Today, my grad school alma mater Long Beach State University, plays the University of New Mexico in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. Long Beach State won the Big West conference with a 25-8 record. However, LBSU played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, so we are battle tested. We beat #9 Pitt at Pitt, lost to Louisville, and UNC at UNC by 6, Kansas at Kansas by about 5, #21 San Diego State in OT, beat #15 Xavier, etc., etc. Tough schedule. I think we can pull it off. I sure hope so. New Mexico is a tough #5 seed though, and LBSU is a #12 seed. If we win, we probably will have to play Big East champ, Louisville, again. Tall order. However, The Beach has an experienced team, with four seniors and a junior starting, and the two time Big West Player of the Year in Casper Ware, a point guard who went off for 33 points against UC Santa Barbara in the conference tournament championship game. We also have the conference Defensive Player of the Year in Larry Allen, as well as a true double/double player in TJ Robinson. I think we can be a Sweet 16 team, I really do. However, I think we’ve drawn possibly the toughest match-ups in the early rounds of the tournament. That’s a bit disappointing and it’s a bit daunting, but I’ll just leave it at this: Go Long Beach State 49er’s!!!