A Sweet View of The Sweet Sixteen

By: Luke Florence

Certain March Madness memories will never escape me. It's almost as if they've become a part of me. I'll never forget Bryce Drew's miraculous shot, Christian Laettner's impossible game-winning 15-footer, or Tyus Edney going coast-to-coast to seal the deal. There's countless others. And yet, despite the numerous memories, it's always been at a distant. Sure having a bracket gives you a rooting interest in each and every game, but that's like having a nose-bleed seat at the Final Four. Yeah it's nice being there, but it's nothing like the experience you could get sitting court-side.

Thanks to John Groce, DJ Cooper and the rest of the Ohio Bobcats I finally have that elusive court-side ticket this season. It's been undeniably sweet ... pun fully intended.

Last month I wrote recaps of my favorite sporting teams. I talked about the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Bulls, Pittsburgh Penguins and Notre Dame. You didn't see anything about Ohio University, my alma mater. The reason behind their absence is simply because while I root for them passionately, I don't watch them enough on a regular basis to form a solid opinion. I rely heavily on Matt Barnes for most of my Ohio University knowledge which makes it difficult to write intelligent recaps but it doesn't take away from my OU enthusiasm.
That enthusiasm slowly began to develop when I chose to attend Ohio University in the early spring of 2004. Yes it's true I had never visited the campus, and yes it's true it was the only school I even applied to, but when I arrived in Athens for the first time for orientation I knew almost immediately that I had made the correct choice.

Besides the amazing scenery and the prestigious journalism school, the biggest thing I love about Ohio University is the close-knit feel the campus has. You can walk from one side to another in 15 minutes, don't have to worry about catching a bus in between classes, and unlike bigger campuses, you never feel overwhelmed. It instantly felt like home when I first stepped foot on campus.

That "homey" feeling continued throughout my four plus years at Ohio. Sure I went through some challenging and difficult times at college, but at the end of the day I graduated with a degree from Ohio University which will forever make me a Bobcat. And while obtaining that degree was certainly a proud moment, the proudest I've ever been was Sunday night when OU defeated South Florida, sending the Bobcats to their first ever "Sweet 16." (They made the Regional Finals in 1964, but only 25 teams entered that tournament)

The madness started Friday night when Ohio "upset" the Michigan Wolverines. If LL Cool J were still with us he would have said, "don't call it an upset," because in my mind it certainly wasn't. Ohio was the better team ... period. They passed better, they played better defense, and they executed better in the critical moments. It also helped that they had DJ Cooper, otherwise known as "the best player on the floor."

Up next was South Florida, a squad who would have difficulty scoring 60 points during an hour-long team shoot-a-round. Sure the Bulls play great defense but the onus was going to be on the Bobcats' ability to score enough points ... which they eventually did, by scoring 41 in the second half on their way to a six-point victory.

And just like that, here we are ... the ever-so-sweet sixteen. MAC teams have been here before, the most recent being the 2002 Antonio Gates-led, Kent State Golden Flashes. There was also Wally Szczerbiak leading the Miami Red Hawks into the sweet sixteen back in 1999, but for the most part, MAC schools don't make it to the second week.

Not gonna lie though, I picked Ohio University to be right here when the bracket was announced. Not because of my Bobcat allegiance, but because I thought that particular section of the bracket was weak and if OU played well they could make it to the second week.

Did my correct prediction lessen my excitement when it actually happened?? Not a chance. I was still hooting and hollering when they beat each representative from the two best conferences in basketball this year (Big Ten and Big East). I still sent countless texts of jubilation to all my fellow OU Bobcats, and I continued to celebrate with co-workers and customers.

That last part has been surprisingly rewarding. Just in the last week I've had excellent conversations with fellow Bobcats, basketball enthusiasts, and Grandmas who just love when Michigan loses. One of the first things that came to mind as the final seconds ticked down on Sunday was how much fun work was going to be the following week ... and it hasn't let me down. I'm sure it's been the same for a lot of Bobcat alum throughout the country.

What happens next? Well, the Bobcats travel to St Louis where they will face off against the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC has NBA talent, while the Bobcats don't. UNC has size, while the Bobcats don't. UNC has Michael Jordan, while the Bobcats have ... Gary Trent.

Numbers, logic, and history are all in favor of UNC, which is fine by me. The Bobcats are playing with house money and should come out loose. Throw in a couple injuries by the Tar Heels and who knows? Maybe the Bobcats will shoot lights out and completely, utterly, shock the world. Maybe they will be right there until the very end but fall just a bit short. Maybe they will get blown out.

Whatever happens, I am fully aware that this has been the ride of my lifetime and I am completely thankful for the court-side view.

Go Bobcats. Shock the world.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."