I Miss March Madness

If we were living in normal times, I would be watching the Final Four this weekend, and the National Championship game on Monday night.  Whether your team makes it to the final or not, it's still always a fun event to watch.  I was especially looking forward to the tournament this year.  

My son and I have been attending NC State games for the last three years.  

He has always paid attention to the games, followed along with the action, and kept track of the score.  This year was a little different in that he actually paid more attention to the individual players on the teams, and also followed the standings.  As long as they were not on late during a week night, we also watched many of the games that we did not attend. 

Favorite NC State player on the men's team is Markell Johnson 

Favorite NC State player on the women's team is Aislinn Konig.  I cannot find a short clip of her playing for NC State, but here is a video of her breaking the single game three point FIBA record playing the Canadian National team.  

 

In all, we went to ten games this year, six men's games and four women's games.  

The women's basketball team plays in Reynolds Coliseum, which is on the NC State campus.  The men's team played here too until the late 1990s when they moved down the street into their current arena, which is actually on the state fairgrounds.  The men's team still plays two games here every year.  Reynolds is smaller and you can hear the players and coaches talking.  The women's basketball team was ranked in the Top 10 for most of the season.  

The women's team actually got to play in their conference tournament before the NCAA canceled the season, and they beat Florida State to win the ACC title.  

 

I have never had the chance to see one of my rooting interests win a National Championship, but I was excited about NC State's chances this year in the women's tournament.  Last year they made the Elite Eight.  I had high hopes.  The little man was looking forward to watching them too.  

They are probably the best team I have followed since the 1993-1994 Missouri men's team, which went through the Big 8 undefeated, and made it all the way to the Elite Eight where they lost to Arizona.  

Melvin Booker, Devin's father, was the best player on that team.  

There is my card for this post.  Amazing.  

The men's team finished fifth in the ACC this year, pretty sure they were going to be in the tournament, but I am not sure how well they would have done.  We went to go see them play several conference games this year.  

They did not play well at other times.  My glimmer of hope for them making a deep into the tournament was the fact that the destroyed Duke this year.  They had them down by as many as 25 points during the second half, and ended up winning the game by 22.  

It was too late for my son to stay up and watch until the end, but he watch the condensed game the next day.  For whatever reason, Duke always has problems playing on the road at NC State.  Is it the rough thirty minute commute to Raleigh?

I am not sure.  State was terrible while I was in school, they still beat Duke at home. 

At least half of the NC State roster had career performances during this game.  

I am happy to be at home, seems like a better option than being at work, and possibly getting sick.    I am happy to have a job.  I am happy to have a little more time with my kids during the day.  I miss March Madness.  

I miss the last second shots.....

Crying piccolo players..... 

Most of all, I am miss watching some basketball my son.  

No, he won't watch replayed games.  "We already know who won this game."