Xmas in Memphis Comes 287 Days Early

Every UTEP fan that spent Saturday morning at the Don Haskins Center is still in shock. They witnessed the Miners giftwrap the C-USA Automatic bid and deliver it to the Memphis Tigers. For most of the contest, UTEP had the game and automatic NCAA bid wrapped up, but then something strange happened. The veteran Miners began to turn over the ball, miss shots, and allow the young Tigers to gain the momentum. It was like both teams switched uniforms. The vets (UTEP) looked like rookies while the kids (Memphis) played like seniors.

Now, every UTEP fan will be glued to their televisions on Selection Sunday hoping for a miracle. The Miners are a longshot to get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, but stranger things have happened. I still have a hard time with C-USA getting only one bid into March Madness, and I like UTEP's chances much more than UAB. If they fail to make the Big Dance, get ready to fill the Don Haskins Center at least one more time in the next few weeks. There is no doubt the Miners would be either a 1 or 2 seed in the NIT.