And Then There Were 4...

Two weeks later, 65 teams have been trimmed to a final 4. UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas represent the last men standing atop a heap of dreamers. These fabulous four offer something surprising, as well as something not so surprising.

It’s not surprising to have four number 1 seeds remaining, if you consider they earned those seedings with regular season play and a determination that they were the best in the field. If anything, this should often be the norm. But it’s surprising that all 4 did survive, since history shows this as the first time all top seeds have ever advanced to the final four. The pattern has always been at least one of those seeds stumbling somewhere along the way. Some may have struggled to get there, but all managed to make a historic arrival in 2008.

East Region: Before a single game was played, many viewed the East as the toughest bracket, yet the Tar Heels plowed through the majority of it like a bulldozer clearing smaller obstacles from the path. Even if the drubbing of their first victim, Mount Saint Mary’s, didn’t impress you, a nearly identical beating of Arkansas had to make you somewhat of a believer. Then came all the talk about Washington State’s stingy defense, and if you ask the Heels, after whipping the Cougars 68-47, they would probably say... “What D”? Finally, they found an opponent slightly worthy, as the Louisville Cardinals tried to make it a game, after being run out of the gym in the first half. The comeback was cut short, and North Carolina cut down the nets.

South Region: Maybe we should call this one the “disrespected” region. No one wanted to give Memphis any credit for their play, and people weren’t just waiting for the South’s top seed to fall, but they were expecting it. Those doubters nearly received their satisfaction, as the Mississippi State Bulldogs pushed Memphis to the limit, before falling just short. Memphis responded to that nail biter with routs of Michigan State and Texas. As much as people expected Memphis to do light packing for a short tournament trip, the Tigers packed their scissors, and used them to bring down the Southern nets.

West Region: This was said to be the easiest bracket, but I’m sure the Bruins would tell you different. UCLA made quick work of Mississippi Valley State, holding them to just 29 total points in that first round game. But the Bruins struggled with Texas A&M, escaping again on a questionable “no call”, and had their hands full with Western Kentucky’s Cinderella dreams. They managed to momentarily silence the critics with an overpowering victory to dump Xavier, but still won’t be viewed as the final four favorite, despite making their third consecutive appearance in the field.

Midwest Region: This region was stacked with some big names, but highlighted by a little name that refused to go away. The Davidson Wildcats were finally silenced by the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, I feel that Davidson began to panic, with the game winding down under 5 minutes. They were still in striking distance, but Curry forced some bad shots, and the Wildcats appeared to surrender to the logic of living or dying behind the arc. The last possession of the game gave proof, as Davidson never attempted to set up a tying drive to the paint, and desperately tried to get off a game winning 3.

The Jayhawks walked easily through the tournament, until they ran into the feisty Davidson team, but survived to complete the final four puzzle.

Now What?

Can you pick the best team of the 4 remaining? I’d say all are evenly matched, and we’re headed towards a spectacular weekend in San Antonio. Early in the season, I said Memphis was the best team in the country. But by the end of the regular season, I became one of the doubters, probably caught up in the media bashing of a team coming from a non power conference. I chose UCLA in all my bracket pools, but honestly, any of the remaining teams can win this thing.

I think the Networks would love to see a UCLA versus North Carolina final. It’s perfect. It gives you Love vs. Hansbrough. Williams vs. Howland. It gives you old school royalty vs. the modern day warriors. It’s East vs. West, Lawson vs. Collinson, and the team with the most NCAA basketball championships vs. the team with the most NCAA final four appearances. it’s umm…baby blue vs. baby blue. Who could ask for more?

A final note: In the past two seasons, the Big East has sent 14 teams to the NCAA tournament (8 this season), and only one has made the final 4 (Georgetown '07).

DOH-Mer Of The Week- DeAngelo Hall

I didn’t even have to search for a DOHmer to fill this week’s slot, because he found me. Well, he didn’t walk up to my door and introduce himself, but his past words placed the bull's-eye directly on his forehead. DeAngelo Hall gives further proof that athletes should have traveling stenographers for every media appearance. They should then plaster those notes on their bedroom walls, and read them repeatedly with each morning’s stretch and yawn. There’s no doubt they forget some of the bull$h!t that flowed from their lips or don’t care, but I always remember, and care enough pin them with my personal award.

We all know DeAngelo Hall, because he’s one of the more outspoken brats of the NFL. When he’s not making headlines with his play on the field, the write ups are about his full support of the dog fighting Michael Vick, arguing with teammates, and insubordinate behavior towards coaches and management. I won’t dwell on every incident involving DeAngelo, but just a couple of comments to show why he is DOHmer worthy.

When Bobby Petrino packed his bags and left Atlanta for the college game, a few players were vocal about the departure, with some calling him a quitter. Two of those Falcons were Alge Crumpler and Warrick Dunn. With Atlanta recently giving both players their walking papers, the organization basically said “Thanks for your support, but we’re quitting on you”. But they didn’t have to open the door for Hall, who was also critical of Petrino's exit, because he turned the knob and walked out on his own. You’ve gotta love the hypocrisy, and lack of loyalty, from a player that chose to shove his face in front of cameras to slam someone else abandoning that sinking ship.

It doesn’t end there, because we then received DeAngelo’s comments about money. From the lips of Mr. Hall came, “I don’t want to be the highest paid cornerback in the league and losing every game. Money only gets you so much happiness”. I doubt he remembered those words, while inking his name to a $70 million contract with the Oakland Raiders. If my memory serves me correctly, the Falcons just won a coin toss to determine which of 3 teams (all equal in futility) would have the third selection in the first round of the upcoming draft. The Raiders were one of those teams involved in the flip, meaning DeAngelo’s new team shares the exact same misery as his old.

Oakland won 19 games in the past 5 years, and the Falcons have won 35 (with a playoff birth). If it’s all about winning, then you latch on to the Cowboys or Patriots, who are in need of your services, and have a far greater chance of winning consistently. Winning is the "happiness", right? That kind of happiness could have be found if he stayed true to his words and lowered the asking price. Asante Samuel said “screw the happiness”, and went after the money. And guess what DeAngelo?---so did YOU.

You’ll now play for a team with an experimental quarterback (like the Falcons), went 4-12 in 2007 (like the Falcons), has a first time NFL coach from the college ranks (like the Falcons), and has a defensive line that parted like the red sea for opposing running backs (like the Falcons). Not much of a change of scenery, huh? But I hope you enjoy your new “happy place”, DOHmer.

The Little Guys Are Alive And Kicking

After two rounds of dancing, what does your bracket look like? Did one of those little guys shatter one or more of your regions? Did they make child’s play of your entire field, leaving marks and scribbles all over the name of a team you projected to win it all? Did they make your viewable bracket about as colorful as your words describing Connecticut, Duke, and Georgetown’s tournament failures?

I certainly didn’t pick Davidson or Western Kentucky to be dancing in the sweet 16. I had my suspicions about San Diego possibly making some noise, but bigger names denied my gut feeling, and I penciled in Connecticut on the line. I should have known better, but like everyone else, I got caught up in Major conference hype.

Davidson walked into the tournament with the nation’s longest winning streak. And after 2 rounds, they’ve stretched that number to 24. Why do we doubt them? Is it because they lack the media attention and we judge them by conference? In November, North Carolina edged them by 4. In December, Duke escaped by 6, and UCLA also failed to find a double digit victory over these same Wildcats. After a 3 point late December loss to NC State, Davidson didn’t lose again. Sure, the Wildcats lost to all the major conference teams they played early, but they certainly were not dominated by either of them.

Western Kentucky had victories over Michigan and Nebraska, before they even entered the tournament. Gonzaga escaped by 3, and Tennessee by 6, yet we still doubted the Hilltoppers in our brackets. They’re 20-2 since the new year began, but we never saw it coming. Or maybe we did see it, in little flashes of final scores on an ESPN ticker. We knew they were there, but unlike the basketball royalties, there was no official announcement of their arrival.

The Big East sent 8 teams to the Dance, and now going into the Sweet 16, the conference break down appears as follows:

Big East: (3) West Virginia, Louisville, Villanova

Pac 10: (3) UCLA, Washington State, Stanford

Big 12: (2) Kansas, Texas

Big 10: (2) Wisconsin, Michigan State

ACC: (1) North Carolina

SEC: (1) Tennessee

C-USA: (1) Memphis

Sunbelt: (1) Western Kentucky

A-10: (1) Xavier

Southern: (1) Davidson

Each year we’re told that the ACC is the best conference in college basketball, but it’s not often reflected in the postseason. With North Carolina sitting as the lone member remaining from the ACC, their sweet 16 total is equal to C-USA, the Sunbelt, the Southern, and Atlantic 10 conferences. Does this mean we’ll have a different view of mid-majors in the future? No. Davidson and Western Kentucky will just be token “flukes” of March, and we’ll go right back to discrediting their conferences in October.

Trojans are One and Done in NCAA Tournament

People will call it an upset, but it's really not. Kansas State came into the game as the 11 seed to face the 6 seeded Trojans, but the Wildcats should have been seeded higher. Despite having freshman phenom, Michael Beasley, in first half foul trouble, Kansas State controlled this game from start to finish. Any attempts at a USC run were survived. And even after falling behind briefly in the second half, the Wildcats eventually cruised to an 80-67 victory.

The biggest difference in the game was the maturity of KSU's youngsters, in comparison to the young Trojans. O.J Mayo finished with 20 points and 5 assists, but Davon Jefferson and Taj Gibson managed just 10 and 15 points between them. Michael Beasley recorded another double-double, with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but another freshman, Bill Walker chipped in 22, carrying the Wildcat load, as Beasley sat in foul trouble. The Trojans were outrebounded by a margin of 44-27, and unable to capitalize in moments Beasley wasn't on the floor.