Who’s ready for the game to just be played already?
There is so much speculation as to whether Vermont can take down Syracuse and so much time to talk about it that some people are starting to actually believe it.
Take for example Catamounts forward Evan Fjeld, who says this could be the year for a first time tournament upset:
“A 16th seed is going to beat a one seed some day,” Fjeld said. “Maybe it will happen Friday.”
It’s never happened, and it’s not going to happen this year either. One-seeds versus 16’s are 100-0 since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Look at these guys. Here is a picture of the Catamounts’ Nick Vier¬†celebrating after beating Boston University to advance to the dance.
You know where BU is currently playing? The CBI. Yeah, the tourney¬†underthe NIT. Didn’t know it exists? Well it does. And this guy is partying like they just knocked off ’96 Kentucky.
Even the AP has started to jump on the second-guessing bandwagon:
“Because if there was ever a bracket where the 1-16 matchup might merit a little more study, perhaps it’s this one: Syracuse vs. Vermont. After all, this upset has happened before, only five tournaments ago.”
Five tournaments ago when Rick Jackson was 15, Brandon Triche was 14 and Griffin Hoffman was still losing his baby fat (but showing off his SU pride).
Hearing the talk of ’05 just makes me feel a little bit like walk-on¬†Matt Lyde-Cajuste on the team’s bus trip to Buffalo.
I’m not sure how many times I can hear the names Sorrentine or Coppenrath without wanting to go crazy at this point.
Saying Vermont could pull a possible upset because it happened five years ago is like saying Gonzaga could make a deep run because Adam Morrison is still growing the same crustache from his college days.
Ain’t happenin’.
And as a topper, T.J. Sorrentine might even be at the rematch:
“If I can get out of work, if my boss lets me go, I might go. It’s a long trip. but I’m stil up in the air. I would like to be there. I hope I can make it beacuse it would be great to be there. It will bring back a lot of memories.”
Somebody tell him he’s got a seat waiting for him… in the parking lot.
