So you think basketball is over, huh, after Villanova beat North Carolina 77-74 Monday night in Houston. Think again. The NBA has another two months to go. Oh, you don’t consider that basketball. Okay.
So, what did you think of the college season? Lot of criticism, from the past one-and-dones costing the game name players to a return of rough-house action. And real condemnation of inconsistent officiating.
The title game involved teams of the Big East and the ACC. Does that mean more boasting from the eastern geographical area? What about the comparisons to other conferences? For example, will the Big 12 naysayers continue the drumbeat?
Fans can buoy the conference all they want but the problem always seems to fall back on the lack of solid NCAA Tournament performances. Seven Big 12 teams went to the tournament and the numbers quickly decreased to three. Kansas was getting a lot of backing and then ran into tough, tenacious and talented Villanova, losing 64-59 in the Elite Eight.
Iowa State lost in the Sweet Sixteen and Oklahoma in the semifinals. The Sooners crashed under the Villanova charge, losing 95-51. . To think that the Sooners beat Nova 78-55 earlier in the season — a 67-point swing. Villanova became the Big 12 killer. Obviously, the tournament losses put a damper on conference bragging rights.
Kansas State fans can talk about how the Wildcats led North Carolina 67-59 with 4:19 remaining in the CBD Championship earlier in the season at Kansas City. However, the Cats faded down the stretch and lost 80-70 as the Tar Heels cruised on a 21-3 finishing burst.
“It was a weird game,” North Carolina Coach Roy Williams told reporters after that game. “For about 36 minutes, they totally outplayed us, but we were still there. We were still around.”
Before the Wildcat backers bust too many buttons in bragging about that game, let it be known the Tar Heels were without Marcus Paige, their All-America guard who was out with a broken hand.
That’s the way it is in arguing about the relative strengths of two teams are in grading various conferences.
The Big 12 has a difficult task in a debate over conference strengths. Although the league is good in most all sports, boasting backers must go against the SEC in football and the ACC and Big East in basketball. Fans don’t need to cower in the corner when making arguments but until the conference performs well in post-season games, they will face a burdensome debate.
One thing for sure, there’s closure in basketball bragging rights with the NCAA Tournament. In this one, your bracketology no doubt made a low grade, right?
Did you enjoy the tournament? Well, after watching the semifinals, you had to wonder. Also, in the title game, did you think Nova’s run was over?
Seth Davis, writing for Sports Illustrated, thought so: “The areas in which the Tar Heels excel (size, depth, offensive rebounding) provide them a bigger edge than the ones where Villanova excels (overall toughness, perimeter D). North Carolina can match Villanova’s maturity and efficiency, but in the end I don’t believe the Wildcats can match that otherworldly frontcourt. Final score: North Carolina 72, Villanova 66.”
Score close, but wrong team winning.
It was a dandy. Much needed.
Pat Forde of Yahoo sports wrote before the game: The tournament championship matchup of Villanova vs. North Carolina is the last chance to bail out a Final Four gone very wrong. Beat-down Saturday saw the Wildcats eviscerate Oklahoma 95-51, followed by the Tar Heels’ steady domination of Syracuse, 83-66. Sharks vs. seals is more competitive than these games.
“When both contests end with walk-ons getting minutes and fans leaving early, it’s been a disappointing night,” he wrote. “Especially when you consider that the Final Four rarely disappoints. Blowouts happen in sports, often when you least expect them – but the tourney has built its mystique and allure on drama, and this was the least dramatic pair of semifinals ever.”
The games were decided by a combined 61 points, largest margin ever. Previous record was 54 points, in 1949. It had been eight years since the last semifinal games were both decided by double digits – and there’s never been one decided by 44.
“The Sooners collapsed in the face of a withering shooting bombardment from Villanova, capitulating to a shocking degree,” Forde wrote. “Oklahoma was soft protecting the paint, lax guarding the perimeter and it missed shots by the Sooner Schooner-load. Buddy Hield, the central figure of this tourney, almost completely disappeared, finishing with nine points – 16 below his average.”
The second-seeded Sooners had lost seven games all season by a total margin of 40 points – then lost by more than that in an absolutely disastrous 40 minutes.
If the championship game does turn into a blowout, Forde said, “…we can probably declare this the worst Final Four ever.”
Well, the exciting game Monday took care of that.
Watching Villanova execute its offense against a Tar Heel team considered to be Williams’ best, defensively, was something to behold. Since that loss to OU, the Wildcats certainly put things together, at both ends of the court. Credit the coach, Jay Wright, for having all the right answers.
Did Williams get out-coached in the title game? Be careful asking that question. Roy is getting a bit testy with reporters.
Pete Thamel, writing for SI, said, “Williams’ thin skin, to use his own words, has been on full display in Houston. But he outdid himself late Saturday night by barking at a reporter who second-guessed him in a postgame press conference.”
Williams scolded, “I’m a hell of a lot smarter about basketball than you guys are. I mean, I’m serious. What do you do after basketball season is over with? You cover baseball. What do you do after baseball? You cover football. I don’t take any breaks.”
He began by saying he didn’t intend to offend anyone, but he didn’t stop there: “This year I heard more than ever announcers and writers question things more than I ever heard.”
But then he said something that disparaged his credibility: “I haven’t read very much this year, to be honest with you. I haven’t read many articles.”
As Thamel note, Williams can’t have it both ways, as a media critic with any credibility must at least read or watch what he’s criticizing.
Two questions are gnawing at Williams: when is he going to retire and his reaction to the NCAA investigations.
Thamel wrote, “Ultimately, the retirement questions aren’t going away until, well, retirement. The NCAA questions won’t stop until the NCAA decides how UNC will be punished. Until then, Williams should leave the questions to those who know a hell of a lot more about journalism.”
After Monday’s loss, Williams was so emotional that he simply offered to reporters: “I can’t take away the hurt.” He did describe watching the last-second shot: “It was helpless. It was not a good feeling.”
Villanova’s Kris Jenkins overcame the shock of watching Paige double-clutch a trey for a 74-74 tie by spotting up behind the right side of the arc and draining a three of his own. Villanova victory.
The second-seeded Wildcats (35-5), had a six-point lead with 1:52 left, but watched it slowly trickle away. Then Paige struck and it was gone. But not for long.
This was an exciting way to end the college basketball season.