Happy Monday!
• One weekend of H.S. State Championships in the books, one more on the way. What a great time to watch sports in this state.
I have broadcast nine playoff games in the last three weeks. (OK, I understand that’s really not that much, but I have a full-time job that does take some of my time.) Only one was a blowout, and in seven of the other game came down to the final possession and two went to overtime with trips to the state tournament on the line. There were final shots to win the game in back-to-back contests one night made by players that had not scored a point in the previous 31:56 of play.
This playoff season has been so much fun with so much emotion. It’s sad that it’s almost over.
• Congratulations to OCU’s Charlton Jones, MVP of the Sooner Athletic Conference men’s tournament. Jones averaged 18 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game over the three-day period. The Stars were the No. 7 seed and took out the top two seeds on the way to the championship.
Oklahoma City has punched its ticket to play in the NAIA national tournament.
• Gonzaga is the new No. 1 team in the country in Division I. The Bulldogs are at the top of both the AP and USA Today polls. Good for them!
At 29-2, they deserve the No. 1 ranking. And although many say that the Bulldogs wouldn’t fare as well against opponents in some other conferences, we’ll probably never know because many of those opponents wouldn’t invite the Zags to be in their conferences. Why? Because this would mean at least one trip to Seattle each season. And that’s not going to happen with some of those ‘power’ teams.
On a personal note, I had the opportunity to see Gonzaga coach Mark Few up close at a coaching clinic in Las Vegas a few years ago. My wife and I were incredibly impressed with his teaching skills as well as his personal skills and overall demeanor. It’s always good to see one of the good guys get the recognition he deserves.
Let’s see if this team can grab a No. 1 seed at the Big Dance and then how far it can go.