Blake Thompson daht NetI'm just saying….

Just realized that most of the past few entries have been about basketball. There has been other stuff besides basketball going on of course, but now that basketball is over (we lost on a 3pt shot at the buzzer) we should move on to other things.

Here are some things to look forward to: LOST, youth ministry, U6 Soccer, books, websites, summer, outside, church, dogs, costa rica, shoes, networking, sleep, home school, discipline, and maybe a few other things.

But, too much basketball? Never. But now we move on to seeing MSU Baseball under achieve.

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Sunday afternoon I was working with something on the computer. My five year old was putting away somethings and happened to drop a whole lot of cards everywhere on the floor. Made a little mess, but not one that was troublesome. But she asked me, “Dad, can you give me some help?”

I replied that I couldn’t at the moment, but that she could pick those up pretty easily w/o my help.

In a curt voice she said, “God loves a cheerful giver!”. When questioned on what she meant, she said, “The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver, so you should give me a hand here!”

I smiled…and I helped her.

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I guess Mississippi State style means NIT style this year. I will take it. I would have liked more than the NIT, but realistically….preseason hopes was for a good NIT showing. So far so good, right?

But in 20 minutes the game comes on ESPN2. For some reason the Women’s NCAA Tourney gets to play on ESPN. Will more people really watch that over the men’s NIT Final Four? Either way, I’m glad that we’re still playing and still getting some publicity. The incoming freshmen for next year are already wrapped up. So I don’t know that this would help us tremendously recruiting wise unless we’re talking about current Juniors.

I’ll be watching to night’s game w/ my girls. The Wife is going to be at a Bible study.  But here’s to hoping that we win tonight and get to play Thursday night.

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I took one of those breaks. Jeremy reminded me of it.

The last post was about making the NIT and the excitement and anti-hype that surrounds it. But since then MSU has one three straight home games to march into New York City and MSG. Again, there’s always that question as to whether you’d like to go deep in the NIT or be ousted first round of the NCAA Tournament. But I think our team, at this point, might be better for the deep run in the NIT. Plus, I really think we have a legitimate shot at winning it.

But there’s no guaranteed benefit of winning the NIT. Just ask South Carolina (sorry, Rick). They won the whole thing the last two years. So after winning the NIT championship in 05, they don’t make the Big Dance in 06 so they win the NIT again. And then in 07 they not only fail to make the Big Dance…but the Little Dance either.

I was actually able to go to the last game in the Hump against Florida State. It was the first game I’d been to there in a really long time. It brought back great memories. And that place feels so good to be in. My only regret is that I didn’t buy a hotdog there. Next time for sure!

But our team is young. And learning. And developing. And (most likely) all coming back.  Good times should be both here AND ahead.

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Yes, after talking big about our win on Friday I guess I should have come back and posted about our loss to Arkansas. We were just worn out from the day before it seemed. No excuses, really.

But the loss kept us from advancing in the SEC Tourney and essentially kept us out of the NCAA tourney. But we are the #1 seed in the North Division of the NIT. Yeah…Woo Hoo! The NIT is never your goal. But not many Bulldog fans had huge expectations of us making the NCAA tourney for sure. We all wanted it, yes. But as a huge expectation? No.

So now we have home court advantage in the NIT. And if we hold serve then we make it all the way to Madison Square Garden. And if we win we can shout, “We’re #65 in the nation, BABY!”

[tags]nit, mississippi state, basketball, tournament, bracket[/tags]

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I just saw one of the best basketball games I’ve seen in a while. MSU took on Kentucky. Got up, then behind big, then back up big, then behind w/ the loss staring them in the face…then a HUGE shot to force overtime. And then some more good luck to pull it out in the final seconds. Literally the final 3 seconds.

Our team had lost 6 games this year when the margin was 5 points or less. But today we were able to mature and win one…by two. A team that starts 3 sophomores, one junior and one senior. And the first three off the bench are freshmen.

We needed today’s win. But we need at least one more…probably two. We now get to play the winner of the Vandy/Arkansas game. From an RPI standpoint…we want Vandy. But either way, we just need the win.

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I remember way back in the day when I was a part of a youth ministry email list, there was someone on there complaining about how Interlinc would include some really good and some really crappy stuff in their shipments. One of the “crappy” examples was a band called Relient K. I’d not heard them, but this guy went on and on about how they were a waste and a sorry excuse for the music industry.
A few years later I hear “Sadie Hawkins Dance” and thought it was catchy…and realize it’s this Relient K band. I keep up with them. They have some catchy songs. Some crafty lyrics. And then when “Mmhmm” came out, I was really surprised. These guys had crafty talent and then they had some actual skill too.

Yesterday their lasted came out. Relient K’s “Five Score & Seven Years Ago”. I’m digging it. I’m still listening to it w/ the “checking it out” feel. But I can tell I’m going to like it a lot. These guys are putting out great music w/ crafty lyrics. Yes, I recommend them!

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We were picked 4th in the West before the season. And we started the SEC season behind the Eight Ball. But we didn’t quit. And our senior who had to sit the first half of the only got to play starting in January. But we scrapped. We fought. We lost when it was inconvenient to lose….but so did everyone else.

But today, w/ Bama on our home court we spanked them. Spanked them HARD! And now we are the champs. Sure, we have to “share” it with UMiss…but we win the tie breaker and are the #1 seed in the SEC Tourney.

All this means that next Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday….I’m worthless in the afternoons/evenings

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So our girls go to the doctor yesterday. One had been running a fever and aquired a stuffy nose. The other all of a sudden seemed sick yesterday (after sucking on her sister’s toothbrush the night before). So we made a doctor’s appointment.

Verdict: FLU.

Good times, huh?

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