A once-in-a-lifetime Final Four
Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2008 9:29 PM
Filed Under:
March Madness, Final Four
It’s a loaded Final Four. It’s not hyperbole, it’s not exaggeration. It’s simply what happens when every 1 seed advances to the final weekend.
Yes, this was that season when sticking with the chalk in your bracket would’ve been a blessing. The preseason AP top 25 went Carolina, UCLA, Memphis and Kansas. All four received one seeds and all four played up to their seeding. 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. (Yes, you've read this before. But it got better.)
Their combined record of 143-9 (.941 win percentage) blows away the second best foursome since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. (That would be 1998, when UNC, Stanford, Kentucky and Utah went 126-14. Most seasons, the four combine to go 116-22.) It’s even better than 1976, when there were two undefeated teams playing (Indiana and Rutgers).
Try on this nugget: Before this season, only five teams entered the Final Four with at least 35 wins. Everyone has at least 35 this year.
Need stars to watch? Tyler Hansbrough, Kevin Love and Chris Douglas-Roberts could be first-team All-America, while Derrick Rose, Brandon Rush, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Russell Westbrook and Darrell Arthur all right on their heels.
For the tempo-free fans, all four are exceedingly efficient – the best on kenpom.com – on offense and defense. Only the Heels aren’t in kenpom’s top 10 in both categories.
And all of that doesn’t even begin to cover the historical numbers.
The Bruins have the most titles among the group, with 11. Carolina and Kansas and 2 and 3 in all-time wins. Memphis is the only school without an NCAA tourney title, but the Tigers are on a 3-year tear rarely seen, racking up the second most wins in a three-year span (103). When it comes to college hoops pedigree, only Kentucky, Indiana and Duke can stack up to this foursome.
It’s like the college hoops gods wanted us to have amazing storylines for this week and potentially amazing games to match. (Over/under on Roy Williams vs. Kansas stories? 12. Number of anticipated references to John Wooden? Six. Hype about Rose’s NBA potential? Endless.)
I know it's strange without any versions of a hoops Cinderella -- Davidson gave it a shot -- but maybe, just maybe, this is a good thing. Maybe casual fans can finally see what us hoopheads love about the winter months.
Let’s thank the gods for their gift. With any luck, there’s more to come.
