“Regional” Night

Tonight, the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s Round of 16 commences with 4 tilts, the usual number, for what Jill Jacomowitz and I called “Reeeg-ional night,” so long, 42 years, ago

In the South region opener, the first game matches slight “fave” Nebraska a very slight–point or so, “fave,” vs fellow Big Ten (that conference has 6 of the remaining 16 teams, its 9 qualifying teams going (13-3) thus far), team, Iowa, the latter having upset defending champion Florida, in the round of 32.

The next game, as is the case with Iowa/Nebraska, will be contested in Houston, Texas–with a big difference being, manifesting again in “NCAA unfair,” because it matches Houston, a slight “fave,” vs Illinois.

Tournament history is replete with such “injustice.”

Out West, two big favorites, in (“Do You know the way to?) San Jose, Purdue (never a champion but Robert Wagner’s character in the 1953 film “Titanic, A Night To Remember” “P” was for Purdue), vs Texas– will be followed by Arizona (-8 or so) vs Arkansas.

The great James Worthy, pictured above, the Most Outstanding Player of the ’82 tournie won by his team, North Carolina.

However, it ought to be noted that the first three of the five requisite wins for N.C. were gained in virtual home games, one in Charlotte and two in Raleigh.