The Epic - Live Blog

Uconn v Syracuse
-A couple quick thoughts before the tip. The video montage ESPN plays before the games reminded me of a couple things. 1-that shot by Brandin Knight came really, really close to going in. 2- Ray's floater in the Allen/Allen game still gives me goosebumps. 3- Stanley must still be embarrassed by the way Joe Alexander (white guy) threw it in his face last year.
-Also, DeJuan Blair is a fat sack of shit. That effort by Pitt was costly. The only solace I take from it is how much easier it just got to win the tournament.
-Also, James Harden is by far the best NBA prospect in college. Anyone who takes Blake "Mini-Boozer" Griffin over Harden is a fool. Griffin's athleticism is what allows him to dominate the weak Big12, but that doesn't translate to the NBA where everyone is a freak. I have absolutely fallen in love with Harden. He's Baron Davis - it's just tremendous.

First Half
20:00 - Bob Donato and John Cahill on the game. Good by me, for now.
-Calhoun had said earlier in the week that Haralson (?!?!?!) might get the start over Austrie, but he opted to go with Kemba and move AJ to the 2. I like that.
19:50 - Raff: "Hey Sean, he's killin me! And Jay, 2-3 zone with some man-to-man principles!"
19:40 - McDonough: "Syracuse in the Digger Phelps orange highlighter uniforms tonight."
13:40 - Does anything kill more possessions at the college level than alley-oop attempts? This annoys me to no end.
12:10 - Haralson checks in. He runs like Greg Oden, which is not a good thing. Add that he's 19 and yet severely balding and Scottie Haralson is the Benjamin Button of college basketball. He is calling for the ball and looks aggressive for the first time all year, so maybe he can contribute. Were going to need it against the zone.
11:46 - And the ball goes flying through Haralson's hands and out of bounds. Nice call, Todd.
11:27 - You cannot make this shit up: McDonough: "Gavin Edwards trots in, His dad Earl Edwards played in the NFL for 11 years." It's like the sun coming up in the morning...
7:43 - Stanley with the breakaway windmill!
Raftery (apoplectic): "There's a lot of neighborhoods in New York, but this is Mr. Robinsons! Send it in!"
-Stanley even got back on D and attempted to draw the charge. His energy has been excellent tonight. Going to need that...
5:43 - Also, did you know that AJ Price's father Tony played for Penn? And that they went to the final four in 1979? Really, you never heard that before?
0:33 - Andy Rautins father played at Syracuse and McDonough used to get tea-bagged by him. Now that we've covered all the players with basketball parents we can have a clean second half.
0:15 - Price scores to put UConn up 37-34 at the half. Raftery: "Price, on-the-money-with-that-delivery!"

Second Half:
19:10 - AJ scores on a breakaway and forces up a stupid foul from Paul Harris. CRACKHEAD, CRACKHEAD, CRACKHEAD!
17:28 - Stanley throws down his third alley-oop of the game. That's 13 for him, Uconn leads 44-40. Raftery: "Robinson, the-elevator-man!"
16:05 - Shit. AJ picks up his third. I'd like to see him back between 10:00 and 8:00 depending on the score. It is MSG though, so I've got faith in Kemba. Never bet against a city kid in the Garden.
14:19 - WOW - AJ back already. I mean, Kemba had one bad possession, but I would've let him go some more...but I'm not in the Hall of Fame like Jimmy.
11:30 - For a gang-banging punk, Gerry McNamara sure ended up with a pretty hot white chick.
10:58 - Stanley with another vicious dunk as I do my best Kemba Walker screaming and chest hitting impersonation in my living room.
Raftery: "He brought Adrien with him! Yo, Adrien!"
10:34 - Craig Austrie shouldn't be allowed to shoot anymore. At least Stanley has confidence tonight -let him shoot.
9:52 - Nine blocks for UConn so far - take that Mississippi State! Erick Dampier isn't walking through that door.
8:24 - Onganaut took it hard at Stanley and you could see him have flashbacks to Joe Alexander as Stanley went for the block. Astronaut makes the free throws and its tied.
7:52 - Rautins and his fag-hawk make a three putting the Cuse up 54-51. This is very disconcerting. When it seems like you're killing a team all night and can't get any separation...that's generally not good.
7:34 - Craig with a huge three! what does he think this is - Quinnipiac??
6:01 - Terrible play by Craig, gives up a wide open jumper from the elbow in favor of getting stuck in the air and making a terrible pass that ends up in the front row.
5:46 - Stanley needs to start making some fucking free throws...
3:56 - Syracuse pushes to it's largest lead. My purchase of more bourbon earlier today is starting to look pretty savvy, this is depressing.
2:56 - Stanley continues to play his ass off. Fouled, at line down 5 - what are the chances these go ...Oh! There's one! ...misses the second but Thabeet with board and its to the line as both teams in double bonus - favors Uconn big time.
-makes em both - we got a pulse! down only 2!!
2:25 - AJ airballs a set play from out of bounds, Stanley - who else- with a huge board and put back! It's tied! ohhhhhh Skeet skeet skeet!
-They just put Stanley name on fire, ala 90's NBA Jam, during the timeout.
2:10 - Stupid foul on Kemba - free throws. God dammit thats bad
McDonough - "Devendorf is one of those point guard who keeps both teams in the game" He's like a white Edgar Sosa.
1:42 - AJ FORCED THE SHIT OUT IT! Terrible shot FUCK ME
1:02 - CRAIGGGGGGG hits the three to make it 67-68.
Raftery: "Austrie with the early onions!"
0:49 - AHHH nooooo. Awful tripping call on Price. Devo makes them both for 70-67.
0:29 - Thabeet with spinning bucket in traffic. 70-69. We've done a nice job beating the press with Adrien or Stanley slashing to the top of the key and finding Thabeet in Adrien's case or Stanley taking the elbow jumper. So we got that going for us, which is nice.
0:27 - Edwards intentional foul on Astronaut. He sucks from the line...misses the first! Only one guy on the line for Cuse- wierd...makes the second 71-69
0:01 - TERRIBLE possession but Kemba gets the loose ball put back! 71-71. Never bet against a city kid in the Garden
0:00 - Devo made it. NO NO NO it's gonna be called off. I told you John Cahill was a good ref! 5 more minutes baby and how hard is it if you're Syracuse to rally from that and play. wow

OT
4:27 - Astronaut fouls out. Lots of guys on the verge - Fouls, sadly, will determine the outcome.
4:12 - Thabeet on the floor! way to sell out big fella! channeling my inner Billy Raff
3:19 - Harris draws the And-1 on Stanley. You crack smoking motherfucker. 75-74
2:53 - Jeffrey with the long jumper. my reaction : No no no! (scores) Yes yes yes!
1:56 - Devo hits Adrien on the break like he thought Jeffrey was a woman. AWFUL no -call. He was right in Mike Donato's grill and NOTHING.
1:23 - MR ROBINSON'S NEIGHBORHOOD! 80-76 as Stanley nails a three
1:06 - Raftery: "A lot of intestinal fortitude from-both-clubs!"
0:37- another terrible possession that ends in AJ chucking something a mile in the air. Not good. Very un-Uconn like the way our crunch time plays have run tonight.
-consider me petrified with a one point lead and Cuse ball...
0:15- great look by Cuse with Rautins straight on. Good contest by Stanley, got the board, but got fouled and he cant shoot....not out of the woods yet. Stanley 1of2
0:5 - tied game...
AHHHHHHH awful look by Kemba- use your speed to get to the hole! christ!

Double OT
5:00 - by the way, are you fucking kidding me with this game...?!!?
-Last double OT'er i remember was that Brandin Knight game i mentioned earlier
-Doesnt fatigue have to catch up with the Cuse on the second night.
4:09 - terrible foul by Adrien. Concede the basket and move on. Idiot
-everyone on the floor for UCOnn has 4 fouls except Kemba....Oyyyy
3:33 - Harris misses easy breakaway layup. He must be high on crack...
3:11 - Gavin sucks.
2:40 - AJ makes one, 84-83
1:58 - Donato with what I admit is a bad call on Devo. That's a no call. I heard the whistle and thought it was on Craig...He makes both free throws, 86-83
1:43 - Jeffrey with bitch ass foul on Flynn. 86-86
1:18 - Onauku fouls out - Thabeet makes 1of2 - 87-86
0:57 - stupid reach foul on Austrie. Not thinking. 1of2, 87's

3OT
-are you fucking kidding me???
-that Arby's commercial totally just kicked my munchies into full gear...
4:37 - AJ motherfuckin Price - 90-87
3:49 - Thabeet at the line, makes 1of2 - ya gotta try to win this game in the first two-three minutes - everyone is so tired its possible. 91-87
3:!2 - the Price is Right! 93-87. Thats almost like a three possession game. Legs are so tired at this point that it's gonna be very hard to make long shots.
2:59 - Stanley fouls out. I saw a walk on Rautins, and a turnover, but not a foul. Im not sure about that. Great night for Stanley though. He was the only guy on the floor who outplayed Raftery, who had a great game. 2of2 93-89
2:54 - AHHH my god! Awful job by Kemba. Turnover on the press and foul on Jeffrey (4). So no clock and its 93-91.
2:53 - Instant Karma's gonna get you, its gonna knock you right off your feet. Devo tick tack on AJ. 2of2 -95-91
2:39 - Rautins can have that long three for the rest of the game...
2:03 - Jeffrey on the put back 97-91
1:37 - great body control by Thabeet on the drive by Harris. Ill give those two points. 97-93
1:00 - Jeff chokes the ball away, easy breakaway dunk for Harris. 97-95. Harris walked, but were in MSG so NBA rules apply. Five steps for everybody!
0:53 - Jeffrey at the line - 0of2 but Kemba get the board - he has had some HUGE offensive boards tonight.
0:25 - Craig misses a three, but gets his own board! out to AJ and he's fouled
0:21 - NO NO NO - AJ misses first FT....makes second
-Rautins drains a long three and UCONN decides to run more horrible last second offense. Long three by AJ and OT here we go again

4OT -
Seriously though...what the fuck
4:24 - with four himself Thabeet draws the charge on Jackson, thats five, SEE ya!
3:51 - Thabeet throws the crackhead out of the way, thats 5 on him. At least we have more depth..???... 17, 14, 6 in 53 minutes
-Harris ties the game at the line, 100's
3:30 - AJ is a killer...102-100
3:12 - No thabeet and the middle is wide open... 102's
2:50 - Kemba's three just looked like one of my shots. lots of glass, no good
0:38 - how did johnny flynn miss that?? 104's, uconn ball. lets see if we can run something other than a last second deep three...
0:00 - hahahahaha ohhh man, lets just call it a tie.

5OT - first of the year in NCAA
-we have big trouble without Thabeet. I thought AJ made the floater. How in the hell did Harris miss those. And great great great no call by the Refs. just tremendous.
3:20 - AJ makes the jumper 106-104 Raftery: "He's got legs, hes got ONIONS!"
2:01 - Devo fouls out reaching on AJ. He walks over to the bench and punches the water girl in the face. Cuse replace him with a walk-on. Watch, He'll proly make the game winner now...
-AJ 2of2 from line , 108-104
1:40 - Craig lays out a red carpet for Flynn. 108-106
-Commercial for Snickers. Never seen it before. Patrick Ewing dunks on a guy, his nickname is "Patrick Chewing" - which i believe was also his nickname in the court documents from the Gold Club case.
0:59 - Gavin fouls out - Flynn at the line with 2 to tie. Scottie Haralson back in.
Flynn 2of2 - 108's - 6OT anyone??
SCOTTIE HARALSON!!!! 110-108
0:20 ahhhhh no he picks up the foul on Flynn. They are still playing Flynn the same way off the high screen, funneling him to the hoop...excpet Thabeet isn't there anymore! gahhhh - 2of2 - 110's
0:15 - Time, Uconn - get to the hole!
noooooooo come on, another horrible shot by AJ from three. you have no legs, youve played like two games, everyone is in foul trouble. drive the fucking ball. again and again and again- im losing my mind watching this.

6 OT
-I hope you had the over....
this game is going to be decided by walk-ons. Jimmy Veronick posting up Justin Thomas, just watch.
4:50 - how does andy rautins do it? 110-113
2:34 - game. fuck. Harris got Singler'ed by the rim, got it back and got fouled. Not good. 118-112
2:!4- George Blaney jsut picked his nose.
0:00 - Im bummed, but i feel terrible for the team. this is gonna be tough to come back from. if we get through the second round ill be pretty pleased. they never stopped playing hard
-cuse was 24of28 from FT in OT crazy

Post-Game
-Next week = San Diego 2.0 anyone? I'm so disgusted right now, particularly because I think we played pretty damn well, and still lost. It ceased to even be a game after the second OT - it just became a war of attrition through fouls.
What's most saddening is the big picture on this year. I mean it's almost worse than 2006 because these kids are so easy to like. Just a great team of great players and this is what we get. And all these North Carolina doppelgangers talk about how good they could be if they had Zoeller and Ginyard all year. They all conveniently forget that we could be trotting out Nate Miles (zone killing shooter we've missed since Rashad), Majok (Jimmy says he'd be playing 20-25minutes), and The Chuckwagon (supposedly playing much better since going academically ineligible). Oh, and Jerome dyson. Just a terribly upsetting game and you get the feeling that it's going to be that kind of postseason.
Oh, and the worst part - now you wont be able to turn on the TV all day tomorrow without seeing clips of this game.
But- at least we padded our block total. so we can still recruit big men with that nice stat.