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Christensen: Twice as 'Sweet'

By Todd Christensen
March 22, 2011

The excitement of March Madness is palpable and never ceases to disappoint when it comes to athletic drama and unexpected turns.  But how much more enjoyable is it when you have two dogs in the fight?

Given the seeding of the San Diego State Aztecs and the BYU Cougars, it seemed likely that they would make it to the Sweet 16.  But just ask Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame or Purdue what a high seed guaranteed them. All four of these teams were a No. 3 seed or higher and were all unceremoniously dumped after the first weekend of competition.

BYU and San Diego State went about their business in much different ways.  After an 18-point second round victory over Northern Colorado, the Aztecs looked to cruise over the Temple Owls.  Instead, the Philadelphians gave the MWC Tournament victors all that they could handle, taking them to two overtimes.  Only the clutch free throw shooting of Kawhi Leonard combined with the defensive prowess of Malcolm Thomas and the stellar all-around play of Billy White enabled them to come out on top by a 71-64 count.  UConn is up next and while they are a formidable foe, the Montezuma Mesa faithful can take solace in the fact that while they did not play near their best and were still able to come out with the win - something quality teams do at this time of year.

The Cougars, on the other hand, struggled in the second round against a weak Wofford team with double-digit losses.  Meanwhile, their third round opponent, Gonzaga, whipped St. Johns by 15, causing their head coach, Steve Lavin, to say that "they are a Final Four team.”  BYU actually came into the game as an underdog, but that changed when the Cougars shot 52% from the floor and 50% from the three-point line.  The latter statistic is usually not altogether significant, but it is when you have 28 attempts.  The result was a 22-point whipping of the 'Zags, 89-67.  

"Jimmermania" continued on schedule as the consensus Player of the Year favorite threw in 34 points. But it was the consistent shooting of Jackson Emery, Noah Hartsock, and Stephen Rogers combined with the all-around play of Charles Abouo and Kyle Collinsworth that catapulted the blue and white to the next round.  Florida is their next opponent - a team they defeated last year in the tournament in double overtime.  

Interesting to note that the MWC has the same number of teams in the Sweet Sixteen as the Big East and the Big Ten.  Only the mighty ACC has more.  As per last week, the dialogue continues regarding this Conference's place in the national conversation.  

It would appear that there is a growing sense of belonging.
See all of Todd Christensen's blog entries HERE.