'semi-Sweet Sixteen...'

      Time to give the conductor your ticket and get on The Panther Express to Yellow-Jacket Land, the site where this long and incredible first saw daylight four seasons ago. Back then we were ecstatic for The Boys just getting Midd's name on TheBigDanceCard. They were likewise, proud. You know the history since then. Hardwood excellence, national recognition, rewarded every time. Except by the NCAA. And now to the semi-Sweet Sixteen. Gotten beyond my anti-bureaucracy rant (it took a couple of days), fully focused on Rochester, manana, and moving on to the Elite Eight. With JeffB's preparation, know The Boys are as well, and with a chip on their collective shoulder to boot. Clear that Pepin and the roar of the Panther faithful, will be missed, but this is a group that has been rock solid on the road most of the last two years so see no reason for hand-wringing. And the 'D' , Midd's signature, has shown up every night, usually from the tip.

      With Nolan T. on DiBartolomeo (their triggerman and UAA, POTY) my take is that this kid is in for a tough night. Add in Jake and Joey K. to keep tabs on Labanski, one their main bombers from the arc and we should be able to dictate tempo from the 'D' side. Although I haven't seen them, did see MIT at the end of last season, and if MIT could give them fits, then The Boys fit the bill better. Bigger-by a bunch on the inside, deeper (we got great minutes out of Luis Alvarez on Brooks who only rang up 11 vs. his season avg. of 23+), and with 'O' that MIT didn't have, I'd say they are do-able.

      Although home, the Yellow-Jackets fan base is on spring break, as it was in '08, when the crowd wasn't much of a factor. Add that 'TheBigFella', Jamal, & Ryan W. were in this building as frosh. They got beat then, but never folded. Now they are better armed (add 'The Horse'), more balanced, with added incentive (probably pissed at no-Pepin) to prove this is our year. That should be enough to get us to St. Mary's or Buffalo St.. Without having seen either, think that St. M.'s the favorite here, with a bigger frontline and more tourney experience. St. M's obviously good, but mortal on the road (9and5), while this group of seniors was 16-2 on nescac road over 4 years. So if it's the 'SeaTurtles' so be it. Buffalo edged Plattsburgh in their tourney, but had lost twice in regular season, and only squeaked by Colby-Sawyer. That alone is enough for me to root for the Buffalo 'Wings'. One advantage is that Midd gets to eyeball them on Friday.  

      All that having been said, feel 'TheBigFella' is on the edge of a breakout game, maybe because it was here that he first showed the moxie that has made him the premier 'Big' on 'D' in the country. And otherwise we are fully primed. You have to think that road, or not The Panther Express should keep rollin'. Hope you can get there, but it'll be on a webcast. Regardless of the outcome, it's been Midd's greatest season, and although not predicted back then, was the reason that J. Gerald had 'N.I.T.'73' on his plates. Because he believed. All the sweat and efforts of many backing Midd Bball, often in unseen ways, will be on display in Rochester. All we can say to The Boys is ''go get 'em and leave it all on the floor". They're very good at that. From Downtown, where I wish there were 3's back-when, be well. #44.