Let's recap:
- Me: UK is doomed if Patrick Sparks and Joe Crawford shoot 2-for-10.
- Them: 2-for-15.
- Me: Tubby Smith should rely on the inside game, pound it into Randolph Morris and Shagari Alleyne.
- Them: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 25 minutes.
- Me: I won last year's pay NCAA pool.
- Tubby: I won the 1998 national title.
It wasn't a thing of beauty, but it was a win.
And anytime it takes 25 points from Bobby Perry to keep you in the tournament, you count your lucky stars for Bobby 'freaking' Perry.
Consider me still a "Doubting" Sheray Thomas until he comes up big and I eat some crow, but Perry earns the complaints reprieve for this one -- a flat-out ballsy performance in a tough spot. Dude even bled on the court. That's heart, folks.
I'll worry about UCONN another day (tomorrow). Until then, Tubby Smith exorcised one demon in a season stuffed to capacity with 'em. Let's just savor it for once.
Nice win, boys.