It feels great to be back and oh what a weekend we had.
So the NCAA wants to expand the field to a ridiculous 96 teams. Considering there are only three teams that have a legitimate beef with being left out of the guest list (Miss St., VT, and maybe Illinois), I don't see why this would be a good idea at all. The disparity amongst good teams and awful teams would be drastic. Could you imagine Coastal Carolina facing Wisconsin: Blowout city! (This actually almost happened. Nice job losing to Winthrop in the Big South title game after winning 28 games CC. The main problem is that teams like this would get in. Do they deserve to, no way. The toughest team they played all season was the team that beat them in the conference championship, or the D-1 powerhouse that beat them by 30. There is always the sad case for a few teams that should have gotten in but didn't. But with talent either wanting to forge their own name at a non power conference school, or some life choice forcing them to, the days of the guarantee just aren't there anymore. Heck, ask UNC, UConn, Arizona, and UCLA. This is why we have two mini-dances. Middle school socials if you will. The NIT and the CBI will gladly take those that just missed the invite handout, and give them a chance to say "See, we were good." Yes you were, just not good enough to play in the Varsity tournament. Maybe next year.
Speaking of the DANCE, here we go. Today I'll give you the Midwest and West. Tomorrow will feature the East and South.
Let's start with the Midwest.
The intriguing match ups of this bracket are Maryland v. Houston and OK St. v. Ga Tech. First off, I watched Houston in their conference tournament final and they are good. Simple as that. Add to that the fact that they are rolling, and Maryland with their lone star player in Vasquez is just the type of team ripe for the upset. If Houston can keep this hot streak going and find a way to neutralize Greivis, then Houston is on their way to a second round match up with Michigan St. If not, then oh what a joy I will have watching Kalin Lucas battle Vasquez. Next up, I'm really excited for OK State's James Anderson to reach the big stage. If you don't know him, this guy can shoot the sky out. I mean watermaker does not call it. I know Favors is a NBA talent in the waiting, but he is not a guard and Anderson very well could make GT pay with his outside shooting. The winner of this game also sets up a tasty second round match up with Ohio St. I'm calling an OK St. upset over GT, but they fall to Mr. Everything, Evan Turner and Ohio St. This of course is all to play second fiddle to Kansas in the Elite 8. And I don't see Ohio St. beating Georgetown. Monroe is too much for any big man Ohio State has (Lauderdale is garbage.), and I think Freeman can offset some of the work Turner will put in. I watched OSU almost lose to Illinois. And the this Illini team, with all due respect to Bruce Weber, finished 19-14, is weak, and does not deserve to be in the dance. Unless they are a lucky mid-major who just happen to upset a stud in conference play (Here's looking at you ETSU). This Illini squad though, is just a subpar Big Ten team.
Final Four: Kansas
Next is the West.
Quite a few first round dandies in this bracket. Florida St v. the Zags, UTEP v. Butler, Murray St. v. Vandy, and BYU v. Florida. (interesting note that there are two Florida schools in there. Isn't this the West?) Upset City baby! The first two are Murray St over Vandy and UTEP over Butler. Yes, Jenkins, Beal, and Ogilvie are good, but I watched UK neutralize their offense with touch match ups, tiring Vandy with multiple weapons on the floor. Have I mentioned that Murray State has five double digit scorers? I think Vandy's lack of size will cause early foul trouble for Ogilvie, and without his tenacity on the court I think Murray St. will pull away early and hold on. Plus, Murray St. already has won 30 games this year. This team can, and will, win. Alot of people are jumping on the Butler bandwagon and rightfully so. They are always a sleeper around St. Patty's Day, but they very well could have gotten the toughest first round draw this side of the Bucs of ETSU. Yes, UTEP was upset by the aforementioned Houston (they were hot, remember?), but I believe they are built for the long haul and with a win, will have a clean path to the Sweet 16 because of the outcome of the Murray State game. Butler has shooters but no monsters to take over late in a close game. UTEP just so happens to have those big guns with Character's massive inside presence and Culpepper's sweet J. I won't go as far as to say the Miners will beat Cuse in the Sweet 16, but they could. They could.
Next we have the Zags who will annihilate Florida State. Sorry to say this. Coach Few makes sure the Bulldogs guard play is always top notch this time of year. In the second round, Cuse being without Onuaku poses a big hole in what would have otherwise been a dominating inside presence. Because of this maybe loss, Gonzaga might a have a chance against the Orange. As far as BYU, I am just excited to watch Jimmer Fredette shoot the sky out against the Hokies..oops I meant Gators. Oh what the karma Gods can do. Hopefully UF doesn't lose by 30. Why always a 30 point loss to signify a blowout? Because it just seems like a beatdown. Say it aloud; "Yo, Florida lost by thirty to BYU." Ouch is right. This all leads up to what looks to be a nice scrappy match up between guard play in Cuse and K-State. Whomever comes out might not have enough for Kansas.
Final Four: Syracuse
Lastly, in case you were assuming otherwise, I watched Miller Time: Reggie Miller vs the New York Knicks and yes I cried from sheer excitement. Great job all around. Oh, and yes, Ewing DID travel.
ewing never traveled and is arguably the best center of all time. the tournament expanding only hurts the bigger teams, there will be match-ups that don't matter like rematches of conference tournaments that are bound to happen...and the better team will win out..it will only help schools that have future nba talent...teams that are full of player who got kicked out of other schools or are purely "one and dones" will have groups of high flyers that will use this forum to show out for nba reps. a lot of dunks and far three pointers.david stern has his d&ck all in this tournament. now people will know some of the people who get drafted on gameday. this will hurt the nit though, no more blockbuster match-ups like unc vs william and mary....hmmm
ReplyDeleteUKNOW Ewing was only good for one thing, and that is the Ewing theory. Look, I was a Bulls fan, and every Knick was garbarge in the 90's. Shame they couldn't beat the Rockets when da Bulls were taking a break from Winning Chamionships.
ReplyDeleteThe NCAA doesn't need to go to 96 or whatever more than 64. At first, it 'sounded' good. Who doesn't want one more weekend of the tourney? Except 28 of those 32 extra teams are going to be average every year. Plus, if thier are issues where you draw the line for the 65th team, they going to magically disappear once we have 96? HELL F-ING NO!!! You're going to hear Digger Phelps get all worked up how J Sarge community college didn't make it in (they handle the cc concern in Richmond, VA).
If anything needs to be done, lets do a play in game for ALL 16 seeds. That will Handle the St. Mary's every year. They are respectable, but they only deserve the big dance cause they won thier conference title. If Gonzaga would have won, St Mary's is at home, and Ole Miss is in, or VT. We will get three more teams in for that play in game, and thats about the normal every year for 'the bubble' to get in.
Don't even get me started on how Duke, the 3rd best team in the country, gets a walk in the park in thier quadrant. Kansas, probably the best team in the country, is in a gauntlet. How would you feel if your Kentucky, eying a potential second game with Texas, a team that went from being #1 to being on the back of a milk carton in a week and a half? Let's say Texas wins against Wake. They could go Elite 8 as easy as it is to being nominated Gov. of Texas w/ an (R) behind the name.