Madness games over his four-year college career!!! Do you know how unusual that is?! That\u2019s just insane!<\/p>\n As I indicated earlier, I can\u2019t stand UCLA coach Mick Cronin, but against UConn, he received a technical foul late in the game, for no apparent reason. He clearly didn\u2019t say a word, but was clapping at something the ref did, which we know was sarcastic. But, I was shocked to learn that the ref doesn\u2019t have to tell<\/em> why he tee-ed him up!!! What??? He should have<\/em> to! Viewers want to know. Not fair.<\/p>\n Bennett Stirtz’s still-glowing skin. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Bennett Stirtz<\/strong> still has great skin, a year after I first pointed it out, and so does much older Texas Tech coach, Grant McCasland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Arkansas proved themselves to be true thugs in the Sweet 16 game against #1 Arizona. They were losing by twenty-three points, and started doing horrible things to their opponents. One guy got ejected, but two more really should have been, too. Douchebags.<\/p>\n Duke coach Jon Schuyer<\/strong> made me cry when he couldn\u2019t even talk when asked about Caleb Foster<\/strong> playing in the Sweet 16 three weeks after foot surgery! That extreme accomplishment got us both<\/em> choked-up.<\/p>\n Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter<\/strong> gave the least depressing losing coach speech I\u2019ve ever heard! Good for him. I\u2019m glad I rooted for him and his team.<\/p>\n This little girl in the stands is mirroring everything yours truly goes through during March Madness!!! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Studio panel host, Nate Burleson<\/strong>, can now add \u201cand re-writer\u201d to his credits. He kept making what Charles Barkley<\/strong> and Kenny Smith<\/strong> said understandable. Good for him. Their long-time co-panelist, Clark Kellogg, was probably happy to have the help!!!<\/p>\n Alex Karaban\u2019s mom, in discussing how young men need to be prepared for the future, said, \u201cAt some point, the ball stops bouncing.\u201d Brilliant. And English is not even her first language!<\/p>\n Good on Charles Barkley for bringing up how evil ICE is, in conjunction with some of the kids having immigrant parents. In this case, it was triggered by Karaban\u2019s ‘rents.<\/p>\n I\u2019m always happy when Grant Hill<\/strong> is on the call. He\u2019s the most pleasant guy ever!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>