coolhandgopher
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As at least some of you know, my college basketball viewing has dwindled over the last couple years with my move to Peru, but thanks to the live streaming of all the NCAA games, I am still able to engage in my favorite sport during the best time of the year. Here are some of my thoughts from the weekend:
1. A great opening weekend, the best I can recall in some time. Multiple games in OT, some great buzzer beaters (lead by Murray State and Michigan State), some wonderful storylines, and the biggest upset since George Mason advanced to the Final Four in '06.
2. I watched the entirety of the Northern Iowa-Kansas game Saturday afternoon, the highlight of this tourney for me. Truly magical to see a team comprised of players who if they harbor any professional hopes will be utilizing their passports defeat the consensus favorite to win the title. Ali F's ballsy three point shot with about thirty seconds left instantly joined the legendary moments in NCAA tournament history.
3. Bill Self better be sending Mario Chalmers a Christmas card every year. Without that title in '08, Self's legacy in Lawrence might be that of the lapdog of the Missouri Valley Conference (Bradley in '06, UNI in '10).
4. It was odd to see college basketball stalwarts Scottie Reynolds, Sherron Collins, and Luke Harangody go out with such a whimper. While Harangody was coming back from injury, for the other two, whose legacies was that of clutch performers and magical moments, their final games were strangely sub-par.
5. Would Gonzaga be Gonzaga if they were St. Francis (WA) or Washington-Spokane? How much of their popularity can be attributed to it's just fun to say their name (or at least it was when they began to emerge)?
6. Is it possible that Rick Barnes will find himself on the hot seat sometime in the near future? If they cared at all about basketball in Austin, it seems likely. Has any coach accomplished less with more than Barnes? Two national POY's in the last eight years, multiple NBA #1 picks, consistently great recruiting classes, but yet only one Final Four. His great recruiting haul of Kevin Durant, D.J. Augustin, Damion James, Dexter Pittman, and Justin Mason produced five NCAA wins over four years, advancing into the second weekend in only one of those years.
7. Thought about Cory Joseph's possible destinations this weekend while watching Villanova and really wondered if he would want to head to 'Nova, especially if he has designs on being one and done. Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes will be returning seniors next season, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek will be sophomores and primed for more minutes with Scottie Reynolds gone and you just wonder how C. Joseph leaps ahead of all those guys for minutes in the backcourt. Turning towards Texas, they also seem to have a glut of guards with Avery Bradley (possible early entrant), J'Covan Brown, Jai Lucas, Dogus Balbay, and Varez Ward (last two coming off injuries) contending for point guard minutes. Seems that Minnesota might be as good a place to shine as any for the younger Joseph.
8. Can Bruce Pearl get past the Sweet Sixteen this year? In the last six years, dating back to 2005 and his final season with UW-Milwaukee, Pearl has made the tourney every year and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen four times, but never advanced to the Elite Eight. He'll have to get past the program which squelched his dreams in '07, although this year he'll "only" have to deal with Evan Turner instead of Greg Oden and Mike Conley.
9. Watching the games over the weekend, it was readily apparent what currently separates the Gophers from the teams that can advance to the Sweet Sixteen. While Lawrence Westbrook had his moments he's no Jacob Pullen or Ryan Wittman or Jordan Crawford or Wesley Johnson or LaceDarius Dunn or. . .well, you get the idea. The Gophers, while comprised of many nice parts, have been lacking the go-to guy who can consistently get it done in the clutch since Vincent Grier was on campus. Surround any of the guys listed above with the other talent on the Gophers' squad and I think we're breaking down our Sweet Sixteen match-up. Hopefully Devoe Joseph can emerge into that type of player over the next couple years.
10. I've revised my Final Four picks, out of necessity to Saturday's bracket busting courtesy of UNI and St. Mary's (what was I thinking with 'Nova this year anyway?). Anyway, here's my new Final Four: Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Duke, with Ohio State vs. Kentucky for the national championship.
1. A great opening weekend, the best I can recall in some time. Multiple games in OT, some great buzzer beaters (lead by Murray State and Michigan State), some wonderful storylines, and the biggest upset since George Mason advanced to the Final Four in '06.
2. I watched the entirety of the Northern Iowa-Kansas game Saturday afternoon, the highlight of this tourney for me. Truly magical to see a team comprised of players who if they harbor any professional hopes will be utilizing their passports defeat the consensus favorite to win the title. Ali F's ballsy three point shot with about thirty seconds left instantly joined the legendary moments in NCAA tournament history.
3. Bill Self better be sending Mario Chalmers a Christmas card every year. Without that title in '08, Self's legacy in Lawrence might be that of the lapdog of the Missouri Valley Conference (Bradley in '06, UNI in '10).
4. It was odd to see college basketball stalwarts Scottie Reynolds, Sherron Collins, and Luke Harangody go out with such a whimper. While Harangody was coming back from injury, for the other two, whose legacies was that of clutch performers and magical moments, their final games were strangely sub-par.
5. Would Gonzaga be Gonzaga if they were St. Francis (WA) or Washington-Spokane? How much of their popularity can be attributed to it's just fun to say their name (or at least it was when they began to emerge)?
6. Is it possible that Rick Barnes will find himself on the hot seat sometime in the near future? If they cared at all about basketball in Austin, it seems likely. Has any coach accomplished less with more than Barnes? Two national POY's in the last eight years, multiple NBA #1 picks, consistently great recruiting classes, but yet only one Final Four. His great recruiting haul of Kevin Durant, D.J. Augustin, Damion James, Dexter Pittman, and Justin Mason produced five NCAA wins over four years, advancing into the second weekend in only one of those years.
7. Thought about Cory Joseph's possible destinations this weekend while watching Villanova and really wondered if he would want to head to 'Nova, especially if he has designs on being one and done. Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes will be returning seniors next season, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek will be sophomores and primed for more minutes with Scottie Reynolds gone and you just wonder how C. Joseph leaps ahead of all those guys for minutes in the backcourt. Turning towards Texas, they also seem to have a glut of guards with Avery Bradley (possible early entrant), J'Covan Brown, Jai Lucas, Dogus Balbay, and Varez Ward (last two coming off injuries) contending for point guard minutes. Seems that Minnesota might be as good a place to shine as any for the younger Joseph.
8. Can Bruce Pearl get past the Sweet Sixteen this year? In the last six years, dating back to 2005 and his final season with UW-Milwaukee, Pearl has made the tourney every year and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen four times, but never advanced to the Elite Eight. He'll have to get past the program which squelched his dreams in '07, although this year he'll "only" have to deal with Evan Turner instead of Greg Oden and Mike Conley.
9. Watching the games over the weekend, it was readily apparent what currently separates the Gophers from the teams that can advance to the Sweet Sixteen. While Lawrence Westbrook had his moments he's no Jacob Pullen or Ryan Wittman or Jordan Crawford or Wesley Johnson or LaceDarius Dunn or. . .well, you get the idea. The Gophers, while comprised of many nice parts, have been lacking the go-to guy who can consistently get it done in the clutch since Vincent Grier was on campus. Surround any of the guys listed above with the other talent on the Gophers' squad and I think we're breaking down our Sweet Sixteen match-up. Hopefully Devoe Joseph can emerge into that type of player over the next couple years.
10. I've revised my Final Four picks, out of necessity to Saturday's bracket busting courtesy of UNI and St. Mary's (what was I thinking with 'Nova this year anyway?). Anyway, here's my new Final Four: Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Duke, with Ohio State vs. Kentucky for the national championship.
