College Hoops: National Semifinals and The Championship Game

[SilverPhoenix 0]

And then there were 4. Four that are left standing. Four that have survived. Four that have earned the right to compete for the National Championship. And after.

 

- 5 Months

- Hundred of Games

- Dozens of Climatic Finishes

- And one amazing Run.

 

We now have our four teams, and these are.

 

- The UCLA Bruins

- The Florida Gators

- The LSU Tigers

 

And the ultimate Cinderella that broke through the glass celing....

 

- The George Mason Patriots

 

With no 1 seeds making it (a first since 1980), and only one team, even in the discussion to win a National Championship (UCLA), needless to say this season is finishing the way no one in their right minds (except for the hardcore fans of said teams) would think would happen. And even though this Final Four has no pre-season favorites, no 1 seeds, no All-Americans, no John Wooden Award Finalists, no Naismith Award Finalists and no Hall of Fame Coaches, it is shaping up to be one of the best Final 4s, ever.

 

With that said, let the final act commence.

[teke184 0]

Thankfully, your statements are in agreement with mine rather than one of the asshats at Fox Sports.

 

Take a look at this elitist article...

 

"When you get into the NCAA tournament, if you restarted the program over again, you would have four different teams (in the Final Four)," said Florida coach Billy Donovan.

 

Ain't that the truth.

 

Florida, George Mason, LSU, and UCLA aren't the nation's four "best" teams by any reasonable measure.

 

Florida didn't win the Eastern Division in the Southeastern Conference. George Mason lost twice to Hofstra after Valentine's Day. LSU is, at best, the 64th best shooting team in America. The Bruins fell at Southern California in February.

 

By any reasonable measure, the four teams headed to Indianapolis are deeply flawed and undeserving of the national championship.

 

But the NCAA tournament isn't reasonable. Isn't rational. It's madness. Institutionalized, rationalized, and celebrated, the tournament is sheer madness — for madness' sake.

 

Yes, America loves the underdog. Yes, single-elimination makes for exciting first and second — and third and fourth — round action. Yes, office betting on the tournament is as common in March as flowers are in April.

 

But being better than college football's ever-changing and always-controversial Bowl Championship Series isn't reason to celebrate. And inertia isn't reason to oppose reform.

 

The NCAA tournament's purpose is to crown a national champion, to identify Division I's best and most deserving club. But not a single one of the regular season's most successful teams — Connecticut, Duke, Memphis, and Villanova — will participate in March's main event. Not one of the clubs whose body of work suggests they are the country's best team navigated the rocky road to the Final Four.

 

All four won at least six consecutive games during the regular season. Duke won 17 straight to start the season. Memphis won 15 straight in January and February. Connecticut and Villanova won 10 and 11 consecutive games respectively to start the season — and again in conference play.

 

All four beat up on lesser competition night-in-and-night-out. All four are deep, athletic, talented and deserving of national recognition. But because the NCAA tournament is set up for single-elimination and because none was able to win six consecutive games in March, none will compete in the Final Four.

 

"It is a one-shot game, one-shot deal," said Donovan after his Gators dispatched of Villanova. "Sometimes the ‘best' teams don't always advance on in the NCAA tournament. That's why there are so many ups and downs, and that's why there are upsets, because there is one game. One game, you don't play well that particular night, you are going to go home."

 

Some would argue that because 2006 is only the second time this decade that the eventual national champion did not spend all or part of the regular season atop the polls, the NCAA tournament works more often than not.

 

Fair enough. But twice is still twice too many, and an arbitrary champion is hardly better than no champion at all.

 

Scientists believe that for a given experiment's results to be termed valid, that experiment must be possible to replicate. But as Billy Donovan admitted, this year's Final Four would be hard-pressed to repeat its historic march to Indianapolis in another single-elimination tournament — or in a double-elimination contest that would surely bring the nation's best teams to the fore.

 

The NCAA tournament doesn't determine the best team in college basketball. Rather, it determines the best team for six games in March. That's madness.

 

Yoni Cohen writes about college basketball on his blog, http://www.yocohoops.com.

 

 

 

 

I think this bastard must have picked all #1s to go to the title game and is trying to downplay the accomplishments of the actual Final Four teams as a result.

[Vern Gagne 0]

All-Time tourney on Classic. People are predicatable dolts. UNC '82... yawnsville. Kentucky '96 was better. With it's depth and pressure defense. I'd also take '76 Indiana who lost to UNC in the finals. Mostly because I think Knight in his prime was better than Smith in his prime.

 

I like Florida.A long athletic team who plays defense. Probably played the best throughout the tournament.

[Hawk 34 0]

So, in this idiot's mind we should just turn the NCAA tournament into the BCS system.

[teke184 0]

So, in this idiot's mind we should just turn the NCAA tournament into the BCS system.

 

Pretty much.

 

 

I think LSU fans actually predicted this, as there was a joke floating around here before that article was posted...

 

 

"Rumor mill-

 

If LSU wins the NCAA tournament, USC will declare themselves co-champions.

 

When USC coach Tim Floyd was interviewed, he said, "Well, we didn't make it to the NCAA or NIT tournaments, but the media does like us better than anyone else."

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Wait... Tim Floyd is the coach of USC? Well now I know where one ex-Bulls coach went.

[Just John 0]

I think the major sports media outlets are the only people trying to downplay this F4. Every fan I know who has followed the tournament loves the unpredictability and excitement. And a lot of people, like myself, appreciate the fact that none of the usual suspects (Duke, UConn, etc) are around in favor of some new blood. The major sports outlets are just pissed because the old guard teams got outplayed by the n00bs. Heaven forbid that Fox writer do a story on what led to George Mason's success instead of just saying they don't deserve to be there.

 

Oh well. I say let those elitist writers go jerk off to JJ Redick while I enjoy a very fun group of Final 4 teams.

[Damaramu 0]

This will be the first time since 00' MSU that a non Big East/ACC school will win the whole damn thing. That's what makes it exciting.

[Damaramu 0]

Oh and I wonder who OU gets as a new head coach to replace Kelvin Sampson. Hmm......it's going to be hard to get a good coach at a football school.

[sfaJack 0]

I'd go after Lorenzo Romar if it were up to me.

 

As for the FF, I'm going with a LSU/Florida final, with Florida coming out on top. No real reason for this pick.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Why would Romar leave when he's arguably made Washington into a basketball first school?

 

Let's wait until after Monday's championship game to determine if this was a successful Final Four.

[sfaJack 0]

Well I don't know if Romar actually would leave, but I certainly think it's worth talking to him. Maybe try Tubby Smith as well, if the rumblings of him being unhappy at UK are true. He's coached in the state of Oklahoma before, too.

[teke184 0]

I'm wondering if the writer's local area has issued a Smug Alert after reading his tripe. [/south Park reference]

[Vern Gagne 0]

I tend to agree that the David vs Goliath Final does make for the best storyline. The problem this year no real Goliath existed. Like I said before let the games be played before judging how good this Final Four was. That being said, I wouldn't be suprised if outside George Mason winning. This is like many Final Fours is forgotten outside of the fans of the winning team. I hope to be wrong, and we see a triple OT championship classic.

[Vern Gagne 0]

South Carolina wins it's second consecutive NIT championship. Get a good coach and they might actually get into the NCAA tournament.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Wait... Tim Floyd is the coach of USC? Well now I know where one ex-Bulls coach went.

I wonder where Scott Skiles will end up when he gets the boot pretty soon

[Stephen Joseph 0]

ESPN simulated 3000 games between Florida and GMU

 

Florida won 60%, GMU won 40%

 

Average margin of victory - 3 points

[Hawk 34 0]

I'm disapointed that GMU/Florida will be the opening game on F4 saturday. I guess CBS, rightfully figured that was the more appealing game and felt giving it an eariler start would boost the ratings?

 

It'd completely kill off the interest in LSU/UCLA because of GMU loses(as I believe they will), no one cares anymore about LSU/UCLA. So interest in game two would drop dramatically as interest is now erased.

 

I feel that putting Florida/GMU second, makes it more dramatic as they know who will meet them.

[cabbageboy 0]

Agreed. The FL/GMU game is the one with the heat. LSU/UCLA seems like a blatant undercard matchup, and frankly I doubt it'll be any good in terms of quality. I'm hoping it'll be a game that is about 75-73, but deep down I'm dreading another UCLA/Memphis 50-45 brickathon.

 

I'm picking Florida, mainly because they have impressed me the most in the tourney. Aside from a mild scare from Georgetown the Gators have been stomping people.

[Damaramu 0]

Did anyone hear Bill Walton on Mike and Mike in the morning? He was going on about UCLA in the tournament and how crazy the fans went and what will happen in the Final Four.

The best part was where he said something like "And we may face this guy named Desmond Mason? No his name is George Mason? Who cares!"

It has to be heard to be believed. It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard.

[teke184 0]

Did anyone hear Bill Walton on Mike and Mike in the morning? He was going on about UCLA in the tournament and how crazy the fans went and what will happen in the Final Four.

The best part was where he said something like "And we may face this guy named Desmond Mason? No his name is George Mason? Who cares!"

It has to be heard to be believed. It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard.

 

More proof that some in the sports media are still fucking clueless.

 

I may be a serious LSU homer, but at least I try to find out about other teams and not write them off.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think the writer made some valid points. The tournament is in large part a crapshoot. Rationally, why should the 65th best team in the country have a shot at the national championship? The current teams do not diminish my interest, but some times there are going to be some unsatisfying consequences with the format.

[teke184 0]

I think the writer made some valid points. The tournament is in large part a crapshoot. Rationally, why should the 65th best team in the country have a shot at the national championship? The current teams do not diminish my interest, but some times there are going to be some unsatisfying consequences with the format.

 

What I'd say is that, if someone doesn't like the way the tourney plays out, wait until next year.

 

 

Each tournament is unique due to various factors and this one just happened to be the one where the seemingly impossible became possible.

 

 

An 11th seed made it to the Final Four for the second time ever.

 

No 1st seeds made it to the Final Four for the first time ever.

 

No teams from the Big East, Big Ten, or ACC made the Final Four, which is a rare occurrence given that these are the conferences who usually win or place highly (Syracuse, UConn, Villanova, Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, Duke, North Carolina, etc.)

 

 

I think this tournament is going to go down in history much like the 1985 one did, as that one is infamous for underdog #8 seed Villanova winning it all, being the worst seed ever to do so.

 

There's a good shot that #11 seed George Mason will go to the title game and they'll either play basketball bluebloods UCLA (most consecutive NCAA titles in history) or the only other team to make the Final Four as a #11 seed, LSU (done in 1986).

 

 

 

The reason I took offense to his article is that I didn't recall seeing too many articles like this around 2000, when #8 seeds Wisconsin and North Carolina made it to the Final Four, but that's because those are two blue-blood programs despite their records at the time and, besides that, overwhelming favorite #1 seed Michigan State still won it all.

 

 

The inference by him writing this now as opposed to back then is that, because there's no clear favorite, the tournament is therefore a dud and the rules should be changed as a result.

 

My feelings are that it's wrong to knock this year's Final Four teams by harping on their perceived faults instead of celebrating their success at unseating favorites within their brackets.

[Urban Warfare 0]

Umm...

 

 

 

 

Well, I thought it was interesting.

[Guest]

I found my reason to hate Florida.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I'm an FSU fan. So I've always hated Florida.

[therealworldschampion 0]

In not much of a suprise, Roy Williams won National Coach of the Year with 29 votes. Jay Wright of Nova actually finished ahead of Bruce Pearl in the voting with 15 votes ahead of Pearl's 11.

[iggymcfly 0]

Geaux Iggy's Money! ...........uh, I mean Tigers.

 

This is the most I've ever bet on a single sporting event before.

[Hawk 34 0]

So far, this has been a good and close game. I still think Florida, will go on a run to close the half.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I'm not feelin' the F4. Mason's win over UConn was the 2nd best game of the year (behind Gonzaga/Michigan State), and I have no interest in Florida/LSU/UCLA. Last week I'd have been heartbroken if GM lost in OT, this week, it's like "Who cares? They already beat the best team in the tournament."