Call of the Day: “And The Fans Are Storming The Court At The RAC”

Do you think when Eamon McAnaney and Tim Welsh were assigned Villanova at Rutgers that either of them thought they’d have the game of the day, especially when the day featured Duke-North Carolina and especially when that Duke-North Carolina game featured an epic come-from-behind win by the home team?

Alas, Rutgers upset Villanova with an epic come-from-behind win of its own, down by as many as 13 points, including a ten-point deficit with just over two minutes to play. Then, this happened:

The announcers certainly seem as shocked as the viewers (and, it seems, Jay Wright). An obvious congratulations to Rutgers head coach Mike Rice for getting his first-season signature win, something his team has been knocking on the door of for a few weeks in the Big East. Now, they’ve got it…in the craziest of ways.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t comment on the fans storming the court. I hate the randomness of fans storming the court and do think there should be some unwritten — hell, written — set of rules for doing so. This is right on the borderline of being acceptable…I’m honestly not sure here…so let’s break it down:

• Last second victory? Yes.
• Ridiculous comeback which led to a totally unexpected result? Yes.
• Team at the bottom of the conference standings beats one of the top teams? Yes.
• The top team was ranked in the top 10 nationally? Barely, but yes.
• Excitement by the fans seemed natural and not forced and/or planned at the four minute mark? Totally, yes.

Hmm…as much as I hate when fans rush the court in any major conference game because, frankly, every Big East team should be able to win its home games, this one might be okay. Sure, it’s not a Big East title, but it’s a huge statement for Rice and his young Rutgers team and it’s certainly our Call of the Day.

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