Season Finale, Part II

See here for the first part of the story.

Quarterfinals, Saturday, March 8



(8) Hofstra vs. (1) Virginia Commonwealth (23-6, 15-3)

VCU is the CAA’s Marlo Stanfield, the cold, efficient, and single-minded alpha dog. The Rams dominated the conference in 2007-8, finishing with a 15-3 record and winning the league by 3 games. The Wire’s David Simon won’t be giving us a Hollywood ending on Sunday night, and while Marlo may not survive in the end, neither will McNulty and Freamon. VCU dispassionately and clinically ends Hofstra’s season.

(5) William and Mary vs. (4) Old Dominion (17-14, 11-7)

ODU doesn’t do anything all that impressive – they just put their heads down and work hard. Occasionally, they’ll have too much to drink*, but for the most part, they’re solid and dependable. Like Bunk Moreland, the backbone of The Wire.

On Saturday, Bunk’ll sit W&M’s Dukie down in an interrogation room, gently lay a comforting hand on the Tribe’s shoulder, and explain in reassuring tones how he’s just doing his job. Sometimes, the Man does what the Man has to do. W&M will understand, but in a plot twist worthy of David Simon himself, the Tribe will turn the tables on the Monarchs, stunning them like I expect to be stunned after the Wire’s final run on Sunday**.

* - metaphorically, in ODU’s case – heaven forbid that we cast such aspersions.
** - and yes, this is quite truly wishful thinking and not a prediction made with much rigorous analysis – though W&M did beat ODU in Norfolk this season.

(10) Drexel vs. (2) UNC Wilmington (19-12, 12-6)

The Seahawks are the CAA’s Michael Lee, tough, street-smart, and a little bit iconoclastic. They’re capable of a achieving at a very high level, but are constrained fatally by their environment (as we’ll soon see, that’s a proxy for their coach). It all goes poof for Drexel against a much tougher Wilmington squad.

(6) Northeastern vs. (3) George Mason (20-10, 12-6)

Okay, bear with me here, because this won’t make much sense until the end of this preview. Mason is Bubbles, the recovering heroin addict and conscience of The Wire. They’ve had amazing highs this season (wins over Kansas State and Dayton when the Flyers were at full strength, an 85-38 drubbing of Drexel) and maddeningly inexplicable descents into the abyss (losses to East Carolina and Georgia State, blowing a double-digit lead in the BracketBusters game against Ohio). The Patriots will end Northeastern’s season, but not without a struggle.

Semifinals, Sunday, March 9

(5) William and Mary vs. (1) VCU

Dukie vs. Marlo. And the result will be about exactly what you’d expect. Sadly. Poor Dukie, cast into the dark underworld, destined to a short, brutal life of drug addiction and far more unspeakable unpleasantries.

(3) George Mason vs. (2) UNC Wilmington

The grim fate of W&M’s Dukie is balanced by the ascension of Mason’s Bubbles in the second semi. As noted a few days ago in this space, G:TB thinks the Patriots are the league’s most talented team, capable of playing at an extremely high level (and equally capable of going on bizarre, half-long walkabouts). The redemption theme continues on Sunday, as Mason avenges two in-season losses to Wilmington to set up a good vs. evil (y’know, artistically-speaking) conference final.

Finals, Monday, March 10

(3) George Mason vs. (1) VCU



ESPN is hoping, nay, praying that this national telecast features action like last year’s 65-59 VCU win over Mason, or 2004’s nail-biter between the two squads. Because ESPN’s seen the dark side, like 2001’s 35-33 final between Mason and Wilmington, a contest that set the game back to Dr. Naismith’s time.

As The Wire ends, we expect David Simon to give us stories of individual redemption and triumph while reminding the viewer that the systemic problems never end, that we’re doomed as a society to wallow in corruption, violence, and avarice. The names change, but the game never does.

Luckily for George Mason and Bubbles, theirs is one of those few bright spots in Simon’s otherwise grim portrait, as they defeat the Rams to clinch the CAA’s automatic bid. And in a nod to poetic justice, Marlo lives to fight another day, too, with VCU capturing an at-large bid in a season where just about every bubble team seems intent on playing its way out of the Dance.

Somewhere, Tom Yeager as the Greek beams a satisfied smile.