Kentucky/Cornell Running Diary

Unfortunately there hasn't been a lot of content lately considering we're in the midst of the greatest sporting event in the world. To make up for it I'm going to try to do a running diary of my most anticipated Sweet 16 Match up: #1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell. I can see this game going one of two ways. I can see Kentucky running them out of the building right away or I can see Cornell leading most of the game and then Kentucky's athleticism taking it back at the end. I hope I'm wrong. Unfortunately for Cornell, Butler already had a big upset tonight so I don't know how much room there is for two in one night.

The line is Kentucky -8.5 which does seem kind of high since Cornell is legit but I couldn't touch it. For fun though I took Ryan Wittman Over 3.5 three pointers made. I figure for Cornell to win Wittman has to hit shots and if they get blown out they'll be chucking threes to get back in it. It seemed like a low number for such a great shooter so it's obviously a trap.


10:08 - Tie up, taking a charge! Cornell came to play!

10:11 - Wittman 1!!!! Big 4 minutes. Now I'm glad I did this running diary.

10:16 - There is nothing like fighting a cat off who is trying to knock over your wine glass...I mean beer stein.

10:20 - This 12-0 run is no fun. 14-10 Kentucky.

10:27 - This is part of the beauty of this game, Jeff Foote was a walk on at St. Bonnies and transferred to Cornell and now he's backing down potential NBA players and is on pace for a double-double in a Sweet 16 game.

10:38 - I thought guys from Cornell were supposed to be smart? Why is Louis Dale setting up run outs for Kentucky?

10:42 - Maybe it's because I'm not 6'9" and have never played above the rim but I never understand how guys don't understand when they are goal tending. 23-16 Kentucky.

10:45 - Kentucky is impressing the hell out of me. I knew they were athletic and awesome but I thought their youth would be stymied my Cornell's patience and that hasn't happened. Kentucky is up 9 but if you told me they were up 9 with only 25 points with less than 3 minutes left in the first half I'd have thought you were some unbelievably creative analogy for crazy.

10:52 - 30-16 Kentucky. I'm saying it now. Cornell is done. 13 minutes since Cornell has scored. I hope I'm wrong.

10:54 - 32-16 at the half. How is Cornell supposed to score when they can't even complete a pass? The first 5 minutes of the 2nd half are going to be huge. Cornell has to come out on some kind of 12-2 type run to get the crowd back in it.

Keith's Self Serving Half Time Rant - I'm a die hard St. John's fan. As if the season wasn't embarrassing enough, we got turned down by a guy (in Paul Hewitt) who once pretty much said St. John's was his Dream Job. A part of me thinks he left the decision was left all up to his family. He's been a Georgia Tech for awhile now and he has tween and teen daughters that probably don't want to switch schools. His wife was quoted as saying "no news is good news" when asked about the potential of Paul Hewitt coming to St. John's which makes me believe his wife was against it. Either way it looks like it's Seth Greenberg and Cornell's Steve Donahue. I'm going to assume that guys like Pitino are off the table so if I had my choice, I would go with Greenberg first and Kevin Willard second. I know Willard would almost be the same as Norm Roberts experience-wise but if you're going to strike out with the A-List, why not go with the Pitino bloodline. Hewitt was no great shakes. Look at the Georgia Tech message boards. They are pissed Hewitt is staying. I'll take that as a sign.

11:19 - How Steve Donahue starts off this half is huge in my irrelavent recommendation for St. John's next coach. CBS as actually switched games.

11:26 - I finished my 1.5 liter bottle of wine. Moving on to Smithwick's. It's beer after wine and you'll be fine, right?

11:34 - I'm on Kansas State/Xavier now. I want Gus Johnson there for the birth of my son in June.

11:40 - CBS switched back to the Kentucky game. I don't know how I feel about that. There is something about the game flow that makes me believe that Cornell bettors aren't getting their cover. CBS has to devolop the split screen.

11:47 - Kentucky is playing Cornell's game but telling them they can do it better. 40 points with 6:20 left. They can score 40 in a half blind folded.

11:52 - 10 point game with 4:23 left. They've been respectable but not the game I expected.

11:59 - I think I'm done with Kentucky/Cornell. It was a nice dream. Lets go to Kansas State/Xavier OT!!

12:08 - The fact that we got Gus Johnson in this K-State/Xavier game is a gift. 86-84 K-State

12:11 - Holy crap!!!! K-State/Xavier going to double overtime. This Kentucky/Cornell game will finish as a 12 point game but it wasn't that close. I'm done posting til I feel like doing it at the end of this session. Kentucky up 15....Xavier with the first bucket in OT

12:26 - This K-State/Xavier game is fun. Xavier down 1 with 25.1. It's Gus Johnson time!!!!

12:33 - K-State held them off. If betting were legal I would have taken them -5 and would have pushed ;)

Now that we have the winners tonight I think Kentucky is the team to beat. Kentucky did not seem freaked out at all by what Cornell was throwing at them. I can't believe Butler or Kansas St is going to make the Final 4.

Goodnight everyone