Late Round Madness
Off the top, I'd like to thank the Sport Maharishi for his fantastic guest column. I had my reservations about his writing ability and analytical prowess, but he passed my test with flying colors. Also, he's usually not that funny in real life. I really have to hand it to him. We'll look to work him into the routine on an infrequent, but consistent, basis. Let's give him a round of applause and post some comments on his post to show our appreciation.
(waiting for applause to stop...)
(still waiting...)
(still waiting...)
Wow, a very appreciative and generous audience. Let's move on.
After 60 of 63 games, the NCAA Championship is down to its Final Four. In what has been one of the best tournaments of my young life, parity, shocking upsets, and unforgettable finishes have reigned supreme. You're not going to want to skip that link. I'll wait for you to watch it. Go on. And............done.) Viewers have gotten far more than their money's worth in this tournament given the 20 games decided by 5 points or less, and the near dozen more decided by 10 or less. Just when you thought your heart and stomach couldn't handle another contest decided on the final possession, it invariably came. Several times over the first four rounds, I found myself physically exhausted from watching. You know its a great tournament when you work up a little man (or woman) sweat during your viewing sessions.
The Big Dance's 2nd weekend saw the underdogs bring their A games. We said farewell to #1 Syracuse and then #2 Kansas State in the West region, both the hands of #5 seeded regional champ Butler. #6 Tennessee upended #2 Ohio State in the Midwest, only to lose a thriller to #5 Michigan State for a trip to the Final Four. The juggernaut out of the SEC, #1 Kentucky, was upset by moderately heavy underdog #2 West Virginia in the East regional final. The South region is really the only bracket in which the chalk (definition 1) prevailed, with #1 Duke claiming its spot in the Final Four by handling #3 Baylor. If you're keeping track at home, that's a Final Four of #5 Butler, #5 Michigan State, #2 West Virginia, and #1 Duke. Fifth seeds making it to the Final Four is nothing unusual, but the lack of at least two top seeds is. It seemed like Duke was trying its darnedest to survive the giant-killing that toppled its fellow #1 seeds in the previous two rounds as they battled Baylor in Houston on Sunday. In the end, Duke fought off the very dangerous Bears, who exceeded most expectations and performed admirably. I'll give you my deep analysis on Baylor in a little bit.
(warning: this next paragraph is a semi-well-informed analysis that will simultaneously feed and reinforce my fanatical bias for Duke. Yeah, I love Duke. I said it. Sue me.)
Maybe the simple fact that Duke survived its region and made it to Indianapolis is a sign that they're going to win the championship. They obviously have some quality that Kansas, Syracuse, and Kentucky didn't have for surviving 3 straight best-game-of-their-season opponents, right? Yeah, the #1 seeds are supposed to make it to the Final Four, but that is obviously never a given, as evidenced by the absence of the consensus 3 best teams in the country. I think the ability to match your opponent's intensity level, stay composed in a possible upset, not try to do too much, and to execute the game plan that earned you a #1 seed cannot be understated. Kentucky, Syracuse, and Kansas all failed at least one of those litmus tests, while Duke has managed to fulfill all of them thus far. Still, if you were to tell someone that only 1 top seed would reach the Final Four this year, and then asked them to pick which it was, very few would have guessed Duke, myself included.
This Duke team is largely the same as the past several uninspiring editions with a couple BIG differences. First, they play defense as well as anybody in the country, allowing a stingy 61.1 points per game. Second, they have developed an imposing front line that thrives on the Blue Devils traditional weakness: rebounding. Duke ranked 5th in the nation in rebounding this season, and 6th in offensive rebounding.
Third, they continue to do well the things they're known for: shooting the three-pointer, excelling at the free throw line, and leading the NCAA in floor slaps. Combine the old with the new, sprinkle in lots of upper class leadership from Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas, and you have a Duke that has a legit crack at a title for the first time in 10 years, much to the nation's chagrin.
Baylor is a fun team to watch. Ekpe Udoh is a high-flyer in the middle, with several hellacious alley-oop or put-back dunks against Duke. He's an impressive athlete with a well-rounded game: he finished the season as second on the team in assists to point guard Tweety Carter, third in scoring, and first in rebounding. He also swatted 5 shots against Duke. I love coach Scott Drew. I don't know how else to explain it except that he seems like a really nice guy and a great coach. He stands for everything good about college basketball and its coaches in stark contrast to questionable character coaches like Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson, and others. Not to mention, he's the son of Valparaiso University coach Homer Drew, and brother of Valpo hero Bryce Drew. Nice pedigree there. The problem of Baylor is that they'll never be successful as long as their best players have names like LaceDarius and Tweety. These guys are nice players no doubt, but anytime your best players are named LaceDarius and Tweety, you can't win the tournament. And they didn't. However, I defy you to find me a better pair of teammate names anywhere in the history of professional sports.
We saw potential Cinderellas finally meet their match, as Northern Iowa, Xavier, St. Mary's, Cornell, and Washington bowed out in the Sweet 16, all to teams seeded no lower than third in their region with the exception of #5 Michigan State. We saw Cornell bring major credibility to the Ivy League as the Big Red went blow for blow with Kentucky, at least for a half. We saw one Ewing Theory threat go (Purdue) and another suddenly arrive (Michigan State). We saw Kansas State and Xavier play the best game of the tournament (which is saying a lot).
A few thoughts about that KState-Xavier game. First, the clutch shooting by both teams from beyond the arc (I'm looking at you Jacob Pullen, Jordan Crawford, and Terrell Holloway) was brilliant. Being a shooter myself, I can't say enough about the fortitude to step into those shots with confidence in do-or-die situations. Second, Jordan Crawford might be the best player that played in this tournament, and he showed why. If his team had beaten Kansas State, then Butler, we'd be talking about him as a top 10 pick in the 2010 Draft lottery right now. We shouldn't hold against him the fact that he plays in the A-10 at Xavier. Third, can you imagine how many murders Frank Martin might have committed if his team hadn't won the game? He went homicidal after the refs gave Holloway 3 free throws when his players clearly fouled Holloway at least once before he heaved a no-chance prayer at the basket. If I were the zebras in that game, and Xavier came out on top, I would have ran for the hills as fast as humanly possible in fear of Frank. That guy is insane.
Fourth, and most importantly, what is there left to say about play-by-play guy Gus Johnson? Everybody already knows he's the best, but he keeps proving it over again. If you told me that there would be a double-OT thriller in the Round of 16 with lots of fast action, crazy unthinkable plays, and asked me to pick who I would want to call the game, Gus would unquestionably be the guy. His excitement and noise level are what makes him so memorable. This could be thought of as annoying or unprofessional, and maybe it is, but I think I figured out why he has such mass appeal to the fan. In spots of high magnitude on televised games, Gus keeps it simple and doesn't try to do too much, which is the trap that most commentators fall into. Instead of explaining away or trying to instant-analyze a great play, Gus just gets excited, yelling and screaming like a fan himself. Again, why does this work? Because when greatness strikes, that is what fans do: go nuts, yell and scream, jump around, run through the house. In special moments, Gus' announcing style meshes perfectly with the identity of the fan. No need to tell us what happened, we saw it on the screen already. Thankfully, CBS pulled their heads out from a dark place in time to assign him to his own region this year; we're all better for it. I salute you Gus, thank you. See you next season.
I wish I could tell you more about Butler, but I can't. What I do know is that they play with tons of heart, which is typical code to signify a lack of athleticism or talent. They are wonderfully team-oriented, disciplined, well-coached, and cerebral. They play defense and aren't afraid of the big moment on the big stage. Other than that, I can tell you that it will be easy to sleep on them, even after consecutive upsets and a Final Four appearance. Michigan State: you've been warned--do not take Brad Stevens' Bulldogs lightly.
Speaking of Michigan State, I take my hat off. Tom Izzo is quite possibly the best tournament coach ever (apologies to John Wooden). The way his teams morph once the Dance begins is phenomenal. Nobody does so much with less than Izzo. Above average Spartan teams, but not special by any means, become experienced, smart, and dangerous in March. Last year, they were overlooked, even as a #2 seed, and marched unexpectedly through top seeds Louisville and Connecticut into the title game. This year, many predicted a second round exit to Maryland, but, as always, Izzo had other ideas, and now his team has reached its second consecutive Final Four despite the loss of its best player, point guard Kalin Lucas. Lucas went down with a tournament-ending leg injury in the Maryland game, but has watched his team rally to 3 wins in his absence. Again, Izzo's ability to get the best out of his team at the right time is evident. How many other coaches could rally and motivate their team to 3 straight wins during the most important part of the season? Few, if any. Michigan State will take on Butler, and, like stated earlier, will have incredible Ewing Theory potential next weekend in Indy. After their inspired run last year, the misfortune that has befallen the city of Detroit, and the feel-good aura of this year's team, I will be rooting for the Spartans to return to the national title game on Monday.
I don't really want to talk about West Virginia, they somewhat bore me. Besides, you've probably heard all about them on ESPN all year. I'll be back later in the week with a more detailed breakdown of each national semifinal, and maybe even an appearance from the Maharishi.
(waiting for applause to stop...)
(still waiting...)
(still waiting...)
Wow, a very appreciative and generous audience. Let's move on.
Can we consider Butler a Cinderella squad?
After 60 of 63 games, the NCAA Championship is down to its Final Four. In what has been one of the best tournaments of my young life, parity, shocking upsets, and unforgettable finishes have reigned supreme. You're not going to want to skip that link. I'll wait for you to watch it. Go on. And............done.) Viewers have gotten far more than their money's worth in this tournament given the 20 games decided by 5 points or less, and the near dozen more decided by 10 or less. Just when you thought your heart and stomach couldn't handle another contest decided on the final possession, it invariably came. Several times over the first four rounds, I found myself physically exhausted from watching. You know its a great tournament when you work up a little man (or woman) sweat during your viewing sessions.
The Big Dance's 2nd weekend saw the underdogs bring their A games. We said farewell to #1 Syracuse and then #2 Kansas State in the West region, both the hands of #5 seeded regional champ Butler. #6 Tennessee upended #2 Ohio State in the Midwest, only to lose a thriller to #5 Michigan State for a trip to the Final Four. The juggernaut out of the SEC, #1 Kentucky, was upset by moderately heavy underdog #2 West Virginia in the East regional final. The South region is really the only bracket in which the chalk (definition 1) prevailed, with #1 Duke claiming its spot in the Final Four by handling #3 Baylor. If you're keeping track at home, that's a Final Four of #5 Butler, #5 Michigan State, #2 West Virginia, and #1 Duke. Fifth seeds making it to the Final Four is nothing unusual, but the lack of at least two top seeds is. It seemed like Duke was trying its darnedest to survive the giant-killing that toppled its fellow #1 seeds in the previous two rounds as they battled Baylor in Houston on Sunday. In the end, Duke fought off the very dangerous Bears, who exceeded most expectations and performed admirably. I'll give you my deep analysis on Baylor in a little bit.
(warning: this next paragraph is a semi-well-informed analysis that will simultaneously feed and reinforce my fanatical bias for Duke. Yeah, I love Duke. I said it. Sue me.)
Coach K is the face of America's Most Hated Team. Admit it, you only hate him and Duke because they're always so bloody good.
Maybe the simple fact that Duke survived its region and made it to Indianapolis is a sign that they're going to win the championship. They obviously have some quality that Kansas, Syracuse, and Kentucky didn't have for surviving 3 straight best-game-of-their-season opponents, right? Yeah, the #1 seeds are supposed to make it to the Final Four, but that is obviously never a given, as evidenced by the absence of the consensus 3 best teams in the country. I think the ability to match your opponent's intensity level, stay composed in a possible upset, not try to do too much, and to execute the game plan that earned you a #1 seed cannot be understated. Kentucky, Syracuse, and Kansas all failed at least one of those litmus tests, while Duke has managed to fulfill all of them thus far. Still, if you were to tell someone that only 1 top seed would reach the Final Four this year, and then asked them to pick which it was, very few would have guessed Duke, myself included.
This Duke team is largely the same as the past several uninspiring editions with a couple BIG differences. First, they play defense as well as anybody in the country, allowing a stingy 61.1 points per game. Second, they have developed an imposing front line that thrives on the Blue Devils traditional weakness: rebounding. Duke ranked 5th in the nation in rebounding this season, and 6th in offensive rebounding.
This is Steve Wojciechowski, all-time leader in Floor Slaps
Baylor is a fun team to watch. Ekpe Udoh is a high-flyer in the middle, with several hellacious alley-oop or put-back dunks against Duke. He's an impressive athlete with a well-rounded game: he finished the season as second on the team in assists to point guard Tweety Carter, third in scoring, and first in rebounding. He also swatted 5 shots against Duke. I love coach Scott Drew. I don't know how else to explain it except that he seems like a really nice guy and a great coach. He stands for everything good about college basketball and its coaches in stark contrast to questionable character coaches like Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson, and others. Not to mention, he's the son of Valparaiso University coach Homer Drew, and brother of Valpo hero Bryce Drew. Nice pedigree there. The problem of Baylor is that they'll never be successful as long as their best players have names like LaceDarius and Tweety. These guys are nice players no doubt, but anytime your best players are named LaceDarius and Tweety, you can't win the tournament. And they didn't. However, I defy you to find me a better pair of teammate names anywhere in the history of professional sports.
We saw potential Cinderellas finally meet their match, as Northern Iowa, Xavier, St. Mary's, Cornell, and Washington bowed out in the Sweet 16, all to teams seeded no lower than third in their region with the exception of #5 Michigan State. We saw Cornell bring major credibility to the Ivy League as the Big Red went blow for blow with Kentucky, at least for a half. We saw one Ewing Theory threat go (Purdue) and another suddenly arrive (Michigan State). We saw Kansas State and Xavier play the best game of the tournament (which is saying a lot).
A few thoughts about that KState-Xavier game. First, the clutch shooting by both teams from beyond the arc (I'm looking at you Jacob Pullen, Jordan Crawford, and Terrell Holloway) was brilliant. Being a shooter myself, I can't say enough about the fortitude to step into those shots with confidence in do-or-die situations. Second, Jordan Crawford might be the best player that played in this tournament, and he showed why. If his team had beaten Kansas State, then Butler, we'd be talking about him as a top 10 pick in the 2010 Draft lottery right now. We shouldn't hold against him the fact that he plays in the A-10 at Xavier. Third, can you imagine how many murders Frank Martin might have committed if his team hadn't won the game? He went homicidal after the refs gave Holloway 3 free throws when his players clearly fouled Holloway at least once before he heaved a no-chance prayer at the basket. If I were the zebras in that game, and Xavier came out on top, I would have ran for the hills as fast as humanly possible in fear of Frank. That guy is insane.
Fourth, and most importantly, what is there left to say about play-by-play guy Gus Johnson? Everybody already knows he's the best, but he keeps proving it over again. If you told me that there would be a double-OT thriller in the Round of 16 with lots of fast action, crazy unthinkable plays, and asked me to pick who I would want to call the game, Gus would unquestionably be the guy. His excitement and noise level are what makes him so memorable. This could be thought of as annoying or unprofessional, and maybe it is, but I think I figured out why he has such mass appeal to the fan. In spots of high magnitude on televised games, Gus keeps it simple and doesn't try to do too much, which is the trap that most commentators fall into. Instead of explaining away or trying to instant-analyze a great play, Gus just gets excited, yelling and screaming like a fan himself. Again, why does this work? Because when greatness strikes, that is what fans do: go nuts, yell and scream, jump around, run through the house. In special moments, Gus' announcing style meshes perfectly with the identity of the fan. No need to tell us what happened, we saw it on the screen already. Thankfully, CBS pulled their heads out from a dark place in time to assign him to his own region this year; we're all better for it. I salute you Gus, thank you. See you next season.
I wish I could tell you more about Butler, but I can't. What I do know is that they play with tons of heart, which is typical code to signify a lack of athleticism or talent. They are wonderfully team-oriented, disciplined, well-coached, and cerebral. They play defense and aren't afraid of the big moment on the big stage. Other than that, I can tell you that it will be easy to sleep on them, even after consecutive upsets and a Final Four appearance. Michigan State: you've been warned--do not take Brad Stevens' Bulldogs lightly.
Speaking of Michigan State, I take my hat off. Tom Izzo is quite possibly the best tournament coach ever (apologies to John Wooden). The way his teams morph once the Dance begins is phenomenal. Nobody does so much with less than Izzo. Above average Spartan teams, but not special by any means, become experienced, smart, and dangerous in March. Last year, they were overlooked, even as a #2 seed, and marched unexpectedly through top seeds Louisville and Connecticut into the title game. This year, many predicted a second round exit to Maryland, but, as always, Izzo had other ideas, and now his team has reached its second consecutive Final Four despite the loss of its best player, point guard Kalin Lucas. Lucas went down with a tournament-ending leg injury in the Maryland game, but has watched his team rally to 3 wins in his absence. Again, Izzo's ability to get the best out of his team at the right time is evident. How many other coaches could rally and motivate their team to 3 straight wins during the most important part of the season? Few, if any. Michigan State will take on Butler, and, like stated earlier, will have incredible Ewing Theory potential next weekend in Indy. After their inspired run last year, the misfortune that has befallen the city of Detroit, and the feel-good aura of this year's team, I will be rooting for the Spartans to return to the national title game on Monday.
I don't really want to talk about West Virginia, they somewhat bore me. Besides, you've probably heard all about them on ESPN all year. I'll be back later in the week with a more detailed breakdown of each national semifinal, and maybe even an appearance from the Maharishi.
