Pretty Good for A Couple of Smart Guys

I need someone to explain this to me. Why exactly is it a surprise that Cornell is in the Sweet 16? Am I the only one who saw this coming? Through 2 rounds my NCAA bracket has SUCKED, thanks in large part to the Big East's decision to not show up. However, the one thing I can say is that I had the Big Red beating their first two opponents. The fact that people are having spastic heart attacks over this is a little idiotic.

To start with, let's get on the NCAA Selection Committee, because they caused most of this commotion. How on Earth is Cornell a 12-seed? The team went 27-4 in the regular season, and two of their losses were on the road to #1 seeds in Kansas and Syracuse (both of which were close games mind you... they were leading the Jayhawks at the half). They were at one point ranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll. I cannot comprehend how Missouri, Clemson, BYU, Old Dominion, and Florida were all seeded higher than the Big Red. Missouri was blown out twice by Kansas and beat a spiraling Texas team. Clemson had two wins over Top 25 teams, one of which was #13 North Carolina, who went to the NIT. That win is captivatingly unimpressive. BYU went 28-4, but had a resume that was as pathetic - if not more - as Cornell's. Old Dominion beat Georgetown in Washington, DC, so they get brownie points there. Other than that they are a very unflattering team. Florida beat #2 Michigan State early in the season, but went 9-7 in the SEC, which is okay at best if you leave out Kentucky.

Don't get the wrong idea about this team folks. This is not George Mason. They are much, much better. George Mason slipped by teams and had everyone on the edge of their seats, which is probably what made them so lovable. But the Big Red haven't done that through their first two games. They didn't need to hold on for dear life. They weren't playing survive and advance. They went out against Temple and Wisconsin, punched both teams in the mouth, and kicked the living crap out of them. They were up on the Owls by 19 before Temple made a 6-0 run over the last 3 minutes to end it. Before Wisconsin could blink they were down 16-4 and by the second half were completely overwhelmed. Cornell was merely more dominant for all 40 minutes of both games. Not bad for a couple smart guys from Ithaca, New York eh?

Sure, they stumbled a little bit with a truly awful showing at Penn, who at the time was 3-15. But that was a month ago. Let's see what else has changed in the last month:

THEN: Charlotte, Rhode Island, UAB, Tulsa, Dayton all received votes for the Top 25 polls.
NOW: None made the NCAA Tournament, and only URI was a controversial snub.

THEN: After a convincing win over #7 West Virginia, the UConn men were a lock for the Big Dance as long as they showed up in the last week of the season and the Big East tournament.
NOW: 4 straight losses later, the Huskies were NIT bound, and after barely beating Northeastern, their season ended Tuesday in Blacksburg, Virginia at the hands of Va. Tech.

THEN: Republicans were fighting hard with the Democrats over the health-care reform process.
NOW: There are a lot of pissed off GOPs out there.

THEN: The Big East was the conference.
NOW: 5 of the 8 teams to reach the NCAAs lost in the first round, 2-seed Villanova barely beat 15-seed Robert Morris then lost in the 2nd round.

THEN: Corey Haim was bringing entertainment much joy.
NOW: May you all bow your heads in silence.............................................
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Thank you. Now stop reading this and don't come back until you've watched License to Drive and Lost Boys.

Clearly, a lot can happen in a month. Plus, every team is allowed a slip-up right? Last year Michigan State lost at home to Northwestern and they made it to the title game. Kansas lost at home to Oklahoma State in 2008 but won the national championship. If a team has an off night in a game outside of March, it's not the end of the world. It's only when it happens every other game that it becomes a problem. The smart guys from Ithaca can get a pass for that.

To call Cornell a Cinderella story is ridiculous. Cinderella has to come up from nowhere to rise to success. George Mason did that in 2006. Villanova did that in 1985. If you ask Kansas or Syracuse, they'll tell you the Big Red are very much somebody. It could be easy for a team to go into the Carrier Dome or Allen Fieldhouse and get rocked. Sure Cornell lost both games, but not without putting up a fight. And now they are in the Sweet 16, taking on what is probably the most talented team in the country in Kentucky. If the Wildcats were to lose it would be an upset, but I hope John Calipari doesn't take this new "Cinderella" nicely. If he does, expect the boys of Cornell to smack him over the head with the glass slipper.