Running Diary: DePaul, Syracuse, and Keanu Reeves

Little known Bill Simmons rule - Any time UConn is upset at home in a game that prevents me from watching the first four minutes of an SU game which my brother Dan and cousin Mark are attending, I have to write a running diary.

16:00 - Cut to the game in progress. 16 to 6 DePaul?!?!WhaaaAAAAA???

14:00 - Wes Johnson rejects Faber, and stares him down afterward with a look that says, "You're a stiff, just like your team. We're not going to lose this." I love it! Give me more angry Wes!

11:36 - 24-14 DePaul, TV timeout. DePaul has 7 assists already. Meanwhile, we're keeping an eye on Duke-Georgetown. Obama's in the house! And guess what... the team that plays more black players is winning by 9 early in the 2nd half. "Yes we can!"

10:29 - DePaul has 31 points in less than 10 minutes. Somehow, I'm thinking they won't stay on the 124 pace. I'm not worried.

8:40 - 33-17 DePaul. Bucket by Uncle Aku. A-O and Rick are doin' work down low. DePaul can't handle them.

7:01 - SU trap forces a DePaul timeout. The Orange are putting up too many jumpers instead of relying on their passing. It feels like DePaul is slowing down though. SU starting to win on the boards.

5:47 - 33-20. Triche puts up a long two before the Bigs are in position to rebound. Brick. Not good.

5:12 - TV timeout. Meanwhile, Georgetown by 11 with 12 minutes to go. How down is the ACC this year? Duke is their best team, and I've watched several Duke games and have little faith in their ultimate potential. And everyone (including me) thought this would be a down year for the Big East!

3:52 - TV timeout. 33-23, with a FT for KJ coming up. I am SO not worried! DePaul has 2 points in 7 minutes. "Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability!"

3:52 - Just noticed John Thompson III is wearing white shoes today. A nice, subtle jab at the near-white wash Duke is throwing at him? [Turns out it's Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend for Coaches v. Cancer.]

3:45 - 33-24. The Hall of Famer goes with the press, forcing a jump ball. Boeheim is a genius! No wonder he scored a hottie like Julie!

2:38 - 33-27 off a Rautins three. Timeout DePaul! "And the Syracuse contingent out in full force!" say the announcers. That's my brother and cousin!

1:36 - 33-31 off a Ricky bucket. Someone should tell the DePaul coaching staff that Rick Jackson is left handed. Wait... tell them AFTER the game.

Halftime - 35-31 DePaul. Wes Johnson walks off the court with an angry look on his face. I'm excited to see what he comes up with in the second half. Is that the shakiest 4-point lead in college basketball history? It took them 10 minutes to score those four points!

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C....

7:40, 2nd half of Duke-Georgetown - 69-54 Hoyas. Biden is in the house too! I guarantee you he's getting text updates on the SU score. Also, he's secretly rooting against the F'ing Hoyas. (SU College of Law, '68)

[Viagara's ad execs in a recent meeting - "Get me a guy who looks EXACTLY like Denzel Washington!!"]

6:55 - 72-56. Greg Monroe just emasculated Kyle Singler. And one. Bold prediction: Singler eschews the NBA draft and returns for his senior season.

5:35 - 78-58. Right about now, Coach K is second-guessing his adoption of Adolph Rupp's recruiting methods. Just kidding, Coach K! I still love you!

5:03 - 80-59. Great reference by Verne Lundquist to the devastating loss the Hoyas suffered @ Duke last year, which turned out to be the start of a five game losing streak that sunk their season.

Final Score - Georgetown 89-77 Duke

Anyway...back to SU-DePaul: The Matrix Reloaded.

19:00 - MASN unveils a new stat: "PTS Of Turnovers." I guess they mean "points birthed by turnovers."

17:15 - I can't believe the principal from Boston Public/detective from Pushing Daisies took the job as the interim head coach of DePaul!

15:42 - 40-39, still DePaul for another minute or two. Wes Johnson just had a crazy spin in the lane with a dunk finish. 12 points for him, as he and KJ seem to be taking over this game.

11:16 - 48-41, DePaul. Neo just learned Kung Fu. A couple threes from DePaul, but those are followed with two of the worst shots I've ever seen back-to-back. SU a little sloppy on offense, though...

10:35 - 48-41, TV Timeout. Shout-out to Cousin Mark's Alma Mater, Miami (OH), which knocked off E. Michigan today. The MAC regular season is like Helm's Deep: very little hope of ANYONE getting out alive.

8:28 - 50-43 DePaul. Neo is starting to believe. But he just used his last timeout. I guess the equivalent is not having any more phones to escape the Matrix and get back to the Nebuchadnezzar. Get ready for a crap load of Agent Smiths to show up... While we wait, can I interest you in... sixovertimes.com? "It was more than a game...it was for the ages!"

6:44 - 52-46 DePaul. KJ with a three! An NBA scout's head just exploded in the fifth row.

5:40 - 52-49. Rautins with a three in transition off a turnover. Knew it was going in before he even caught the ball.

4:29 - 54-52. Scoop with a three! If that shot was urine, somebody would have to get out a sponge and some Mr. Clean for the rim!

4:13 - 54-54. JOHNSON ONE-HANDED DUNK!!!! They're racking that one in Bristol!

3:35 - 56-54 ORANGE! Jardine down the lane. SCOOOOOOOOOOOOP!

3:09 - 56-54, timeout Orange. Trinity is falling out of a building with a bullet in her chest! Morpheus is having a spiritual breakdown! Where's your MESSIAH now!?!?

:44 - 59-57, timeout Orange. The friggin MASN scoreboard is now malfunctioning so I'm relying on the clock above the hoop + the announcers for the time. Bad omen??

:09.5 - 59-57. Great tip by Wes to break up a pass into the lane. DePaul ball. Is...is that Neo???

:00 - Neo is dead. The DePaul crowd is stumbling out of the building like...well, like the audience after The Matrix Revolutions.


21-1. The Best Get Better.