College Basketball: Nostradamus-Style

So I promised some insightful, entertaining or otherwise inflammatory sports information and I am so excited about college basketball I had to start there. I have to start with college basketball because of everything that the sport brings to the table.

List #1
Reasons I Love College Basketball
1. The pure excitement, intricacies and intensity of the game.

Basketball mixes adrenaline, heart, non-stop action, offense, defense, protagonists (the mid-majors come tourney time), antagonists (Duke - enough said), coaches who wear fancy suits, coaches who wear body paint (Bruce Pearl... ewww), coaches who wear mock turtle necks (Huggy Bear), coaches who wear shirts with auto store logos on them (Bobby Knight), crowds with funny signs, crowds with creative chants, and teams who are eligible for post season play whose mascots are completely out of place (in this years tourney, a 15th seed in the East Regional: the Wofford Terriers!). Even though the NBA stole it, "I Love this game".

2. The fact that coaches can actually use the pregame speech "On any given day", and teams will listen and respond. Do you think the 1985 Villanova Wildcats should have won the NCAA tournament over an extremely talented team from Georgetown which featured one of the all time college greats in Patrick Ewing?
Still thinking?
Still?
NO!!!
There is no way that team should have won. They shot 70% and still almost lost. But, they shot 70% and won. If you dont think your team can win at college basketball you have to be kidding yourself. George Mason made it to the Final Four as an 11 seed with a center listed at 6'7" who went on to try out for the New York Football Giants. If you dont think your team can win at college basketball, you are crazy.

Unless you go to the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

3. The greatest postseason format that exists. Ok, so other than the "opening round" game that only pads the win column for schools who really stand no chance in the Tourney, the NCAA basketball championship is the greatest way to determine a champion. Its a combination of skill, luck, heart and free throw shooting that determine who wins.

A freshman can lead a team to success (Melo in '03, which hurts) or a team can be so laden with a large group of upper classmen that they know what each other are dreaming about just by identifying the hertz of their snoring patterns (I'll go with Maryland in '02, cause it sounds good ; If you dont like that perhaps one of those Duke teams in the 90's).

4. Allen Fieldhouse, the Dean Dome, Cameron Indoor, that place at Michigan State, the Carrier Dome, The Pit. The arenas are old-school keeping the tradition of great and not so great programs alive. They give teams an advantage that is unlike any pro sport (perhaps save Lambeau Field in snow) and add another dimension to the sport that is unlike anything else.

5. History. So, I will be the first to admit that I am a terrible historian, but college basketball started so long ago and has moments that cause more goose bumps than jumping into a 40-degree lake in just a speedo.
Jimmy V running on to the court after winning the national championship is one of those moments I will never forget even though I wasnt alive. And the speech that he gave at the 1993 ESPY awards is something that sends chills through me just thinking about it.
And that is just one coach! Not even a player of the sport.
Christian Lattener, Texas Western, UCLA times 11, Championship Overtimes, Oklahoma A&M 1945-1946 (yes its true), James Naismith (the inventor of the game) being the only coach at Kansas with a losing record, Indiana State vs. Michigan State (Bird vs. Magic), Phi Slamma Jamma, C-Webb's ill-advised time out.
Awesome. Totally Awesome.

6. Alma Maters. I dont care who you are you have to root for your alma mater. Especially if they are good and especially especially if they win it all. You can rub the fact that your alma mater is better than your coworkers', your uncles' and your friends' all the time. Everyone is a fan. You just have to know what buttons to push (insert devilish smile).

7. Walk-ons. I dont think that in any other sport are walk-ons more needed. Football has a ton of scholarships to offer and can field about 3 teams for each side of the ball. Plenty of bodies for practice. In basketball, if you lose 3 players to injury or grades, you are down to 10 players. 5 on 5 gets really hard then. Walk ons prepare the team each week for up coming opponents and can even make an impact in the long run. Christian Moody was a walk on for Kansas and ended up starting for a two time big 12 championship team. Plus, they get the biggest ovation of anyone at every game. They are just one of the students in the stands.

8. Rivalries. Kansas-Mizzou, UNC-Duke, and an innumerable amount more. Again, everyone is a fan and you just have to know the right buttons to push. Push the wrong ones on the wrong day and you might get punched in the face, but if you're waiting in line at the DMV, that's not such a bad thing cause at least the wait doesnt seem so long.

9. 35 second clock. Teams have to play defense and have time to run complex offenses or just run out the clock. Its boring sometimes, but it adds another dimension to the intellectual component of the game. Let's say that each team took the entire 35 seconds and nothing more each possession during an entire game. That equals about 35 possesions each half, or 70 a game. So if each team shoots 50% from the field and takes only 2 point shots, the score would be 35-35. Ridiculous. It could happen.

On the other hand, Texas Tech just scored 167 points in a game, so the shot clock can be completely disregarded.

10. Kansas Jayhawks. I had to. It's my team, and maybe if this blog takes off the 'Hawks will be the inspiration for a long, well-paid second career when I am done with pharmacy.

So now that I have totally over exerted myself and let my dogs Pongo and Perdita (yes, from 101 Dalmations even though they are beagles) sleep to their hearts content I should get to my predictions for the college basketball season. I will elaborate later. Just a teaser for now.

List #2
2008-2009 College Basketball Predictions

1. Kansas will not repeat as National Champion, but will make it interesting for the Big 12 title. Remember, they play 10 of 16 games against the North.

2. Tyler Hansborough will not win POY again. And its not because he is hurt right now.

3. The Big East will get a record number of teams in the tourney and disappoint. Unless its Pitt, in which case no one really cares anyway.

4. More bubbles will burst from major conference teams than from mid major teams, more so if you look at years past.

5. The NCAA tournament and Final Four will be a huge hit. Excitement. Upsets. And my personal favorite, no Billy Packer. Ha!

6. I will place a bet in Vegas on a "sure thing" with regards to the tourney and will lose. I just suck like that.

7. Free throws will impact a game in March.

8. This year's non-conference slate will be the best in recent memory. UNC - Mich St., Memphis - Tenn, Oklahoma - Davidson, Preseason Tourneys, ACC - Big 11 Showdown, Big 12 - Pac-10 whatever its called with no publicity.

9. CBS will try to pump the Big 11 (not the Big 10, if there are 11 teams you can not call yourself the Big 10; Ridiculous, just ridiculous - dont get me started) and fail miserably.

10. One Shining Moment will play when our next national champion wins it all. (I had to get atleast one right, ok)

Thanks for reading and keep up with the comments, emails, etc. We will have Laura, Mrs. DDSF, be a guest post soon for all the ladies out there.


PS. Football is coming soon. Fantasy, NFL, BCS. Get Extreme!