Tomorrow's Headline Today: UMass Wins NIT, Loses Coach
Where does an NIT championship rank in the levels of achievement in men's college basketball? That's one of life's burning questions, really. Can we equate it to an NCAA Sweet Sixteen berth? An Elite Eight appearance? A play-in round win? I don't know the answer, but I do know UMass's run through the NIT has this alum feeliing... hmm... what's the opposite of shame? Oh right - less shame.
It's been a decade since UMass fans have had anything to get remotely excited about, but we've finally moved on from the Bruiser Flint and Steve Lappasreigns of terror regimes with a hot young coach who learned from Pitino and smacks of Calipari. Tonight's NIT Championship against Ohio State should've been a mere stepping stone to greater things in 2009 and beyond.
But alas, I knew it was too good to be true. I woke up this morning to Meter-Parel's sportsflash telling me Travis Ford is the leading candidate for the LSU job. The pessimist in me says he's gone, and the optimist in me died when Marcus Camby left. Big job, big conference, he ain't sticking around Amherst much longer, not a southern boy like Ford.
But Travis, it's been fun. Thanks for breathing a bit of life into the corpse that was UMass basketball. I wish you could've stuck around for a few more years, but if an NIT championship is your crowning achievement, so be it. It's pretty much on par with a Final Four berth in my eyes.
The Mayor is a contributing writer to Boston Sports Buzz.
UPDATE 4/4 (Boston Sports Buzz): Ohio State took home college baseketball's runner up trophy with a 92-85 victory over the Minutemen. Buckeyes fans can rejoice in the fact that their team gets to take home some championship hardware and UMass fans can take solace in the fact that it's a far cry from the bling that was on the line for Ohio State last year when they lost to the Florida Gators in the NCAA Championship Game.
It's been a decade since UMass fans have had anything to get remotely excited about, but we've finally moved on from the Bruiser Flint and Steve Lappas
But alas, I knew it was too good to be true. I woke up this morning to Meter-Parel's sportsflash telling me Travis Ford is the leading candidate for the LSU job. The pessimist in me says he's gone, and the optimist in me died when Marcus Camby left. Big job, big conference, he ain't sticking around Amherst much longer, not a southern boy like Ford.
But Travis, it's been fun. Thanks for breathing a bit of life into the corpse that was UMass basketball. I wish you could've stuck around for a few more years, but if an NIT championship is your crowning achievement, so be it. It's pretty much on par with a Final Four berth in my eyes.
The Mayor is a contributing writer to Boston Sports Buzz.
UPDATE 4/4 (Boston Sports Buzz): Ohio State took home college baseketball's runner up trophy with a 92-85 victory over the Minutemen. Buckeyes fans can rejoice in the fact that their team gets to take home some championship hardware and UMass fans can take solace in the fact that it's a far cry from the bling that was on the line for Ohio State last year when they lost to the Florida Gators in the NCAA Championship Game.
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