Saturday For The Tigers - Great In The SEC, Miserable Elsewhere

Of all sports nicknames, “Tigers” is one of the most common. Since we’re in February, the Detroit Tigers are not yet in action. However, the college basketball world offered plenty of Tigers on Saturday. Their success depended entirely on what conference to which they belonged. It was a huge day for Tigers in the SEC, but depressing for all the other Tigers.


The LSU Tigers made the biggest splash with a 66-56 stunner over #3 Florida in Baton Rouge. Although the game matched two of last year’s Final Four, the Bayou Bengals were heavy underdogs as they entered with 9 losses in their previous 10 games. However, they got 18 points from Terry Martin and 17 from Garrett Temple, and they shut down the high-powered Gators on the defensive end. The Tigers even pulled off the shocker without leading scorer and rebounder Glen “Big Baby” Davis. Official reports attributed his absence to a pulled right quadriceps. Reportedly, as a Baby who attracts media attention, Davis was also distracted by rumors that a celebrity would try to adopt him.


Staying in the SEC, the Auburn Tigers finished off a season sweep of #25 Alabama with an 86-77 victory in Tuscaloosa. In 21 of its previous 22 trips to enemy territory, Auburn had gone home as Tusca-Losers. However, Quan Prowell and Korvotney Barber each scored 17 points to put the Crimson Tide’s NCAA tournament hopes in jeopardy. Responding to another loss to the hated rival school, Bama fired Mike Shula again.


Unfortunately for other Tigers, such good fortune did not extend outside the SEC. The Clemson Tigers continued their slide with a 59-54 setback at Boston College. On January 13, Clemson was 17-0 as it entered a road contest at Maryland. Things have changed quite a bit from that day, when the San Diego Chargers were the Super Bowl favorites and Britney Spears had hair. Beginning with a loss in College Park, the Tigers have dropped 9 of 11 to slip to the wrong side of the bubble. Exxon once had a slogan, “Put a tiger in your tank.” For Clemson the past six weeks, it’s been “Watch the Tigers as they tank.”


The Missouri Tigers also absorbed a bitter road defeat. Entering Saturday on a three-game winning streak, Missouri fell 82-77 in overtime at Nebraska. The setback dashed the Tigers’ faint NCAA tournament hopes, and not just because they dropped to 6-8 in Big XII play. By rule, any team that gets swept by Nebraska is automatically ineligible for the Big Dance.


All other Division I Tigers in action on Saturday went down to defeat. The Towson Tigers lost to Drexel. The Pacific Tigers did likewise to Cal State Northridge. The Princeton Tigers fell short at Harvard. And the SWAC provided a double-whammy to its Tigers, as Grambling succumbed to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State could not handle Mississippi Valley State. You could argue that Princeton’s loss to the Crimson was cancelled out by Auburn’s win over the Crimson Tide. Plus, Towson, Grambling, and Jackson State had to deal with Dragons, Golden Lions, and Delta Devils, respectively. Those creatures sound pretty scary, but all Pacific had to do was maul a bunch of Matadors. That should be a breeze for Tigers.


The most high-profile of all Tigers had a disappointing Saturday because he was NOT in action. Tiger Woods was absent from the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship after being eliminated by Nick O’Hern in Friday’s third round. Woods is human, so his winning streak on the PGA Tour was bound to end sometime. However, the real loser was NBC, which will settle for the Geoff Ogilvy-Henrik Stenson final on Sunday. Ogilvy actually has great credentials, having won this event last year before capturing the U.S. Open. However, one NBC Sports executive asked, “Ogilvy??? Isn’t he the brainiac kid in The Bad News Bears?” Then the executive resumed his heavy drinking.


The Memphis Tigers also missed out by not seeing action on Saturday. The Conference USA schedule brings Memphis a guaranteed win every game, so John Calipari’s crew did not get their regular dose of victory this Saturday. Fortunately for the Tigers, they resume action Sunday at home against Houston. Memphis’s 13-0 league start has included 12 double-digit victories. Not that they need an edge, but the Tigers will even get to host the conference tournament at the FedEx Forum. Aware of the lack of suspense the tournament will bring, Conference USA officials are debating whether to market the event as “Bored in the USA” or “Disgraceland.”


As for Saturday, the glory belonged to the Tigers from LSU and Auburn. Last weekend, both schools were represented at NBA All-Star Weekend, as Auburn’s Charles Barkley outran Dick Bavetta, and LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal started for the Eastern Conference. Although Shaq’s team lost the game, both these former Tigers left Vegas as winners. Because neither guy hung out with Pacman Jones.

LSU Caps Successful Season For UNC Fans

In October, North Carolina fans had no idea what to expect from this season.  Tar Heel supporters were still giddy from last April’s national championship victory, but the loss of the team’s top seven scorers greatly diminished expectations for 2005-06.  Today, UNC fans have a deep sense of satisfaction about this college basketball season.  LSU made sure of that last night, eliminating Duke in the Sweet 16.

 

 

Three things needed to take place for this to be considered a successful year for Carolina fans.  First, the Heels would have to make the NCAA tournament.  UNC accomplished that goal with ease, finishing second in the ACC.  David Noel and Reyshawn Terry flourished in expanded roles, and Tyler Hansbrough left no doubt that he was the top freshman in the nation.  Hansbrough was great at a young age – basically the Dakota Fanning of Tobacco Road.  Except that Dakota can’t post up as well.

 

 

Secondly, UNC would have to continue its home winning streak against Clemson.  On February 4, Carolina moved to 52-0 all-time in Chapel Hill versus the Tigers with a 76-61 triumph.  What’s most amazing about this streak is that it even survived the Matt Doherty era.  When Clemson’s next trip to Chapel Hill appears on the schedule, expect the Tigers to forfeit.  That way, the program can save on travel costs and spare the players from inevitable humiliation.

 

 

The final key to a successful season for UNC fans was that Duke could not win the national championship.  Last year, Carolina supporters rejoiced as Roy Williams and his team ruled college basketball – just three years after a disastrous 8-20 campaign.  With the mass exodus out of Chapel Hill in the off-season, Tar Heel fans acknowledged that the title would more than likely be passed on to someone else this April.  But it had to go far away – not just eight miles up the road.

 

 

The Blue Devils appeared to be a major threat to bring home the trophy this season.  They finished 14-2 in conference and won the ACC tournament.  As a result, they entered the NCAA tournament as the #1 overall seed.  However, those credentials and the presence of Mike Krzyzewski on the bench could not offset a phrase that will cause nightmares for Dukies for years to come: “J.J. Redick in March.”

 

 

In LSU’s 62-54 victory last night, Redick finished with 11 points on 3-18 shooting.  Over his career, in games during the Sweet 16 and beyond, he shot 24-87 (28%) from the field.  As a result, college basketball observers are speculating that “J.J.” stands for “Jittery Jumpers.”  However, Redick apparently has an admirer in Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.  The Duke guard was able to accomplish what Manning has been unable to do so far: play his best ball in January.

 

 

So even though George Mason is in action tonight instead of the Tar Heels, UNC fans will be in a good mood.  The loss to the Patriots was disappointing, particularly since you would not expect an entire state (North Carolina) to lose to one guy (George Mason).  But after a better-than-expected season and with a tremendous recruiting class on the way, the outlook is very bright in Chapel Hill.  Or, as it’s known today with all the new LSU fans there: East Baton Rouge.

 

 

From this point on, Tar Heel supporters will only have to see Coach K when his Chevy commercials appear on the screen.  It’s the second straight year that Krzyzewski’s ads have run endlessly during the tournament.  It’s also the second straight tournament in which the top-seeded Blue Devils have failed to reach the Elite Eight.  With that in mind, expect UNC fans to lobby for more endorsement opportunities for Coach K.