Winthrop Gets It Right

OK you can see the game highlights here if you want. There is online video of Winthrop beating Notre Dame here, but it was put on youtube.com by CBS Sports, and they dont allow you to put it on your blog.

What is worse, CBS sports has “sponsored by pontiac” highlights of games on Youtube. Basically they are a pioneer in ruining what belongs to the users with their spamvertising, so I have chosed to put this video of Winthrop Basketball by a WU grad, and if your desperate or a sellout you can see the “CBS and Pontiac” game highlights.

Finally getting what they deserved last year, Withrop drops the bomb on a high seed. Last year as you remember Winthrop was a 15 seed that gave the scare of a lifetime and outplayed tennessee for all but 2 seconds of a first round game.

Last year Tennessee was a surprised to be so high seeded, expected to be a 3 or 4. Tennessee was grateful and swore to show they desevred the high seed. They didn’t really do that with a game saving fall away 3 pointer with 1.8 seconds left to save the in the first round.

The reality is now that we look back, Winthrop was just that good. The fact that Winthrop was an 11 seed seems a bit disrespectful.

The tournament experience for Winthrop was most recently taking the 2 seed to the brink with the same players.

This year Winthrop lost only 4 games of 33 played. With a 29-4 record the only teams that have managed to beat Winthrop are four other NCAA teams, 1 seed UNC, 3 Seed Texas A&M, 3 seed Wsiconsin, and #5 seed Maryland.

The only four losses Winthrop has suffered since last years tournament are to 4 teams, all four on the road and all four a #5 seed or higher (Wisconsin game was OT).

When I saw this, it seems this #11 seed was more of an insult than an improvement over last year. The record and track record for this year and last merits perhaps an 8 or 9 seed. Seems Notre Dame shouldnt be ashamed but perhaps angry to be the losing end of bad seeding.

One of the teams Winthrop beat this year that is in the tournament is Old Dominion. They beat OD on the road and are seeded just one slot ahead of OD, as Old dominion is a 12 seed in the NCAA tourney.

While at a glance Winthrop is 29-4 but 1-4 against tournament teams, the committee needs to look closer and see the 4 losses are not against #8-16 seeds but all top 20 teams ranked teams in the nation, and all were road games.

Previously, I had Oregon going a long way in the tournament. They finished the Pac10 Tournament with alot of momentum and playing great, but they just squeezed by a far inferior Miami of Ohio team, and this game between an 11 and a 3 seed has to be seen as a coin toss.

Miami of Ohio was 18-13 this year and took Oregon to a 2 point game, I think this is the year an Eagle graces the sweet 16.

Go local, go Eagles… Go Carolina’s both North and South.