I am just saying

I hate to play the SEC got dissed card, but I will. Of the Big 6 conferences ONLY 1 Conference didn’t get BOTH teams that played in the hoops tourney finals into the Men’s NCAA field – THE SEC.

On the eye test---- did Miss St play as well or better than GA Tech or The Golden Arches (Have you ever noticed the “M’s painted on their staircases in their coliseum?), umm Gophers down the stretch? Of course taking the # 2 team to double overtime was a statement that they belonged in the field.

So why is MSU left with a consolation prize? I know RPI was weak, but they SCHEDULED UCLA; they can’t help that the Bruins were lousy & played in a horrific PAC-10 this year. It is important to note that Miss St trounced ‘em by nearly 20 points, in THE John Wooden Classic, at Pauley Pavilion back in December.

As I lay the scenario out remember two tidbits: 1) Dan Guerrero was the NCAA Selection Chairman AND the Athletic Director of ….drum roll….UCLA. 2) Recall the name of Renardo Sidney.

Renardo Sidney, Jr is a PF (6-10 250) that is originally from MS, left to go play AAU BB w Reebok in LA, went to Fairfax High School basketball factory. Coming out it is down to UCLA or USC. He commits to play at SoCal. There was a teensey weensy little problem @ USC, regarding Men’s Hoops – AJ Mayo and Tim Floyd scandal is breaking out; and BY APPEARENCES it seems more stuffed shoe boxes were being delivered to Renardo Sidney, Sr. who was living in a $1.6M home off a AAU BB HC salary (b4 mentioned team that Jr was playing on- Sound vaguely familiar, cough, Reggie Bush???). The NCAA had cleared Sidney to play for SoCal. Pops and son reconsider and decide to move back home. Rick Stansbury and MSU step in and show the love, by all accounts without the extra beenies and boxes. He signs a LOI w MSU; however the NCAA doesn’t clear him academically this time. The final ruling is that Renardo Sidney is forced to sit out this year while – AFTER ALREADY BEEN CLEARD ONE TIME THRU THE NCAA’S OWN CLEARINGHOUSE!

Fast Forward to this past Sunday, Minn and Miss St are left on the Bubble. Now by all accounts you have 2 under performing teams both reached the conference finals, both had to have long runs in the tournament, both did. One lost by 20; the other took a #1 seed team to double overtime. The team that looked WORSE, by a wide range, got IN- huh???!!??

I am just saying that Dan Guerrero had a couple of LARGE motivations to look for the negative reasons as to why to exclude MSU (vs include ‘em in the dance). One, he gets a measure of payback on a public, professional level from MSU for showing the Bruins up pre-Christmas at Coach Wooden’s Holiday party (UCLA played 3 other non conference teams that got in – lost to all also, but by MUCH smaller margins; Butler by 2; Kansas by 12 and ND by 11) and on a private, personal, professional (pardon the pun) level of payback at Renardo Sidney for originally choosing SoCal and NOT CHOOSING UCLA –TWICE, with one anonymous vote in favor of Minn. Second, surely no other team under consideration has fought the NCAA harder than MSU this year, to get Renardo Sidney cleared. Some of the back and forth has been “chippy”. There was no way on Gawds Green Earth that MSU was going to get rewarded by that same body. There are no emails of course to prove the allegation, but YOU KNOW that was whispered in Dan Guerrero’s ear somewhere in a hallway, and the message was clearly received, as evidenced by the results.

That scenario is all speculation and conjecture without any solid evidence that Renardo Jr or Sr received any payment from USC or Reebok or booster, that Dan Guerrero acted in any other way but with the highest degree of ethics as Chairman, or that any NCAA official(s) pressured, coerced the committee in any way to vote in favor or against any team. Nor did the NCAA provide the committee with any non biased statistic that would naturally lead to a conclusion ---- Just don’t leave common sense at home on the way out the door.

It is not like MSU was a #7 seed or #4 in the other division, no they were the # 1 seed in the West. What happened to all the pinhead's palaver that once Kentucky is relevant again that will make the entire SEC significant? What is concrete, what is real, is that once again the SEC, the South gets the snubbed again! Minn.--Cheese ‘n Rice. Utah St---Jeez.

As Dickie V would say, I’m going Bananas, Baby with a capital B!! And I don’t even like the other DAWG!

The NCAA DISSED MSU and THE SEC!!!

Sidebar topics: It is a National Championship Tournament and neither should be in the field. Trim not expand ----AAU BB and recruiting the most disturbing influence, facet, relationship that the NCAA has. ---The NCAA has an incestuous fascination, this bro-mance, this love fest with USC and Alabama. Really, I don’t get it. ……….OBTW Fairfax High appears to be more opulent than the Fairfax Inn in Leesburg, GA. The Inn however, according to new signage has just added internet service. I can’t imagine the hotel David Hale stayed at without service while covering the tournament.