This past weekend indicated the caliber of basketball being played at the collegiate level in this country. Anyone who follows the game must have been very pleased to see the incredible athleticism on both the men and women final four teams. On the women’s side, the University of Connecticut avenged last year’s loss to University of South Carolina. We’re sure it was a sweet feeling for the lady Huskies. UConn now can claim 12 national basketball championships at the collegiate level combining University of Connecticut men and women basketball teams. On the men’s side, for the first time in a long time all four of the number one seeds in each region made it to the finals. The two games on Saturday and last night’s game were outstanding in every way. They exceeded our expectations in terms of competitiveness. An irony in the final game where the University of Florida defeated University of Houston was that this was a form of history repeating itself. In 1983 under Jim Valvano North Carolina State defeated an excellent University of Houston basketball team which included Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde “the glide” Drexler. Houston was known as “pi slamma jamma” and it was heavily favored to defeat North Carolina State. That did not happen. Houston lost that 1983 final just as they did last night. While it’s difficult to console anyone when they lose, it is important to realize that it is only a game. And it’s important to note that everyone did their best to win and that’s all we can ask of those players or of ourselves. If we do the best we can there is no shame in falling short. We hope everyone involved in those games and readers of this blog realize that all you can expect of yourself is to do your best. If you do that you are a winner no matter what the final score is.
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