Bookemdanosports: "I really didn't want to bring this up"

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The time has come for our Arizona Wildcats to take the court in Portland, Oregon.

In less than 11 hours (yes, I'm already up and at 'em), Arizona will take on Texas Southern University, coached by Mike Davis, in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Basketball Tournament.

I hate to bring up 1993, but I am a true Wildcat fan and I must let all my fears out of the box and get them out in the open. Some guy named Steve Nash led Santa Clara to a victory over Arizona and squashed the Wildcats and their dream for a national title.

It was Arizona's opening round game. The Arizona fans would watch (and some probably didn't bother) the rest of the '93 tourney -- shell shocked. There would be no third round for the Wildcats, no Sweet Sixteen, just a memory of a poor shooting night and the exuberance of Nash and Company at the conclusion of what seemed like the WORST LOSS EVER by an Arizona Wildcat team.

But that little man in my head, the one with whiskers and a big Arizona hat on, is telling me to cool my jets. This is 2015 and our Arizona Wildcats are 31-3 and they are peaking at the right time. This team plays DEFENSE, one of the top defensive teams in the country. This Arizona team has T.J. McConnell, Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski--and that's just for starters.

The Wildcats have a bench, which, less than two weeks ago, scored 41 of 90 points. The Wildcats have Gabe York and Elliott Pitts, two fantastic shooters off the bench. They have a gritty reserve point guard in Parker Jackson-Cartwright and a big man named Dusan Ristic to contribute a few minutes of muscle.

And if they get far enough ahead, Matt Korcheck and Company will take the court for a couple of minutes as the Wildcat starters remain on the bench, celebrating another victory.

The little Arizona Wildcat in my head (he must be getting close to 65 years old!) has been a part of me since I was knee high to a grasshopper. He says to me, "relax, we've got this!"

"But, Mr. Wildcat, this Texas Southern team beat Michigan State at Michigan State and they beat Kansas State by two and they have a pretty good coach in Davis."

"Yes, but we have Sean Miller. We are playing out West and we have the best fans who travel to away games as if they're going down the street to the market to pick up some bread and milk."

"Okay, Mr. Wildcat. Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

Go get 'em, Wildcats!