Lazy Politicians Let UW Huskies Down
Oh, to live in a state like Kansas, where legislators have their priorities straight.
Last Thursday, the Kansas senate adopted a resolution that "the Kansas University men’s basketball team should no longer play teams that start with the letter 'B' in March." This after KU's loss to Baylor in the Big XII tourney, and recent NCAA tourney upset losses to Bucknell and Bradley.
The University of Washington men's basketball team has its own tournament nemesis--the University of Connecticut. UConn has dealt our Dawgs two heartbreaking losses in the NCAA tournament in the past decade--on a last-second shot in 1998, and in overtime in 2005.
Yet, did our state legislature take any action in advance of Sunday's tourney draw? No. Instead, they were holding hearings on such critical issues as "Regarding live nonambulatory livestock."
And when the NCAA drew up their tourney bracket, the Kansas legislature got their wish: KU will play 'B'-less North Dakota St. As for UW: Thanks to our do-nothing legislature, the Washington men are once again on course for a tourney matchup with UConn.
Both Washington and Connecticut ended up in the same half of the same region, and if both teams win their first two games, UW and UConn would play in the regional semifinals--just as they did in '98 and '05.
Fact: Should the Huskies lose to Connecticut again, any nonambulatory livestock which happen to be within kicking range will have a lot more to worry about than getting their property taxes raised or whatever the legislature wants with them.
Mind you, UW needs two wins even to get to UConn, a difficult task given their draw. Typically a number 4-seed like the Huskies are will play some no-name school from a rinkydink conference. The Huskies got SEC tournament champions Mississippi State. Ouch.
The Dawgs will have the benefit of a near-home-court advantage, as they'll play at Portland's Rose Garden. The first-round game is at 1:45 p.m. Thursday, on CBS. Should the Dawgs win, they'll play Saturday, also in Portland, against the winner of Purdue/Northern Iowa.
Other Northwest teams who've made tourneys:
- Gonzaga, a #4-seed in the NCAA Tourney, will play the Akron in Portland on Thursday at 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
- Portland St., a #13-seed in the NCAA Tourney, will play Xavier in Boise on Friday at 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
- Washington St., a #7-seed in the lesser NIT, will play at St. Mary's Tuesday at 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Oregon St. made the even-lesser CBI (which doesn't seed), and will host Houston Wednesday at 7 p.m. (HDNet)
