AS we head into the most solemn part of the Holy Week, we drop most, if not all, of our worldly concerns and try to look inward, become more contemplative and do little acts of self-denial to blend with the season.
From grade school and high school there are traces in me of Lenten sacrifices that I try to pull off during these 40 Days: no soft drinks, no dessert, no TV, no Facebook, no watching reruns of National Basketball Association (NBA) games on NBA League Pass. Instead, kind words, prayer, doing more nice things for people you deal with every day. Or maybe really going out of your way to do more ornately nice things for people you don’t meet every day—like giving or doing something for a community or a care center for kids.
But at the back of my mind, temptation lurks. Temptation in the form of games I want to see played. Games whose outcomes I am most curious about. Games I could yell or do fist pumps for. Like two Final Fours.
In the PBA, Rain or Shine has drawn first blood in their series, giving Meralco its first brownout, 99-86, on Game One. Losing an early lead but getting back their bearings in the fourth quarter, Yeng Guiao’s boys now lead this series with the Bolts, 1-0. Game Two is on Easter Sunday, which gives me enough time to do some Visita Iglesia and other church stuff.
But Purefoods Star and the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters are giving me some distraction. All set to walk long kilometers on Holy Wednesday evening in a religious procession in our hometown, the game between these two longtime rivals will have my “left brain” focused on what’s going on at the Araneta Coliseum, while my “right brain” trudges along with me on my Lenten adventure. We expect no less than another classic battle. Purefoods is the defending champion, but Talk ‘N Text has always been the mighty opponent. TNT is, in fact, No. 2 in the standings versus Purefoods’s No. 3. This semifinal run is nothing short of intense then—a continuation of last season’s hostilities, a fitting reset. Good thing their next encounter isn’t until Easter Monday.
But there is that other Final Four on the other side of the world that is also creating sparks and making me want to google updates in the middle of my holy thoughts. From Sweet Sixteen to Elite Eight to this “fighting foursome,” the semifinal matchups now set to happen in the US NCAA has captured the attention of basketball-loving people.
Some say this has been the most exciting buildup to a Final Four in recent years. Last year was a year where the 1, 2 or 3 seed did not play in the semis. But now all the “stars” are at war. Kentucky (the Wildcats), Wisconsin (Badgers), Duke (Blue Devils) and Michigan (Spartans) are as classic as classic can get.
This is Michigan State’s seventh Final Four trip under its Coach Tom Izzo, and its ninth overall. The Spartans are known for their defense, are good in free throws and are riding on the shoulders of their nascent guard Travis Trice. Michigan will face Duke on Holy Saturday and, if they pull it off, could face either Kentucky or Wisconsin in the championship.
Kentucky has been the winningest NCAA team this season, also mainly because of D, a nine-man rotation that has been described as relentless, and length. John Calipari’s team got a scare from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish going into the Final Four, but their equilibrium, staying power and talent prevailed. When they play the Wisconsin Badgers also on Holy Saturday, Kentucky has hopes of being the first team to accomplish a 40-0 record this year. That would make them the first undefeated NCAA team since Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers did a 32-0 back in 1976.
As for Wisconsin, it’s all about O. It is said they are “the very best offensive group in the nation.” They have a guy named Sam Dekker that is being projected as a future top-10 NBA pick. Their triumvirate of power forward Frank Kaminsky, guard Josh Gasser and forward Nigel Hayes (a leading NBA prospect) has made the Badgers sparkle all March long. Will they sparkle even more?
As for Duke, it is a very young team, but they’ve been awesome. They have two guys who are said to be top-5 NBA picks: Jahil Okafor, an offensively awesome big man, and Justice Winslow. Plus, they have Tyus Jones, a heck of a point guard, and Quinn Cook who manufactures killer three-pointers in cans. Duke also stands for D—which wins games.
When Duke faces Michigan in the Final Four on Saturday, NCAA fans will be on the lookout—not just for the action on court, but also in the sidelines. The duel between their two coaches—Michigan’s Tom Izzo and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski—will be epic.
Which is why everyone is excited about this Final Four.
As for me, I should really put all these mundane distractions on hold and do my darndest to be spiritually fit this season. But what’s a basketball-crazy gal to do?
Make some spiritual three-point shots, I guess.
Happy Easter in advance!