Monday, March 5th, dawns bright and cheery over the State of Nebraska. The Creighton Blue Jays flew into St. Louis and swooped away with the MVC Tourney title. In the process they landed a coveted berth in the NCAA tourney.
Elsewhere in the Valley clouds obscure the sun. In Carbondale, the Dawgs are licking their wounds after a nationally televised thrashing in the Arch Madness finale. Over in Springfield, MO the MSU Bears will be on pins and needles on selection Sunday. In Peoria, Bradley's Braves have a distant shot at the post season after giving the Dawgs fits but coming up short on Saturday.
The Northern Iowa Panthers and the Wichita State Shockers will likely draw the woeful duty of slogging through the NIT. Winning that one is like proving you're the best third baseman in Turkestan.
85,000 people surged through the turnstiles, and dropped an estimated 20 million dollars on St. Louis merchants over the weekend. For that, MVC leader Doug Elgin must be beaming. A new contract to keep the dynamic and exciting tournament in town seems assured.
Chris Lowery might do well to dial up Jerry Kill and arrange a tryout for defensive linemen who aspire to double in basketball. Creighton's Anthony Tolliver proved conclusively, Sunday, that no team is complete without a bruiser in the paint. Not necessarily a guy who can juggle while jitterbugging, mind you, but a guy who can run the floor at 260 and make his opponents look like guys who have run into a lamppost.
Nate Funk is an NBA guy in my book. He has the pro game. That's another reason the blue pennants are waving in Omaha today. He rose above all this weekend and delivered his team to the title.
After disposing of Drake in workmanlike style, 71-59, the Salukis came roaring back late Saturday to clip Bradley 53-51. A capacity throng of over 22,000 was on it's feet screaming as Matt Shaw soared out of a struggling mass of players to drop home the game winner with 3.9 seconds left. Physically and emotionally drained, however, the Dawgs were not the same in the title contest.
After 17 years in St. Louis, Arch Madness has arrived as a true spectacle. It is a welcome late winter vacation for many, who book rooms and make a weekend of it. ScottTrade was mobbed. Bistros were crowded far into the night. Backers of every team mingled and had a marvelous time. Several thousand Dawgs fans hit town barking, but, to their chagrin, left it howling......
Hey, how bout that Saluki pep band? As an old Marching Saluki myself, I gotta say those guys and and gals are fantastic. I really dig their version of "Big Noise from Winnetka". The cheer squad and the Shakers worked mightily to fire up the Dawgs, too.
Now here's the good news. Chris Lowery and company will rise again. On March 11 the name of Southern Illlinois will flash across TV screens nationwide. In the battle room at SIU a handful of young warriors and their courageous coach won't care what seed they get. No longer a team with a lengthy winning streak, they are once again a team with something to prove. Go get 'em Dawgs.......... we're all still behind you.
