Dreamin' or reality? Clipped Eagle can only hope

Watching Marquette practice, it looked unlikely that McNeal will play. Wearing a white apparatus to protect his right thumb, he didn't use that hand -- his shooting hand -- much at all. During layup drills, he used the left hand to pass. When he shot a layup, it was with the left.

Crean pretty much said that McNeal won't go, although he did say the final word would be left up to the trainers.

"I don't think it will happen," Crean said.

McNeal's not ready to give up yet. He's spent plenty of time lobbying Crean to play -- "I've heard plenty of it," James said -- but the final decision will be made by the training staff.

McNeal talked Wednesday about being fitted with a smaller device to protect the thumb, one that wouldn't limit him as much.

"Maybe I can just get out there and play a little defense," McNeal said.

Without the ability to score, though, he would make it much easier for the Spartans to defend Marquette, and Michigan State is known for its defense anyway.

There is also a chance of more damage to the sprained thumb. If he fell wrong, it could lead to ligament damage and possible surgery.

"I have to be smart," McNeal said. "As bad as I want to play, I don't want to do anything to hurt the team."

McNeal said if he doesn't play, and Marquette wins, the extra two days could be enough to allow him to play in the next round. That didn't lesson the anxiety he was about to endure the night before his team's most important game of the year.

Talk about torment. The one thing he played all season to for, and it might be taken away from him.

Who knows, though? Weirder things have happened.

Maybe, just maybe, those wonderful dreams, the ones that make him whole again, will come true.

It's NCAA Tournament time. Isn't this the time when dreams do come true?