The Cindarella Stories: NCU and GMU

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Those numbers have nothing in common with a woman’s measures or Michelle Pfeiffer’s telephone number, but they are the steps that the two groups of teams have to face in March Madness’ bracket. In the end, there are 5 good things in life: Basketball, Chocolate, Michelle Pfeiffer (or Kate Moss or who you like the most), Michael Jordan’s fadeaway and the Cinderella Story in the College Basketball last year dance.

In the past of this tournament, there are many “Cinderella Stories”, some of these are unforgettable, like Jim Valvano’s North Carolina State University win with “The Team of Destiny”, which during its first training practiced the cut of the net (ritual that happens only after the final win) as a goal and dream to accomplish. In 1983, this determination defeated the great North Carolina and Virginia, led by Michael Jordan and Ralph Sampson. After passed the first stage in a double overtime, they defeated “Phi Slama Jama”s Houston: Akeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Michael Young and Larry Micheaux. Some perfect strangers defeated at the last second six future NBA players, thanks to a prayer shot by Dereck Whittenburg, catch in mid-air by Lorenzo Charles, dunked in the basket, “And the dream come true…”

Dreams, right, dreams… Dreams when they realize stay inside you, some frames of those moments stay inside you, like when she fell asleep on your chest while you hold her and you slowly close your eyes, looking at the shades of her haircut. The dream that impressed me the most in the NCAA Tournament is George Mason University in 2006. The most fascinating thing is that this university has nothing to see with basketball, in its history has never produced a single NBA player, not a chance, and some of its teachers have won the Nobel prize for economics, nothing for basketball.

In 2006, they wear the “Lowly 11-seed” shoe and their partner for the big event is the head-coach Jim Larrañaga. The face and defeat at the first round the Michigan State Spartans, led by Tom Izzo, Shannon Brown, future NBA champion with the Lakers, and Alan Anderson, with the number 6 seed. Jim’s Patriots had something special, every one of them was the perfect fit with another, so they dived on every loose ball, and when they penetrated or defended, they did it for real. Lamar Butler was the spiritual leader of the group, but Tony Skinn was pure adrenaline and then they had Jai Lewis, future NFL player, and Will Thomas, which in his senior year became the best CAA player and Defender of the Year. First historical and unexpected upset, with the best first kiss ever had by your “her” thanks to Folarin Campbel, with a 8 for 8 from the field.

Seen them play is something emotionally unique, the way the look for each other has created an unbreakable trust on the field. Against the number 3 seed NCU Tar Heels, they shock the world coming back from a 18-2 start and then they crush Wichita State and face the favorite of the tournament with the number 1 seed, Rudy Gay, Denham Brown and Hilton Armstrong’s U-CONN. At that moment, only the wind could’ve took away that unknown university’s dreams.

They win at the buzzer, after a prayer rejected by the basket by D. Brown. Immediately it came the cut of the net, to bring it home as a souvenir and they get to the Final Four. The collapsed against Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Hodge, Joakim Noah, Speights and Richard’s Florida Gators at the RCA Dome Indianapolis. They tried till the last second, but the opponents were physically to big and four of them future NBA players. The best picture of that year, thought, was seeing those guys holding each other on the bench and then leaving in tears, but with the consciousness of giving everything they had. No one of them has reached the NBA, some of them played in Europe for a while, other haven’t, but nobody will forget those guys’ race.

An old yiddish say quotes: