Still maddening!

Finally, someone missed. Xavier's Jordan Crawford missed a three-pointer and then his teammate Brad Redford missed another, and finally it was over. After 50 minutes and 197 points in the most epic battle in this most epic of NCAA tournaments, Kansas State could finally move on to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1988. ~Kelli Anderson/Sports Illustrated

Epic is right. As in so epic, I’m having trouble thinking of any other words to describe it …

For most of last night’s K-State/Xavier game I was only half-watching, working on projects and then talking on Skype with my parents -- for the first time, I should add. They barely had their new toy out of the box when they were ringing me for a face-to-face computer chat.

Then Kates called for our nightly end-of-the-day chat, and I could hardly keep my attention focused on her as K-State and Xavier traded three-pointer after three-pointer after three-pointer.

As the end of regulation neared, and the barrage of points was just beginning, it seemed like everyone put down what they were doing and started to pay closer attention. My Facebook and Twitter accounts began lighting up, and we were all taking great pleasure in the NCAA tournament classic unfolding before our eyes -- commenting, cheering and jeering as if all of us were in the same living room …

My friend Dionna: I am NERVOUS!

Me: Are you kidding me!?!! It's raining threes!!!

My friend Jason: SERIOUSLY!!!!??? they can NOT miss a 3!!!!!!!

My friend Matt: Are you kidding me? You might as well put Pullen and Crawford out there alone and whoever misses first loses.

My friend Lisa: OMG! Andy just woke me up. Figured the games were over long ago - but no at 11:25 I see 2OT and time left on the clock!

Gosh, I love social media!

It was just as fun to hear the excitement in the voices of the guys broadcasting the game on CBS. Oooh! They shouted with every three-pointer that went down.

So many incredible plays were made that exuberant CBS announcer Gus Johnson was bursting out of his midcourt seat between overtimes to celebrate the spectacle. ~Kellis Robinett/Kansas City Star

Here's another good read about Frank Martin and the resurgence of the K-State program.

* * *

Just when I thought Kansas’s loss last weekend had shot my interest in the tournament, last night happened. No. 1 seed Syracuse fell to Butler in a dramatic game; the K-State thriller followed.

I’ll echo what every college basketball fan seems to be saying. This year’s tournament has been one of the most exciting tournaments I can recall -- at the least, since some of the mind-boggling tourneys of the late 90s. Remember Weber State over North Carolina?

And somehow, I’m still hanging around the top of my office pool.

The standings that arrived in my inbox this morning had be sitting in sixth place … And now, after a whole lot of fluctuating in the last week, and with Ohio State falling (good thing I didn’t write them in after all) and Baylor winning tonight, the standings have come full circle. Tonight, I’m ranked right back at No. 3 -- behind the same two guys who were ahead of me after the first day last week.

I’ve benefited by holding on to three of my Final Four teams -- K-State, Kentucky and Baylor, along with West Virginia and Duke. Although I’ve predicted a Duke loss tonight.

And while I’ve got not a single stake left in the midwest bracket, I’ll also be cheering Northern Iowa to the Final Four -- because gosh darn they’ve been fun to watch and that Farokhmanesh kid is pretty dang good.

* * *

Life isn’t nearly as fun if you can’t find laughter in the things that threaten to keep you down …

So it’s been fun to see the outpouring of jokes this week at the expense of KU’s -- ahem -- choke last weekend … (Here's a good read from the KC Star.)

Enjoy.





And finally from Jimmy Fallon …

“Healthcare passed, Tiger did two interviews, and Kansas lost. So if you’re a Republican slut in Topeka…you had a bad weekend.”