Sports Columns
OKLAHOMA CITY — It was like the paint that covered UNLV president Neal Smatresk’s face at this first-round NCAA Tournament game Thursday. All bright and red in the beginning. All faded and worn in the end.
For a second, forget about the 8-9 line of the Midwest bracket in the NCAA Tournament. Forget about Northern Iowa’s halfcourt defense, its balanced offense, a terrific 7-foot center named Jordan Eglseder. Forget about Kansas lurking Saturday.
When he was washing dishes at a seafood restaurant five years ago, Anthony Johnson was an unlikely candidate to play a starring role in this NCAA Tournament. But his story is not a fish tale.
What is the difference? Five percent more effort? Ten? An extra arm length? Two?
I’m not sure Brice Massamba ever is going to be that guy. The one who rules a basketball key. The one whose presence is so strong, he dwarfs even a reasonably large defender holding on from behind. The one so athletic, he glides more than rumbles down a court, so nimble, he rises more than jumps.
I’m not saying that Friday’s New Mexico vs. San Diego State semifinal at the Thomas & Mack Center was as good as it gets in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
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