Some Things Just Never Change
by Matt Jones
Well folks, it is time to finally admit to ourselves something that we have been putting off for far too long. Like a group of long-haired hippies in Ohio who still insist that there could be enough voter fraud to change the outcome of the Presidential election, we have been holding out hope against hope for the last few weeks, even when the evidence suggested otherwise. Maybe, we said to ourselves, this is the year when the basketball gods even things out and give the karma that is due, forcing pain and suffering on those who have made our lives miserable for the past 10-15 years. Yes ladies and gentleman, we thought this would be the season that Duke finally paid for its sin of years and years of perpetual annoyance. With a lineup that looked depleted (by Duke’s standards) and facing the daunting task of an ACC that some were opining could be as good as any conference in history, this would be the year that Rome burned. And now, look at them. 15-0. Number 2 in the country. Staring at a possible number 1 seed yet again, led by the most grating, nails-to-the chalkboard player in the country (an honor that is seemingly always held by a Duke player), the Blue Devils find themselves once again close to the top of the college basketball universe.
A few weeks ago I engaged in a conversation with a friend about Jay Leno. It was my contention that no comedian, actually to be even more precise, no celebrity, has ever had more inexplicable fame and fortune while possessing so little in the way of redeemable qualities (in his case, his striking inability to be funny). The same is true of Duke. With the exception of Grant Hill and Shane Battier, Duke has had NO players over the past fifteen years that I have ever wanted to do anything but slap. Yet somehow, they continue to win. Win at a pace that is completely unimaginable, racking up Final 4 after Final 4, while dominating the national landscape and picking up individual awards by the boatloads for its players (even when undeserved….see Wojo winning National Defensive Player of the Year in 1998). But this was the year that would be different. On the surface, this team seemed to have less talent. They were not very deep, even by Duke’s standards, and looked to be ripe for the picking. Yet once again, the Devils proved us wrong.
Now I know not to get too excited. The critics of the Blue Devils will correctly point out that Duke has played an absolutely miserable schedule for a team of its caliber, playing exactly one team that is now in the Top 25 (Michigan State) and showing an amazing inability to schedule any team of consequence outside of any of its two home courts (New York City being the other). Thus I am not willing to grant Duke the national title just yet. While pundits (and I use that term very loosely) like Digger Phelps may be correct that Duke is still overrated, I think the real problem here is that we all underestimated the team at the beginning of the season. Seriously, how is it possible that a team with six, yes SIX, McDonald’s All Americans on the roster could be said to be talent-deficient? The fact is that this Duke team has a great inside presence (Sheldon Williams), a solid combo guard (Daniel Ewing) and one of the best pure shooters to hit college basketball in fifteen years (J.J. Redick). We still do not know where this team will go, and the meat of its schedule is still to come (thank you ESPN), but for now, we Duke-haters must take our knocks. The Devils are knocking on the door of the Final 4 once again, no matter how much it irritates us.
Hokie from Muskogie
For my money, the biggest surprise of the college basketball season occurred last Saturday, when the usually sorry Virginia Tech Hokies went on the road and defeated Georgia Tech, 70-69. The game had an exciting ending, which included not one, but two missed free throws in the waning seconds, and three good looks at the basket by Tech players as the clock wound down. What Coach Seth Greenberg has done in Blacksburg is truly remarkable. When the ACC announced that it would be taking on three new schools, most everyone (including yours truly) thought that the decision would be wonderful for football, but a complete disaster for basketball in the conference. Now we see that Miami can hold its own amongst the conference big boys, Boston College (who will join next year) is one of the nation’s three remaining undefeated teams, and most surprisingly the Hokies are 10-6 and showing signs of being consistently competitive. While I am not ready to become an honorary Hokie (which I believe is a turkey), they do deserve our kudos.
Kansas disgrace
Now it is not surprising that Kansas went on the road, in the middle of a horrendous snowstorm, and ended up being upset by a solid Villanova team on Saturday. There is no shame in that. All good teams are upset, and usually one defeat a year comes at the hands of a team that has no business beating you. However there is absolutely NO excuse for the Jayhawks losing by 21, while once trailing by 30, and looking completely disinterested and unmotivated throughout the game. Villanova, led by Curtis “Fort” Sumpter, completely dominated every aspect of the game and made the Jayhawks look like an old, tired group of players, who had no interest in being on the court in Philadelphia. This is a terrible sign for Bill Self’s team, as championship-caliber teams just do not get blown out in this way, especially one that is so senior-laden and filled with numerous college stars. I was really ready to jump aboard the Kansas bandwagon heading into March after their win at Kentucky a couple of weeks ago. However, this effort was a disgrace, and should be kept in mind by all college basketball fans when filling out their brackets in March.
I know Lee Corso, and you sir, are no Lee Corso
This past weekend also marked the beginning of ESPN’s attempt at transferring the beauty of its college football road show, Gameday, to the world of college basketball, where many (including myself) always thought it would excel. It began its excursion in Storrs, Connecticut, where the crew was able to showcase a tremendous game between UConn and Pitt, and where the students were able to replicate a bit of the excitement of the college football version. There were some very good things about the initial outing. Jay Bilas was once again wonderful, further cementing his role as the most informative college basketball analyst on television today. Reece Davis was serviceable in the Chris Fowler position, giving good insight and directing the show in a positive manner. And the setting itself was positive, perched high atop the UConn court, showcasing the rowdy fans behind.
However the new edition does need a great deal of improvement. First, Digger Phelps is a disaster as the second road analyst. Part of the reason that the football version of Gameday is so successful, is the excitement generated by the unadulterated goofiness of Lee Corso. Corso is a decent analyst who long ago determined that his ticket to popularity was via playing the role of an over-the-top showman, willing to say and do anything for a laugh. His decision to put on the mascot heads of the teams he believed would win the big games contributed to his status as a loveable old loon, who understood that sports were ultimately about fun. Digger Phelps is nearly as goofy as Corso, but in a completely unintentional way. His personality borders on the non-existent and he has found a way to pull off something that very few could. He is both amazingly boring and completely uninformative….a tremendous combination! His inclusion on Gameday adds nothing and has made it substantially less entertaining than its football brethren. The show has potential, but the dragging down effect of Digger, combined with the poor decision of locations (only focusing on Sat. night games on ESPN, thus leaving out a trip to Duke-UNC!) could spell disaster in the long run.
Maybe he isn’t so bad after all
While we are on the subject of announcers, I feel it is my duty to give some credit where it is most certainly due. It is no secret that I usually have an intense dislike of all things involving Billy Packer. I think his tendency to be overly negative is beyond infuriating and I have, on more than one occasion, used this column as an opportunity to engage in a Packer-based rant. Having said that, I must admit that his stock has risen with me a bit in the past year. With time winding down in Saturday’s Kentucky-LSU game, it occurred to me that I had gone the entire contest without becoming enraged at the absurdity of a Packer comment. In fact, I felt informed on a couple of occasions, whether it was his highlight of the difference between the rotation of a Patrick Sparks jump shot and a Chuck Hayes pass or his observation that Brandon Bass was pouting a bit on offense. It was the second time this season that I watched a game and felt like Packer’s knowledge (which he has always had in abundance) was not overshadowed by his negativity. It may just be a blip in the Packer radar screen, but his improved performance this year is worth a salute.
Come See the “Big Baby”
Saturday was also my first opportunity to get to see the newest sensation that is sweeping the nation, yes LSU freshman Glen “Big Baby” Davis. I have to say that Davis has always intrigued me. Anyone that is 6’9″ and 310 pounds and who flirted with the NBA draft out of high school, is going to raise eyebrows for this young reporter. But watching Davis in a college game just confers that he is all that I dreamed him to be. 310 pounds is a lot, but I have to say that Davis wears it well. He is fat, but not in a floppy kind of fat, but more a kind of fat that looks like there is some muscle under there as well. He has an angelic, very young-looking face (hence “Big Baby”) and seems to have a good disposition about him. Plus he can play. While the Kentucky game was not his best performance (although he did have a great first half), the previous three games found him with back-to-back-to-back double-doubles, with 28 points in one game and 32 in another. This kid is a serious force and is giving the SEC its best talent in a “big” package since “Da Meat Hook”, Demetrius Hill. Not sure how long Davis will be in the college ranks (with the pitiful draft class coming up, this may be his only year), but you should catch him while you can. You will not be disappointed.
An historic night
It is likely that most college basketball fans, even the die-hards such as myself, found a way to miss Monday night’s game between Utah and Air Force. This was likely only the case of course, if you had something very pressing to do, such as clean your bathroom. Thus I do want to make sure that we do not skip over what ended up being quite an historic night. The Utah “What is a” Utes defeated Air Force, and in so doing shot 80% from the field, the highest shooting percentage in twenty years in Division I college basketball and the sixth highest shooting percentage all-time. The Utes are an interesting team this year, one that thanks to their twelve consecutive victories, will likely contend for an NCAA bid. They are led by the best player that no one knows, Andrew Bogut (who may be the first overall pick in the NBA Draft), and contrary to what most people think, are no longer coached by Rick Majerus. Their performance on Monday was even more amazing when one considers that this is a team whose opponent was first in the nation in scoring defense going into the game. History’s most important moments always occur beneath the spotlight, and thus not surprisingly, one of the more interesting and historic games of the season, ended up with no television coverage focusing on it. Nevertheless, it is an impressive occurrence and one that (along with Wake Forest’s 50 straight free throw record) should be remembered.
Mid-Season Projection
For whatever reason, it seems that all college basketball writers need to take this time towards the end of January to give their prognostications as to the potential seeding and bracket arrangements of the upcoming NCAA Tournament. While these predictions are often worth less than an NHL franchise, I do feel the need to keep up. Thus here are my Final 4 and Elite 8 teams, as I see them today.
Final 4
North Carolina
Illinois
Wake Forest
Syracuse
Elite 8
Duke
Kentucky
Kansas
Oklahoma State
Ultimately the final game is still North Carolina vs. Illinois, with the Heels taking home their fourth national championship. UNC is still the hands-down best team in the country, and they will need to lose many more games than they have to change that.
Until next time…
