March 2008 - Posts
Give thanks to the hoops gods for a loaded Final Four.
Yes, this was that season when sticking with the chalk in your bracket would’ve been a blessing. Kansas and Memphis didn’t fall short. Carolina steamrolled foes. And UCLA, well, the Bruins are used to playing at this time of year.
Simply put, those four teams comprise a once-in-a-generation Final Four.
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Sunday’s a big day for Kansas. Memphis too, but I’m starting with Kansas.
The Jayhawks will never be the bigger, badder bully in an NCAA Tournament regional final. And coach Bill Self will never have a better chance to grab that Final Four berth.
If the Jayhawks want to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003 – an eternity in Lawrence – they’ll need to be exactly what’s they've been thus far: A stone-cold efficient team that’s taken advantage of an easy path.
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Friday should always be fun. It’s not hard to get happy about Friday for most of the workforce, but I say this as a guy who works weekends.
Rather than be crusty about it (too late) I offer up the fun Friday links. Nothing but humor and goofy clicks. I return to serious matters (read: Elite Eight games) on Saturday.
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March Madness teaches us there is no sure thing in the NCAA Tournament. It’s true for the first two rounds, the Final Four and the weekend in-between. Upsets are just part of the game, which always spells trouble for the favorites.
But that doesn’t mean we’re going to see eight blowouts on Thursday and Friday. Says who? Ken Pomeroy and Vegas.
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It’s funny about Louisville.
Early injuries knocked the Cardinals off everyone’s radar by December. Once they recovered from those, back-to-back losses entering the NCAA Tournament took the shine off winning nine straight games and a second-place finish in the Big East.
But two dominating tourney wins – including a dismantling of Oklahoma – have launched Louisville back to where they were supposed to be to start the season: Final Four worthy.
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Hyperbole alert! This is as loaded of a Sweet 16 as you'll ever see.
All the top seeds remain. Four 3 seeds have designs on the Final Four. The always dangerous Spartans and an experienced Washington State team remain. The four darkhorses remaining are two Big East teams and two teams who have combined for 58 wins.
In fact, all 16 of these teams have piled up wins like we’ve never seen before.
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Apparently San Diego’s Rob Jones doesn’t mind talking about his grandfather, cult leader Jim Jones. That kind of confidence explains how Jones helped sink fourth-seeded Connecticut on Friday.
The 6-6 freshman scored 14 points, grabbed six boards and seemed unfazed by the Big East powerhouse during the Toreros’ 70-69 overtime win in the West Regional on Friday. And why wouldn’t he? He’s obviously a guy who can deal with adversity.
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Apologies to Joe Crawford. Even without Patrick Patterson, the senior guard ensured Kentucky wasn’t going down in the NCAA Tournament without a fight.
Crawford was the star of the firs-round of the Big Dance. And another Wildcat is the player most likely to shine on Friday's Day 2.
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If there’s ever been a season to have four No. 1 seeds advance to the Final Four, this is it.
North Carolina, UCLA and Memphis were in nearly every preseason top 4 to start the season. NBCSports, ESPN, SI, Sporting News all had those three teams in their top four. Kudes to Jay Bilas, who tagged all the No. 1 seeds from the start. Louisville, Tennessee and Kansas traded off as the fourth team.
Point being, not much changed this season. But … the odds of all four No. 1 seeds reaching San Antonio is miniscule. It’s just as likely that a 16 seed finally beats a top seed. Neither one has ever happened and the odds aren’t good that it will.
That’s always in the back of my mind as I fill out a bracket.
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So … many … things … to read, watch … must ... fill out … bracket …
Every year, that’s the first thought after Selection Sunday. That’s lingering, crushing amount of info hangs like a hangover some people will nurse tomorrow.
So here I am, ready to help crush your brains. For the next few hours, better make sure your boss isn’t hovering over your shoulder, (he probably wants some bracket tips) while you study up on the field of 65.
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Tough break Tennessee. You were this close to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Entering Saturday, every projection (NBC, ESPN, SI, CBS, Fox, bracketography, you name it) had UCLA, Memphis, North Carolina and Tennessee as No. 1 seeds. And, since it’s a “what have you done for me lately” kind of world, the Vols’ loss to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament semifinals likely altered the seeding world.
In all likelihood, it just means the NCAA Tournament seeding committee can settle on their top teams Saturday night. Here’s how (RPI numbers will be updated through Sunday).
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Nobody wants to lose a game. But can losing early on in your conference tournament actually be a good thing?
Louisville would like to think so. So would Final Four darkhorses Connecticut and Notre Dame. All three were upset in the Big East Tournament on Thursday, and, as at-large locks, now turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament next week. They can rest their players, work out some kinks and focus on possible first-round opponents.
More importantly, unless you’re a bubble team that must keep playing to earn that automatic bid, winning the conference tournament isn’t a clear indicator or Big Dance success, either.
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Bob Knight’s ESPN debut was missing just one thing.
Sure, it had decent analysis, some expected guffaws between Knight and longtime friend and fellow analyst Digger Phelps and the requisite Q&A session where Knight answered e-mailed questions.
But it lacked the one thing ESPN hired Knight to provide – compelling TV.
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Leave it to the Big East Tournament to open with a crucial game. Seems like this tourney always gives us an early glimpse of March Madness.
No. 8 seed Villanova plays ninth-seeded Syracuse at noon ET Thursday. The winner still has a shot at earning an NCAA Tournament bid. The loser is headed for the NIT. Talk about pressure.
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Butler may never more fans from BCS schools than it will tonight against Cleveland State. Well, BCS schools on the bubble, that is. If those bubble teams are smart, they’ll also be Western Kentucky fans.
Such is the case this time of year when schools like San Diego can make that bubble just a little more dicey for schools like Syracuse and Villanova, which open the BCS conference tournaments with their game Wednesday morning. Rest assured, both teams will be watching those games.
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Mid-major teams could take a beating come Selection Sunday. Then again, the odds are usually stacked against the little guy.
George Mason’s run to the 2006 Final Four remains the ultimate “Rocky” moment for non-BCS schools in the NCAA Tournament. A school from the Colonial League gets an at-large seed (No. 11) for the Big Dance, stuns teams like Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut.
But with the tournament bubble wide open (Ohio State, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Oregon doing their part to stay in the mix), mid-majors may get overlooked and a school like George Mason may not get a shot at the Final Four. BCS conference tournaments begin this week, which can only help boost those BCS résumés.
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It’s funny. The last Duke-North Carolina game resulted in the No. 2 Devils turning in an impressive 89-78 road win against the No. 3 Heels. A month later, UNC hasn’t lost since and is ranked No. 1. Duke lost back-to-back games and is now ranked sixth.
As a result, Saturday’s showdown includes some crucial details.
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Now that ESPN announced Oscar Robertson as No. 2 on their 25 Greatest Players in College Basketball, there’s no doubt Lew Alcindor’s No 1.
Was there ever any doubt?
And while I’ll disagree with their final list a bit, it seems strange to think that no player from the last 20 years was higher than 12 on ESPN’s list. There were only five from the last 25. Is the modern game lacking those elite players?
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Plenty of opinions accompany the Player of the Year race. Yet, there’s rarely little disagreement when all the awards are handed out.
This isn’t one of those seasons.
Much like the J.J. Redick-Adam Morrison debate in 2005 (they shared the Wooden and Naismith awards but Redick won everything else), or when T.J. Ford (Naismith, Wooden), David West (AP, USBWA, Rupp) and Nick Collison (Coaches) split the six major awards in 2003, I doubt there’ll be a consensus when it comes to deciding between Michael Beasley and Tyler Hansbrough this season.
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If you’re behind on your reading for this week’s conference tournaments (three started Tuesday!) I’m here to help.
First stop, Kyle Whelliston’s mid-majority -- where else?
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It’s a monster week for proverbial bubble teams. Last chance to impress the NCAA Tournament seeding committee before conference tournament
You’re on the NCAA Tournament bubble? Well, there’s good news. The tournament is still wide open thanks to some unexpected weekend results and fewer NCAA quality teams from mid-major conferences.
The bad news? There’s still time to botch that NCAA tourney résumé even more.
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Ah, March. It’s a welcome sight.
Right on cue, the month gave use a handful of great games, some upsets and some milestones. Surely this bodes well for the Big Dance.
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