Saturday, March 11
UC Davis 50 UC Irvine 47
I couldn't believe it. UC Davis has done what they haven't been able to do in their short division I history: make it to March Madness. I'm excited to watch them, and now I can look back and say that they made it while I did my undergraduate degree.
Sunday, March 12
Best case scenario: 14 seed and playing in Sacramento for proxy home court.
Worst case scenario: 16 seed with no play in game, forced to face a big team right away.
What actually happened: UC Davis was placed in the Midwest section of the bracket. They play North Carolina Central College, a school from Durham, in the first four fixture in Dayton, Ohio. They're a decent team, but everyone is in March Madness. If they win that, they go to Tulsa, Oklahoma to face the 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks. I think this is a good opportunity. We have a winnable game, and then we have a great story to tell potentially about watching the biggest game in school history unfold. You can argue that the NC Central game will already be the biggest, and you're right. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. One step at a time.
Monday, March 13
I found out that the UC Davis basketball team flew directly from their Big West tournament in Anaheim to Ohio for their first match in two days. I can only imagine what they must be feeling. Among pride, nerves, and joy lie expectation. They are representing their school, town, and conference. The Big West is a small conference compared to the more established ones like the Pac 12, Big East, Big 12, and Atlantic Coast Conference, but hopefully they can show what they’re capable of and cause an upset. I do feel like the current playoff system is a bit lax. There are nine teams in the Big West and eight make the playoffs. I know this is typical for college campuses, but if we reduce it to 4-6 teams, not only would it lighten the schedule slightly but it will make the conference play that much more important. Which would raise the level of intensity and make the conference stronger.
Wednesday, March 15
Game day
Most sources seemed to be mixed as to which of the two teams vying for the 16 seed and a matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks would come out on top, but I had faith it would be UC Davis. I know these players and what they are capable of. They had to go home with at least one win and this was their opportunity. The game went back and forth. They were up early on in the half, then they were down 3 at halftime. A part of me felt massive pride when the commentators talked about how good a school UC Davis is, especially among public schools. Chima Moneke, Darius Graham, and Brynton Lemar were among the chief clutch performers down the stretch to preserve the lead. Despite this being their first NCAA tournament game, they didn't look fazed. And it showed by how much less fouls they had than North Carolina Central.
Final score: UC Davis 67 North Carolina Central 63.
This may be a minor result in the grand scheme of things, but it means a lot for us Aggies. I will definitely remember this game in Dayton even though I watched from 2,000 miles away. I go into the match on Friday vs Kansas with no expectations. It's literally Davis and Goliath.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
I read an article that said Davis had a 2% chance to beat Kansas tomorrow. At least they were kinder than Vegas, giving UC Davis 5000/1 odds to win the whole tournament. No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed before. The one good thing about this is that UC Davis has nothing to lose. For these seniors, and in fact the whole team, this season is already the most successful in school history. I don’t think any of these players would’ve dreamed of being in this situation when their college basketball careers started. All the pressure is on Kansas to do what is expected of them. For me, I will never be the most competitive person out there, so I know how to go into either playing or watching games with no expectations and just enjoying the sport. This is like when the Golden State Warriors first made the playoffs after a drought in 2013, or when the United States gets to the knockout stages of the World Cup. The odds are not in our favor, but seize the moment and enjoy it.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Today's the big day!
Back at the same watch party site where I saw the UC Davis/UC Irvine game. It's a weird feeling. I know it's not likely we will win the game, but I am still excited. I think it's because this is more than a game and more than it's result. The school is excited and united. We are filled with pride in our team no matter what happens today!
The first half started off strong with the teams trading leads, but Kansas pulled away and quickly built a sustainable lead. Halftime UC Davis 28 Kansas 50
It would require a huge comeback to defeat Kansas, the likes of which rarely occur. It didn’t, and in fact it got worse. The final score was 100-62 in favor of the 1 seeded Jayhawks.
Initially it was a bitter pill to swallow. I wasn’t upset at the UC Davis team, but I was feeling bad for them because I know this game doesn’t reflect this team’s worth and what they are capable of. Even though the result of this game was confirmed by halftime I still felt invested in this game. I think it boils down to my connection to these players, having befriended a few of them. It’s a different connection than the ones I have with the Golden State Warriors or the Oakland Raiders or Manchester United. But what a whirlwind of fun this tournament has been, and I’m glad for my school to have been a part of it.
Don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happened. And don’t be salty like fans of other teams when they lose March Madness.
