ONIONS!!!!!!

(AP photo/Skip Peterson)
Last night the magic of the tournament was out in full force. There were upsets, game winners, giants killed, and brackets busted. My bracket in particular took a pretty strong kick to the jewels yesterday as I lost 2 sweet sixteen teams (FSU and Wake Forest) and an elite eight team (West Virginia). Yep, I had the Proverbial daisycutter dropped on the midwest region, but I couldn't care less. That was some of the most entertaining basketball I have seen all year, and all of MY teams advanced to the second round. The nightcap games were just unbelievable, I was jumping around on a sprained ankle and yelling the names of players I had never heard of before like they were my closest friends. I actually almost missed all of this ridulous action because I was in my room watching the episode of "Lost" I missed on my computer while Clarky and Sturg were playing NHL again. That usually results in a lot of yelling, so I figured they were still playing. False. They were watching Clevaland State, Wisconsin, and Siena getting sized for the cinderella slipper. They all tried it on, but I think the best fit is Siena.

The yelling caused by their game was the one that finally lured me out of my room to make sure that there was not a fullscale fistfight taking place over Sturg's silly NHL 09 moves. By the time I got out there Siena's Kenny Hasbruck had just hit a shot to send their game against Ohio State into overtime and the crowd in the living room was small but vociferous--relentlessly touting their newfound hero they referred to simply as KENNYYY. I was not there for the events that made Kenny a hero, so I didn't form the same bicurious bond that my two fellow spectators did. I am glad for this, as Kenny was nowhere to be found in the extra session(s). That left me free to explore other Siena players to share this, likely unwelcome bond with, and I soon found my target--Ronald Moore. With the seconds winding down in overtime and Siena down by three, Moore dribbled the ball down the court with confidence pulled up a couple feet behind the line and drained a three to send it into double OT. The small but vociferous crowd went wild, with Clark and Sturg pondering an affair with the new hero, and me happy that I had not just jumped on the first drunk, good looking girl to cross my path (so to speak). Yes, I found myself a keeper. And with the game on the line once again in the second overtime sesion, Ronald Moore made me proud, drilling ANOTHER 3 with his team down by 1 to earn Siena the upset. The crowning moment here was the call by Bill Raferty and Verne Lundquist (follow the link and wait till the last highlight, after a girly scream, one of them yells ONIONS...classic). So there they are, meet your 2009 tournament Cinderella. In all likelihood they will get knocked out in the second round and it was only an 8 v 9 upset, but I don't care, it will be one of the tournament's best games.

Elsewhere in the basketball world, Arizona made me proud last night, beating Utah convincingly and setting themselves up for a run to the sweet sixteen with a victory over 13 seed Cleveland State. I know absolutely nothing about Cleveland State and don't care to research it, but I can't imagine they have enough defenders to match the athleticism of Arizona's big three. Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger should be able to walk all over them as long as they are able to shoot the ball somewhat effectively. I feel pretty good about their chances to make it there, and maybe if they can get some momentum they can even give Louisville a run for their money and I could ream of seeing Arizona, UCONN, Oklahoma, and Villanova in the final four...just let me dream.

I am watching Villanova play UCLA right now, and they are also making me proud. Just tooling on the Bruins. My confidence is restored in them after their shaky performance against American U. I forget that they have a tendency to play down to their competition, but that won't be a problem anymore, because after this game they will probably have to go through the 2 and 1 seeds to get to the final four. Keep it rollin.

My picks for today's games are all chalk. I have the favorite winning every matchup.

More Tourney coverage tomorrow, get on the Sienna bandwagon.