UNFATHOMABLE

I was going to rant about Cincinnati not making it but I no longer have the strength. It's over. I have gone through the 5 levels of loss - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance (the only reason I remember each stage is because they were referenced in a Simpsons' episode. That is either really interesting or really sad). I just was not prepared for this. I was not ready.

Cincy had their chances. They should have beat Xavier. They were up 7 on a Seton Hall team that was ready to roll over. They led Villanova by a basket with less than a minute to play. They could not cover Gerry McNamara for 6 seconds. So there.

Life lessons. You never want to put yourself in a situation in which an unchallengeable 3rd party decides your fate. You never want to be standing in front of the judge. You never want to depend on a lottery. And you never want to be in the hands of a selection committee.

Now I find myself printing out NIT brackets and wondering how the Bearcats are going to compete next year with 4 scholarship players and a new coach (Kennedy is gone). I think I may have just slid back to stage 4.

I just wish the Bearcats had known that the Syracuse game was a play-in game. I bet that would have been worth a couple points.