:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10718933/gyi0063913194.0.jpg)
With Chianti Dan trying to spin the Alford hire as "where we were focused" to avoid the heat for not doing his due diligence in the hiring process, the Bruins now have a new head coach with an uninspiring NCAA tournament record. Meanwhile, second-tier Howland replacement Gregg Marshall has led his mid-major Wichita State Shockers to the Final Four. Reported first-tier candidates Billy Donovan and Rick Pitino were never even given an opportunity to turn us down, since Chianti Dan, scared of rejection like an acne-faced teenage boy, rushed out and pulled the trigger on the guy who practically begged for the job. See a pattern here?
So, today we have the second set of Elite Eight games, a level of March Madness that our new head coach has yet to experience. Brad Stevens (who Chianti couldn't close on, despite Stevens indicating he had interest in another job for the first time, ever), Shaka Smart (who was never in the discussion because Chianti and his cronies are incompetent buffoons), and now Gregg Marshall (who should have been in the mix as a second-tier option) can all say they've felt the Elite Eight.
Turning to today's games, we have the South and Midwest regional finals, beginning with the South regional final match-up between Billy Donovan's #3-seeded Florida and #4-seeded Michigan at 11:20 a.m. PST on CBS. Florida just put an end to flavor-of-the-month Andy Enfield's Cinderella run with FGCU, while Michigan is coming off a big win after sending Bill Self home much earlier than anticipated. After the South regional final wraps up, the Midwest regional final, featuring the only #1-seed and the only #2-seed left in the tournament gets underway, with Rick Pitino's #1-seeded Louisville taking on Coach K's #2-seeded Duke at 3:05 p.m. PST, also on CBS.
It will be a pair of interesting games, especially if both Pitino and Donovan pull out Elite Eight victories and advance to the Final Four: you'll have a Final Four featuring three coaches that should have been considered for the UCLA job, two of the reported "three top-tier" candidates (Pitino and Donovan) and a second-tier candidate that should have been vetted (Marshall) before pulling the trigger on Alford like a desperate teenager.
But, hey, what were you expecting? Chianti Dan to do this properly? It's be laughable if that fat, bald worthless excuse for a human wasn't cashing in his big fat $750,000 retention bonus. Chew on that taxpayers of California.
Fire away in the tournament action open thread.
GO BRUINS