Well, the games known as "The Sweet Sixteen" among NCAA basketball teams have been completed. Two No.1 seeds are gone: Gonzaga U. beaten by the Arkansas Razorbacks(Hogs), and Arizona beaten by U. of Houston. Now fans will enjoy the results of an historic victory by a team from New Jersey: The Fighting Peacocks of St. Peters in Jersey City, NJ. The team from the small Jesuit school is now a media darling: the current definition of the "Cinderella" team. For the first time in NCAA history, a 15th seed has advanced to the "Elite 8" round of tournament play. All their opponents were expected to roll over the upstart and send them to the dust bin of history. But, after surprise, surprise, they are now in the thick of it. Coached by a young man with ambition, this team of talented youngsters will now demand new attention.
Their ascension to the "8" came after beating the favorite Purdue U. in a contest that saw numerous lead changes and tied scores from beginning to end. Purdue, led by 7'4" Edey, was intense as they came out firing, demonstrating command in the paint. But a scrappy defense by St. Peters gave notice to all that they came to play. Early on, it became obvious that the officiating was to be tight, unlike the NBA. Fans of basketball may have forgotten what such officiating looked like, but the difference was there in front of all. Members of the NJ squad were in foul trouble by the end of the first half. Their coach now had to rotate players from the bench to ensure enough playing time for his starters would take them deep into the 4th quarter of play. Turnovers by Purdue began to affect the score as takeaways and mishaps by the tallest players on the court increased pressure on the team. St. Peters never lost their focus: defense, defense, and more defense. The relentless pressure caused Purdue to miss more shots, and slowly but surely, the Peacocks took the lead.
Long ball -3-point shots-made inroads into each team's slim lead. Timely shots gave hope only to be questioned by a deadly 3-ball from the perimeter. Jersey City's 'Hope' did not give up on their own tactic: charge the paint- and point guards forced the Boilermakers to spread their defenders and open the middle. As the seconds ticked down, St. Pete's lead was continually threatened. At the end, a Boilermaker 3-ball hit the rim-it would have made it a tie game- and it was over and history was made.
March Madness No. 1 continues, as does March Madness No. 2. And what is No. 2? Ukraine and its invasion by the Russyan Army in south central Europe. In what was known after the US informed the world, an invasion occurred on February 24, 2022. In 3 different locations, Russyan forces began the ongoing attempt to take over a sovereign nation by force, the first such action since 1945. Mad Vlad, the Kremlin's house Dictator-in-Chief, announced to the world that certain action was needed to erase Nazis that had overtaken a country that is really, historically, Russyan, and w needs to be retaken to the fold by armed troops/planes/and ships. Scenes of modern assault actions abound from Kharkiv in the east, Mariupol in the south, and near Kyiv in the north where troops descend from Belarus. The madness does not stop as millions of Ukrainians flee the advance of deadly soldiers intent on carrying put the orders of Mad Vlad Putin who personally makes the Nazis look good. The EU and its members, NATO and its members, recoil in shock as the US president Biden speaks to the unity of the opposition supporting Ukraine against the invasion.
This March Madness No.2 will play out longer than the NCAA Tournament for sure. How will it end No. 2, one can only speculate at this point. The future of Europe and Ukraine remains unknown 1 month after this demonstration of Russya's inability to stay sane.
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