March Madness: Georgia Tech surmounts Oklahoma State

It was about this time last year when I found a way to watch basketball without getting bored or distracted: keep my eyes on the players not holding or dribbling the ball.  As a viewer and admirer of aesthetic athletics, I still haven’t quite clicked with this sport yet.  You know that moment when you know in your heart (or gut) that you are or most definitely are not in love with someone?  or that moment when you understand your purpose on this planet?  Well, I haven’t had such a moment with basketball…not televised basketball at any rate.

My basketball-loving friend strongly recommended I watch the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys tonight in the second round of March Madness at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.  He implored, “If there is ever a georgia tech basketball game for you to watch–even though i know you watched one of our biggest games in the past few years last sunday vs. duke–it’s our game tonight because this is the first NCAA tournament game we’ve played in since 2007; it’s on CBS in its entirety.  If we lose this game, our season is over; survive and advance.  Single elimination, that is what makes the NCAA tourney so much fun.  Both teams are playing with their season on the line.”

So, I watched it.  GaTech spent much of the game in the lead or tied with Oklahoma State.  With four minutes left to play, the Yellow Jackets were 54 to the Cowboys’ 52.  Two minutes later, GaTech 60 and OKSU 56.  Twenty seconds later, Oklahoma State got three points.  The Yellow Jackets went on to beat the Cowboys 64 to 59.

Watch ming watching the second half.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel were the commentators.

2.  Basketball game-play is pause-and-go.

3.  Paul Hewitt has been head coach at GaTech for ten years.

4.  The court at the Bradley Center is the color of sand and is much more pleasing in terms of televised sports mise-en-scene.  The players did not disappear into the floor.  The basketball hoop, however, tended to blend in with its surroundings.

5.  There’s no space for mental rest or assurance in basketball.  A team down by ten to twenty points can easily close the gap, tie, or take the lead.  In football, though, two to three touchdowns worth of points in the second or third quarter offers both the players and the viewers enough perceived security not to be on edge the whole time.

6.  Basketball players’ gestures of courtesy and etiquette do not come across as “affection” the same way as they do in football.  When basketball players help each other up from the floor, it looks completely in character, normal.

After the game, my friend and I convened via chat and he had the following to say:

That was such a solid win by tech.  It may have been our best game the entire season. We certainly saved our best for last.  24 of 25 from the free throw line.  That was amazing.  AMAZING!  Considering WE ARE ONE OF THE WORST FREE THROW SHOOTING TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY (327 NCAA DIVISION I SCHOOLS!!)  To shoot 96% from the free throw line was unbelievable, UNBELIEVABLE.  We shut down arguably the best shooting guard in college basketball tonight.  He was so highly touted coming into this game…the nation’s 3rd leading scorer… he was ineffective this game because of our great defense!

The last time we faced oklahoma state was in the 2004 final four… we beat them at the buzzer to advance to our first ever national championship game.  The NCAA selection committee likes to pair up teams with interesting storylines
EVERY year.  Some examples from this year, apart from our game:
1. wake forest vs. texas… both teams did great to start the season (texas, in fact, went 17-0 and rose to #1 in the country) before both teams fell apart on huge losing streaks to end the regular season… so the committee matched those two up in round 1… someone had to go out with a win!
2. temple vs. cornell. temple was the atlantic 10 conference champion. cornell was the ivy league champion. cornell’s head coach used to be an assistant coach for temple’s head coach. so the NCAA selection committee matched up master vs. pupil.
3. clemson vs. missouri. tigers vs. tigers.
4. texas a&m vs. utah state. aggies vs. aggies.

When I asked about the venue, he added:

“It’s where the nba’s milwaukee bucks play.  It’s also a special site for georgia tech for 2 reasons:

1. In 1992, we had the “miracle in milwaukee” buzzer beating shot to upset USC.  It is still to this day one of the greatest moments in NCAA history – same building!

2. In 2004, it was the site of our 1st and 2nd round games (same as this year) on our way to the 2004 final four AND national championship game – the furthest our program has ever gotten.”

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.