The Games of 2013

What another great year of sports! I was able to check some major things off my "Sports Bucket List." I got to see the Jazz beat LeBron and the Heat for the second straight year in Salt Lake. In March I was able to attend the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, even though Gonzaga lost to Cinderella story Witchita State, it was a lot of fun to go with my mom and dad. The next week Major Leagues Baseball's Rockies and Mariners faced off for a final exhibition game at Spring Mobile Ballpark! You couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The summer brought a lot more Bee's game and also allowed me to develop my fan-hood for soccer and Real Salt Lake. What a great year as they nearly won the MLS Cup in December. Aggie and Ute football filled my fall. Though there were some definite ups and downs (such as the Aggies narrowly losing to the Utes on opening night, which cost me a bet that has made me grow out my hair until the end of college football season) it turned out to be a great year for Aggies in their first season in the Mountain West Conference. The highlight of my year came when I was able to attend my first NFL game in Baltimore. It was also the coldest I've been this year! There were a combined five touchdowns by the Ravens and Vikings in the last two minutes with the Ravens eventually prevailing. The teams I rooted for ended up 12-12-1 (.500) record in games I attended this year. My worst record since I have been keeping track but the memories surely won't be forgotten.

For the previous "Years in Review" click here.

Men’s College Basketball 

Record in Games I Attended:  3-4

01/09/13 Utah vs. UCLA L, 53-57 Huntsman Center, SLC, UT
01/27/13 Utah vs. Stanford L, 56-87 Huntsman Center, SLC, UT
02/02/13 Utah vs. Colorado W, 58-55 Huntsman Center, SLC, UT
02/28/13 Gonzaga at BYU W, 70-65 Marriott Center, Provo, UT
03/23/13 Gonzaga vs. Wichita St. L, 70-76 NCAA Tournament 3rd Round 
03/23/13 Arizona vs. Harvard W, 74-51 NCAA Tournament 3rd Round 
11/30/13 Utah St. vs. BYU L, 74-85 Energy Solutions Arena, SLC

College Football 

(all Utah State games at Romney Stadium, all Utah Games at Rice Eccles Stadium)

Record in Games I Attended:  4-4

08/29/13 Utah St. at Utah L, 26-30 
09/07/13 Utah vs. Weber St. W, 70-7
09/14/13 Utah St. vs. Weber St.W, 70-6
10/04/13 Utah St. vs. BYU L, 14-31
10/12/13 Utah St. vs. Boise St. L, 23-34
11/02/13 Utah St. vs. Hawaii W, 47-10
11/09/13 Utah vs. Arizona St. L, 19-20
11/30/13 Utah St. vs. Wyoming W, 35-7

Utah Jazz

(all games attended at Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT)

Record in Games I Attended:  1-4

01/14/13 vs. Miami W, 104-97
02/08/13 vs. Chicago L, 89-93
02/27/13 vs. Atlanta L, 91-102
10/30/13 vs. Oklahoma City L, 98-101
11/11/13 vs. Denver L, 81-100

Real Salt Lake 

(all games at Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT)

Record in Games I Attended 3-0-1

07/03/13 vs. Philadelphia T, 2-2
08/24/13 vs. Columbus W, 4-0
10/23/13 vs. Chivas USA W, 2-1
11/10/13 vs. Portland W, 4-2 Second Round MLS Playoffs

Other Events 

Record in Games I Attended 1-0

03/30/13 MLB-Colorado Rockies vs. Seattle Mariners- MLB in SLC  
                        Spring Mobile Ballpark, Salt Lake City, UT
12/08/13 NFL-Baltimore Ravens vs. Minnesota Vikings W, 29-26
                        M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

Utah State vs. Kansas State Game Preview

No. 12 Utah St. (30-3) vs. No. 5 Kansas St. (22-10)

Thursday, March 17, 2011 • 7:57 p.m. (MT)

Tucson, Ariz. McKale Center (14,545)

Aggie Radio Network • TruTV

SCOUTING KANSAS STATE

Kansas State is 22-10 on the season and finished in a tie for third-place in the Big 12 Conference with a 10-6 league record. KSU had won six straight games before losing to Colorado, 87-75, in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Big 12 Tournament. The Wildcats are 5-5 on the road and 1-3 on neutral courts this year and are led by senior guard Jacob Pullen who is averaging 19.5 points and 3.7 assists, while shooting 41.6 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from three-point range and 77.5 percent at the free throw line. Sophomore guard Rodney McGruder is averaging 11.4 points and 6.0 rebounds, and senior forward Curtis Kelly is averaging 10.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. As a team, Kansas State is averaging 73.1 points and shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range and 64.7 percent at the free throw line. Defensively, KSU is allowing 66.0 points and its opponents are shooting 42.0 percent overall, including 34.8 percent from three-point range and 70.4 percent at the free throw line. Kansas State returns two starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team that went 29-8, finished in a tie for second-place in the Big 12 Conference with an 11-5 record and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament as it defeated No. 15 seed North Texas (82-62), No. 7 seed BYU (84-72) and No. 6 seed Xavier (101-96 2 OTs) before losing in the West Regional Final to eventual national runner-up Butler, 63-56. Frank Martin is in his fourth season as the Wildcats head coach and has a 94-42 (.691) record.

UTAH STATE VERSUS KANSAS STATE SERIES HISTORY

Utah State and Kansas State will be meeting for the fifth time in series history this week with the Wildcats holding a 4-0 advantage. The first game played in the series was on Jan. 3, 1950 season with KSU winning at home, 70-45. The Wildcats also posted a home win on Dec. 9, 1950, 66-56. KSU's only visit to Logan was on Dec. 31, 1987 with the Wildcats winning, 81-69. The last time the two teams met was on Nov. 30, 1988 in Manhattan with Kansas State winning, 86-67.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE STATE OF KANSAS

Utah State is 8-13 (.381) all-time against teams from the state of Kansas as it is 6-4 versus Wichita State, 2-5 versus Kansas and 0-4 against Kansas State.

UTAH STATE VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS

Utah State is 12-58 (.171) all-time against ranked opponents, which includes a 6-15 (.286) record under head coach Stew Morrill. The last time USU played a ranked opponent was on Feb. 19, 2001 when it won at No. 23 Saint Mary's, 75-65. USU is 1-2 against ranked teams this year as it lost at then No. 14 Georgetown, 68-51 and lost at then No. 23 Brigham Young, 78-72. This is the first time in school history USU has played four ranked teams in one season according to available records.

UTAH STATE VERSUS THE BIG 12 CONFERENCE

Utah State is 16-36 (.308) versus current members of the Big 12 Conference as it is 1-0 versus Baylor, 5-18 versus Colorado, 2-2 versus Iowa State, 2-5 versus Kansas, 0-4 versus Kansas State, 1-1 versus Missouri, 0-2 versus Nebraska, 0-1 versus Oklahoma, 2-0 versus Texas, 2-1 versus Texas Tech and 1-2 versus Texas A&M. The last time USU played a team from the Big 12 Conference was on March 19, 2010 when it lost to fifth-seeded Texas A&M, 69-53, in the first round of the South Region in Spokane, Wash. The last time USU beat a team from the Big 12 was on Dec. 12, 1987 when it won at Texas, 80-75, in the Longhorn Invitational. USU is also 1-3 versus current members of the Big 12 in the NCAA Tournament as it lost to Oklahoma (50-39) and defeated Texas (51-49) in 1939, lost to Kansas (64-61) in 2003 and lost to Texas A&M (69-53) in 2010.

Utah State's second-round matchup with Kansas State is the only game with two top 25 teams playing one another as USU is ranked No. 17 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and No. 19 in this week's Associated Press Poll, while Kansas State is ranked No. 24 in the coaches' poll and No. 21 in the AP poll.

UTAH STATE IN ARIZONA

Utah State is 6-5 all-time in games played in the state of Arizona. The last time USU played a game in the Grand Canyon State was on Nov. 30, 1999 when it lost at Northern Arizona, 64-52. The last time Utah State won a game in the state of Arizona was on Feb. 11, 1967 when it won at Arizona State, 90-59.

12 SEEDS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

Since the NCAA Tournament went to a 64-team format in 1985, 12th seeds in the tournament have an overall record of 54-104 (.342), which includes a 35-69 (.337) record in the first round. Since 1985, at least one 12th-seed has defeated a fifth-seed in the NCAA Tournament every year except 1988, 2000 and 2007. Last season, the No. 12 seed went 1-3 vs. the No. 5 seed, finishing 2-4 overall in the tournament. Last season, 12th-seeded Cornell defeated fifth-seeded Temple in the first round and No. 4 seed Wisconsin in the second round, before falling to No. 1 seed Kentucky in the Regional Semifinal.

UTAH STATE AS A 12 SEED

Utah State is a 12th-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time since seedings began in 1980 and is 1-5 all-time as the 12th-seed. In fact, the last time USU won a game in the NCAA Tournament was in 2001 when it was a 12th-seed and defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State, 77-68, in overtime in the East Region in Greensboro, N.C. Overall, this is the third No. 12 seed for Utah State in its last four NCAA Tournament appearances and second in a row, as last year, 12th-seeded Utah State lost to fifth-seeded Texas A&M, 69-53, in the first round at Spokane, Wash.

2011 Bracket Challenge

It's March Madness baby! Enter the the12thGreen.blogspot.com Bracket Challenge! Free entry, with a $5 cash prize to the winner! Must be a blog follower to be eligible. Follow the link below to enter!

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/group?groupID=116913
Group: The 12th Green Sports Blog
Password: the12thgreen

Going Dancin'

Finishing off a near perfect season with a WAC Tournament Championship, to compliment the regular season championship, the Aggies are headed back to the Big Dance! A little bit of a bummer with the bracket seeding gives the Ag's a tough opening round opponent in Kansas State. A full game preview to come later this week.

My Top 10 Sports Moments of 2010

My annual list of unforgettable sports moments from the past year. This isn’t necessarily a list of the biggest events of the year, just a list of moments that I will never forget.

10. Never Ending Tennis Match
I am not a huge tennis fan but I will never forget the 22nd through the 24th of June when John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played the world’s longest tennis match. It was impossible to turn off the TV! “Isner, Mahut, Isner, Mahut” when will it end?!

9. 2010 PGA Championship

A controversial finish on the 72nd hole left Zach Johnson out of a playoff for the championship where Martin Kaymer beat the long hitting Bubba Watson for his first major championship. Tournament golf at its finest!

8. The Decision
Oh LeBron… Anybody who is reading this most likely already knows about the shenanigans that LeBron James pulled this summer. To break up with a whole city on national TV is heartless and definitely unforgettable.

7. NCAA Basketball Championship
The ultimate David vs. Goliath Story, almost, as the Butler Bulldogs nearly upset the Duke Blue Devils! I know I thought that Hayward’s shot was going in!

6. Canada/USA Olympic Hockey
Wow. You couldn’t ask for a more thrilling game in one the premier events of the Winter Olympics. Both teams really came to play on the sport’s biggest stage and then for the games star to win it in overtime, just classic.

5. Year of the Pitcher
Oh what was that? Another no hitter? Yup! There were six no-hitters, err should have been seven if Armando Gallaraga’s would have counted, including two perfect games in the 2010 MLB season. None of the games were more special though than my #2 Moment of the Year.

4. The 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach
The tournament wasn’t the most exciting but that fact of the matter is, I was there and it was beautiful. To watch the world’s best golfers up close and personal in one of the games four majors is amazing!

3. “Beat the Heat”
November 9, 2010. The day Paul Millsap brought his talents to South Beach. This was just the beginning of what has turned out to be a good season for my Utah Jazz. Make sure to watch the video clip attached to the link.

2. Unhittable Halladay
Rarely does anybody watch an entire baseball game the whole way through (especially on TV) but on this occasion, when Philadelphia Phillie Roy Halladay took the mound in the first game of the National League Division Series playoffs I don’t think I missed a pitch. It is amazing to see person do an almost perfect job at anything.

1. End of a 17 Year Drought

Anytime that something doesn’t happen for as long as time as 17 years, it is definitely going to be worth remembering. Though the Aggie football season didn’t go all according to plan I had to give the victory over arch rival BYU the top spot for the year. We absolutely handled those egotistical Cougars in their favorite sport. It definitely is nice to have some bragging rights for a while!

Alright there is my list! I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear your moments of the year! Happy 2011!

Some moments were close but didn’t make the cut… Boise State Football Loses to Nevada, Saints Win Super Bowl, Giants Win World Series, Utah Jazz Upset Nuggets in First Round of NBA Playoffs, Michael Vick’s Return as a star

The 2009 List

John Wooden 1910-2010

As you probably already know, John Wooden passed away last night. Wooden is regarded as one of the greatest coaches ever. His UCLA teams won 10 NCAA Championships, including 7 in a row. He also coached teams to three undefeated seasons. More than a coach, Wooden was a great man. When UCLA wanted to name their basketball court after him, he refused for it to be done unless his wife's name was included. The school said okay and agreed to name the court John & Nel Wooden Court. Wooden said that would just not do, and insisted the court be name Nel & John Wooden Court. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the man:

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation,
because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely
what others think you are."

"Don't mistake activity with achievement."

"The people who turn out best are those people who make the best out of
the way things turn out."

"Discipline yourself and others won't need to."

"Be quick, but don't hurry."

"The true test of a man’s
character is what he does when no one is watching."

"If you don't have time to do it right,

when will you have the time to do it over?"

"Talent is God given. Be humble.

Fame is man-given. Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given. Be careful."

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

The Best in Week in Sports

It all starts tonight, the best week in sports!

Tonight-
The Final Four
Butler vs. Michigan State & West Virginia vs. Duke
Who woulda thought it would come down to these four teams! I don't really have an overall favorite but I would love to see Butler and West Virginia in the final.

Tomorrow-
MLB Opening Day
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
One of the greatest and oldest rivalries in all of sports. It's the 2,065 meeting of these teams. The Yanks are defending World Series Champions.

Monday-
NCAA Championship

Thursday-Next Sunday
The Masters
"A Tradition Unlike Any Other." The years first major and the offical start of golf season. Tigers return is the biggest storyline.

All Week
NBA Playoff Race
NBA players actually playing basketball! Teams battling for position and the final sports. Hopefully the Jazz can hold on the the 2 or 3 spot in the West!

All Week
2010 MLB Season
Can't wait to watch the Phillies and their new weapons! Back to the World Series!

Sometimes Less is More

This week, amid what has been one of the most exciting and fun to watch NCAA Tournaments that I can ever remember, the NCAA has been trying decided if they should expand the tournament from the current 65 teams to 96 teams, with each regions top eight seeds getting a bye. Now that's madness if you ask me! Why fix something that isn't broken! Here is why I don't like it!

1) The champion is already in the field of 65. The 31 teams that will be added will be middle of the road, average teams, only diluting the field.

2) The new format will replace the NIT. The NIT is a necessary tournament for young teams and gives them postseason experience of more than one game.

3) Giving teams a bye, gives them an advantage. More rested legs, more time to prepare and the teams will probably have the opportunity to watch the live game between the teams that they will be playing.

4) Takes away from conference tournaments and Selection Sunday. I like conference championship week almost as much as the NCAA tournament itself. Teams from bigger conferences having to make runs in their respective conference tournaments to get in Big Dance, the smaller conference schools leaving it all on the line knowing that this is their one shot to make it.

5) The NCAA Tournament will no longer be a reward for a good season. If there are 96 teams selected, this years mediocre North Carolina would have been in even with their 16-16 record.

Basketball analyst, Jay Bilas said that the tournament will be great either way, but expanding it will probably make it a little less great. Dick Vitale wishes the NCAA would come out and say this move is primarily for money reasons. And that's really what the move is for, the almighty dollar. Maybe the NCAA should realize the earning power of football playoff system and leave something that's as close to perfect as you can get in sports alone!
NCAA Expands March Madness To Include 4,096 Teams

In a Year Full of Cinderellas, the Aggies can't Dance with Their Two Left Feet

It has taken me nearly a week to write this blog. I have been just so distraught about our loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Texas A&M that I haven't really wanted to think about it since then. Not so much that we lost, all but one team will eventually lose, I'm more upset about how we lost. I honestly believed this year would be the year that we would break through to at least the second round.

Maybe I am just getting too greedy though. I love my school and I love our basketball team and they had a great season and one loss isn't going weaken my affection for them one bit. Besides I spent my childhood years rooting for Idaho State who never came close to even making the Big Dance, much less winning a game if they ever got there. We had a good season and a good team, we beat BYU, who won a first round game, had a heartbreaking five point loss to St. Mary's, who is in the Sweet 16, and dominated a Witchita State team who was competitive all season long with Northern Iowa, a team who knocked off overall #1 seed Kansas last weekend.

It has been a year completed dominated with story lines of upsets and Cinderella teams such as the aforementioned St. Mary's and Northern Iowa. The Ivy League's Cornell even made it to the Sweet 16. Murray St., Ohio, and Old Dominion each pulled off first round upsets as well. The little guys are putting there mark on this years tournament, showing they can play with the teams from the six power conferences.

So whats missing for the Aggies? Coach Morril said that our team hadn't played anyone as good as Texas A&M. Maybe it's time to swallow some of that "not playing anybody unless they play home and home" pride. If we go on the road and get beat but get the experience necessary to win a tournament game, wouldn't the loss be worth it? I think so. I would love to see us play at least two schools from power conferences in the preseason every year. Be it we play them away, in a holiday tournament, or even in the friendly confines of the Spectrum. Us playing the teams could be the missing link to a NCAA Tournament victory. Look at Cornell, they played Syracuse and Kansas in the preseason. Northern Iowa plays in-state rivals from power six conferences in Iowa and Iowa State. As I was looking at the schedules of these "Cinderella" teams, all had played at least one "big" school prior to the tournament. It's time for the Aggies to do the same!

My preseason predictions for the Ag's were not too far off. We had 27 wins, were regular season champions once again, and I DID get to sing the Scotsman after we beat BYU on my birthday! Not to bad of a season. With four returning starters in their senior season next year, I'm already ready for the next edition of Utah State Aggie Basketball!

Battle of the Aggies: March Madness Style

For the third time in the last five games and the fourth time this season the Utah State Aggies will take on another Aggie team. Here are some facts and figures breaking down tomorrows matchup.

#12 Utah State (27-7) vs. #5 Texas A&M (23-9)
Friday, Mar. 19, 2010 • 2:45 p.m. (MT) • Spokane, Wash.
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (12,210) • Aggie Radio Network • CBS

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M is 23-9 on the season and finished in a tie for second-place in the Big 12 Conference with a 11-5 league mark. The Aggies, who are 5-5 on the road and 8-8 away from home, defeated Nebraska (70-64) and lost to No. 1 Kansas (79-66) in the Big 12 Tournament and are currently ranked 23rd in the nation. TAMU is led by senior guard Donald Sloan who is averaging 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while senior forward Bryan Davis is averaging 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. As a team, Texas A&M averages 71.8 points and is shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 66.1 percent at the free throw line. Defensively, the Aggies allow 64.9 points and its opponents are shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from three-point range and 70.6 percent at the free throw line. Texas A&M returns two starters and 13 letterwinners from last year's team that went 24-10 on the season and finished tied for fourth-place in the Big 12 Conference with a 9-7 record. The Aggies defeated Brigham Young, 79-66, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Connecticut, 92-66, in the second round. Mark Turgeon is 72-30 in his third year at Texas A&M and 225-149 in 12 years as a collegiate head coach.

UTAH STATE VERSUS TEXAS A&M SERIES HISTORY
Utah State is 1-1 all-time against Texas A&M as it defeated the Aggies at home, 94-71, on Dec. 10, 1963 and lost to TAMU, 78-73, on Dec. 14, 1983 at the Indiana Classic in Indianapolis, Ind.

OTHER GAMES AGAINST TEXAS A&M THIS YEAR
Utah State Football played against the Aggies of Texas A&M in College Station, Tex. on Sept. 19, 2009. Utah State lost 30-38 in the first meeting between the schools football programs.

VERSUS THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
Utah State is 2-3 versus teams in the 2010 NCAA Tournament as it defeated Brigham Young (71-61) and New Mexico State (81-63), and lost to Saint Mary's (68-63) and New Mexico State twice (55-52, 69-63).

THE WAC IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Western Athletic Conference has had a team advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament 10 times in the last 13 years. The WAC has also had at least two teams participate in the NCAA Tournament 20 times in the last 24 years. Overall, WAC teams are a combined 35-68 (.340) in the NCAA Tournament. The last time the WAC had two teams in the NCAA Tournament was in 2008 with Nevada and New Mexico State.

12TH SEEDS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Since the NCAA Tournament went to a 64-team format in 1985, 12th seeds in the tournament have an overall record of 52-100 (.342), which includes a 34-66 (.340) record in the first round. Since 1985, at least one 12th-seed has defeated a fifth-seed in the NCAA Tournament every year except 1988, 2000 and 2007. Last season, the No. 12 seed went 3-1 vs. the No. 5 seed, finishing 4-4 overall in the tournament, the second year in a row that the 12th-seed had a 4-4 record.

UTAH STATE AS A 12TH SEED IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Utah State is a 12th-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time since seedings began in 1980 and is 1-4 all-time as the 12th-seed. In fact, the last time USU won a game in the NCAA Tournament was in 2001 when it was a 12th-seed and defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State, 77-68, in overtime in the East Region in Greensboro, N.C.

UTAH STATE IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Although Utah State travels in and out of Spokane every year to play the University of Idaho, Utah State hasn't played a game in the state of Washington since Nov. 28, 1986 when it won at Washington, 81-72.

UTAH STATE IN MARCH
Utah State is 41-20 (.672) in the month of March under Morrill, which includes a 23-8 (.742) record on neutral courts. Utah State is also 0-1 in known games played on Mar. 19 and 77-15 (.837) in games played on Friday under Morrill.

UTAH STATE ON NEUTRAL COURTS
Utah State is 2-1 this year and 34-17 (.667) on neutral courts under Morrill. During the last three years, Utah State is 19-8 (.704) on the road and 23-11 (.676) away from home.

AGGIES AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Utah State is making its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, its seventh in the last 11 years under head coach Stew Morrill and the school's eighth in its last 13 years. USU has gone to the NCAA Tournament (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010) or the NIT (2002, 2004,2007, 2008) 12 times in the last 13 years. Overall, it is USU's 19 NCAA Tournament appearance in school history (1939, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010). Utah State has played in the NCAA Tournament 10 previous times since seedings started in 1980 and the Aggies were listed as the 11th seed in the West in 1980, 10th in the Midwest in 1983, 10th in the Midwest in 1988, 12th in the West in 1998, 12th in the South in 2000, 12th in the East in 2002, 15th in the West in 2003, 14th in the Chicago region in 2005, 12th in the Washington, D.C. region in 2006, 11th in the West in 2009, and 12th in the South in 2010.

Bracketology

My Actual Picks
Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanoca
Kentucky over Syracuse in the Championship

These are my official picks out for the bracket that I actually have money on. Kansas, Kentucky, and Syracuse have been consistent all year. I'm looking for Villanova to upset Duke in what I believe is the easiest region, the south. Syracuse will be able to take down overall number seed Kansas before falling to Kentucky and John Wall in the Championship.

Mascot Bracket
Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Duke
Duke over Georgetown in the Championship

A Hoya, Panther, Wildcat, and Blue Devil. The Blue Devil's have the most power being a spirit creature.

Wouldn't it Be Nice If
Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia, Utah State
Utah State over Syracuse in the Championship

Ah... I've got to be true to my school! Vegas has the Aggies odds at 500/1 to win it all, but how sweet it would be to raise the National Championship banner in Logan! The other three teams are my favorites out of there respected regions, I like these teams and would be happy to see any of them win a National Championship.

And we wait...

It was tough, it was bloody, and in the end it was a loss.

The WAC Championship was the rubber match in this seasons Battle of the Aggies. This time, our foes from New Mexico State came out on top. It was last week at this time when we beat this same team by 18 points and were cutting down the cuts nets at the Spectrum to celebrate a third straight regular season title. Now that team has ended our 17 game winning streak and will cause us to wait an agonizing 16 hours to see if the selection committee chooses us as a member of the "Big Dance."

All in all we should be in the field. We have an RPI of 31, had the nations second longest winning streak prior to tonight, the ESPN Bracketologists had us as lock after the win over Boise State on Thursday, and the man who knows the team best, Coach Morrill, said that we should be in!

The Aggies are still considered a team that "should be in" but no longer a "lock" after tonight's loss according ESPN's Joe Lunadri. However, teams like Mississippi St., who plays for the SEC Championship tomorrow, and Illinois, who took #7 Ohio State to two overtimes tonight, are considered out. A few years back the Aggies were a top-25 team and left out on Selection Sunday, be it they still playing their conference ball in the less prestigious Big West. More disheartening news, in the last two years, three teams with 26+ wins have been left out of the tourny.

So for now, Aggie Nation patiently waits. Going over stats and ratings and maybe praying a little in hopes that our name will be called tomorrow afternoon!