Robservations: Anything can happen in tourney
Well, it’s St. Valentine’s Day — or, as I like to refer to it, “Friday.”
It’s a day filled with thoughts of love — a time for being with your special someone, whispering sweet nothings into his or her ear.
Or, for some of us, it’s time for some crucial high school hoops action.
The Pioneers hopefully won’t be too preoccupied with matters of the heart tonight, when they travel to Murfreesboro to battle the Blackman Blaze.
After struggling through their first several District 7-AAA matchups, coach Doug Keil’s squad has turned the tides a bit late in the season, winning their last two league games and three of their last four.
No, this late surge isn’t going to propel the Pioneers to the top of the district standings. In fact, currently they’re in sixth place in the seven-member league, and if my math is correct, they can’t finish any better than fifth.
But taking that No. 5 slot will mean winning their remaining two district games: Tonight’s tilt at Blackman, and next Thursday’s matchup at home against White County.
Is moving up one spot in the standings that important? Somewhat, if you consider the matchups for the district tourney.
But even more important for the Pioneers is the momentum they can carry into the postseason with a strong showing down the stretch.
A win tonight at Blackman — the site of the 7-AAA tournament — can not only avenge the eight-point loss WCHS suffered to the Blaze earlier this season, but it can also give the Pioneers their third win of the year on Blackman’s home court.
A home-away-from-home feeling come tournament time can only be beneficial.
Returning home next week and knocking off Coffee County (Tuesday’s nondistrict foe) and White County’s Warriors to close their 2002-03 campaign can add even more fuel to the fire.
Despite all the meaningless November games and Christmas tournaments, and countless “Classics,” basketball is, after all, a tournament sport.
When it gets right down to it, whether a team finished 5-7, 3-9 or 12-0 in district play during the regular season doesn’t really matter. Sure, they’ll get a good seed if they had a good season, but on any given night…
So, as we head down the home stretch of the Pioneer and Lady Pioneers seasons, there’s no need to worry about past losses. There’s no need to reflect on the night so-and-so was out-scored 28-10 in the fourth quarter, or the night such-and-such lost by over 40 points.
Think of it this way. On paper, both Warren County teams are going to be lower-seeded underdogs come tournament time.
But the game’s played on wood, not paper. And you never know what the tournament may bring.
• And now, for the latest sports-related litigation news:
Charges were dropped this week against a Miami photographer and his wife, after the two got into a scrap with the bodyguard of tennis superstar/ultra-hottie Anna Kournikova.
According to the court, aggravated battery charges were filed against the duo at the request of the bodyguard, stemming from a scuffle he had with the couple after asking them to stop filming Kournikova while she was having dinner with singer Enrique Iglesias.
With that said, let me just say this. If I’m ever, ever, ever having dinner with Anna Kournikova, please film it. Take still photos, sketches, video, DVD, audio recordings — whatever you can get.