This, folks, is March, as Michigan’s Jordan Poole so loudly declared with a buzzer-beating three to defeat sixth-seeded Houston. Mass excitement followed:
Anyone could have forgiven a Michigan player for getting lost in the excitement, but forward Mo Wagner saw Houston’s Corey Davis, standing in stunned disbelief, and peeled off from his team’s celebration to acknowledge their opponent.
This, also, is what March is about! Two teams, duking out a close one, all the way to the final seconds of a good game. No effort was spared, certainly not by Davis, who contested that game-winner by Poole about as well as anyone could’ve asked for. This is sportsmanship at its best.
Still, a loss is a loss, and it never feels good.
It was one of those magical moments that delivered so many of the images that capture what sport, and especially March Madness, is about at its emotional peak. Davis’ disappointment runs in stark contrast to Poole sprinting end-to-end in celebration of his bucket. Maybe nothing captured that better than this moment from the broadcast:
Shivers.
We’ll see if Michigan has any more of that magic in the Sweet Sixteen round, which they’ll play against the winner of Sunday’s UNC-Texas A&M game.
