By JIMMY D / Let’s Go, Peay! Madness approaches in hoops | Jimmy's archive

It’s one of Jimmy’s favourite chants and one you’ll all get to hear in the first round of the US college basketball championship, which starts next Thursday.

“Let’s go, Peay!”

That’s right, the Austin Peay Governors are back in the tournament after winning the Ohio Valley Conference. They were 16-4 in conference play, but just 8-6 against the rest of the nation. They could be a good early upset pick depending on their seeding as the roster is full of seniors who were disappointed at losing the OVC title game a year ago.

As George Mason proved a few years ago, a senior-laden squad can morph from ugly tournament step-sister to Final Four Cinderella in March.

Plus, it’s always fun in your bracket contest to declare, “I’m gonna go take A. Peay.” It’s immature, but certain to draw giggles.

Other qualifiers as of Sunday night include the Drake Bulldogs, a dangerous squad that put together a 28-4 season and boasted a 21-game winning streak this year.

Drake rolled to three easy wins in the Missouri Valley Conference and will be a dangerous first-round foe, despite being more like a Canadian university school in that they have nobody taller than 6 foot 8. Belmont (Atlantic Sun), Winthrop (Big South) and Cornell (Ivy League) are also in.

And if Jimmy had to bet today on the No. 1 tournament seeds, he would pick North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas and UCLA. All have been consistently excellent this year and the Heels come off a big win at Cameron Indoor over Duke on the weekend.

Four more teams were decided last night after press time and Jimmy will be back next Tuesday with his annual list of top bracket contest upsets.

Late Jackal hockey push

Jimmy’s motto of ‘stay busy, stay lucky’ right to the bitter end proved successful again last week.

A weak fantasy hockey roster (picked by the damn computer in Jimmy’s absence on draft day back in September) and a string of bad luck put Jimmy’s head-to-head league squad in a deep hole at mid-season (11th of 12 teams).

But after recruiting hockey-mad Jimmy Jr. to co-manage the Jimmyville Jackals, things turned around and a 6-2-2 week in the final regular-season week helped him leapfrog two two teams and into the league playoffs. He was eighth and out of the playoffs just a week ago, but some roster strategy paid off.

Joe Thornton has come alive during San Jose’s eight-game win streak and Carey Price, plucked off league waivers on Deadline Day, continues to put up numbers. Alexei Kovalev, oft-maligned in the past for lethargic play at times, has been superb and Jimmy also picked up his linemate Tomas Plekanec early in the year off waivers. He has 63 points in 69 games.

The computer did a good job in selecting Daniel Sedin and Marian Gaborik as well, but it has been a struggle in net (Jimmy has used nine different goalies and currently has Tampa Bay’s Mike Smith and Leaf Vesa Toskala as Price’s primary backups).

Moral of the story is, never give up. Losing while trying your best is semi-acceptable and builds character. It should still make you angry.
Losing while quitting just makes you a big loser. And you are welcome in my fantasy league every time so I can take your money!

Foppa teases again

Peter Forsberg has been a truly remarkable player and tremendous playoff performer. But he has toggled between great player and injured player for more than two years now.

Everyone who rushed to the waiver wire last week to grab him when he surprisingly signed with Colorado was reminded of this on the weekend.

On Saturday, he led a stirring Avalanche rally with two assists in a 3-1 win. The next game, he was unable to play with a groin strain and the Avs were shut out 3-0. (Jimmy didn’t mind since his head-to-head opponent this week owns Forsberg).

The problem is that teams get used to having him and start to rely on him and then he is gone again. It’s frustrating for your fantasy roster, imagine how maddening it must be in reality.

Late injury tidbits

- Zdeno Chara was out Monday night and could miss some time. Beware this situation.
- Dwyane Wade will sit the rest of the season for the Miami Heat. No sense wearing his already-tattered body out even more. And also no sense jeopardizing that No. 1 overall draft pick for finishing last.

Stay busy, stay lucky.

jpoole@herald.ca