March's Madness: Observations

Lord McFather, Jeremy, and I in North Texas cheering on the Dawgs, who aren't present

Over the Hills and Far Away...For some reason, the NCAA has this illogical desire to promote the Final Four as being in North Texas instead of Arlington. It seems pretty goofy to me, and I'm frankly tired of hearing about the Final Four being in North Texas. Last year's Final Four should have been "more effectively" marketed as North Central Georgia. 

Telecommunication Breakdown...Some of you may be already be looking at your TV Guide wondering, where are the games for tonight listed? That is because you are likely looking on CBS. TBS is actually covering the Final Four this year, with the National Championship being broadcasted on CBS. Interestingly, you can also tune into TruTV and TNT during the game on TBS to hear the games being announced from the perspective of an announcer with affiliations to one of the schools. 

Rock N' Roll...Last year, in North Central Georgia, the Final Four hosted a great rock band lineup featuring Muse and Dave Matthews Band. Jeremy, JD, Merry Meg, and I were all able to attend the Muse concert and had a blast. This year's lineup in North Texas will feature The Killers and Bruce Springsteen. If you are in North Texas, you should definitely check this out.

Good Times, Bad Times...This year's tournament, like most, has featured ups and downs. Through the Final Four, there have been 32 blowouts and 10 upsets. Please note that a blowout is considered a win by 10 more points and an upset is when a seed 5 spots lower defeats a higher ranked seed. Blowouts are not good for viewership, but upsets can certainly boost intrigue. North Dakota State's upset of Oklahoma, and Mercer's defeat of Duke were certainly fun to watch. And, 11th seeded Dayton also made a nice run to the Elite 8.

Dazed and Confused...Sure, Wichita State didn't play the same regular season schedule that some of the other teams played, but the NCAA committee punished them with their bracket. Michigan was the 2 seed, Duke was the 3 seed, and Louisville was the 4 seed. And, oh yea, Kentucky, who almost beat Florida in the SEC Championship, was the 8 seed. What frustrates me is that Wichita State was a legitimately good team. Kentucky had to play their best game all season to beat them. Wichita State would have been much better off being a 2 seed in Florida's region instead of being a 1 seed in their region. At least Wichita State would have likely made it to the Elite 8. 

Ramble On...People can say what they want about John Calipari - that he pays players, that he bends the rules, and that he is merely a recruiter - but, Calipari is actually a really fine coach. Sure, he recruits tons of talent, but to have freshman gel the way his Wildcats do is impressive. It takes something beyond recruiting to do that.  I hold that he is actually underrated as a basketball coach. 

The Song Remains the Same...Florida has won 30 games since losing to UConn on a last second at UConn back in December. Florida may not end up winning the National Championship, but they are a model of consistency. More specifically, Billy Donovan is a model of consistently elite coaching. I think it is debatable that he is the best coach in college basketball right now. Florida has made 4 straight Elite 8 appearances, and Donovan is seeking his 3rd National Title. For as successful as he has been, I feel he rarely receives the attention or praise he deserves. 

Battle of Evermore...Now, on to predictions. I believe Florida will defeat UConn and that Wisconsin will defeat Kentucky. I think Kentucky has a much better shot of beating Wisconsin that UConn does for beating Florida (even though UConn beat Florida earlier in the year). I think Kentucky's erratic freshman play will finally catch up versus a seasoned and fundamental Wisconsin team that can score anywhere. Should the Harrison twins continue their dominant play, all bets are off. But. for now, I predict Florida will play Wisconsin in the National Championship, and Billy Donovan will hoist his 3rd National Championship trophy.