The atmosphere was relaxed Wednesday at the Staples Center as Arizona, Xavier, Wisconsin and North Carolina hit the practice floor for the final time before Thursday's Sweet 16. Frank Kaminsky joked about meeting Will Ferrell (Frank the Tank from the movie Old School.) "It was cool," Kaminsky said. "He told me he's rooting for North Carolina because that's where he has family. But other than that it was cool." Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan was asked about being featured in Rolling Stone. "Has anyone else in this room been in Rolling Stone?" he asked reporters. "Is that going to help them sell copies?" The storylines surrounding Xavier included head coach Chris Mack, who served as an assistant for Sean Miller when he was head coach of the Musketeers. "Sean has a dry sense of humor," Mack said. "I could tell you some stories about Sean that would either get him embarrassed or thrown in jail. I'm kidding about the jail part. Yes, the mood was light and the jokes aplenty. That is sure to change the moment the alarm clocks ring on Thursday morning. North Carolina and Wisconsin square off as Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams takes his Heels against the region's 1-seed Wisconsin. Mack tries to outduel the teacher when the Musketeers meet the Wildcats. Miller and the UofA coaching staff boast nine players from California, three of them from Los Angeles. Add the difference in distance between the other three program's and the Staples Center and downtown LA is sure to be Wildcat country this weekend. For those wondering, I'll take Wisconsin and Arizona to prevail Thursday giving us a rematch of last year's Elite 8. The Badgers won in the final seconds in Anaheim ending top seed Arizona's season. On a personal note, this is my first time in LA which is on a level all its own. I've been to New York City and first impressions have me partial to the Big Apple, but the City of Angels is sure an experience. Staples Center has much less bleacher seating than I would have imagined. It is packed with luxury suites which I'm assuming is to lighten the wallets of LA's elite. The speakers throughout the arena give it a concert hall vibe and I'm sure performers put on a hell of a show there. Wednesday night's appetites brought us to Slater's 50/50 in Pasadena. I'm told the burgers will be too large to consume. Challenge accepted!
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AuthorRichie is a small-town boy chasing big-city dreams. When he's not involved with sports, he's spending time with his wife, Fallon; their yorkie, Tinker; and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie. Archives
April 2016
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