Destiny

"Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past..."

Dave Bickler - Eye of the Tiger

Last year UNC won the national title and all was well and good again in college basketball...tonight their ACC rival captured the crown, and the mood around the nation is bittersweet.

Everybody Hates Duke

I'm not going to write a recap of the NCAA tournament, or the championship game for that matter, however I will say that this has been one of the best March Madness brackets in years...and while the Cinderella Butler University didn't win...it still had a storybook ending.

Two summers ago I ventured to LaSalle University to watch Michael Beasley workout prior to the 2008 NBA Draft. Beasley wasn't there when I arrived, however there were a few familiar faces including Hakim Warrick, Mardy Collins, Wayne Ellington, Gerald Henderson Jr., Kyle Lowry, and Nolan Smith. Anyone that knows me personally will laugh at what I'm about to tell you...after watching several pickup games and drills I walked over to Smith and introduced myself. He was very down to Earth, and after accepting some friendly advice on how he could improve his game...I kindly asked him why he was wearing Pro Model adidas?

He gave me a puzzled look, as to say what does that have to do with anything...and I informed young Nolan that he attends an Elite Nike Basketball school and that he should wear his Nike tennis shoes with pride.

It was a typical me moment, but what I didn't tell him was that as a child I cheered for his dad when he played for my hometown 76ers. Tonight I thought about Derek Smith, as his son won college basketball's ultimate crown. 30-years ago Derek won it all with Louisville, and enjoyed a solid career in the NBA...in August 1996 he died from a massive heart attack leaving his family and young son with a huge void.

Basketball is an interesting sport that mirrors life...I continue to use it to this day as a catharsis, and if anyone has found solace on the court...it is Nolan Smith.

Everyone loves to hate Duke, however if they understood some of the stories within the bigger picture...I would hope they would be more caring. Butler was the quintessential underdog, however unbeknownst to the rest of the world...Duke was too.

Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images