I'm not sure what everyone else took away from the Saturday night matchup between Memphis and Tennessee. And I'm also not sure what you can take away from this, but this is what I got:
For the first time in nearly a five or six years, I don't have a clear favorite for a National Championship here in February. Until that group was beaten last season, I liked the Florida Gators from beginning to end. It's trite, but true. The year before, hyped to death by a close friend of ours here at the blog, I bought into UCLA and also had UConn in the mix. Of course, UConn fell victim to the Colonials of George Mason and lead by Farmar, Afflalo and the emergence of to that point, disappointment Ryan Hollins, UCLA went to the championship game. This year though, I know that the polls will have Tennessee as the number one team, but I'm not sure at all that they can make it to the Elite Eight, muchless be the champions. Unfortunately, I feel that way about everyone. I've got gut feelings about both North Carolina and UCLA, but most of that is just built up hype that never got released from early in the season. Overall though, I like them because of their ability to defend and they both have big guys who can convert and get to the free throw line. At this stage in the basketball season, neither of them have convinced me that they are worth my unwavering praise as the team to beat to get to the title.
I also realized that the piece that I wrote earlier this season about Memphis was unwarranted. I added them in a piece titled, "Will They Ever?" and in that I came to the conclusion that this was their best chance at winning it all. Looking at the evidence that they put forth on Saturday, I can tell you that this team is great, but not the best I've seen from the Tigers. The teams from the last two years to me, were better all around. Rose and CDR are great, but last night they missed two or three contested shots before realizing they were not hot. And then the free throws. This has played to death in regards to this Memphis team, but the truth hurts. Last nights game was no exception and the inability to put away the Vols from the stripe eventually killed them. I'm not saying that Memphis is incapable of making the Final Four or even cutting down the nets. What I am expressing is that after a loss to the Vols, this will be their last test before Selection Sunday. They are so far ahead of the curve when it comes to Conference USA that losing their last meaningful game before the tournament may prove to be too much for this team.
Lastly, this was an ugly basketball game. Someone that hasn't watched basketball since 1983 would haved barely recognized this game whose scattered play was only saved by television timeouts. The up and down pace reminded me of playing against a rival in high school where we were not concerned with winning the game nearly as much as we were trying to keep the home fans excited. Memphis and Tennessee both bring a ton of energy to any contest they are involved in, but they also pack a few terrible shots and unexplainable turnovers. At certain points during this game, and I know that I cannot be alone on this one, the game was hard to watch. And while this frantic pace is where we are now, I did find myself wishing that just once someone would run some offense. They both are extremely gifted teams loaded with truly blessed athletes, but what I wanted to see was something that could not be so closely compared with motion sickness. Every rebound could have been whistled for going over the back, every possession seemed to have at least one poorly chosen shot and every other possession was a breath away from a turnover. I enjoyed seeing the intesity that this game brought, but overall I did not enjoy watching it.
Another thing that I realized is that if Bruce Pearl would speak to me at the beginning of every day, I would get a lot more accomplished. He's a gifted speaker. I lack motivation. What can I say?
The college basketball home stretch is officially underway. In just three short weeks the dreams that every team shares will be a realistic chance for only 65. I'm incredibly excited, but I guess you kind of figured that one.
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Sunday, February 24, 2008
Blah...College Basketball...Blah
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1 comment:
I agree with most of this breakdown. Was it an entertaining game to watch? Absolutely. Was it the two best teams in the country going head-to-head? Maybe. Would you show this game to a group of incoming freshmen to teach them the game? Hell no. This game was good, and both teams participating in it were good, but I'm not convinced that playing the way these teams played for forty minutes can win you a championship. Both teams are very well coached and both have gifted athletes, but neither of them seem to have the intangibles that you look for in a championship team. Whether that be a certain swagger or always seeming to be in the right place at the right time, there's something I can't quite put my finger on that will keep me from picking either of these teams to win it all. That being said, would I be surprised if one of them pulled it off? No, not at all. I agree with your UNC and UCLA early picks...both teams know how to D-up and have a presence on the inside. I think that Texas, Notre Dame, and Michigan State could be dangerous come tourney time. And I think Maryland is a solid team not in the Top 25. I haven't decided who I'm gonna ride through the Big Dance just yet, but that time is quickly approaching. I also think that loss for Memphis is not necessarily a terrible thing.
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