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

Southern Comfort

"One more time for y'all..."

Big Boi - Red Velvet

A month ago my friend Vince sent me a text that read: Duke is going to win it all. And while I didn't totally scoff at his message...I had a second thought or two on the matter.

Fantastic Four

Coach K always talks about how the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back...and if there is one thing you can say about the Blue Devils...you can express without hesitation that they play together as team. Their last two games are proof positive that they can play with the best of them, after defeating Purdue, and Baylor...no easy task by any means.

This has been one of the best NCAA tournaments in recent years. It was as unpredictable as it was entertaining, and now that West Virginia, Butler, Michigan State, and Duke have advanced...it seems that anything can happen...mainly because it already has.

Nonetheless the ride is far from over...and if the world had it's say, the Dookies would have lost in the first round. I don't understand why EVERYONE despises Duke...they get the Yankees, Cowboys, and Lakers treatment. That's what happens when you are a proven winner, however Michigan State is also an elite program, winning the national championship twice, along with numerous trips to the Final Four within the the past ten years...but they don't receive the distain that Duke does.

West Virginia is the only team I have left in my bracket after watching Kansas, Kentucky, and Villanova fall by the wayside. It's really good for college basketball to see these schools as the last ones standing. On one end there is the familiarity and experience with Tom Izzo leading the Spartans, and then Duke making the return trip after several years on the outside looking in. On the opposite side of that spectrum is Butler making their first ever trip to the Final Four, and West Virginia is back for the first time since Jerry West led them in 1959...his son Jonnie ironically is a guard on the current team.

The possibilities are endless, however I'm going to stick to my Big East pick West Virginia, and just pray that Duke doesn't make me look too bad this weekend.

Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images