The first post of the post-apocalyptic era

The world as we know it since Mar. 8

"Because of the shame associated with vulnerability, I am numbing myself completely..."                                         
                                            - Against Me!


Raise your hand if you predicted a first-round exit by Utah State last weekend after how the Aggies finished the regular season? And don't try saying some La Tech fans predicted that one, because we all know full-well that La Tech has no basketball fans.

Sure enough though, La Tech just completely owned USU in the face, handing the Aggies their first ever first round exit since joining the WAC. It was also only the second time that the WAC Tournament championship game has not included Utah State in that same span.

The Bulldogs just came out swinging though, and it seemed to completely shock the Aggies. Even despite staging a comeback from a 10-point deficit to eventually take a small lead later in the first half, it seemed like USU spent all its energy on that before slipping behind again in the second half.

Coming back from the deficit in the second half made for a thrilling finish, but the way the last two minutes seemed like a microcosm for this entire season. Turnovers in the clutch and missed free throws in the closing minutes to lose games have haunted the team all year, so it's almost fitting that the seemingly impossible dream of an NCAA Tournament bid end like that.

A dynasty officially came to an end... Judgment Day came and went... Time to rebuild.


NOTES

• Still don't understand where anyone got off on hating on Danny Berger's game for anything other than his 3-point shooting slump this year. He had a stellar game against the Bulldogs, and even when he hasn't been scoring this year has done a lot of other good things for this team. His defense has generally been nowhere above mediocrity, but then again, whose really has on this team besides Pane and Medlin?
• For things to really reach their end because of a missed free throw from a free throw shooter as good as Brockeith Pane is a tough one to swallow, and you could really see how much it was killing him as that game went final. Tough one for Pane on that one.
• Six points for Preston Medlin is shocking... he just couldn't get anything going, and on the two or three good looks he got, he missed on. The rebound and assist numbers from him are still phenomenal, but this team is a wounded soldier when Pre-Med isn't able to get some buckets.
• Deonte Burton got held to only five points the next night by La Tech... WTF?!?
• Has Jordan Stone arrived? It's really looking like it more and more.
• How high is Ben Clifford's ceiling?? It's starting to look a lot higher as time marches on. And that's not just the man-crush talking!

WRAP

Don't even know what else to say that won't include the four-letter words I've been withholding this whole time... It was a straight-up heartbreaker. La Tech basically shot their wad on beating USU and Nevada to make for an easy final for New Mexico State, but seeing as how my gut has been telling me for a solid two months now that NMSU would win it, I don't think it made a ton of difference.

On top of being the second best team in the conference, NMSU's depth made them the team best-suited to win a three-day tournament, and they did.

As for Nevada, I believe they got royally screwed on not getting an at-large to the NCAA Tournament. I had the feeling that would be the case after they lost in the semis, but it's still bullshit in my mind. Don't try and tell me they're not one of the 68 best teams in the country.

Amid all the heartbreak of this all, it'll only make a return to the WAC Championship feel that much better! Until then, I've got a challenge to issue to this team (see next post)...