NIT first round final from Berkeley: Cal State Bakersfield 73, Cal 66. It was not as close as the score would suggest.

Cal played without 2 of their top players and came out totally flat with a hangover from being left out of the Big Dance. Bake came out inspired and ran off to a 25 point lead at the half then almost handed it back to the Bears in the second half.

Ok ladies, it's game day! This round is winnable and would be a huge forward step for the Ags. Go Ags!

Beat the Eagles!

despite the chronicle article, there does seem to be quite a buzz about the game. i received emails, and there are a slew of Facebook posts, about viewing parties up in Davis, Sac, down in SF/LA, even England.

Chronicle article was a real wet blanket. Maybe they are upset that neither Cal nor Stanford are in the tourney and the lowly ag school made it.

I hope each watch party is taking pictures!

Cal Berkeley got spanked by Bakersfield... oh man.

Go Aggies!!!! JT for Mayor!

I'm headed to The City and will be doing so.

Anything in South Bay that you know of? I'm canceling meetings for this but can't make it to Davis

I believe there's one at The Old Pro in PA

Not sure if I can make Davis... Anything in the East Bay?

FYI, I think on our ICA NCAA website preview, we posted an opposing players picture twice - same picture for 2 different players.

Bob Dunning chimes in about today's game from his typically unique perspective:

Excerpt: … a secret CIA investigation of the NCAA tournament reveals that 97.4 percent of Davis residents filling out their brackets selected UC Davis to beat North Carolina Central … 14 percent had the Aggies advancing to the Final Four, while 3 percent had the Aggies winning it all and receiving a ticket-tape parade down Russell Boulevard … the CIA conducted its investigation by tapping into microwave ovens, dishwashers and low-flow toilets all over Aggieland …

http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/dunning/bob-dunning-wearing-glass-slippers-on-the-hardwood/

More from the Enterprise about the game in Dayton:

Excerpt: “I don’t know if I’d say mirror image, but they’re a really good basketball team,” says Les, returning to a tournament in which he took Bradley to the Sweet 16 in 2006. “I watched enough film on the flight … they’ve got six seniors, they’ve got experience. Been really impressed. They’re just solid on both sides. They have some really good players.

http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=714466&preview_id=714466

Transcript form the Aggie players' press conference:

Excerpt: From Darius - “We’re a team full of underdogs by nature. A lot of us have been looked over our whole lives and everything. So to be able to be in this position, first, to play North Carolina Central and then to hopefully to play No. 1 Kansas, it’s very rewarding. We’re excited for it. And just to be able to do that — I like math a little bit, so the law of averages says you’re bound to possibly beat a No. 1 seed, especially since it hasn’t happened yet.

http://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/darius-brynton-and-chima-talk-about-ncaa-experience/

Transcript of Coach Les' press conference:

Excerpt: “And the process is just our possession-by-possession approach and being the best we can be. These guys, they don’t play for themselves. They play for each other. They have a really tight bond. It’s one of the closest teams I’ve ever been around, whether I was playing or coaching. And they truly feel disappointed if it’s their responsibility to help their teammate and they’re late or they don’t get there.

“There’s a genuine feeling of: ‘I let my guy down, I let my brother down.’ And that’s unique and hard to find these days. And that’s why we’ve been able to get them … to buy into defense, the selfless part of basketball, and take it to heart and have five guys working together in concert to become a good defensive team, and that’s what allowed us to win that championship to get this opportunity.”

http://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/transcript-of-jim-les-ncaa-press-conference/

Fairly poor article by the chronicle which I take and read. The snide denigrating comments about the campus took me back to the '60s when this was common- yes, complete with the smell of cow manure and reference to clueless "aggie" students. Well, I still liked the article because it did take me back in time to when our teams were called "F---king farmers" and the like, yet we often won against the name callers. And yes, the reference to cows brought back fond memories of my time at Davis. The writer is probably a berkeley grad, so consider the source. Allow, what else is he to write about? Cal losing to backo?

If today is anything like Saturday, the viewing party in The City should be a great event and may warrant a trip across the Bay (I'm coming up from the South Bay and I absolutely loathe driving in SF). For reference there are 45 people going and 105 more who are "interested" per Facebook.

Thinking about it.

In DAVIS, does Woodstock's really have that capacity? I figure The Grad would have more room... Maybe by of Woodstock's advertising w ICA?

This is a good read. Sac Bee Ailene Voisin article about Jim Les:

Excerpt: “This is kind of who we are,” said Les, still trim and youthful looking with a full head of white hair. “Part of being a good team and a good player is understanding what your strengths are, understanding what your weaknesses are, and we have to play to our strengths. We’re athletic and we have a really good defense that allows us to get in the open court and get some easy baskets. Get stops. Keep the game close until Brynton (Lemar) gets hot, Chima (Moneke) gets going.”

Les? Though the sweats and sneakers have given way to tailored suits and ties, he paces the sideline with enough zest to soak through his dress shirts, hands clasped behind his back, his posture as straight as that of a commanding general. He routinely engages in polite, if high decibel conversations with the referees. He is similarly verbal with his players, though perhaps reflecting his own athletic experiences, displays an intuitive sense of when to chide, when to encourage, when to turn sharply and walk back to his seat.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article138496443.html#storylink=cpy

The bar area at Woodstock's is fairly tight with a decent turnout. If I were running the show I would have made The Pavilion work out as a venue come hell or high water, but that's just me making the correct interpretation that this is a HUGE accomplishment and event for the university.

Great story - must read:

On Sunday morning March 12, 1944, during a time of heated racial segregation, the men's basketball team from the North Carolina College for Negroes (now North Carolina Central University) competed against a squad from the Duke School of Medicine on the campus of NCCU in a secret game that was the first racially integrated college-level basketball game in the South.

Whole story here: http://nccueaglepride.com/sports/2011/3/8/MBB_0308110905.aspx?path=mbball

anything in the East Bay that anyone has heard of? anything from Concord down south to Livermore?

I have a call through to see if Legends Sports Bar in Concord near Port Chicago Highway will have the game ... nice space, good happy hour. They should ... (just the game, no official gathering).

if you hear soon, let me know. i'd have to get on the road soon. else, i'll be the long Aggie (i'm guessing) at Beebs at Las Positas Golf Course in Livermore. If i had thought about it, i should have organized something central like in San Ramon.

Legends has it.

This is such a big deal for our University, and I am so grateful that it has occurred int he Dr. Blue era. The department website, social media, videos taken and posted have all made it appear that we have a division I sports program.

i think i'll stick closer to home today -> looks like close to an hour drive if i were to take off now. let's hope for a win today, and plan for a viewing on Friday.

I agree.

and Beeb's has $3 beer specials during all games...so....looks like 1/2 day of sick starting in about 5 minutes.

Here we go...let's get'er done Ags!!!