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SEASON 7

Recent Game Recaps

Epilogue, The Ninth: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Memories

So We Meet Again

Rte. 139 - End of the Line

Hanging On

A Championship in Pictures

This Time of Year

Dotson Leads Ducks to the Sweet Sixteen

Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen

Empire

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

By George, UConn is Dead

Butler and Us

Donning the Black and Gold

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

The Madness of the Horizon League

The Rare Ivy League Conference Tournament

MAC Madness

Anything Can Happen in the MAAC

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

A Youthful Surprise

From Worst to First

Peers and Seers

STARDATE 103-20110218: ALL CAPS
February 18, 2011 11:49 am ET by Kyle Whelliston

CHICAGO -- Once upon a time in a city of big windy shoulders, there was a basketball game between two schools at the bottom of the Horizon League. Loyola (Ill.) beat the University of Illinois at Chicago 55-50. This wasn't any ordinary game. This game, held on January 18, 2010 at the UIC Pavilion, went down in history as the first game ever broadcast in 100 percent Capovision -- the most revolutionary advance in Twittertronics since the unfollow button.

It was so majorly mid, and there were so many capital letters and logos, that not holding a second annual version would be a real e.e. cummings thing to do. Plus, the original #ALLCAPSGAME was a complete failure, and we're trying to get it right this time. The event was engineered specifically to keep us from getting to 1,000 followers, because tweeting in all caps is annoying. It didn't work. We actually gained followers that evening. Now, we're almost at 2,500, and it's time to hold the line. At 2 pm Eastern tomorrow, we will be tweeting in all caps at the Butler-UIC game.

Here's a clip-n-save all-caps flip card for the game so you can follow along. In the first meeting of the season, the Bulldogs beat the Flames 72-65 despite 22 points from UIC's Robo Kreps. Just to remind you, Butler is the national runnerup of 2010, UIC was the host of the first ACG, and this unofficial joint venture between the Horizon League and The Mid-Majority will hopefully continue for years to come. We're pleased to announce a multi-year deal to keep the game in Chicago.

For those of you just joining us for Season 7, participating in the #ALLCAPSGAME celebration is easy. Just get on Twitter, follow @midmajority, press your caps lock key, and tweet about mid-major basketball. Saturday also happens to be BracketBuster day, so going ALL CAPS would be a really good way to get and maintain attention for sub-Red Line hoops. Or just to scare all the non-believers away.

But you can't possibly imagine what an #ALLCAPSGAME is like live, you have to live it for yourself. Now, for the first time ever, a complete and unedited transcript of the first #ALLCAPSGAME, held 13 months ago today.

8:07:47Tonight we battle for the city of Chicago. Tonight, you are either a Flame or a Rambler. There is no middle ground. No in between.
8:09:08Now, it has come to our attention that we are quickly approaching 1,000 followers. This is all well and good, and we thank you.
8:09:49But tonight, we will attempt to lose as many of those followers as possible. We will be tweeting this game in ALL CAPS.
8:12:16DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? HELLO ESPNU AUDIENCE. LOYOLA IS LEADING 7-6.
8:12:51UIC'S ROBO KREPS - HE'S ROBORIFIC! LAYUP IN THE LANE, UIC UP 10-9. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:17:17HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL: IT'S CAPTASTIC!!! #ALLCAPSGAME
8:19:01LOYOLA IS GOOD AT MAKING REBOUNDS, BUT NOT MUCH ELSE. SCORE TIED AT 11 AT 13:22 1H. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:19:41IN ALL CAPS, TRAVELING CALLS ARE JUST AS EXCITING AS TWO-POINT DUNK SHOTS! UIC JUST MADE TWO!!!! 13-ALL NOW. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:23:44WE HAVE NOT LOST ANY FOLLOWERS YET #ALLCAPSGAME
8:24:08YES BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT @PantherU reason you saved the #ALLCAPSGAME for the two teams picked to be the bottom of the Horizon League?
8:25:49WE ARE ACTUALLY GAINING FOLLOWERS #ALLCAPSGAME
8:28:42CHICAGO IS THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. IT WAS INCORPORATED IN 1837. UIC IS UP 19-14 AT 9:17 1H. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:29:58THE MEDIAN AGE ON PRESS ROW IS ABOUT 59. IF THEY WERE ON TWITTER, THEY WOULD TYPE IN ALL CAPS TOO. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:34:19FREE YEAR OF BBSTATE TO *FIRST* PERSON WHO MAKES A CRAPPY ALLCAPSGAME LOGO SO WE CAN USE IT AS A BACKGROUND #ALLCAPSGAME
8:36:05WHEN YOU THINK CHICAGO, YOU THINK FIRE, GANGSTERS, A CRAPPY 2016 OLYMPIC BID, AND HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL. TIED AT 21. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:37:05WIN WIN WIN WIN SEND ME YOUR PREFERRED UID/PWD VIA THE FORM™ @PantherU how about my background? #ALLCAPSGAME
8:38:24WHY DO WE KEEP GAINING FOLLOWERS #ALLCAPSGAME
8:39:32CHICAGO IS KNOWN AS "THE CITY OF BIG SHOULDERS... AND HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL"... LOYOLA UP 26-25 AT 2:05 1H #ALLCAPSGAME
8:40:24I CAN'T IT'S IN LOWERCASE RT @govols120 Eastern Wash 64, Northern Ariz 62 w/ 4 mins left. Great game, pay attention to it #ALLCAPSGAME
8:41:23IF YOU MADE A LOGO PLEASE SHARE IT ON THE BALLY CLUB... THIS IS A NIGHT THAT MUST LIVE FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER #ALLCAPSGAME
8:43:30NO ON TMM WHERE IT SAYS THE FORM™ I CAN PUT IT IN ALL CAPS IF YOU WANT RT @PantherU the sign-up form on the bbstate web page, kyle?
8:44:35IT IS ALMOST HALFTIME AND UIC IS LEADING 27-26. MAN I COULD GO FOR A BIG LUSCIOUS SLICE OF CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA. #ALLCAPSGAME
8:48:10HALFTIME SCORE OF THE #ALLCAPSGAME IS 30-28 AND THE UIC'S ARE AHEAD. WHY IS NOBODY UNFOLLOWING US
8:54:57HOLY MOTHERLOVING CRAP RED PANDA IS HERE #allcapshalftimeshow
9:02:45S.A.S. CAN'T STEP TO THE A TO THE C TO THE G RT @AndyHutchins QUITE FRANKLY, THIS IS THE MOST AMUSING THING ON TWITTER THIS WEEK.
9:05:11THE SECOND HALF HAS STARTED. THIS TIME IN THE CITY'S HISTORY IS KNOWN AS THE "POST-CETERA ERA." #ALLCAPSGAME
9:10:53BEN AVERKAMP (LOYO) IS THE MAN WHO WILL FIGHT FOR YOUR HONOR. HE MADE A BLOCK AND TOOK THE BALL. TIED AT 34 AT 16:22 2H. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:12:34I KNOW A WHOOPEE SPOT WHERE THE COKE IS COLD BUT THE HOOPS ARE HOT. UIC ARENA. IN CHICAGO. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:14:32DO NOT STOP MAKING LOGOS. IF YOU DO, THIS GAME WILL STOP BEING IMPORTANT. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:16:38WE ARE NET +11 FOLLOWERS DURING THE #ALLCAPSGAME. I'M AFRAID THAT THIS MAY GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS A COMPLETE NON-SUCCESS.
9:17:34WALT GIBLER (LOYO) HAS MADE A LAYUP & THE JESUITS ARE UP 42-34 ON THE STATE SCHOOLERS AT 13:00. WE DO NOT HAVE AN #ALLCAPSGAME TROPHY.
9:23:59I WANT TO USE THIS ALL-CAPS OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THE WORLD HOW MUCH THE BLACK EYED PEAS SUCK #ALLCAPSGAME
9:28:29ROBO KREPS MADE A THREE-POINT JUMPING LOB FOR UIC AND THE LOYOLAS ARE ONLY UP BY FOUR POINTS: 44-40. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:29:33OK WE JUST LOST TWO FOLLOWERS. NOW I WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT MY INFALLIBLE VIEWS ABOUT RELIGION AND POLITICS #ALLCAPSGAME
9:30:55CHICAGO IS CALLED THE SECOND CITY BECAUSE IT HAS TWO HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL TEAMS. LOYOLA UP 46-43 AT 9:02 2H. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:31:29ROBO KREPS IS A FUNNY NAME AND HE IS SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING 3-POINT HOP-LOBS. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:33:29THE SCORE IS TIED AT 46-46 AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS ENDING! UNFOLLOW US AND GO WATCH ESPNU #ALLCAPSGAME
9:34:14CHICAGO IS CALLED THE WINDY CITY BECAUSE THE SHEER POWER OF HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL WILL KNOCK. YOU. DOWN. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:42:56IRONIC THAT OUR LOGOTYPE IS IN ALL LOWERCASE AND WE ARE TYPING IN ALL CAPS, LIKE 10000 SPOONS WHEN ALL YOU NEED IS A KNIFE #ALLCAPSGAME
9:47:03THERE ARE ONLY 4 MINUTES LEFT IN THE #ALLCAPSGAME. PLEASE START A THREAD ON THE BALLY CLUB SO THIS MOMENT CAN LIVE FOREVER. LOYO 49-46.
9:50:02THERE HAS NOT BEEN A TWO-POINT DUNK SHOT IN THE #ALLCAPSGAME YET. THIS IS ALSO IRONIC.
9:51:39ROBO KREPS HAS BEEN MAKING MANY ONE-POINT THROW-UPS, BUT LOYOLA IS UP 53-48 AT 2:19. IT'S GOING TO BE OVER SOON. #ALLCAPSGAME
9:52:48PLEASE HAVE SEX WITH SOMEBODY TONIGHT, AND THEN WHEN YOU TWO HAVE A CHILD TELL HIM OR HER THAT YOU WERE THERE FOR THE #ALLCAPSGAME
9:53:38AND PLEASE, REGARDLESS OF THE CHILD'S GENDER, NAME THEM ROBO. LOYOLA 53, UIC 50 AT 1:34 2H.
9:54:35LOYOLA SHOT CLOCK VIOLATION AND UIC HAS THE BALL BACK DOWN THREE AT 1:19 2H. O-VER-TIME! O-VER-TIME! #ALLCAPSGAME
9:56:12WHY IS NOBODY UNFOLLOWING US TYPING IN ALL CAPITALS IS ANNOYING #ALLCAPSGAME
9:57:23THE #ALLCAPSGAME HAS BEEN SO MUCH MORE SPIRITUAL AND POWERFUL THAN 1,000 OBAMA ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES IN GRANT PARK #ALLCAPSGAME
9:58:12#waystoannoypeople ... #ALLCAPSGAME
9:59:56LOYOLA TRAVEL AT :40.6... UIC HAS THE BALL BACK DOWN 3 #ALLCAPSGAME
10:01:44STANLEY OF LOYOLA FOULED ON AN INBOUND AND NOW HE WILL SHOOT SOME THROW-UPS. STILL 53-50 AT 15 SECONDS #ALLCAPSGAME
10:04:43MISS AND MISS! THEN A FOUL THE OTHER WAY! BIRTON OF UIC AT THE LINE WITH 4.4 LEFT, MADE 1 THROWUP AND INT-FLUBBED SECOND. #ALLCAPSGAME
10:05:30LOYO GAINS POSSESSION, A FOUL, AND TWO FT'S FOR THE RAMBLERS! THE #ALLCAPSGAME IS OVER! LOYOLAS 55, UIC 50!
10:06:14YOU HAVE WITNESSED HISTORY TONIGHT. THE FIRST EVER COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME IN CHICAGO TO BE BROADCAST IN CAPOVISION.
10:07:16YOU WILL NEVER FORGET THIS. BECAUSE IT WAS A COLOSSAL FAILURE. WE GAINED 5 FOLLOWERS.
10:07:18WE WILL SEE YOU FROM BRADLEY TOMORROW AFTERNOON, BUT WE WILL BE IN REGULAR OLD BORING UPPER/LOWERCASE.

Today on 360

  • Atlantic Sun: Belmont Defeats ETSU 68=58, Clinches Share of Title (G!O!T!N!)
  • Badlands: Oakland Clinches League Title Outright
  • Atlantic 14: Temple Way Too Much For Richmond
  • Atlantic 14: Temple forward Eric out for season (right kneecap)
  • Big South: Coastal Carolina's leading scorer Desmond Holloway suspended indefinitely
  • Chicago State loses to Olivet Nazarene again (Black Line Upset)
  • Thursday's Scoreboard | Linescores

    • Game! Of! The! Night!


    Virginia Commonwealth at Wichita State
    Charles Koch Arena - Wichita, KS
    7:00 EST

    While gathering the news items for 360 this morning, I ran across at least five bullet-point columns that "rank" the BracketBusters matchups in order of importance. Going through the Form™ submissions from yesterday, I found a whole bunch of radio interview requests that were presumably about having me on to do pretty much the same thing in a squeaky voice. There's not much more you can say in that type of context beyond Saint Mary's/Utah State/VCU/George Mason/ODU/Missouri State/Valpo/Wichita "need to win" to "keep their NCAA at-large hopes alive." There are only so many ways you can say that, and plenty of places to get it. Besides, if you've been reading this site all year, you pretty much know who these teams are and what they've gone through over the past few months. So instead, I'm going to tell you what a great game this is going to be tonight, between two great programs in two great conferences.

    The Siegel Center is always hot and full, easily the most intimidating atmosphere in the Colonial (sorry, ODU), and was cracked consecutively for the first time in nearly a decade of operation this week. The flat grade of the seating sections and the low roof gives the impression of a frying pan with a lid, and opponents are sauteed in VCU brand butter. Tonight, the Rams (20-8, 12-4 CAA, in 3-way tie for 2nd behind George Mason) get to see what the next level is like. The Roundhouse is the soup pot from hell, the loudest venue in the Valley (sorry, Creighton), a place where sound bounces off the walls as particles and bubbles instead of waves. Three long NCAA runs and successful NBA careers have been launched from Koch Arena, and this is the best Shocker team since the 2006 Sweet 16 version. TV usually does a great job at capturing the atmosphere there, which is enough of a reason to tune in.

    And oh yeah, the game. Gregg Marshall has expressed his desire to make Wichita State (22-5, 15-3 MVC, tied for first with Missouri State) the "Oakland Raiders of the Valley," and he's put together an imposing lineup of ass-beaters. The Shockers are big and tough and loves to attack both baskets: the eighth-best rebound percentage in the country (57.2 percent), and the eighth-best two-point percentage in Division I as well (54.2 percent). To beat them, you have to do it from the outside, and VCU isn't that kind of team. The Rams only make 33 percent of their threes, don't shoot all that well from anywhere on the floor, and are particularly vulnerable down low -- they allow the second-worst two-point percentage in CAA play at 50.6 percent.

    The only chance for Shaka Smart's squad to escape a WSU layup parade is VCU's primary strength, which is causing mistakes and getting out in transition. Nobody in the Colonial forces as many turnovers as the Rams do (22 percent), and limiting them is why George Mason was able to run roughshod over them on Tuesday (11, five in the emphatic runaway first half). The Shockers can't stop them if it's two or three on one. So the exertion of strength and will decides this one... because, after all, both teams really need a win.

    Basketball State Preview/Box