The Lesson For Memphis: Nothing Is Free

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the images of the 2008 NCAA Basketball Championship gave me enough of them to stock an entire library. Sure, there will be those common descriptions, such as determination, confidence, winner and loser. But as I watched the game wind down, there were three words, when placed together, looming larger than life. Those three words are “nothing is free”.

In sport, as in life, nothing is given to you. You can’t just reach for the prize, you must also take steps closer to grasp it. No one will hand it to you or allow you a pass. You can put in weeks, months, and even years of hard work, but no one is going to cross the finish line for you. The Kansas Jayhawks stayed true to their mission, completing a dream season and claiming the title of college basketball champions. But their opponent, for whatever reason, expected a little help along the way, and didn’t receive any.

The Memphis Tigers had the look of a champion. Their 38 wins marked the most by a program in NCAA history. If you eliminate less than a minute from their entire season (the closing seconds of regulation against both Kansas and Tennessee), the Tigers are undefeated. But despite their season accomplishments, they left the Alamodome on Monday night without a championship. They were 20 seconds away from moving freely to the podium to accept their congratulations, but again….nothing is free.

Kansas crossed the finish line, making their run from beginning to end. They did all that was needed, without expecting any handouts. When backed into a corner, faced with playing catch up, and the clock becoming the enemy, the Jayhawks delivered a blow, striking Achilles in the heel. Memphis’ weakness was always their struggles from the charity stripe (59% season percentage), and their title game opponents put them there, daring the Tigers to take the crown, and refusing to go without effort. Memphis missed 4 of 5 free throws in the final 20 seconds of regulation. One more make and one less miss would have completed the season goal, leaving the Chalmers 3-point basket with 2 seconds remaining to only have relevance in the box score, and none in the trophy presentation.

In a span of 20 seconds, a bench that was anticipating ladder climbing and net cutting, found themselves deadlocked on the scoreboard, before eventually getting worked in overtime and sent home. Of all things, it’s the inability to convert a “free” throw that transformed celebration to sadness. If you can’t depend on yourselves, who can you depend on? You pin your hopes on Kansas surrendering and allowing the clock to run out? You become dependent on wishes and prayers that a shot will be flung wide of the basket, just as the horn sounds? Or maybe you become so dependent on thoughts of your squad running out to big leads, so late game bricks from the line only effect the spread, without affecting the outcome? There were 63 other teams dependent on thoughts, hopes, and wishes, and now Memphis can join them on the loser’s bench.

Kansas took steps forward, and they reach no more. Meanwhile, Memphis is stuck behind the line, only thinking of what could have been. My brain processed thousands of images in that overtime victory. But in the midst of finding words to add to each picture, I found an answer for first-time hoops watchers wanting the definition of a “free throw”.

…”Nothing is free”.

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).

Fanaticism Gone Too Far

Our televisions capture the foreign images of European soccer hooligans, and the fires and flares of South America. At home, we watch tape of a drunken father and son attacking an MLB first base coach. In the NBA, we see a brawl erupt in Detroit, because a fool decides to toss a cup. But a step down from your professional leagues, we see something growing more large and ugly. It’s fanaticism at the extreme.

In college sports, your home surface represents a point of dominance. Its make up, aura, and student body can allow even the most average hosts to compete with the greater visitors. But more and more, the stories and images of fan hostility are taking precedence over the actual games played. This again stands true, as I recently watched USC mopping up a road victory in Tempe, and in the waning seconds, a full water bottle crashes at the feet of a Trojan player. But even with the danger posed by that incident, and the potential to spark a melee, the action of that one disgruntled fan is minor to the incidents already reported this past year.

The most recent incident to be publicized is that of UCLA’s Freshman Kevin Love. Love is a native Oregonian that snubbed his area to play in the basketball tradition of UCLA. Last month marked his first trip back to Oregon, as his Bruins faced the Ducks. He was greeted with hostilities, for which the University of Oregon made an official apology. But more has surfaced about his Oregon road trip, and it makes you question the mentality of the fans and how they’ve forgotten that it’s just a game. It was reported that Love received death threats, and screaming fans called his grandmother and 13 year old sister “whores”. I am unable to grasp that type of mentality, because though I have a love of team, and love of sport, I can still understand that it’s just a four year decision to play a child’s game elsewhere. Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow, received death threats during the 2007 season, and for no other reason than being “great” at what he does.

The University of Illinois also had to apologize for the hostile reception given to another freshman sensation, Eric Gordon of Indiana, when he made his first appearance in Champaign, after not staying true to a promise to play for the Illini.

Another publicized incident was the occurrence at the end of an amazing contest played between No. 1 Memphis and unranked Alabama Birmingham. The one point, down to the wire, victory by Memphis was quickly forgotten, and fan violence took center stage. As you can see in the following clip, as the officials were checking the monitor to determine if a last second game winning shot should count, the Memphis players are getting pelted by any trash the UAB fans could find.

Death threats aren’t exclusive to players, as a teary eyed Michigan coach alerted the nation last week. Rich Rodgriguez spoke of the threats against his family in West Virginia, and against his young niece, simply because her uncle “took a job”. Before the Mountaineer football team even suffers any ill effects of the Rodriguez departure, some West Virginia fans have taken it upon themselves to make his family suffer in fear. It shouldn’t be surprising or unexpected, considering WVU’s place kicker received death threats after the Pittsburgh game, being blamed for the loss that cost the team a spot in the National Championship game.

In Indiana, security has been increased, following the resignation of basketball coach Kelvin Sampson. The University’s action is a precautionary measure, hoping to prevent a repeat of campus disturbance that followed the school’s firing of Bobby Knight. In that incident, police in riot gear were needed to disburse the angry crowds.

The college football season also featured outrageous acts, when Rutgers fans welcomed Navy to the field with chants of “Navy Sucks”. Entering the field for the second half only allowed an encore performance of the chant, and the Scarlet Knights’ fans weren’t done. As an injured Midshipman limped from the field, the crowd chanted “You got f*cked up! You got f*cked up!” And in the direction of the uniformed section of Navy fans in attendance, the chant was “F*ck you, Navy! F*ck you, Navy!" In the aftermath, Rutgers’ President made a formal apology to the Naval Academy, but again I’m confused about what would not only bring a person to begin such chants, but for others to also tag along. The boys from the Naval Academy are not only serving as Saturday opponents, but are also serving their country. Following graduation, some will find themselves on battlefields, defending our right to chant. I think that alone deserves respect, regardless the depth of your fanaticism.

Chants are a thing of old, as I can remember former St. Joe’s basketball player, Delonte West, who has a birth mark on his face receiving chants of “Herpes! Herpes!” I also remember Duke’s J.J Reddick being so hated by ACC foes that their chant of choice was “F*ck U Reddick!”. There is no enforcement, so it continues. A fan can be removed from the building for tossing items on the court, and the home team can be penalized, giving the visitor technical free throws, but how do you enforce the harsh chanting and profanity that potentially comes with it? For the NCAA to clean up the language, they will have to penalize students by suspending home games, forcing their teams to play only on the road. For severe offenses, they can wipe out the home games for an entire season. That would be the simple plan, but it’s more difficult when you look at the financial loss. How many school presidents, who already can’t control their student bodies, are going to agree to a punishment that hits them in the wallet?

As a player, it only took one road game for me to realize how hateful some fans can be towards a program. It’s more apparent in basketball, when venues shrink in size, and the gap between yourself and the fans decrease. As a player, you stand on the hardwood, and you know that a handful of officers could never hold back an entire student section and any intentions to cause harm to their visitors. The road can be a scary place, but it’s only because of a few enticing idiots, and greedy NCAA executives that allow it to be.

Fanaticism has already gone too far, and year after year, the bomb continues to tick. When, and if, there is that great explosion, we will see the “powers that be” addressing the media of the seriousness, as if they never saw it coming. I see it now. Don’t you?

A Knoxville First, and Another in Newark

The Memphis Tigers didn’t have to travel as far as the New England Patriots to feel the pain of imperfection, because it came sooner than later. Not that it numbs the pain to finally lose before you reach the postseason, and to do it on your home floor. But In this case, the throbbing could be more severe, because you not only gave an instate rival bragging rights and the honor of ending your perfect season, but you also allowed them to replace you at the top.

For the first time in history, Tennessee Men’s basketball is the No. 1 team in the nation. And the volunteers didn’t just creep to the top spot, they actually did it in style. The top poll position had several occupants over the course of the year, but how many of those mountain climbers achieved the position by defeating the No. 1 team in the nation? To get to that unfamiliar place, the Vols didn’t quietly wait for the Tigers to lose to someone else, they put in the work themselves.

A conference cast in a dim light by voters now has a team on top. Surprised? I’m not. The SEC’s Florida Gators have finished atop the college basketball world for the past two seasons, but we all know how the media suffers with short term memory.

And the state of Tennessee isn’t done with the dramatics, because just one day after receiving the No. 1 crown, the Vols get another instate rivalry road game, against a Vanderbilt squad that has won 6 straight, and have yet to lose in their own house this season.

AP Top 25
1. Tennessee (69) 25-2
2. Memphis 26-1
3. North Carolina (2) 26-2
4. UCLA (1) 24-3
5. Texas 23-4
6. Kansas 24-3
7. Duke 23-3
8. Stanford 22-4
9. Xavier 24-4
10. Wisconsin 23-4
11. Georgetown 22-4
12. Indiana 23-4
13. Louisville 22-6
14. Butler 25-3
15. Connecticut 21-6
16. Purdue 21-6
17. Notre Dame 21-5
18. Vanderbilt 23-4
19. Michigan State 22-5
20. Drake 24-3
21. Marquette 20-6
22. Washington State 21-6
23. Kent State 23-5
24. Gonzaga 21-6
25. Saint Mary's 23-4



A RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCE

In the Northeast, another team was achieving a first that was far less glamourous. On Saturday, the New Jersey Institute of technology set a new NCAA record, by finishing their season with a record of 0-29. Their overall losing streak now stands at 33, and with a loss in next year’s season opener, they can tie the NCAA mark of 34. Hell, they’ve come this far, it would be a shame to actually see them win that game and deprive America of another record setting performance.

The Highlanders reached this mark of futility by accounting for more season turnovers than field goals. But with all said, I can't help but think, if NJIT played in the Big East next year, and posted the exact same record, they would still make the Big East Conference tournament. The Big E will invite all members to participate in next year's postseason.

Cats and Dogs

The Kitty is purring, the dog is barking, and just that quickly the rankings are flipped. You have a Washington State team that quietly began the year in the top 10, silently maintained that ranking for weeks, and now comes crashing with a thunderous thud. The Cougars spent the week hosting their Pac 10 brethren from Northern California, and were swept on their home court by Cal and Stanford. It's now the stretch run of college hoops, and Wazzu finds themselves bounced from the upper tier of the polls. At a time when programs will battle for tournament seedings, these Cats no longer roar, managing a less frightening purr instead.

But the dogs are barking, as the UConn Huskies are rolling. They've reeled off 5 straight victories, which found them ripping through Marquette, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, and Pittsburgh. Calhoun's team is peaking at the right time, and they have a favorable schedule to close out the season. Can we call the Huskies a dark horse? No. Not quite yet.

Those other Cats in Memphis were supposed to walk through the bulk of their remaining schedule, with a possibility of finishing the regular season undefeated. But it seems there was a "Miner" interuption in the "breezing" part, as UTEP gave the Tigers all they could handle, coming ever so close to pulling the upset. It's not easy being No. 1, and for the first time this season the Tigers appeared vulnerable. After the close call with UTEP, it appears more likely that someone can knock Memphis from their perch. Any Volunteers?

AP Top 25

1. Memphis (31) 21-0

2. Duke 19-1

3. North Carolina 21-1

4. UCLA 20-2

5. Kansas 21-1

6. Georgetown 18-2

7. Tennessee 19-2

8. Wisconsin 18-3

9. Stanford 18-3

10. Michigan State 19-3

11. Butler 19-2

12. Texas 17-4

13. Indiana 18-3

14. Xavier 18-4

15. Drake 20-1

16. Marquette 16-4

17. Washington State 17-4

18. Texas A&M 18-4

19. Connecticut 16-5

20. Vanderbilt 18-4

21. Notre Dame 16-4

22. Florida 18-4

23. St. Marys 18-3

24. Kansas State 15-5

25. Pittsburgh 17-5

ESPN/USA Today Poll

1. Memphis (31) 21-0

2. Duke 19-1

3. North Carolina 21-1

4. UCLA 20-2

5. Kansas 21-1

6. Georgetown 18-2

7. Tennessee 19-2

8. Wisconsin 18-3

9. Stanford 18-3

10. Michigan State 19-3

11. Butler 19-2

12. Texas 17-4

13. Indiana 18-3

14. Xavier 18-4

15. Drake 20-1

16. Marquette 16-4

17. Washington State 17-4

18. Texas A&M 18-4

19. Connecticut 16-5

20. Vanderbilt 18-4

21. Notre Dame 16-4

22. Florida 18-4

23. Saint Mary's 18-3

24. Kansas State 15-5

25. Pittsburgh 17-5

Spreading The Wealth Out West- College basketball rankings (1/21)

For the first time this season, the North Carolina Tarheels find themselves looking up at others. After holding the top spot for 11 weeks, the heels have dropped to No. 5 in the latest AP poll. Meanwhile, another slain giant(UCLA) fell 4 spots to No. 8, following the home loss to USC.

The nation's new No. 1 is a team that should have been atop the mountain a long time ago. The Memphis Tigers staked their claim to No. 1, and should have easy sailing, with only tough games remaining with Gonzaga and Tennesse. Unfairly, the Tigers are often judged according to their conference, and impressive out of conference wins are soon forgotten and discredited. Before going into Conference-USA play, the Tigers picked up victories over Richmond, Oklahoma, Connecticut, USC, Cincinnati, Georgetown, and Arizona. The future in-state meeting with Tennessee will test the best in the SEC, before the madness begins. Have the Tigers managed to remain undefeated with a schedule holding less weight? I would say not.

No. 2 Kansas has a legitimate argument for the top spot, as they remain one of only two unbeaten programs in the country. The Jayhawks are separated from the Tigers by just 11 points in the new coaches poll, and will have the tougher road to season perfection, coming out of the Big 12. Depending on which opinions you read or who you talk to, either Kansas or Memphis will be considered the best team in the country. Does anyone else belong in the argument?

AP Top 25

1. Memphis (49) 17-0 1,777

2. Kansas (23) 18-0 1,751

3. Tennessee 16-1 1,591

4. Duke 15-1 1,543

5. North Carolina 18-1 1,536

6. Washington State 16-1 1,442

7. Indiana 16-1 1,351

8. UCLA 16-2 1,312

9. Georgetown 14-2 1,235

10. Michigan State 16-2 1,175

11. Wisconsin 15-2 1,048

12. Texas 14-3 887

13. Pittsburgh 15-3 781

14. Vanderbilt 17-2 748

15. Butler 17-2 742

16. Dayton 14-2 567

17. Mississippi 15-2 529

18. Villanova 13-3 502

18. Texas A&M 15-3 502

20. Stanford 15-3 444

21. Marquette 13-4 332

22. Drake 16-1 313

23. Xavier 15-4 230

24. Arizona State 14-3 182

25. Baylor 15-2 173

Others Receiving Votes

Saint Mary's 144, Clemson 136, Kansas State 120, West Virginia 90, Florida 49, Massachusetts 47, Gonzaga 32, USC 26, Rhode Island 17, Miami (FL) 15, Louisville 7, Cincinnati 5, South Alabama 5, Oklahoma 4, New Mexico 3, Mississippi State 2, Akron 2, Cleveland State 1, Creighton 1, Maryland 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Miami (FL) 21, Rhode Island 23, Clemson 24.

ESPN/USA Today Poll

1. Memphis (21) 17-0 765

2. Kansas (10) 18-0 754

3. Duke 15-1 682

4. North Carolina 18-1 666

5. Tennessee 16-1 653

6. Washington State 16-1 620

7. UCLA 16-2 581

8. Indiana 16-1 565

9. Georgetown 14-2 543

10. Michigan State 16-2 517

11. Wisconsin 15-2 443

12. Texas 14-3 381

13. Vanderbilt 17-2 336

14. Butler 17-2 316

15. Mississippi 15-2 284

16. Texas A&M 15-3 280

17. Pittsburgh 15-3 267

18. Villanova 13-3 257

19. Dayton 14-2 203

20. Marquette 13-4 158

21. Stanford 15-3 151

22. Xavier 15-4 112

23. Drake 16-1 92

24. Saint Mary's 15-2 89

25. Clemson 14-4 84

Others Receiving Votes

Arizona State 61, Florida 56, West Virginia 42, Rhode Island 24, Gonzaga 14, USC 12, Baylor 11, Massachusetts 9, Kansas State 8, Louisville 7, San Diego State 7, Connecticut 5, Mississippi State 4, South Alabama 3, UNLV 3, Oregon 2, Miami (FL) 2, Arizona 2, Illinois State 2, Cincinnati 1, Houston 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Rhode Island 21, Miami (FL) 24, Arizona State 25.

The Pac 10 has been rated the top basketball conference in the country for 2007, and though they can put up a strong argument for best conference, it would be more difficult to name the best team. The early favorite to win the Pac was UCLA, but after watching the Bruins fall on their own floor, it's clear there is no favorite.

4 Pac 10 teams appear in this week's top 25, with a 5th on the cusp. Surprisingly, Washington State is the highest ranked (6th), and Oregon and Arizona have no rank at all. Arizona State climbed into the top 25 this week, adding more to the conference shake up, and it should be a wild western ride down the stretch. I can't say who will emerge as the Pac 10 champion, but I'll say it will probably be one of the least likely preseason selections.