First things first: I goofed this morning, and have fixed it… Randy Culpepper, as one of 11 or whatever juniors on UTEP, has one more year left. It only seems like he’s been raining 3-pointers for seven years or so…
Here at the Memphis-Houston game, and the Tigers have brought some people. I’d stop short of 1,000, but they’ve got a few hundred. Got a few in my hotel, which is away from downtown a bit. … Expect some wisecracks from the fine folks at the Commercial Appeal over the crowds, which won’t come close to filling the BOK Center. Best estimates for the live-body count at Wednesday night’s Tulsa-Rice game was 5,500.
The second session was listed at 7,760; morning session was 6,961.
Update 12:47 CT: Memphis’ Elliot Williams (I think) dunked, and the ball bounced off his head back through the hoop. I think the entire ball cleared inside the rim, but officials did not grant the basket on video review. If I get a chance, I am heading to the rulebook on this one… pun intended.
Update 1:54 CT: Have a rulebook in pdf, but who knows when I’ll get to look at it? We have a real situation here: Houston 57, Memphis 53.
Update 1:56 CT: It’s tied at 57 with 4:52 left.
Update 1:58 CT: Memphis has regained the lead 61-59, as Willie Kemp seems to be taking over. He was blanked at the half, but has just scored two straight baskets on do-it-yourself drives to the rim.
Update 2:01 CT: Houston is up 62-61 on a Kelvin Lewis 3, but Memphis has two free throws at 1:40, coming out of the last TV timeout.
Update 2:05 CT: Aubrey Coleman simply chucked up an 18-footer with Kemp’s hand in his grill and buried it, putting the Cougs up 64-63. Timeout Memphis with 29.6 seconds left, 25 on the shot clock.
Update 2:07 CT: Kemp drives again, putting Tigers up 65-64 with 15.7 seconds left.
Update 2:10 CT: MEMPHIS IS DEAD! Willie Kemp got called for carrying the ball, in a pretty iffy call with about a second left, taken after — who else? — Aubrey Coleman leaned around the defender for a bank shot.
UAB and Southern Miss going off at about 2:44 CT. May blog if the urge is there… Sorting out a first-edition C-US A notebook.
Wow!