re: 24th Anniversary of the Funk Dunk

He traveled...but the ref wasn't going to ruin the fun

That was the first season since Shaq left that LSU was good, and relevant. You had the quick decline under Brown with the NCAA probation coming and Brady's first two seasons of last place basketball while dealing with the sanctions. The SEC part of the schedule didn't start out well (1-3 out of the gate) before LSU got red hot and was a sleeper Final Four pick going into the NCAA Tournament.

I remember listing to the first round game vs. Southeast Missouri St. on the radio while sitting in class in HS. I had to surreptitiously hide a small radio inside by pullover and run the headphone wire/earbud up my sleeve. I spent the whole class leaning my head on my hand like I was bored or wasn't feeling well...all while giving periodic score updates to friends sitting around me. That game was WAY too close until Brian Beshara closed it out.

LSU then beat #5 seed Texas in the second round and EVERYTHING seemed to be lining up for LSU to make the Final Four. #1 seed Arizona lost to #8 Wisconsin to set up a LSU v Wisconsin matchup in the Sweet 16. But the bottom half of the bracket was complete carnage. #2 St. John's was upset by (then) Cinderella Gonzaga and #3 Purdue lost to #6 Oklahoma. Suddenly, LSU was left as the highest seeded team remaining in the bracket and was the favorite to reach the Final Four...until a late night in The Pit in New Mexico where Brady's career weakness showed up, the ability to create a competent offense.

Dick Bennett's (father of Virginia's Tony Bennett) pack-line defense completely shut down LSU. Swift and Smith were locked up inside and Brady was content to have Bright and CTIII move the ball around to nowhere and jack up missed three after missed three late in the shot clock. LSU had 14 fricking points at halftime as the Final Four dream slowly withered away.