Not to be overlooked, Blake Griffin goes for 25/21, and is now officially tagged with the “Duh #1 overall” pick in the draft next spring. Beast. His brother isn’t half bad either.

Hindsight allows me to realize that my mother had to know what I was upto. It was not until Vinny Johnson hit a simple 14 foot jump shot in 1990 that my secret came to the forefront. By some stroke of fate my deeds went unpunished.

Passion cannot be forsaken.

Since those early years my love for the game has evolved to a form not recognized by many people. While I still enjoy the NBA and the Detroit Pistons, I find the purest form of the sport resides at a lower level of overall talent. It resides where the game does not cash a check or endorse a sneaker. Yes, College Basketball in many forms is as corrupt as its big brother. It has evolved into a developmental league, players often staying one or two years before they are off to bigger and better paydays in the NBA. Players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Amare Stoudamire show that kids are ready sooner, and achieve greatness at a younger age than ever before. However, the sport reaches purity found no where else when you look past the Dukes and North Carolina’s, and into the hundreds of schools at the mid to low major level.

Stephen Curry was 5 foot nothing as a Junior in high school. His jump shot can melt butter and make your own mother cry, yet he was passed up by several big time schools, always looking for the next Kevin Durrant or Greg Oden. Given a chance at a small private school in North Carolina, as a sophomore in college, Curry produced the single greatest performance I have ever witnessed live on a basketball court when he alone outscored the entire Wisconsin team in the 2nd half at Ford Field in Detroit, leading his team to an upset victory and a trip to the Elite 8. He was not supposed to and he did.

The improbable. The impossible. Shouldn’t have a shot. Not supposed to be there. Yes, the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament always ends up righting itself in the end, producing a champion from a blue blood school with every advantage and no reason to fail. However, every now and then there is a George Mason, a Villanova, and a Davidson to remind us that there’s still a reason to play the game.

We’ll be there to tell you about it. The Trip started in 2001 with 3 friends from high school and has now settled in at 5. Many cities have been visited. The Trip has seen its highs, and its lows, but never did it cease to exist. It has spawned its own website, clothing, catch phrases, and even a future spin-off. The Trip has thrashed several hotel rooms, devoured a brackets worth of meals and consumed its share of brews. It will continue on into the future with no end in sight, and only one goal – to be there.

Shout out to Philadelphia 2009.