After watching Xavier blow an 18-point lead and all but hand the game to West Virginia on a silver platter tonight, I realized that this tournament has to be the signature year for the comeback. Xavier is one of five teams including W. Kentucky aginst Drake (16); Clemson against Villanova (18); Texas against Miami (16); and Georgetown against Davidson (17); where a team had a large double-digit lead at one point only to lift their foot off the heads of their respective snakes and allow the team to have a chance to tie at the end (Miami), force OT (W. Virginia, Drake), or actually win the game (Villanova, Davidson--both parlay killers for me).
What is going on?
I chalk this up to another aspect of careless play that I think marks this tournament more than any of recent memory. Too many offensive fouls, too many careless "me" shots, not enough teamwork and, for God's sake, no killer instinct. Two teams have crushed their opposition so far and, unfortunately, they are in the same side of the bracket. North Carolina and Kansas. Average margin of victory--30 (NC) and 22 (Kansas) and while the fodder of choice has not exactly been UCLA (actually, Washington State for the Tar Heels came the closest--and why are we splitting hairs when Davidson beat supposed power Georgetown??), they have done efficiently and professionally (whoops, should probably change that to "collegiately" or the NCAA may declare them ineligible due to their "pro" status) exactly what they should in each game. No messing around...no me first basketball...no flash and dash. Save that for the NBA boys when you declare after your freshman year, end up drafted in the second round and head straight for Europe because you really can't play in the NBA (I would argue that some of you can't play in the NCAA right now either).
North Carolina and Kansas are the class of the tournament so far. Teams like Stanford, Wisconsin, and Louisville have been workman-like in their efforts and, some could say, Louisville has been crushing their opposition as well but they did let Tennessee back in their game tonight after being up 18 at one point. They also did not show a penchant for blowing teams out during the regular season like the Tar Heels and Jayhawks. UCLA gets bored easily and let Western Kentucky back into this game tonight too easily. My original pick is a pretender who might be the most physically talented team but proved tonight that, much like Georgetown and Clemson before them, physical talent isn't enough if you don't play like a team and maintain a lead.
North Carolina, Kansas, Stanford, Wisconsin, Louisville.
In a tournament of 64 teams and the need to win 6 games against quality opposition to be champion, these five teams have the tools necessary to play, and win, consistently over a competitive timeframe.
And one of these five teams will win the whole thing.
Peace,
Reg
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4 comments:
North Carolina has played a bunch of patsies. Kansas too. Louisville, for my money, looks the best right now.
Artie,
The good news: I agree with your overall premise.
The bad news: The way you got there I'm wondering if you got your philosophy degree from The University of Phoenix Online.
Some things I would take issue with:
1. You "boldly" picked 5 teams out of 16 remaining to win it all including the overall #1 seed. Gutsy.
2. I wish I could have gotten to this BEFORE the Wisconsin game, but you know from my earlier e-mail I didn't take them too seriously. The Big 10(11) is horrible this year and picking them as one of the potential five just doesn't make sense. They were going to get overpowered sooner or later, although I was surprised at how Davidson handled them.
3. You forgot about Texas. They are playing as solid as anyone right now and even though they let Miami back in, that game was never as close as it appeared. If it weren't for Miami making 3's from everywhere at the end of that game it wouldn't have been so close. I'm glad it was though as it allowed me to win $22 from my brother Zach (had to fit that in there).
Like I said, I agree with your overall premise that there is too much selfish play, but my agreeing with you doesn't make for particularly exciting blogging now does it? :)
RANDOM POST
Artie,
Not sure if this is "thread worthy" or not, but here's another thought I had on an unrelated topic...
Davidson - what if the miracle continues?
I'm trying to imagine what would happen in NCAA world if Davidson could pull off the impossible and not just make the Final Four like George Mason did a few years ago, but what if the actually won the whole thing?
Now before everyone rips me, I want to be clear this is NOT a prediction. I think they'll probably lose to Kansas, but I believe this is an interesting topic to discuss.
As Artie posted earlier, a number of "great basketball minds" were upset over at-large bids going to mid-majors. What would happen if one of those teams actually won it all? Would the NCAA have to forever change the way the handle at large bids, or would everyone blow it off as a one-year blip?
My take is that MORE mid-major teams should get in. If a team only loses a game or two during the conference schedule and gets upset in their conference tourney, I think they deserve strong consideration. I'd rather see more MAC teams than the 8th place finisher in the Big East.
At the end of the day, the 2nd tier of at-large candidates don't have much of a shot anyway, and I think it makes for better storylines and is more in the spirit of college sports to let the mid-majors have more spots.
If Davidson pulls off one of the biggest sports miracles ever, I don't know how the NCAA could think otherwise.
These games are awesome! Go Big Ten!
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