Okay, Forget the Pilots. Go Demons

.So, the NAIA basketball tournament is underway. LSU-Shreveport, ranked #1 in the nation less than a month ago, lost in the first round to Southern Polytechnic. That tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the NAIA rankings system. Hey, an upset's an upset, and I'm upset that the Pilots lost.
Now, we can concentrate on LSU Baton Rouge in the NCAA. The Tigers will try to avoid an upset of their own again Iona.
Not to be confusing, but another Louisiana college team will play Iowa. There's just one letter's difference between Iona and Iowa, but there's a world of difference in the quality of play.
The Northwestern State Demons are in the NCAA Tournament for the ssecond time under affable coach Mike McConathy. Mike, who spent 13 seasons toiling in almost absolute obscurity at Bossier Parish Community College, is one of the most underappreciated coaches in the country. I've never met Steve Alford, the Iowa Coach (and probably the next coach at Indiana), but I'll take "Coach Mike" any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
That the Northwestern State Demons are in the NCAA Tournament isn’t a surprise. They were everybody’s pick to win the Southland Conference’s automatic berth, and their performance in the regular season showed why.
Now they’re back in a role they’ve thrived in this season: as an underdog against a tradition rich program from a power conference.
The Demons had five of those matchups this year. They won three, and arguably, four of them -- winning at Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, beating Oregon State in Hawaii, and falling short on the scoreboard in the Phantom Point” double OT loss to Iowa State at Hawaii’s Rainbow Classic. They also led at Missouri for 35 minutes but a 36-9 free throw disparity took a toll at game’s end.
But none of those teams have anything approaching the 2005-06 credentials posted by the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Big Ten Conference Tournament champs have 25 wins, one of the best RPIs in college hoops, a veteran lineup, an acclaimed head coach and staff and a
well-deserved No. 3 seeding in the Atlanta Region of the NCAA Tournament.
The SLC Tournament champ Demons also have 25 wins, a veteran lineup, and a remarkable head coach. McConathy has a simple mantra for his teams: “C’mon guys, let’s go to work.” To emphasize the point during last week’s Conference tournament, before the semifinals he put a hard hat for his pregame talk to the Demons, and he did so again in the championship game pregame speech.
The players autographed the hat before the finals. It's hokey, but it's quintessentially Mike, and it worked.
This is a guy who doesn't allow cursing, or "talking ugly" as he calls it, in his presence. He sets a standard for behavior and a standard for winning. I'm pulling for him. I've picked the Demons as an upset winner in my bracket. This is Mike's big chance. He has seven seniors. Next year, he starts rebuilding a bit.
His team just might be able to string together a couple of "Big Dance" wins before he runs into the Texas Longhorns. If it happens (and I'm admitting it's unlikely), then don't be surprised if McConathy gets some attention from a program that's a long, long way from BPCC.

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