Mar 25 2009
NCAA First Weekend
Now down to 16 teams, a few quick thoughts on round one.
Sorry Cinderella…Midnight came and went, and Cinderella is gone. Yes, Arizona is a 12 seed, so technically they are a low seed playing above their heads. But the reality is this is one of the country’s elite programs (the last time they failed to make the tournament was 1984).
The reality is we are left with a fantastic sweet 16, where every matchup is prime time and there are dozens of highlights. The Big East sends a record five teams, so all those who thought the league was overrated should maybe apologize. All the top 12 seeds are still alive (way to go selection committee, seemed to nail that one).
Midwest
- #1 Louisville vs. #12 Arizona – Louisville gets the only “break” in this round. But they need to be cautious of Arizona. They aren’t a fluke, they’ve got 3 quality players.
- #3 Kansas vs. #2 Michigan State – Two historically relevant teams, from big conferences, and one is the defending national championship (and both coaches have rings).
West
- #1 UConn vs. #5 Purdue – Connecticut has had nothing but “trouble” in theory. A big injury, a stupid controversy around Jim Calhoun, then his dehydration problem and this just in recruiting issues. So what does that mean? They went out and trashed two straight opponents. Watch out Purdue.
- #2 Memphis vs. #3 Missouri – Upstart Missouri is perhaps the least glorious Sweet 16 (even Gonzaga is more accomplished recently). So they perhaps more than any team get to raise their national basketball profile. Only one problem, Memphis, a been there done that team, with a coach who doesn’t seem to let them waiver.
East
- #1 Pittsburgh vs. #4 Xavier – I could be wrong on this, but I heard somewhere that Pitt has never beaten a team higher than a #6 seed. Amazing, considering they’ve been a really good program the past few years, and now they get Xavier, one of those lesser conference but highly successful “outsiders”. Pitt needs a Final Four trip in the worst way.
- #2 Duke vs. #3 Villanova – Could the biggest matchup between “white” schools ever. Is there any way this game doesn’t stay close to the end? I see this as one of the more exciting games, which should remain close. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a buzzer beater at the end of this one.
South
- #1 UNC vs. #4 Gonzaga – Think about how successful Gonzaga has been over the recent years. Successful enough that no one considers them a real mid-major or an underdog. They should be the model program for all the non-elite programs from mid-major schools. However, I think UNC is just too talented, and Ty Lawson is likely to play.
- #2 Oklahoma vs #3 Syracuse – ‘Cuse seemed to gather themselves together late, and are rolling. Meanwhile Oklahoma has been very good all season long, and touts the likely player of the year in Blake Griffin. This is another matchup which has the potential for late game heroics. Syracuse while not very deep, and will have problems containing Griffin, has three clutch type players in Johnny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins.
I’ll think about these and make my picks tomorrow.
