One shining moment
Anyone who has played pick-up ball knows it's possible to be too open -- to have an enervating excess of time to set up for a shot. Don't tell that to Jaspers star Luis Flores. Early in the second half, with Florida having closed to within three points at 38-35, Flores found himself contemplating an
uncontested 3-pointer on the right wing. Given how the Gators had dogged him in
the first half, Flores might have rushed his opportunity. Instead he sighted the
basket, calmed himself and, like an archer, cold-bloodedly struck the center
of the hoop. "They kind of forgot about me," Flores said later.
A disgusted
Florida coach Billy Donovan described the breakdown: "We were trying to show
zone and go back to man. Our forward should have come back to show. Our guys have
seen enough film of Flores to know what he's had for breakfast." But the
Gators somehow neglected him, and did so twice more over the next two minutes and change, as the nation's fourth-leading scorer, a Rutgers transfer and fifth-year senior, calmly sank another jumper and one more 3. Suddenly the New Yorkers led by 11 and never were challenged again.
Player who impressed me
A year ago Manhattan forward Dave Holmes was the MAAC's top sixth man. Thursday
he was simply The Man, with 12 points and 12 rebounds, most of them claimed in
traffic. He even pulled in the hardest of all rebounds, an airball off the
hands of the Gators' Anthony Roberson. Holmes is a solid medium-range spot-up
shooter, and a sound enough position defender that he helped limit Gator
frontliners David Lee and Adrian Moss to a combined 12 points on 13 shots. And as Manhattan
consolidated its advantage during the second half, he added cheerleader duties,
waving his arms to get the Jasper faithful more involved. Not that they needed
any encouragement. "America's going to look at this as an upset," Holmes said
afterward. "But behind closed doors, we know it's not an upset."
Courtside confidential
Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez, who turned 40 on gameday, read a fax of
encouragement from former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani during the pregame. ... A year
ago, during the Jaspers' first-round loss to eventual national champion
Syracuse, 5-foot-8 reserve guard Kenny Minor got the asterisk treatment as Carmelo
Anthony's best bud growing up in Baltimore. ... But on Thursday, Minor was
essential, with seven points, two assists, a steal and no turnovers while dogging
Roberson for 26 minutes. ... Postgame, Donovan couldn't disguise his
disappointment with his players' lack of competitveness, as he watched the Gators get
outrebounded by 10, including 13-4 on the offensive glass. ... Several games
after his 1-15 brickfest in the SEC tournament, Florida's Matt Walsh went
4-for-12 and drew chants of "Playboy!" from Manhattan fans who know that his
girlfriend, Gainesville coed Lauren Anderson, has appeared in that magazine's
centerfold. ... Since Donovan guided them to the 2000 title game, the Gators have
failed to survive the first weekend of the past four NCAA tournaments. ... This
was such a popular upset pick -- even Lee was saying on Wednesday that "If we
beat Manhattan, it should be an upset" -- that you had to wonder: What did everyone
else know that the committee didn't? ... Moreover, Donovan surmised, when
asked about the Upset Special designation the game had gotten, "Maybe it scared
[our team] a little bit."
Long-term prospects
Manhattan is a better defensive team than Wake Forest, and as good as Demon Deacons
guards Chris Paul and Justin Gray are, the Jaspers' guards (Flores, Minor and
Jason Wingate) have the physical stature to match up. Add to that backcourt
play the team's foul-line sangfroid (76 percent on the year, 17-for-21 against
Florida), and Manhattan is a tough crew to mount a comeback against. Saturday's
second-round game will turn on whether Manhattan can grab a lead to protect; how
Holmes and fellow senior Jason Benton can cope with the Deacons' 6-foot-9,
275-pound Eric Williams; and how officials whistle play in the post.
A year ago Manhattan played more neutral-site games (10) than any team in
the country, and won seven of them. The Jaspers know that if they prove
themselves worthy, other fans in the building will throw allegiance their way, as
happened against Florida. The problem in Raleigh is that, on Saturday, Duke fans
may support the Deacs in ACC solidarity. Even so, don't be
surprised if Manhattan becomes the latest senior-laden mid-major to reach the
Sweet 16.
