Sunday night, I accepted our NIT fate.  9-3 in the Big Ten had turned into 10-8, 14 losses were guaranteed without a BTT title (14!), and no matter what we did against Wisconsin and Ohio State, the committee was sure to laugh at our 70-ish RPI and send us to play ISU in the NIT.  Bargaining was over – acceptance was here.  Visions of Alabama and Roy Rogers danced in my head.

And then all these bubble teams started losing.  And most of the “we need them to win their conference tourney” teams kept winning.  And more and more teams on the last four in/first four out line keep losing and losing and losing.  The season I had put to bed is now knocking on my door asking for a glass of water.

So for the 4th consecutive game, I think it might be win-and-we’re-in.  Again.  The business we should have taken care of against Tubby at home can now be taken care of against Bo.  One, hard fought, high energy, everyone-channels-Chester-Frazier win and we’re likely in.  This deplorable school year of Illini sports might find it’s redemptive moment.  It’s well past midnight, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Is it a Dominique Keller three?  You know, one of those “no, Dom, don’t – no, no… YES” things?  Does Dom Keller get his moment in Illini history like Marc Davidson in the 1993 tourney game against Long Beach State?  Does Tyler Griffey come off the bench and hit a few Jack Ingram Wisconsin Threes?  Is this the game where Brandon Paul finally decides “you know what? I’m the best athlete on the court – why don’t I just jump over people?”  Does Demetri not want the season to end?  Will 2008 Big Ten Tournament Mike Davis show up?

I want the story of 09/10 Illini athletics to have a postscript.  It’s been unbearable up to now – there has to be a payoff at the end, even if it’s a tiny one, right?  We beat Wisconsin, sneak into the tourney as the last team in, gain a 13-seed, and then knock off some cocky 4-seed so I can sit here and write about happy things for once.  I mean, I still have 15,000 acerbic words in me to complete The 19 Point Plan For Fixing Illini Football.  I get to share 893 words about some joyous moment, right?  That happens soon, yes?

I’ll be in a meeting tomorrow that gets out around 3:30.  Please, for the love of all that’s orange, when I get back to my desk and pull up the score, let it show an Illini win.  I’m sucked in again, and I don’t think I can take another punch.

Especially from Bo.