Last night was kind of a flashback for me, rooting for underdog Butler against basketball powerhouse Duke in the NCAA final game.
I was an Indiana University basketball fan back in the Bob Knight days and my enthusiasm hit its high-water mark when Keith Smart nailed the buzzer-beating last shot in the 1987 championship game against Syracuse, giving I.U. a 1-point win.
I was hoping for the same kind of joyous miracle last night when Gordon Hayward launched his desperation 40-foot shot in the final second of the game. It almost went in, which will be one of the all-time most famous “almosts” in college basketball history.
Even so, the Butler kids had 90 percent of the crowd rooting and praying for them. Polling people today who watched the game, it’s hard to find a Duke fan, especially among folks who aren’t Duke alumni. Seeing an underdog team perform so brilliantly was like watching “Hoosiers” all over again.
Now I can go back to not caring about college basketball for another year.
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