"Has anyone ever said to you that you've got a bad case of the mondays?"
Here's the difference between college basketball and college football. Saturday night, Tennessee went into the undefeated #1 team's place, upset them, ended their 47 home-game winning streak, ended their perfect season, and made their own claim for #1. Sure it was exciting and somewhat surreal as a Tennessee fan (I can promise you that I never EVER thought I would see this day), but it really is a big "so what". It means absolutely nothing right now. Now if they had done something like that in Football, I would have run through the streets in excitement and called everyone I knew blasting rocky top. But the end of the football season is so pathetically boring and pointless, it is nothing but a bunch of yawns. if you lose a bowl game - who really cares; if you win a bowl game - whoohoo, your Outback bowl champs...what does that mean? But the end of the college basketball season is a month of excitement and thrills, everygame matters - nothing is boring - and it all has a point.
So what do we do to make the college basketball season more exciting? The only reason I am really into the season is b/c I have a team to be excited about. That may be the only pull for any fan right now.
A Short Analysis of the Season
The tournament should be very exciting this year, because there really is no "team to beat". There doesn't seem to be 1 team that is head & shoulders above everyone else. There are about 8 really good teams, but none of those are unbeatable.
- Tennessee is solid, but the SEC really is weak. I honestly can't figure out what has happened to Ole Miss?
- I think North Carolina will make the most noise from the ACC, Puke is over-rated, they live and die too much by the 3. (Is Mike "Shashefsky"s team the Notre Dame of the basketball world)
- Kansas has gotten all the hype, but I think Texas is the best team from the Big 12 - they have really been off everyone's radar (I guess when you lose the best player in the country, that tends to happen), but I'd have my eye on Kansas State in the tournament - probably as a 4 or 5 seed - but Beasely is so dominant, he could be like Carmello Anthony was for the Cuse' in 03.
- UCLA will flop in the tournament, I don't know - just a hunch. O.J. Mayo will lose in the 2nd round and will be handed a cell phone as soon as the game is over, which will be his limo driver waiting to take him to the Laker's after game party.
- Memphis is good, I'll be shocked if they don't get to the finals.
Does anyone watch alot of college basketball season? Thoughts on it? Thoughts about the concept of 'bracketology'??
posted by Alex @ 9:50 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
The one reason I wouldn't want to see a college football playoff is that it has the chance to produce the same sort of "who cares" #1 vs. #2 match-ups that are so prevalent in college basketball. But as far as the tourney goes, this one will be tough to call.
I don't like UT or Memphis because they struggle in the half-court offense (and especially Memphis because of the free throw issue). Also, Chris Lofton is great, but he disappears too much in big games.
Georgetown will probably get upset in the 2nd weekend because in tight games, guards often forget to include the big man and Hibbert is their best player.
UCLA & UNC are locks for the final four (if Lawson is healthy). They both have good guard play, a dominant big man, and coaches that have been there before.
Of the SEC teams, I see Vandy making the deepest run in the tourney and Stallings heading off to Indiana afterwards. It's hard to imagine that both Kentucky and Florida don't go dancing but that's a real possibility. State won't make it past the first weekend because Stansbury never does.
Kurt, your an idiot. Memphis and Tennessee are 1-2 for a reason. Vandy will not go far, they have a big white oaf in the middle and that's it. UCLA is the same thing, I agree with Alex, if UCLA makes it to a regional final I will send you a rack a ribs from your favorite joint. UNC on the other hand is solid, I like them to go far. Tennessee or Memphis will be in the finals, to say neither will make a final four is flat out ludicrous.
If you think Tennessee struggles with the half-court game, it's because you havn't watched them play. The only weakness that team has is that they are not a very good free throw shooting team. They can match up with anybody at any type of game. Tennessee and UNC (when they get Lawson back) are the best teams by far in the country.
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Thanks Chris. And it's actually "you're an idiot." I don't think it's too ludicrous to say that Memphis and UT won't make it to the final four. I'm not saying they aren't good, just that they (like a lot of the other top teams) have flaws that can be exposed. And let's face it, Calipari & Pearl are good coaches, but they've got one final four between them and there will be several great coaches with strong teams in this year's field.
Kurt, fair argument...but you could say the same thing about UNC or UCLA. Those teams couldn't run with Tennessee or Memphis, if they got caught in a full court game they would get blown out of the stadium. I think UNC's, Kansas', UCLA's inability to play the full-court game is much more of a flaw than Memphis or Tennessee's half-court game.
Also look at who these teams have played and beaten, Kansas hasn't really beaten anyone of significance nor has UCLA.
Counting "history of final fours" is a ridiculous stat to consider before the tournament, i.e. Illinois 2005-06 -- Bruce Weber had nothing significant to his resume, but Illinois was basically a lock for the final four. Calipari and Pearl don't have the resume of Roy Williams, Mike 'Shashefski', Jim Calhoun, or Billy Donovan - but they are two of the better coaches in america. Who the hell is UCLA's coach?? What history does he have??
Ben Howland. Two consecutive final four appearances. The only caveat to your argument is that it's easier for a team to slow down a game than it is for a team to force a fast tempo.
yes he has 2 consecutive final 4 appearances but your insane for thinking that makes a level better than Calipari or Pearl, anyone could do that with the talent he's had at UCLA. It's more ridiculous he hasn't won it all.
alex-nice note on a worthless statistic. i am making it my life's work to educate people about worthless statistics because espn and the rest of the media feasts on them, and many follow blindly.
as for the regular season, this is a great one. there are a lot of fun teams to watch. that ut/memphis track meet was just beautiful to watch, and i even have personal vendettas against both teams (a good friend of mine really, really, really overhypes memphis and my loathing of bruce pearl's painting his chest for a female basketball game is well documented). unc with lawson can run with anybody. he's the fastest kid i've ever seen. ucla will do well because they have above average guard play and above average post play, though i think love is a prick. STOP COMPARING HIM TO BILL WALTON PEOPLE!
your allusion to the outback bowl champs is dead on. here is why college basketball's postseason is so great. every team can have a different benchmark to achieve to be successful. for uw-milwaukee, a sweet 16 appearance brings credibility, satisfies the players goals, and riles up a fan base. for michigan state, the elite 8 would be a great run, and the final four would be phenomenal. for unc, anything less than a championship is unsatisfactory. these can also fluctuate from year to year based on a team's talents. also, the tournament allows an obvious measurable, and under/overachievement is clear, but still debatable.
i love march.
The greatest thing about March is that we don't have to hear any complaining or any campaign's by espn about who the best team is.
No one ever talks about UNLV 92' (34-0 before losing in final four), Duke 99'(35-1 before losing in finals), Kansas 03'(dominated everything until 'melo), or Illinois 05'.
Take your pick:
College Football - best regular season, worst post-season
College Basketball - mediocre regular season, best post-season
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