Nothing But Iron: NBI Madness Marches On by Steve Lagman, M.D., C.A.S.W. March 25, 2007 OK, I lied. It’s not next year. It’s not even April. Yet, I write another issue. I keep having thoughts about things you might want to read. The thoughts appear at night before I fall asleep. I have them in my dreams. They awaken me in the morning. They intrude during the day. It’s the exact opposite of writer’s block. Writer’s flood, I guess. My Badgers are hibernating, but there is still good basketball to be watched. The best I have seen so far? Saturday’s Division II Championship game, which I accidentally TiVo’d thinking it was the first Elite 8 game. And, yes, I realize that is not a complete sentence, but I don’t care. With half a minute left, undefeated defending champion Winona State held a 5-point lead on soon-to-almost-be runner up Barton College. Players on the Bulldogs bench had begun to hang their heads over the impending loss. I was about to stop watching, but I stayed to watch Jonte Flowers (Michael’s brother) celebrate the title. Then, without any warning, like dark rolling clouds or thunder or lightning or air raid sirens, a most improbable sequence of events erupted, which I cannot repeat here because I don’t have permission from CBS, the NCAA or the RIAA. On second thought, OFI. I tell you anyway, but please contribute to my defense fund: 1) Barton jumper. Winona by 3. 2) Barton player steals in-bound pass, dishes to teammate, who scores, and is fouled. Misses free throw. Winona by 1. 3) Barton fouls. Flowers makes first, misses second. 4) Barton player drives, reverse lay-up, scores. Tie game. 5) Winona player receives in-bounds pass, dribbles in traffic, crosses time line, ball is stolen from behind, passed back down court. 6) Barton player scores lay-up as time runs out. Bulldogs win. Winona State does not win. 7) In a classic addition of insult to injury, Barton player removes his jersey, tosses it in the air. Jersey lands on the head of a Winona State player. Anthony Atkinson, who scored 10 points in 39 seconds (29 for the game), including the tying basket, the winning basket, and a critical steal and assist, was more than the MVP. I think he should get his own cartoon character. Atkinson is a super hero if I ever saw one. For the Flowers family, it was not a good month. I hope there will be better months ahead, at least for Michael. I will watch this finish again and again to be sure I did not make it up. I will show it to my kids so they learn to believe. I will show it to my wife for its aphrodisiac effect. The story in Division I is not so compelling. The story in Division I is that there is no story, or at least no best sellers, like George Mason’s run to the Final Four last year. This year there are known good teams playing other known good teams, which is the novelty equivalent of Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. I should not be complaining, because the postseason could be far worse. It could be football. At least the four teams who survive this weekend will have earned the right to go to Atlanta. At least the champion will wear its title with legitimacy. At the time of this writing, Oregon is holding its own against Florida. I have a mild vested interest in this game, given that Florida is the champion in my bracket. Because of poor decision making early on, I can no longer win the pool, but Florida can keep me from sinking even further into its murky depths. If the Ducks win, that will almost constitute a story on its own, but it will take a Georgetown victory in Game 2 to deliver the pseudo-drama of ongoing sibling rivalry. Past champion, Brother Bruce, who has quietly held second-to-last place since the inception of this year’s Pride Pool, has Georgetown as his champion. Bruce is so far behind the leaders, he has no hope of winning, but he could save face by passing me. You will surely hear from him if he overtakes me, and you will surely hear from me if he fails. Last year’s champion, Son Connor, lost his champion (Kansas) yesterday. Connor is two points behind me, and (I think) cannot pass me, but I don’t taunt 14-year-olds. Patrick sits atop the family leader board in 8th place. His bracket is intriguing; he also has Georgetown slotted to win it all. If that happens, he will likely catapult to the top spot. In that sense, I am in a no-lose situation. Georgetown loses, Bruce loses; Georgetown wins, my kid wins. Words of advice to Georgetown: 1) Box out. I have never seen so many offensive boards and tip-ins as I saw in the North Carolina win over USC. 2) Do not get a double-digit lead too early. A sixteen point lead is nothing more than false security. If you feel yourselves pulling away, just stop shooting. 3) If the game gets tight, travel, but don’t get caught. Just a word about that: Despite what genius commentators say, it is not illegal to lift your pivot foot. It is not traveling until the player puts his foot back on the floor. Did Jeff Green travel before the winning basket? Yes, he did, but it was subtle. It took me five TiVo replays to see it. He traveled because he had established his right foot as his pivot foot. When he turned the pivot foot came off the floor, just a little, and returned to the floor. He then turned to shoot. At that time he lifted his right foot, but did not put it back down. Notice also that his left foot did not pivot. That too, would have been illegal, since you cannot have a second pivot foot. In short, he did travel, but it was much more subtle and forgivable–certainly less obvious than Greg Oden’s ignored intentional foul last week–than television's so-called experts made it seem. I invite commentary from readers who have knowledge of the rule book. I acknowledge the possibility that I am full of it + sh. Lastly, as I consider the Magnificent Seven and Oregon, I try to imagine the Badgers beating any of these teams. My heart says Wisconsin could have won, but my mind plays like an unlucky slot machine; every time I pull the handle, the Badgers come up bar-bar-lemon. It could be that this 30-win season was less a disappointment than a satisfying display of over achievement. It’s something to ponder. Tubby Smith at Minnesota? Early predictions suggest Smith will be the answer to Minnesota’s woeful program. Logic and Smith’s record support it. The other possibility is that Minnesota is so screwed up that it can screw this up too. Will it be harder for the Badgers to recruit in Minnesota? Probably. The same could be said for Iowa, now that Steve Alford is gone. Maybe we can get some players out of New Mexico. Know who Mike Conley, Jr.’s biggest fan is? That would be me. Why? In a small part it is because I am a basketball fan. I am wowed by his abilities. Talk all you want about Oden, it is Conley that makes OSU go. Mostly I applaud Conley because I am a Badgers fan. Oden is not the only player who could and should be in the NBA next year. My hope is that the Buckeyes will win the crown, then, while cutting down the nets, Conley (on the ladder) will look Oden in the eye and they will say in unison, "Our work is done here." Nobody states the obvious, but Jr. is NBA ready as a freshman. If I had an NBA franchise (I don’t), I would sign him in the time it takes to convert a reverse double-pump lay-up between three defenders. ______________ Nothing But Iron is an amateur sports column. OFI is an RPA (Registered Profanity Acronym). This issue is dedicated to the NCAA selection committee, who really got it right this time. ©2007 DrTM Enterprises. All rights reserved.