Act like you've been there before

This did not happen in PC's win over UConn. Smart move. 

These days, college basketball fans are just itching to storm the court.  Never mind risking injury to fellow fanatics and players, I'm getting the sense that fans these days are just looking for a reason to rush the court and celebrate a victory with their team.

Not that a little exuberance and release of emotion is all that bad. For many student sections, these die-hard fans are waiting in line hours before tipoff to secure that lucrative spot along the baseline. They spend the entire game (for most student sections) standing, screaming, jumping up and down, heckling (nicely) opposing players, coaches, and officials.  So sure, maybe they deserve to stretch the legs a bit and sprint out to mid-court for an impromptu mosh pit that you would expect to see at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. 

But there's something that you hear quite a bit about some of the outrageous touchdown celebrations you see college and NFL players "performing" when the score a first quarter TD.  You would think they scored the game-winner in the Super Bowl. 

Heck, even defensive players have celebratory rituals for making a tackle on a running back who just gained 15-yards for a first-down. Pointless.  

My thoughts.  Act like you have been there before.  

Act like you were expecting to defeat this opponent even if it might be a major upset.  

Wouldn't you think it would be a double whammy if your beloved college basketball team knocked off the No. 1 team in the nation, but act like you "expected" to come out on top and that it really wasn't much of an upset at all in your mind.  In the mind of the student section. Maybe. 

I saw this the other night occur at the Dunkin Donuts Center where Providence knocked off the rival UConn Huskies before a loud and raucous 13,000 fans.  I've been to games at the Dunk before where the wild students stormed the court after wins over a No. 1 Pitt team, a top-10 Villanova team, and even a ranked Jim Calhoun-led UConn Husky team.  It was a sea of Friar fans as security did all they could to get the Panthers, Wildcats and Huskies off the floor and into the safety of their locker room. 

But on this night, it was certainly an upset by the second-to-last place Friars over the heavily favored Huskies who needed a win to keep their NCAA playoff chances alive. But something was different on this night in downtown Providence. 

As the final buzzer sounded and the Friars again coming out on top, there was a sort of collective feeling that indeed, it was another win for the Friars over UConn.  

The outcome that was expected.