I Am So Fucking Excited

(SCSD now has multiple daily posts. Don't miss the others below.)

'Scuse the language, y'all. But this is ridiculous. I played in my basketball league last night and didn't fall asleep until about 2:30am, and now I'm at work just aggressively tired and having to do payroll for an entire department. The state of my brain is absurd. But it's okay, because TONIGHT DUKE IS PLAYING IN THE SWEET 16.

It's hard to think of anything more exciting. Except maybe the Final Four, but that's becoming harder to remember. Right now, at this very moment, an entire universe of possibilities is open to this team. Kansas and Syracuse are done. Our region is weak. We seem to be playing fairly well. Purdue shouldn't beat us. Baylor or St. Mary's shouldn't beat us. The trip to Indianapolis is so friggin' tantalizing. It's right in our grasp. I'm jittery. I'm ready to shout words that haven't been invented. I'm off my rocker.

TRIBUTES?!

TRIBUTES!

Miles Plumlee - People have said you're overrated. By "people," I mean "I." I have said you're overrated. Earlier in the season it really seemed like you had nothing to offer. You couldn't play D, could barely rebound, missed a ton of open shots, and took jumpers you had no business taking. And you seemed to be kinda on the dumb side, too. But lately, man, you're picking your spots, playing tough, and coming away with boards that seem improbable.

Mason Plumlee - There's something about your face that puts me off a little bit, but I've grown to like you more as the season progressed. And the talent has become obvious. You're a legit threat down low, and you always play with self-belief.

Andre Dawkins - You are the man. You came out of high school a year early to fill a role for Duke, dealt with some awful shit this year that hurt your play, and came back swinging. You can't be left alone.

Lance Thomas - There's a part on The Wire where McNulty is sitting with Bodie, and he goes "you're a soldier." Bodie goes "hell yeah." You are a soldier, LT. Nothing fancy, no frills, just solid D and constant support for your teammates. Hell yeah.

Brian Zoubek - At some point this year, you became the man. Now you're beyond the man. You're the brahma, or something. After all the shit you took from everyone, and the injuries that slowed you down, and the unfulfilled potential, you've worked yourself into something new and effective. And you never hung your head. Pure humility and hard work. We're not where we are without the Zou.

Kyle Singler - The year started off about as bad as it could for you, and now you're a damn machine. You're constantly hurting yourself because you play so hard, and you never seemed to doubt that your form would come back, even when the rest of us did. You look like every kid I've ever seen in a Catholic church, but when you play you've got the look of a gleeful cheetah. You're The Sing. Keep it humming.

Jon Scheyer - The best part about you is that even when you're in a cold spell, like now, you're still undiluted danger in the clutch. And you still work your ass off to try to change things around. For four years, you've been awesome. You became a point guard out of the blue when no one else could pull it off, and you grew from a kid into a battle-tested competitor. You almost won ACC Player of the Year, and you're the man who needs the ball in his hands when it comes down to the golden marbles. This is your team.

Nolan Smith - The talent was never a question. The question was whether you could find the edge. This year, you didn't even bother looking; you just re-defined it. I've never seen one player go from weak to bloodthirsty so fast. You are the sparkplug of this team, and I love knowing you'll never enter the fray without a stone cold look in your eyes and your teeth bared. You're the hunter; God help your prey.

I LOVE THIS TEAM. PITY THE BOILERMAKERS!
LONG LIVE THE BLUE DEVILS! TONIGHT WE FEAST!