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Enjoy from my personal collection of NCAA Tournament games. I remember taking off of school this Friday to watch the second day of the first round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. I don't recall too much from the Rhode Island - UNC Charlotte game. I do know Rhode Island had freshman Lamar Odom, who was being hyped as a top pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Ironically enough, the Chicago Bulls would end up with the #1 pick that year, selecting Elton Brand from Duke, but trading him away after two seasons. Rhode Island and UNC-Charlotte had great runs the prior NCAA Tournament. Behind Cuttino Mobley and Tyson Wheeler, Rhode Island shocked #1 Kansas in the second round and appeared Final Four bound before losing a lead late against Stanford in the Elite Eight of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. UNC-Charlotte knocked out UIC in the first round of that tournament before taking #1 North Carolina to overtime during a memorable second-round game. One cool thing about the Rhode Island-UNC Charlotte game was that it was played on the home court of the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I loved it back then when the courts would not be the same as they are today at all sites. It made each location feel unique. As for Southwest Missouri State-Wisconsin, this game set offensive basketball back. Coached by Steve Alford, the Bears led Wisconsin 21-12 at halftime and won this game 43-32. All in all, these were two ugly games to start the day.
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