LITTLE ROCK — Driving through Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee offered some rare air. Listening to sports talk radio shows.
The favorite was not a nationally syndicated show. It wasn’t polished or especially clear. It wasn’t all that informative.
It was two huge Kentucky Wildcats fans who happened to have a radio show, and they were unintentionally hilarious.
The wife and I belly laughed so many times, we were disappointed when we got out of range of their signal.
They said, “We,” when referring to the Wildcats. They defended John Calipari vehemently, even though not one caller (also UK fans) attacked him, and they boldly predicted “their” Wildcats would redeem the one loss of the regular season, to Indiana, tonight in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
Most likely none of them had ever bought a ticket to a game, and most of the callers sounded like they still preferred listening to the games on radio rather than watching on the 17-inch Sony they bought used in 1985.
Give the host credit for one thing, when a caller said the Wildcats had been cheated by having to play the late game, he explained that was called prime time.
Anyway, here’s a quick look at tonight’s games, starting with Atlanta:
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 10 Xavier (6:15 p.m. on CBS)
The Bears have beaten teams seeded No. 14 and 11 to get a shot at the 10th-seeded Musketeers, whose path was littered with the likes of Notre Dame and Lehigh.
Like both games in the Midwest Regional, this one looks pedestrian at best. Baylor should win, it is that simple. Xavier might not have an answer for PJIII (Perry Jones, but what’s up with thirds at Baylor?). Actually, Xavier was lucky to make the field after losing to St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament. Baylor 71, Xavier 61.
Now, on to that primetime game:
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 4 Indiana (8:45 p.m. on CBS). This is supposed to be the best game of the Sweet 16. Exactly 104 days ago, the Hoosiers hit more than 60 percent of their three-pointers, got every bounce of the ball and beat the Wildcats 73-72 in Bloomington, Ind.
Since then, IU has lost seven times, including to Nebraska and Iowa.
All Kentucky has done is win every game but the SEC Tournament championship, become No. 1 and stay there. If it wasn’t enough that the Wildcats have more talent and an edge in coaching, the game is in Atlanta, where the Wildcat Nation is more comfortable than the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport smoking lounge. Revenge is all big blue. Kentucky 77, Indiana 65.
Moving to St. Louis, home of the Cinderellas:
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Ohio (6:47 p.m. on TBS)
The Tar Heels won’t need point guard Kendall Marshall, who had surgery Monday for a broken wrist. In fact, a team can win the national championship without its starting point guard, see the 1995 championship game. Make this one North Carolina 74, Ohio 59.
And, another anticlimactic game:
No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 11 North Carolina State (9:17 p.m. on TBS)
The best thing about this game could be Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, the studio analysts and former great players. Each obviously knows more about the NBA, but that doesn’t keep them from sharing an opinion or 10.
Kansas’ Bill Self would love a shot at a crippled North Carolina team to get to the Final Four and he should get it. Kansas will lead by 1 at the half but in the end, Kansas 67, North Carolina State 55.
Sports, Pages 21 on 03/23/2012