Hello,
I love, love this time of year with the NCAA Tourney right around the corner. It's the best 3 weeks of the sports year. All the drama and passion of people playing in what will be for many their last shot at glory. This is why college basketball is far superior to the bloated NBA. These players play hard the whole game. They aren't just playing for themselves, but for their university and their team also. A few of these players will trickle through to the NBA, but for most this is their swansong. They play like it too. Also the NCAA is so much more unpredictable than the NBA.
Of course there is plenty of controversy. I know that Duke won the NCAA Tournament last year, but why are they getting so much love this year? BYU lost one player and all of a sudden everyone starts questioning their legitimacy. But Duke has lost two players and also lost their last game. They were spanked by the mighty Tar Heels, and most people are still calling Duke a #1 seed. With their unfounded love and all their pasty gangsters, is it any wonder why people hate Duke so much? I'll be cheering for them to lose in both the ACC Tournament and then early in the NCAA Tournament. Please Jazz whatever you do, don't draft Kyle Singler. He'll be another Dukie that crashes and burns once he reaches the NBA. When Carlos Boozer is one of Duke's best pros, you wonder why they are such a good college team. Obviously they have an amazing coach. I can name 10 amazing players off North Carolina that made a big impact in the pros without breaking a sweat. I can only think of two or three Dukies.
Joe Lundardi had a pretender/contender feature about the NCAA Tourney last week. This was before Duke and North Carolina played. He called the following team contenders: Duke (who went on to lose to NC), OSU, Kansas, Purdue and Texas. I think there is truly only one #1 seed in the NCAA Tourney this season and that's Ohio St. Then there are 7 #2 seeds. Other than OSU, I can find flaws with all these other teams. I already discussed Duke. Purdue: traditionally Big 10 teams fall apart as soon as they hit the NCAA Tourney. Purdue just lost this last weekend to Iowa.
Kansas typically falls apart too. This is team that gets by on great recruiting and great athletes. Bill Self is an over rated coach and I'll enjoy watching the Jayhawks flame out early in the NCAA Tourney. Texas just lost at home to Kansas State, at home to a barely Top 25 team. Yes, I know Jacob Pullen is a monster. I certainly don't want any of my teams to play the Wildcats in the NCAA Tourney. However they are only being projected for a #6 seed now. They beat Kansas by 16 points back on Valentine's Day. Just saying.
Then in Lunardi's column he listed BYU, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. I love the Cougars, but I have to agree with him on BYU. I think the Cougars are pretenders too and at least I hope they make the Sweet 16. However Pittsburgh and Notre Dame have been up and down all year, I don't see either of those teams making a big run either.
However the thing that irritated me the most was that Lunardi didn't even mention the Tar Heels or SDSU. North Carolina is on fire and they have a ton of amazing players and a great coach. Also all SDSU does is win, they have only lost two times this whole season. If it wasn't for BYU the Aztecs might be undefeated right now. Right now the Aztecs are only being projected for a #3 seed, although they are ranked #6 nationally. I'm excited for the country to get a chance to see Kawhi Leonard play. Next to BYU and North Carolina, I'll be cheering for USU and SDSU the most. Some people project a USU-Kansas second round NCAA match up. I would love to see the Aggies knock off Kansas, although I know that would be difficult. Also whoever this year's Cinderella team is, I'll be cheering for them too.
Usually I don't care a whole lot about the conference tournaments. But I'll be watching the MWC tournament closely. I want to see how BYU and SDSU play. UNLV is probably in the NCAA Tourney, but can New Mexico push for a fourth NCAA seed for the MWC?
The Big East may qualify for 11 seeds in the NCAA Tourney, obviously that whole conference tournament will be a battle. Then the ACC Tournament could result in a third match up between North Carolina and Duke. I'm sure that would be another epic battle. I'd love to see the Tar Heels knock Duke off again and gain a #1 seed and relegate Duke to a #2 seed.
Also someone please put my alma mater, the University of Utah, out of its misery. Please fire Jim Boylen as soon as possible. I miss cheering for the Utes.
I'm pumped up and ready to go and Selection Sunday is still 6 days away.
What's going on in the NBA? Someone please wake me up when the Jazz season is over. Let's see the Heat have lost 4 straight games and Heat players are crying in the locker room. I'm laughing that with Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have lost twice to the Cavaliers. One of those games was in New York. I keep on telling people Anthony is over rated. Have you noticed how the Nuggets have played better ever since the over rated one was traded? That's not a coincidence.
LA dominated San Antonio in San Antonio. Never been a big Chris Paul fan, but my prayers go out to him after that awkward collision he had yesterday. It's very scary seeing a NBA player taken off the court on a stretcher.
The team I'll be cheering for in the NBA playoffs is Oklahoma City.
The NBA just doesn't get me too excited.
themusicaddict
No comments:
Post a Comment