The University of Connecticut has won the 2011 Men's Basketball National Championship. This would seem to be a headline from the Women's side of NCAA Championships, but this is not a typo. Connecticut won the Men's side of the tournament for the first time since 2004 over the cinderella Butler Bulldogs. The game may have been the most boring game in recent history, the two teams shooting a combined 26% from the floor in the first half. It was the lowest scoring championship game since 1949. Was it good defense, or just an off game. I think it was a little bit to both. I'm not trying to take anything away from Connecticut in their victory, but that was one hell of a boring National Championship game. Ratings dropped 16.9% from last year's title game, and Butler's cinderella ended in the title game for the second straight year. But here is the question to ponder about this season:
Are mid-majors really cinderellas anymore? The Butler Bulldogs have gotten to the national championship two times in the last two years. They got there as a 5 seed last season along with an 8 seed this season. VCU, out of the Colonial Conference won their regional bracket this year to advance to the Final Four as an 11 seed. Think that sounds familiar? You're probably thinking of a George Mason school that did the same thing back in 2006, also as an 11 seed.
We have seen a surplus of teams that are "mid majors" that are making it further and further into the tournament on a consistent basis. Teams such as Gonzaga and Saint Mary's out of the WCC along with Temple, Xavier and Richmond out of the Atlantic-10 can barely be called cinderella sleepers anymore, especially when the (12)Richmond Spiders were almost unanimously picked to upset (5)Vanderbilt in the first round this year. Additionally, the WCC always seems to produce Gonzaga and Saint Mary's teams to the tournament. Last year, the Gaels of Saint Mary's produced an early exit for the then, (2) Villanova Wildcats in the second round of the tournament, while Gonzaga beat up on the "beasts of the east" St. John's Red Storm coached by Steve Lavin. Even that two teams from the Mountain West Conference were top-ten in the polls for a majority of the season, these two teams of course being San Diego State and BYU. In the years past, teams such as Davidson among others have also made noise in the tournament, even if it was because of arguably one player. (In this instance that one player is now SG for the Golden State Warriors, Stephon Curry) But I ask you to think about this: Butler was arguably one game away from not making the field of 68. They were one game away from not getting an automatic bid from the Horizon League when they faced a UW-Milwaukee team that had already beaten them twice in the regular season. Who knows if they would have gotten an at-large bid or not? Just something to ponder.
Other things we learned this year from the NCAA Men's Basketball season:
1) A man named Jimmer could lead the nation in scoring and win the Naismith Player of the Year.
2) A man named Kemba would lead his team to the National Title.
3) A Big East team won the National Championship.
4) This could be one of the most classes of freshman we have ever seen, with the likes of; Terrence Jones (Kentucky) Brandon Knight (Kentucky) Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) Kyrie Irving (Duke) Harrison Barnes (UNC) and Perry Jones (Baylor) just to name a few.
5) The selection committee knows what they are doing, Joe Lunardi does not.
6) The Big 10 is boring.
7) We do not need more than 68 teams in the NCAA tournament.
And best of all.. No one can script March Madness.
It is still, has been and will always be the one sport that can dominate the United States for one whole month.
11 months until next year.
Picture complement of http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/04/05/420x316-alg_kemba_walker_net.jpg
The University of Connecticut has won the 2011 Men's Basketball National Championship. This would seem to be a headline from the Women's side of NCAA Championships, but this is not a typo. Connecticut won the Men's side of the tournament for the first time since 2004 over the cinderella Butler Bulldogs. The game may have been the most boring game in recent history, the two teams shooting a combined 26% from the floor in the first half. It was the lowest scoring championship game since 1949. Was it good defense, or just an off game. I think it was a little bit to both. I'm not trying to take anything away from Connecticut in their victory, but that was one hell of a boring National Championship game. Ratings dropped 16.9% from last year's title game, and Butler's cinderella ended in the title game for the second straight year. But here is the question to ponder about this season:
Are mid-majors really cinderellas anymore? The Butler Bulldogs have gotten to the national championship two times in the last two years. They got there as a 5 seed last season along with an 8 seed this season. VCU, out of the Colonial Conference won their regional bracket this year to advance to the Final Four as an 11 seed. Think that sounds familiar? You're probably thinking of a George Mason school that did the same thing back in 2006, also as an 11 seed.
We have seen a surplus of teams that are "mid majors" that are making it further and further into the tournament on a consistent basis. Teams such as Gonzaga and Saint Mary's out of the WCC along with Temple, Xavier and Richmond out of the Atlantic-10 can barely be called cinderella sleepers anymore, especially when the (12)Richmond Spiders were almost unanimously picked to upset (5)Vanderbilt in the first round this year. Additionally, the WCC always seems to produce Gonzaga and Saint Mary's teams to the tournament. Last year, the Gaels of Saint Mary's produced an early exit for the then, (2) Villanova Wildcats in the second round of the tournament, while Gonzaga beat up on the "beasts of the east" St. John's Red Storm coached by Steve Lavin. Even that two teams from the Mountain West Conference were top-ten in the polls for a majority of the season, these two teams of course being San Diego State and BYU. In the years past, teams such as Davidson among others have also made noise in the tournament, even if it was because of arguably one player. (In this instance that one player is now SG for the Golden State Warriors, Stephon Curry) But I ask you to think about this: Butler was arguably one game away from not making the field of 68. They were one game away from not getting an automatic bid from the Horizon League when they faced a UW-Milwaukee team that had already beaten them twice in the regular season. Who knows if they would have gotten an at-large bid or not? Just something to ponder.
Other things we learned this year from the NCAA Men's Basketball season:
1) A man named Jimmer could lead the nation in scoring and win the Naismith Player of the Year.
2) A man named Kemba would lead his team to the National Title.
3) A Big East team won the National Championship.
4) This could be one of the most classes of freshman we have ever seen, with the likes of; Terrence Jones (Kentucky) Brandon Knight (Kentucky) Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) Kyrie Irving (Duke) Harrison Barnes (UNC) and Perry Jones (Baylor) just to name a few.
5) The selection committee knows what they are doing, Joe Lunardi does not.
6) The Big 10 is boring.
7) We do not need more than 68 teams in the NCAA tournament.
And best of all.. No one can script March Madness.
It is still, has been and will always be the one sport that can dominate the United States for one whole month.
11 months until next year.
Picture complement of http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/04/05/420x316-alg_kemba_walker_net.jpg
You've been Guru'd!
www.thesportsguru.co.cc
