As I sit here and reflect on the 2012 Mens Basketball Tournament, I can't help but feel disappointed. For one, I am appalled that Kentucky won. Yes, they deserved to win. Led by Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Terrance Jones, the Wildcats were the most talented team in college basketball this season. Still, the Wildcats do not represent what college basketball is all about. These players are not at Kentucky to be a student-athlete. College is merely a one-year stepping stone for them to get to the NBA. Furthermore, Dick Vitale and a bevy of other analysts are singing the praises of Coach John Calipari. They are very conveniently forgetting that he is a crook, a coach who has had an entire season vacated for the last two teams he coached due to NCAA violations. He is not a coach we should be praising.
My disappointment runs deeper than just a resentment for Kentucky. The tournament itself lacked the intrigue that has followed past years. Where were the buzzer beaters, cinderella stories, and upsets that people have come to love and expect out of March Madness? Besides Lehigh's victory over Duke and Norfolk State's surprise win over Missouri, I cannot recall one defining moment or team that captivated the nation's heart. Last year, UConn and Kemba Walker took the basketball world by storm; this year, Kentucky's superstars trumped all.
The tournament has left me with an unsatisfied taste in my mouth. Maybe I'm still bitter that our beloved Wolverines were knocked out in the first round, but I find myself wanting more than what I received out of March Madness. Any thoughts?
Hey Mark,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% about the lack of excitement in this years tourny. It looked very promising with the first round upsets of Duke and Mizzou, but my hopes came crashing down as both Leighton and Norfolk St got crushed in the second round. I found myself finding it harder and harder to pay attention to the games with each passing round. I didn't even watch the National Championship game until the last couple minutes when I thought there might be one, albeit insignificant, surprised. I was let down once again, however, as I watched Kansas throw away any chance they had at a comeback.
Mark, you're absolutely right. My bracket was awful not because I trusted the ESPN analysts or the stats, but I trusted the tradition of what March Madness is all about. I have NC State in the elite 8, I had Cincinnati in the elite 8, and other picks that on a given year would have had a chance, yet there was not excitement with cinderella stories or buzzer beaters. Northfolk St. beating Missouri was nice while it lasted for a round, but I would have rather seen Marcus Denmon's half court (would have been) buzzer beater go in, and watch more emphatic moments than have a couple that lasted shorter than the blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteI wish Florida had beaten Louisville and had a good chance of taking out the dominant Kentucky. There were a lot of things people wanted to see, but were just absent from the normal March Madness excitement and mayhem. Even the 2007 tournament where all the 1 seeds made it to the final four, there were early round upsets and some buzzer beaters. I look forward to a more exciting tournament next year when Kentucky matriculates its six top players either to the NBA or through graduation. Having a level playing field without a clear cut "best team" makes for a more entertaining and exciting tournament.
On the note of Calipari, he was not a good coach, and still is not a good coach. He failed in the NBA with the Nets for a reason beyond the lack of talent he was provided with. He is the best recruiter, which I still feel is accurate despite the fact that he has had violations, I mean common...look at Kentucky's roster this year. I also believe this is why he will stay where he is as long as he can (why he isn't interested in the Knicks' coaching vacancy) because his skill set of recruiting and trying to have a little bit of chemistry (just enough to not get upset) to keep winning for many years to come. I am not a supporter of his, but I do respect his talent and hope other's or his understudies take good enough notes to bring just as talented teams to the tournament in the future.
Mark I agree with you as well. Although I am extremely happy and excited that Kentucky one (my brother goes to UK) I did not feel the excitement I have in the past years of the tournament. The lack of excitement started with me once Michigan lost their first game and continued as the tournament went on. There were few upsets and cinderella stories in this tournament, I mean come on everyone loves to see a giant crusher. Another thing was most the games were not very close at all, Kentucky easily made its way to finals and even in the National Championship they had several times where they were atleast 8 points ahead of Kansas.
ReplyDeleteI think this is interesting because it kind of goes back to the argument of the Big 3 and the Miami Heat basketball team. People are don't think it's fair that coaches are stacking teams with the best players, like the Kentucky coach is doing. But I think in both cases you also have to look at it from the coaches standpoint, they are hired to win games and win championships and recruiting the best plasyers helps their chances to do so. They don't want other teams to be on the same playing field as them, they want to have an advantage. With that being said I'm not a huge fan of Kentucky either and I do with the tournament was more exciting, and that excitement is why I watch the NCAA over the NBA.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the tournament for sure lacked in excitement this year, however, on the other hand it made bracket pools more interesting. Since there were less upsets it more easily knocked out people who may not know a lot about basketball and things people predicted to happen did, making it that much more competitve in the later rounds when money and bragging rights were on the line. So yes, the tournament itself lost some excitement, but that didn't mean there was none to be had. I still enjoyed the tournament and while there were no buzzer beaters and only one or two overtime games it was still fun to watch in the end, even if Michigan did lose in the first round. We will do better next year though when burke comes back and we have our star recruiting class come in.
ReplyDeleteHey Mark.
ReplyDeleteI actually care to disagree with you about the Kentucky Wildcats and if/how they represent college basketball. I don't think you can blame Kentucky or Coach John Calipari for their style of play. Coach Calipari is an excellent coach who recruits the best players. Just because the NCAA tells him that he does something wrong doesn't mean that it is necessarily wrong or evil. The NCAA is a hypocritical institution in need of fixing. Coach Calipari should is not a bad coach, and in fact I would love to see him as Michigan's next coach sometime in the future. With respect to the players, I blame the NBA's one and done rule for Kentucky's freshmen leaving early. The Kentucky players are seeking to earn a living playing the game they love and nobody can be mad at that. The fact that they are able to game the system doesn't mean that they are actually doing it, nor does it mean that it is their fault.
To your point about the tournament not being as exciting this year, I can't argue with you on that point. There have been more interesting tournaments in years past, but that is just a natural part of the tournament. Hopefully next year will be a better, more exciting tournament.