UNC, UConn or take the other 64?
Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 4:43 PM
Filed Under:
March Madness, Brackets
Moments after Pitt’s loss to Providence Tuesday, my buddy Marty calls.
“If you had to pick one team, right now, to win the NCAA tournament, who would it be?”
I think about it, then settle on North Carolina. Without seeing any matchups, I’ll stick with their offense.
“OK,” he says, clearly ready for that answer. “If I took Carolina and UConn and gave you the other 64 teams, would you take that bet?”
Good question.
In a season where No. 1 keeps changing, the Heels (24-3) and Huskies (25-2) are probably the two teams most people will settle on when it comes time to fill out a bracket. They’re both loaded with future pros, feature coaches who’ve won it all before and have been Top 5 teams all season. Plus, there’s the name recognition.
But does that make it a smart bet? Both teams are dealing with key players out for the season (Marcus Ginyard and Jerome Dyson, respectively). Carolina’s defense is flawed, while UConn isn’t a dynamic offensive team.
Take the field? It’s looking that way.
That leaves Pitt, Oklahoma, Louisville, Memphis, Duke and Michigan State, among others. And those are just the top seeds. Teams like Kansas, Missouri, Gonzaga, ASU, UCLA, Villanova and Marquette could easily make the Final Four. Someone like Purdue or Arizona could catch fire at the right time. Who’s to say Steph Curry and Davidson don’t do the same?
Losses in February aren’t the end. No one’s invincible.
More and more it’s shaping up to be like 2000 (when top seed Michigan State outclassed No. 5 Florida, No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 8 UNC for the title) or 2006 (No. 3 Florida wins out over No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 LSU and No. 11 George Mason). The top seeds will be popular picks in March, but … those doubts remain.
Take the field? I think I will.
