NCAA Tournament is proving how even college basketball is

At any point in the season, if asked who I think would be in the Final Four I had a standard response that at first glance might sound like a cop-out: it’s so wide-open and matchups are so crucial that I can’t answer the question at that time.  In January of most years I couldn’t tell you who I think would get there at least for the latter reason, but especially this season because the former has never been more true.

If the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament doesn’t bear this reality out, I don’t know that anything will.

Just look at the highlights of the rounds that led us up to the Sweet 16:

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NCAA Tournament players to watch – Part 2

Every year, the NCAA Tournament brings new faces into the limelight.  For some schools, it’s their first time with a large national TV audience even if they have played a conference championship game on TV.  The attention is different from the conference championship because now everyone is watching.  For some players, they aren’t the stars of their team but they make a big shot, big stop or other big play, or have a big game come tournament time that brings them out from behind the shadows.

That’s all part of what makes the NCAA Tournament special, and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino echoed this sentiment when, after his team won the Big East Tournament behind a big effort from Montrezl Harrell, said, “You never know in college basketball who’s going to step up.  That’s the beauty of college basketball.”

Who are the players you may learn about this year?  Earlier, we showed you players on teams playing their first game on Tuesday or Thursday.  Now we bring you players on teams who play their first game of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday or Friday.

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NCAA Tournament players to watch – Part 1

Every year, the NCAA Tournament brings new faces into the limelight. For some schools, it’s their first time with a large national TV audience even if they have played a conference championship game on TV. The attention is different from the conference championship because now everyone is watching. For some players, they aren’t the stars of their team but they make a big shot, big stop or other big play, or have a big game come tournament time that brings them out from behind the shadows.

That’s all part of what makes the NCAA Tournament special, and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino echoed this sentiment when, after his team won the Big East Tournament behind a big effort from Montrezl Harrell, said, “You never know in college basketball who’s going to step up. That’s the beauty of college basketball.”

Who are the players you may learn about this year? Here is a look, starting with the teams playing their first game on Tuesday or Thursday. A little later, we will bring you players on teams who play their first game on Wednesday or Friday.

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Underdogs beware: Great teams look to tame the Madness

March Madness might be a little less crazy this season, if recent trends hold up.

That’s because the numbers indicate that a plethora of great offenses and defenses will take care of business as teams navigate through the early rounds and head into the Final Four.

How do I know that there are lots of great offenses and defenses this year? And how do I know some of the outsiders won’t crash the party?

Well, the stats don’t lie. Really, stats don’t say much of anything. They’re just there, and it’s up to us to find trends and patterns that mean something. And here are a few that seem to matter. … Continue Reading

March to Madness 3.0: Bid thieves lurk on the horizon

Conference tournaments are closing in fast, and that means the real madness is nearly upon us.

For teams like Northwestern, Texas, BYU and Cincinnati, the beginning of Championship Week will be a critical time. Most of the top conferences will still be wrapping up their regular seasons while other conferences like the CAA and Missouri Valley will be knee-deep in the thrills of win-or-go-home action.

And of course, the return of conference tournaments also means the re-emergence of the bid thief. … Continue Reading

March to Madness 2.0

For the top seeds, not much changed since last week despite some drama in Durham.

Duke managed to hold on to the fourth No. 1 seed in the second version of the March to Madness bracket projections, even though Duke dropped a home game to Miami last weekend. The Blue Devils’ strong road win against North Carolina is a great addition to an already strong resume for Duke. Austin Rivers’ clutch shot as time expired helps Duke fend off Missouri and Kansas for the last No. 1 spot for at least another week.

The win in Cameron Indoor Stadium helped propel the Hurricanes into the field of 68 this week, while Arkansas dropped out. The Razorbacks have failed to win a single game away from home. That road futility is actually an impressive stat. Of course, it’s also the kind of stat that will keep Mike Anderson’s team on the wrong side of the bubble. … Continue Reading

March to Madness 1.0

Well, it’s that time of year again.

We unveil our first NCAA Tournament projections now that nearly every team is approaching the midpoint of conference play. We’ve got a big enough sample of games to evaluate teams across conferences in an attempt to find the 68 teams that are most deserving of a bid to the Big Dance.

As usual, it’s not easy to parse the minute differences in many cases. The selection committee faces a tough task every season. Although they’ll never make everyone happy, the committee always delivers a final product that produces thrills and drama for nearly a month in late March and early April. Team A might feel shafted, but Team B might turn into VCU and write a Cinderella story for the ages. … Continue Reading

The 2011 National Championships: A Tempo-Free Evaluation

They are in the books.  Both men’s and women’s championships are settled, with UConn and Texas A & M the respective champions. The quantity of complaints regarding the “ugliness” of the men’s game was probably matched by praise of the competitiveness and higher quality of the final game product by the women. Here, we take a look at the pace and efficiency of both contests:

On Monday UConn defeated Butler 53-41.

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For Once, College Basketball is Wide Open

Raise your hand if you figured either Connecticut or Butler would be playing for the national championship before the season began.

No hands? No one saw this coming?

It’s not that surprising, really. And it fits the way this season has gone and how many saw the season as it evolved, which is something college basketball fans should be happy about. That is especially true for those who are simply fans of the game.

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Final Four Teams All Overcame Adversity

Adversity is part of life. Sports are no different, as no team ever goes through a season without adversity of some sort. Some teams and players go through more than others, but it’s all part of competing. This year’s Final Four teams are all studies in exactly that, because each has had to overcome adversity along the way.

VCU had more than its fair share of adversity, some of which wasn’t expected. This is a team picked third in the Colonial Athletic Association before the season, with some picking them second. The non-conference slate went reasonably well, but had some missed opportunities. It included blowing a lead at UAB right before Christmas, then a couple of wins right before CAA play that left head coach Shaka Smart concerned about leadership – not exactly what one would expect of a senior-laden team. Joey Rodriguez remembered going home after the UAB game, namely that it felt like an even longer drive (he drove from Birmingham to his home in Florida) because it was a missed opportunity.

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