So, as of last night (Sunday), the NCAA college basketball for the men's side is complete.
Connecticut upset favored Michigan St., and Kentucky is gelling with all their freshmen wunderkind and upset Michigan. Two Big-10 powers eliminated in a few hours. Had that not happened, the Big-10 would have had 3 out of the final four, thanks to Wisconsin over Arizona the day before.
I had hopes that the Big 10 (which is about to expand to 14 teams this year, from 12) would be so strongly represented, because I am a fan of the Big Ten. (I call it the Big Ten Plus, or Big 10+, because of the additional teams added in the last decades like Penn St. and Nebraska, and soon Maryland and Rutgers.)
Being from Indiana, I like to see the Hoosier's closest rivals do well, thus reflecting better on my team and area. The University of Michigan Wolverines had three native Indiana guys as integral parts of their team, Robinson III, Albrect, and Irvin; the fourth was riding the bench from a back injury. That player, Mitch McGary, helped the Wolverines get to the final game last year. Irvin is a former Mr. Indiana basketball, which hurts to lose from IU/Purdue/Notre Dame, or even Butler, but I still like to see some of our guys do well away from the state.
Likewise, Michigan State had two key players from Indiana; one did well (Harris), while the other under-performed (Dawson). Harris, as a sophomore, is also a former Mr. Indiana. His second place competitor, Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, finished disappointingly with the Hoosiers a few weeks ago. They did not even qualify for the second tier NIT. So they spurned the third tier tourneys, CBI and CIT.
I have already lamented this fact.
But about the winners, of whom Indiana has played a role in the past:
The UK Wildcats won it two years ago. Many fab freshmen that mostly crushed their opponents. They outdid the Fab Five of Michigan a generation ago. It could happen again now, under the same coach, Calipari.
UConn won it all as a dark horse as recently as 2011. They went on one of the most impressive runs in college basketball history, starting in the dregs of the Big East tournament (being a non-favored low seed that had to play many days in a row just to advance and be considered a tourney invitee) and simply never losing after that. They had a couple impressive would-be pros, particularly Kemba Walker, but do not forget about the Lamb dude, or the whole team's unification and achievement, including a couple of big rebounders. It seems the Huskies are in that mode again, three years later with their then freshman, Shabazz Napier, now the big-time big shot. He simply has been edging them on to victory, much as he did against my underachieving Hoosiers in December. Close game, typical result: IU loses. UConn triumphant.
The Florida Gators won it back-to-back as recently as 2007 and 2008, a feet that is no small accomplishment, only being accomplished by two legends of coaching in my lifetime since 1970: Duke under Krzyzewski in 1991-1992 and John Wooden multiple times in the 1960s and 1970s at UCLA.
Wisconsin? Not since the NCAA tournament's third year in existence, when the NCAA tourney was then second tier to the NIT (National Invitational Tournament), which would not change in overall status until the Wizard of Westwood and his remarkable teams, the dominant teams of Cal-Los Angeles Bruins, which should never happen again.
Of course, not many people thought John Calipari could accomplish what he is doing in Lexington, with this many one-and-dones coming and going to the professional ranks as they have done in record number. One year NCAA champ, the next year NIT bust.
And now they have come into the Final Four again.
Who do I prefer to win?
Not Kentucky. They have 8 overall under 4 coaches. They are second to UCLA with 11, under two coaches, the last championship tacked on twenty years after Wooden's retirement.
Not Florida. Donovan is a great guy but I don't want him tied in rings with Coach Bob Knight and now former UConn's Jim Calhoun, with three each.
Not UConn. I respect Coach Kevin Ollie, and enjoyed him as a pro, but no...
I have rooted for IU to beat Coach Bo Ryan at Wisconsin for a generation (almost), or at least my oldest child's entire life. Indiana has such a hard time beating the Badgers in basketball, not to mention football...
And the Badgers only have one title, which most people living have no recollection of in 1941. How many living people remember Pearl Harbor?
So, for the allegiance of the Big Ten Plus and for other historical reasons, I hope that the Badgers do it.
IU celebrated greatly in the Big 10 season when upsetting the then undefeated (17-0) Wisconsin team in Bloomington. Back when it seemed IU could still put together a decent season.
So yeah, go Badgers.
And who did I pick for my one online bracket before the madness all got going a couple of weeks ago?
Arizona over Florida, getting past Michigan and Michigan State in the Final Four.
One out of four isn't too bad, is it?
On Wisconsin. Let Bo Ryan become the newest bully of the Big Ten for us Hoosiers to really sink our teeth into...Next year.
And maybe Tom Crean can... Win something other than the Big Ten regular season banner.
Still hurting from last year's under achievement.
IU sits on its 5 banners....1987 was a while ago. Getting farther every year.
Enjoy the tournament.
Blog it, EMC.
Connecticut upset favored Michigan St., and Kentucky is gelling with all their freshmen wunderkind and upset Michigan. Two Big-10 powers eliminated in a few hours. Had that not happened, the Big-10 would have had 3 out of the final four, thanks to Wisconsin over Arizona the day before.
I had hopes that the Big 10 (which is about to expand to 14 teams this year, from 12) would be so strongly represented, because I am a fan of the Big Ten. (I call it the Big Ten Plus, or Big 10+, because of the additional teams added in the last decades like Penn St. and Nebraska, and soon Maryland and Rutgers.)
Being from Indiana, I like to see the Hoosier's closest rivals do well, thus reflecting better on my team and area. The University of Michigan Wolverines had three native Indiana guys as integral parts of their team, Robinson III, Albrect, and Irvin; the fourth was riding the bench from a back injury. That player, Mitch McGary, helped the Wolverines get to the final game last year. Irvin is a former Mr. Indiana basketball, which hurts to lose from IU/Purdue/Notre Dame, or even Butler, but I still like to see some of our guys do well away from the state.
Likewise, Michigan State had two key players from Indiana; one did well (Harris), while the other under-performed (Dawson). Harris, as a sophomore, is also a former Mr. Indiana. His second place competitor, Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, finished disappointingly with the Hoosiers a few weeks ago. They did not even qualify for the second tier NIT. So they spurned the third tier tourneys, CBI and CIT.
I have already lamented this fact.
But about the winners, of whom Indiana has played a role in the past:
The UK Wildcats won it two years ago. Many fab freshmen that mostly crushed their opponents. They outdid the Fab Five of Michigan a generation ago. It could happen again now, under the same coach, Calipari.
UConn won it all as a dark horse as recently as 2011. They went on one of the most impressive runs in college basketball history, starting in the dregs of the Big East tournament (being a non-favored low seed that had to play many days in a row just to advance and be considered a tourney invitee) and simply never losing after that. They had a couple impressive would-be pros, particularly Kemba Walker, but do not forget about the Lamb dude, or the whole team's unification and achievement, including a couple of big rebounders. It seems the Huskies are in that mode again, three years later with their then freshman, Shabazz Napier, now the big-time big shot. He simply has been edging them on to victory, much as he did against my underachieving Hoosiers in December. Close game, typical result: IU loses. UConn triumphant.
The Florida Gators won it back-to-back as recently as 2007 and 2008, a feet that is no small accomplishment, only being accomplished by two legends of coaching in my lifetime since 1970: Duke under Krzyzewski in 1991-1992 and John Wooden multiple times in the 1960s and 1970s at UCLA.
Wisconsin? Not since the NCAA tournament's third year in existence, when the NCAA tourney was then second tier to the NIT (National Invitational Tournament), which would not change in overall status until the Wizard of Westwood and his remarkable teams, the dominant teams of Cal-Los Angeles Bruins, which should never happen again.
Of course, not many people thought John Calipari could accomplish what he is doing in Lexington, with this many one-and-dones coming and going to the professional ranks as they have done in record number. One year NCAA champ, the next year NIT bust.
And now they have come into the Final Four again.
Who do I prefer to win?
Not Kentucky. They have 8 overall under 4 coaches. They are second to UCLA with 11, under two coaches, the last championship tacked on twenty years after Wooden's retirement.
Not Florida. Donovan is a great guy but I don't want him tied in rings with Coach Bob Knight and now former UConn's Jim Calhoun, with three each.
Not UConn. I respect Coach Kevin Ollie, and enjoyed him as a pro, but no...
I have rooted for IU to beat Coach Bo Ryan at Wisconsin for a generation (almost), or at least my oldest child's entire life. Indiana has such a hard time beating the Badgers in basketball, not to mention football...
And the Badgers only have one title, which most people living have no recollection of in 1941. How many living people remember Pearl Harbor?
So, for the allegiance of the Big Ten Plus and for other historical reasons, I hope that the Badgers do it.
IU celebrated greatly in the Big 10 season when upsetting the then undefeated (17-0) Wisconsin team in Bloomington. Back when it seemed IU could still put together a decent season.
So yeah, go Badgers.
And who did I pick for my one online bracket before the madness all got going a couple of weeks ago?
Arizona over Florida, getting past Michigan and Michigan State in the Final Four.
One out of four isn't too bad, is it?
On Wisconsin. Let Bo Ryan become the newest bully of the Big Ten for us Hoosiers to really sink our teeth into...Next year.
And maybe Tom Crean can... Win something other than the Big Ten regular season banner.
Still hurting from last year's under achievement.
IU sits on its 5 banners....1987 was a while ago. Getting farther every year.
Enjoy the tournament.
Blog it, EMC.
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