While wallowing in sadness over the canceled 2020 NCAA tournament. I thought it might be fun to reminisce about some of my favorite March moments on the day they happened.
The Memory: Marshall’s 2018 Upset of Wichita State
Today we will be looking at Marshall’s 81-75 upset of Wichita State on March 16, 2018. This game will always hold a special place in my heart not only because it was an awesome game, but I was there to witness it.
Coming in, it was known that Marshall was going to fly up and down the court. The consensus was that WSU was going to be able to stop them and with Shaq Morris be able to control the game inside. This was totally wrong. As college basketball fans, we learned about the phenomenal Jon Elmore.
Jon Elmoremania:
Jon Elmore did not look the part of a superstar basketball player. At 6 foot three and not overly quick, his craftiness and quick release were key in his success. He was not a secret as he was one of America’s most versatile players averaging 22-6-6. That late winter morning in San Diego he became a national story.
What makes this one of my favorite under the radar NCAA Tournament games was the atmosphere. This 3 ended a sequence of exciting back and forth action that had the whole crowd on their feet. This game was truly what March is all about.
The Aftermath:
Elmore finished with 27-4-4 on the day while winning the hearts of college basketball fans nationwide. Sadly, the run was short-lived as West Virginia rolled through the Thundering Herd just two days later.