Tired Broncos prepare for Elite Eight

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team had its last practice today before heading off to the Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass. But not even that came easy. The Broncos were forced out of their own facility due to a sports festival that had the run of the campus.

The Broncos had to relocate to the University of La Verne for their final tuneup. They will leave on Sunday.

It is pretty much impossible not to like this team. Coach Greg Kamansky gets the most out of his team. He doesn't carry 15 players as most schools do. He typically carries 10-12 and injuries this season have limited him to nine.

They don't make excuses. They just play hard, play together - and win.

Let's go back and review how the Broncos got there. They traveled to Bellingham, Wash. on a Wednesday for their regional quarterfinal, beating Cal State San Bernardino in overtime on Friday. Then they beat Seattle Pacific on Saturday, drove 100 miles to Seattle on Sunday, left on Monday to go to Honolulu to get ready to play Brigham Young-Hawaii on Wednesday.

They rally from a 15-point deficit and beat the No. 3 team in the country, which hadn't lost in two months, on its home floor in front of 4,000 boisterous spectators.

Celebrate! Well just a little. Because now the players have stay up all night cramming for exams, then fly home on Thursday so they can take their tests on Friday, only to turn around and fly across the country two days later. I'm exhausted just thinking about that.

Before it's over they will have played tournament games in three different time zones in a two-week span.

This team has had a knack for winning close games in dramatic fashion. Odds seem to be against them but that never mattered before. They play Southwest Minnesota State on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Here's to hoping that magical run continues.