Cinderella's Slipper Fits: FGCU Steps on the Hoyas

Cinderella earned her glass slipper tonight.

Everyone knows the fable of an unprivileged orphan living in a less-than-royal situation that quickly changes in one magical night with at the [basket]ball.

The Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles thought they got their glass slipper when they punched their ticket to the Big Dance by upsetting Atlantic Sun Conference champion Mercer (who, incidentally, went to the NIT and promptly knocked out Tennessee). But on this night, the Big Dance began and the Eagles had all the right moves.

Cinderella ... Underdog ... whatever you want to call FGCU ... is it really appropriate?

I definitely don't want to take anything away from the fantastic game that the Eagles played, but to me, it didn't appear Georgetown was the Georgetown of old.

Look at the facts. The Hoyas suffered an 'upset' loss last year to North Carolina State early in the tournament and an even more stupefying setback to Ohio in 2010. In fact, this season's exit is just a continuation of a disappointing trend, as Georgetown has now fallen to a double-digit seed in its last four appearances.

So give Florida Gulf Coast its props. After all, the Eagles are now 2-0 against Big East opponents this year, also recording a stunning win over two-seed Miami this season. So Georgetown should have taken notice the moment the Selection Committee announced this pairing.

Not only did the Eagles beat the Hoyas, but they did it in with high-flying aerobatics, dazzling dunks, and proficient three-pointers. On this night, Florida Gulf Coast has made a national name for themselves as a free-wheeling, speedy sort of program that should have raised more than a few eyebrows in the recruiting world. 

Whether the Eagles actually compare themselves to the fairy tale or not, they well understand the opportunity to reap all the benefits of being a 'Cinderella' team.

They have a swagger that states their intention to hang around the Dance for a while. They could give a damn about the clock striking twelve. Their intent is to be still standing when it strikes 0:00.