Notebook: One Shot Saved March… While Tennessee and Duke Are Still Circling Around It
Braylon Mullins gave us the madness we were begging for, Rick Barnes is stuck in purgatory, and Duke just pulled an all-time choke
UCONN: Braylon Mullins 3-pointer saved the Elite 8
Up until that point, the regional finals were rather boring. Especially Michigan just whipping the heck out of Tennessee in the early game. Unless you were a Michigan fan, that game was anything but satisfying. Snoozer.
In March, we all simply want madness. Hence the name—and why the NCAA has been fighting sportsbooks like FanDuel so hard to protect it as a product.
Up until last night, I felt a sense of wanting. Blowouts suck. Unless you are the one doing the blowing out, it’s simply awful and bad television. Everyone kind of loses interest after a certain point, including the announcers and the game participants themselves.
Luckily, Braylon Mullins gave us a moment for the ages. It was just so good. Like an Italian Beef and Portillo’s, good.
His late three-pointer lifted UConn in a stunning comeback over Duke after trailing big—one of those shots that instantly becomes part of March lore. A moment that will live on and be replayed over and over again during this tournament forever.
It was one of those “holy shit” moments.
Anyone who saw that in real time was stunned. I certainly was. I fell to the damn floor in my kitchen.
Thank you, Braylon Mullins. You reminded us why we keep coming back every March—for moments like that.
Hopefully, the Final Four in Indianapolis delivers similar drama. Fingers crossed.
Rick Barnes: Circling Around It
There is a local artist in Nashville I love probably more than any musician currently on the planet. Her name is Caitlyn Smith, and she is just brilliant.
One of the recent songs she released is called “Circling Around It.” It’s about her—a brilliant musician—who always feels so close to breaking through, only to feel like she’s constantly orbiting the dream without ever quite grabbing it.
