Recent Game Recaps

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

PITTSBURGH -- When something like this happens, when 111-103 happens, when a little military school from western Virginia marches into venerable old Rupp Arena and runs the home team off its own floor, it's never about the victor. That's just the way these things work. The tale, as it's commonly being told, is about the failure of one, and not necessarily the accomplishment of the other.

It's another reason why David's shoes don't fit. In the overarching narrative that follows, most will try to explain the cracks in the armor, not the weapons that opened and exposed them. Consider last season -- when Gardner-Webb beat Kentucky, few bothered to follow the story of the winner that day farther, focusing instead on the vanquished. Can you remember how GW's season ended? (In a gym in Nashville in front of a few thousand people.)

But this right here, it's really about a school of rigorous discipline hidden deep in the Virginia hill country, coached by an ex-cop with a rebuilt heart who's not afraid to challenge the conventional basketball wisdom any time he can with a deep bag of tricks, and a team led by a pair of identical twins that always takes the first open shot. This should be about the winners, and all they accomplished to get to this point.

There were other Red Line upsets this weekend as well.

Mercer 72, at Alabama 69 (Sunday): This was a near-miss last year, when the Bears came within seven points of the Crimson Tide at home, a game that was fully staffed by national writers after Mercer's stunning win out at Southern California. This time, though, Mercer rode a 17-rebound edge and held Alabama to just 36 percent shooting. The key to this win, a gentleman named Daniel Emerson, will perhaps be remembered by Western Kentucky fans. After getting little playing time at WKU, he scored 18 on 7-for-10 shooting and looks like a good complement to returning Bears star James Florence (23 points last night).

at Portland 80, Washington 74 (Saturday): The Pilots beat U-Dub by six back in 1993-94, back when the Huskies were truly awful (the loss dropped Washington to 0-5, and they finished 4-21 that year). Will that be the case this year? Who cares! There's a yawning chasm to bridge for WCC teams stuck in the bottom five, and Portland got a shot of confidence to start the season with five double-figure scorers and a breakout in the last few minutes.

Northeastern 70, at Providence 66 (Saturday): At the "Dunk," the northernmost CAA school dropped the lowest-budget Big East school. Matt Janning had 24 on 10-for-14 shooting. Providence turned the ball over on 28 percent of its possessions, which is about triple what Keno Davis' Drake team did last year.

at Howard 47, Oregon State 45 (Friday): This was just about the only competition the Obama family has lost lately. The Bison, a team that has not won more than 10 games in six seasons, clawed out a one-point win that likely made any and all in attendance want to claw their eyes out. Howard shot just 36 percent and made just four of its nine free throws. Oregon State, a school at which American-style football is a clear priority, was that much worse.

Portland State 78, at Rice 74 (Saturday): In the Vikings' first game since the 2007-08 season and that Mexico thing that may be dramatized on Jimmy Buffett's next album, the Big Sky champions struck a blow for Red Line world by rudely outrebounding their Conference USA hosts by 12 and building a second-half lead that Rice couldn't rally past. Jeremiah Dominguez, the newcomer and POY in the Sky last season, is 5-6 but is still good at basketball anyway. He had 24 points and four assists.

at College of Charleston 86, Texas Christian 75 (Sunday): Hidden in all the excitement of the Charleston Classic, the event that opened the gleaming new CarolinaFirst Center, the home team from the SoCon dumped a Mountain West school in the consolation game. The Cougars missed one free throw, shot 54 percent, and kept the crowd happy by dropping a 24-7 run on the Horned Frogs. Andrew Goudelock scored 20 and was named to the all-tournament team.

at Creighton 82, New Mexico 75 (Sunday): Full disclosure... I have an e-mail kill list. Anybody who responds to an Upset Club e-mail with any combination of "are you sure," "upset" and question marks crawls into my spambox and dies. I really thought I had made my point clear. Sure, the Valley and MVC are in a challenge, and, of course, Creighton is in the NCAA's every year while New Mexico basketball has devolved to the point where people often trip up and call them the "Aggies." But a key component of the Red Line theory is that your conference is your keeper. (Unless you're Gonzaga and can pretty much write your own TV contract.)

Ask yourself these questions. Which of these two conferences, the MVC and MWC, has its own satellite television network? Plays bowl-series football? Doesn't participate in the BracketBusters? Has, on average, a ton more money than the other? If the Mountain West can't convert its obvious resource advantages into NCAA bids, then boo hoo. So yes, when the Valley beats the Mountain West, it's an upset. (A small one.) Thanks for your time.