I hope Carlos Arroyo was watching!

I really enjoyed watching the some of the conference tournaments finals last night as these games are akin to what the regional final games are for the high-major programs. By that I mean that these aren't the final destination for these teams, but they are (at most) two games away from the final destination. Unless you're in a league like the Missouri Valley Conference or the Mid-American Conference, then you really don't have much chance of surviving past the round of sixteen, at all. As a result of this, the intensity and passion on the floor is very similar to what you will see in late March.

Two of these games intrigued me throughout the night. The VCU-ODU matchup promised to be a good one, these were clearly the two best teams in the Colonial Athletic Conference and I had watched their earlier matchup during one of the ESPN Bracket Buster Saturdays. This game featured former Dukie Jeff Capel coaching against his father's former school (one of many for the elder Jeff Capel) ,Old Dominion, while trying to take VCU to the big dance for the second straight year. I liked ODU in this one, based on the star power of both PG Isiah Hunter and PF Alex Loughton. The game ended up being as anti-climactic as any overtime game that I've ever seen based soley on the fact that VCU did absolutely nothing during the extra period. It was almost like they realized they blew their shot when they had ODU on the ropes with about two minutes left and were totally spent when ODU forced OT, causing VCU to come out totally flat for the biggest five minutes of their season, which is inexcusable. Even with that, it was still a fun and exciting game to watch, until the last five minutes at least. ODU could definitely do some damage in the tourney, maybe even sneaking into the sweet sixteen if the matchups fall just right. By the way, I say that Capel is coaching in the ACC within three years...but I also predicted that he would be playing in the NBA after watching him during his freshman year at Duke, so I am clearly either (a) in love with Jeff Capel or (b) not fit to pontificate on matter's involving former Duke point guards. Sadly, its probably a little of both.

Niagra-Rider didn't end up being a very good game and normally I wouldn't care in the least about a MAAC Championship game but this game a little different for me. Both Niagra star Juan Mendez and point guard Alvin Cruz played their high school ball in my hometown at a prep school by the name of Florida Air Academy. Since FAA is a prep school they recruit players and one of their most fertile recruiting grounds is none other than the island of Puerto Rico. While the rest of the world was just figuring out that Puerto Ricans even knew what basketball was this summer in Athens, the folks at Florida Air Academy have been scouring the P.R. for hoops talent like George Michael looks for public bathrooms for the better part of a decade now.

Alvin Cruz led FAA to an undefeated state championship season his senior year and then followed his close friend and fellow puerto rican Juan Mendez to upstate New York. Cruz was a much more heralded player in high school than Mendez, even garnering an All-State selection in his classification while also being name the MVP of the state final four, but it is Mendez who is the star of this Niagra team. Mendez was named MAAC Player of the Year while averaging 23.4 pts and 10.4 rbs a game and is said to have an outside shot at the NBA if he performs well in the pre-draft camps in Portsmouth and Phoenix. Regardless of if this happens or not, Mendez is a VERY good post player who is going to give some team fits in the first round of the NCAAs. I still haven't decided if I'm going to pick Niagra in the first round but I'm certainly leaning in that direction. Oh yeah, FAA is a team that you'll most likely be hearing more of in the years to come. They are currently undefeated and seeking their third state title in four years and led by a point guard named Walter Hodge (also puerto rican) who has narrowed his college choices to Florida, Auburn, and Kansas. Kansas is the front runner in my opinion because former FAA center Sasha Kaun is currently a freshman on Bill Self's squad.