It is Friday 9 AM and I am heading to my first of the six March Madness games (four first four round games). The games are in the San Jose's SAP Center and there is a bit of light drizzle there.

UC Irvine (is Russel Turner our next coach?) is an underdog to a very good Kansas State. UC Irvine is a 13 seed to K-Stare's 3 seed. ESPN says UC Irvine has only a 22% chance of winning. Coaching makes a difference and UC Irvine's Turner is a very good coach, but, so is K-State's Bruce Weber. We will see.

The tip-off is at 11 AM and of course the game will be on TV. I will be posting on the BI about the game if my WiFi works from the inside of the SAP Center (and if anyone if interested).

I am in a quandary on who to root for. A UC Irvine win and their coach may be out of reach. A UC Irvine loss and our AD Knowlton may decide to wait on making the change.

Excited ...!

Go Bears!

Is UCLA considering UC Irvine's Russel Turner for their coaching vacancy?

Remember, UCLA's AD (I think) was UC Irvine's AD before going to Westwood, but, that was around 15 years ago. Did they have any overlap time in Irvine?

Update: Turner became the coach at UCI around 2012 and was with Warriors before that (according to a UCI fan). So, no overlap at UCI with UCLA's AD. Does that improve our chances of getting him? Only Knowlton, Christ and Turner know.

Opinion: If UCLA wants Turner, he will go running as soon as he is asked (UCLA has a medical school and Turner's wife likes to be the head of ER and UCLA will do what their MBB wants). However, I believe UCLA is aiming higher.

Go Bears!

In the SAP Center now.

Cold (really cold for San Jose in late March) and breezy morning in San Jose this morning. It is the second day of Spring and it was 70-80 degrees yesterday. What happened?!

Go Bears!

Update: I bought the $15 program. After all the last time I attended Mach Madness games was 28 years ago and probably I won't be around 28 years from now. It s only money after all!

Original Post: Programs are $15!!! No way I am going to pay $15 for what is $5 everywhere else!

Hot Dogs $7. Large Beer $14.50! Good thing it is early in the morning and I am not a drinker because (did I mention), I am cheap (ok, frugal)!

P.S. Nice clean city, beautiful arena (I had a hand in building it 26 years ago) and extremely clean bathrooms!

calbear80 said:

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Hot Dogs $7. Large Beer $14.50! Good thing it is early in the morning and I am not a drinker because (did I mention), I am cheap (ok, frugal)!

P.S. Nice clean city, beautiful arena (I had a hand in building it 26 years ago) and extremely clean bathrooms!

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Nice "PS". Enjoy.

Coach Weber is an excellent coach,too.

UCI thrive.
Go Anteaters!

My Seats:

CENTER COURT!

But, before you get excited, get this part: NOSE BLEED SECTION! Great view though.

Players from both teams warming up.

Go Bears!

UCI's Coach Russel Tuner won 30 games this year including the Big West regular season and tournament championships.

That is pretty spectacular considering the mediocre talent at UCI and UCI's academic requirements as compared to the other Big West Conference schools.

Go Bears!

I feel like EricBear talking to himself while reporting on the Cal MBB games! If no one is interested, maybe I stop (well, as the crowd fills in, probably my phone WiFi will stop working anyway).

Go Bears!

Last Time I Attended A UC Irvine Game, I Personally Experience "Driving While Black"!

True Story:

Around the late 80's (I think), I attend a Cal-UCI MBB game in Irvine with my girlfriend (or was she my wife by then?) and two other close friends/college roommates.

UC Irvine AD (Ford?) had security toss us out of the game for rooting too loudly for Cal (I think it was a school break time and there were relatively few people at the game, so, we stood out). It was in the second half and he did fully refund all four of out tickets. I never forget that as I have never been tossed out of an away game (I have attended many many Cal away games (Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, etc.) and have never experienced this).

Next, we got lost in Irvine trying to find the freeway entrance (yes, we were making U turns, etc. trying to find the freeway entrance). An Irvine City cop in a cop car saw the car drivers and passengers and stopped us (likely racial profiling). The usual routine. Everything was in order. Then the cop asked us where are we going? Back to LA? Ok, I'll help you find the way. The Irvine cop escorted us to the freeway entrance and "accompanied" us until we were on the freeway heading north just to make sure.

True Story!

Go Bears!

P.S. Just in case you are wondering, Cal lost that game (double heart breaker)! I think I have read EricBear write something in a post about that game.

Tip-off now.

UCI team and cheerleaders have identical colors as Cal. So, it should be an easy transition for Coach Turner!

There are only a few hundreds UCI fans and only a little more K State fans in the lower bowl. This place will fill up for the next game (Oregon vs. Wisconsin).

Go Bears!

K State is clearly more athletic. After all, they are from a Power Conference and should be (are you listening Pac-12?).

13-9 at the 14 minute mark of the first half.

Go Bears!

Okay here's a hypothetical...

Combined, what region and set of UC schools are stronger: UCB/UCSF/UCD or UCLA/UCI/UCSD?

Otherwise, Turner moving 50 miles north and wife's job easier makes ense.

Thanks for the report.

Thanks for the updates. Living vicariously through Anteaters.