William and Mary Basketball Can Make History

[wade moore]

Most people on here know that I've been a hardcore William and Mary basketball and football fan for about 15 years.

I go to all of the home games, a number of road games, and go to the CAA basketball tournament every year.

Some of you may also know that the Tribe is part of a trivia question - name 5 schools that have been playing D1 basketball since the NCAA tournament started and never made the tourney. W&M is one along with Northwestern, Army, The Citadel, and St. Francis of NY.

For only the 3rd time ever (two previous losses in the conference final), the team is one win away from the auto bid.

So if you want the possibility of seeing history, tune in tonight at 7:00 to watch the 3rd seed W&M play 1 seed Delaware on NBC Sports Network. Hopefully a good game. Delaware beat the Tribe twice in the regular season, but so did 2nd seed Towson that the Tribe downed last night in a great, close game.

Anyway - had to share somewhere where I knew there were other sports fans that would understand why this crazily means so much to me.

[MrBug708]

Congrats, but what is the history being made?

[samifan24]

Woo! Go W&M. My parents live in Williamsburg. Great town and campus.

[Marc Vaughan]

For the only the 3rd time ever, the team is one win away from the auto bid
I believe this is the 'history being made'.

I however have no idea what this means - I am presently presuming that they will qualify for bidding on an ebay item ;)

[MrBug708]

I assume it's the basketball tournament, but third time doesn't seem like history.

[wade moore]

Sorry if that wasn't clear.

A win tonight removes W&M from the infamous 5 list. A win puts us in the NCAA Tourney after almost 70 years of futility.

The "making history" is removing the team from the list of 5 teams with 70 years of failure.

[DaddyTorgo]

So your initial post should have said "5 schools that have been playing since the tournament started that have never made it in" then I guess.


You're a bit excited to type properly though - we get that!

[wade moore]

Ugh, I botched my wording I'll fix it. The team has NEVER made the tourney, but has made the conference finals twice before and lost.

[wade moore]

Yeah, plus on an iPad in a hotel lobby ;). It should make a lot more sense now I think.

[albionmoonlight]

Good luck!

[wade moore]

A write up on the game...


http://www.midmajormadness.com/2014/3/9/5489722/delaware-and-william-mary-to-square-off-for-2014-caa-tournament-title

[Subby]

Woohoo!

Go Tribe!

[Dr. Sak]

Who are 5 teams that have never been in my kitchen?

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

I know Northwestern is one.

[Lathum]

Good luck, I'll be watching and rooting. Watching your team in the tourny is a great treat.

[molson]

I know Northwestern is one.

Which is just a crazy outlier in that list. Pretty much still they had to do was finish strongly in the top half of the conference at some point in the last 60 years. Nope.

[King of New York]

The game against Towson was great, and the final thirty seconds or so (especially the inadvertent whistle that almost pulled Towson's bacon out of the fire) just about did me in.

Delaware is going to be very tough--Delaware's starters are generally more talented, but W&M has more depth, and Brandon Britt is playing like a man possessed.

[nol]

Which is just a crazy outlier in that list. Pretty much still they had to do was finish strongly in the top half of the conference at some point in the last 60 years. Nope.

Well, the last ~30 years. They still would've had win their conference before that.

[digamma]

Good luck W&M! Following your team to the tournament, especially if a small or mid-major, is a blast.

[Thomkal]

Good luck W&M! :)

[larrymcg421]

I believe this is the 'history being made'.

I however have no idea what this means - I am presently presuming that they will qualify for bidding on an ebay item ;)

If they win their next match, they are guaranteed a spot in the first qualifying round for the NCAA cup.

[sterlingice]

If they win their next match, they are guaranteed a spot in the first qualifying round for the NCAA cup.

:D

SI

[wade moore]

Are you in Baltimore? I see they have buses with students coming which is awesome...

Agreed on your analysis - you can also never, ever count Thornton out - he is a treat to watch.

[molson]

Well, the last ~30 years. They still would've had win their conference before that.

Ah, right. Still a fascinating level of ineptitude. Or they might just be the only BCS school that doesn't cheat.

[Dutch]

Interesting. I'll tune in for your sake, wade. Good luck, W&M!

[wade moore]

What a start to a basketball game - wow! Entertaining for sure.

[Dutch]

W&M definitely seems ready to play.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Impressed with W&M thus far. Deleware is a very good team.

[wade moore]

Agreed. A very good backcourt and Baptiste is a monster that we just don't have an answer for.

Wish we'd make our free throws, otherwise fairly ok with things so far.

[Dutch]

W&M is playing good defense (despite that run at the end of the half)...keep forcing Deleware to take 3's.

W&M gotta make your free throws!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Uh oh. Trouble.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Good luck W&M! Following your team to the tournament, especially if a small or mid-major, is a blast.

Watching UCSB (14) almost upset Arizona (3) 86-81 in 2002 was one of the highlights of my college career, and they lost the game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Good comeback!

[wade moore]

If nothing else, these kids have heart.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Baptiste is getting away with murder on the defensive end.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Big run!

[wade moore]

Yeah - the reffing seems to be going there way a bit, but it's not horrendous

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

WM finally hitting their shots.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Let's go!!!!!

[wade moore]

4:18.....

[Lathum]

Refs letting them
Play. Go Tribe!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Whoooooooo!!!!

[wade moore]

Punch, counter, punch, counter... Wow!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Tough call there.

[Lathum]

Weak call there given the way the game has been called the last few minutes.

[Lathum]

Tony Siragusa is doing adult diaper commercials. I've now seen it all

[The Jackal]

Just put this on, go W & M

[JonInMiddleGA]

1st thing I did when I sat down at the computer was check this score. I think I've been at FOFC too long ;)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Nails!

[bhlloy]

Should be W&M ball here. Make the call

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Wow. All that time during review and then Delaware just tosses up a quick 3?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

WOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Oh, don't foul.

[Lathum]

Oof. Wade must be freaking.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Still in good shape. Just play defense and even if they score, you'll likely still have a chance to win.

[Dutch]

it all comes down to this! 74-73.....25 seconds...W&M up by 1....Delaware has the ball.....timeout....crazy.

[Dutch]

it all comes down to this! 75-74.....10 seconds...Deleware up by 1....W&M has the ball.....timeout....crazy.

[Lathum]

Should have been an offensive foul.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Good no call there. He's big, but he didn't run him over.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Dang :(

[Thomkal]

Sorry Wade :(

[Dutch]

Aw man, sorry wade....great game...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Awwwww.........Thought we were going to have a FOFC party.

Sorry Wade.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Blue Hens suck.

[mauchow]

That fuckin blows.

[Vince, Pt. II]

:(

[Lathum]

sorry Wade, rough loss.

[Subby]

Great run. So proud of this team.

Tribe Pride!

[Buccaneer]

Since I'm in California, my son has been keeping me up to date on the conf tournaments. He said that Delaware is in but I did not know the significance of that until this thread. Now I'm bummed, wished w&m had won. :(

[King of New York]

Great run. So proud of this team.

Tribe Pride!

+1

Disappointing that we could not hit our free throws, but this team showed great heart throughout the tournament and pushed Delaware to the limit.

[digamma]

Sorry, wade, subby, KoNY.

[albionmoonlight]

:(

[Lathum]

So, uh...
Anyone heard from Wade?

[Kodos]

He's on a bit of a bender perhaps...

[wade moore]

Great run. So proud of this team.

Tribe Pride!

+1

Disappointing that we could not hit our free throws, but this team showed great heart throughout the tournament and pushed Delaware to the limit.

I drove home straight from the game, so got in at like 1:00 AM, passed out, and went to work after 5 days off where I can't get to FOFC from work ;).

Echoing Subby and KoNY - tough loss, but the team fought hard and played a fantastic game.

This game demonstrated everything that is good and fun about college basketball imo. I don't see how someone could watch that game and not be entertained.

Frustrating to get so close to lose, promising to realize that the 5 guys playing major minutes at the end will all be back next year. We lose significant players, including 3 starters, but we have some quality young players that were key players this year.

Marcus Thornton, despite the rough shots at the end, is a hell of a player that should be pre-season POY next year.

[MIJB#19]

First thing I checked after turning my home pc on, what W&M did.
Bummer that your guys lost, Wade.