March 11th- ”Man, college basketball just isn’t as good as it was when we were growing up. It just isn’t.”
How many times have you heard that? Hell, how many times have you said it? It’s usually a refrain parroted by those either stuck in the past or the “fans” that believe basketball was invented by Kobe Bryant.
Too many of us look back on the games of yore and wistfully reminisce about the good ol’ days. Well, let us start this Review with this edict: The rumored demise of college basketball has been greatly exaggerated.
This season has been everything that a BASKETBALL fan could ask for.
Signature performances……………………………………………....Check
Competitive balance ……………………………………..………......Check
Upstart team looking to make history …………………………….......Check
Traditional power looking to add to theirs ………………………........Check
Powerhouse match ups seemingly every week ………………….........Check
Talent all across the board …………………………….......................Check
And before we go any further, let’s address this “talent” issue. This year represents a high water mark for collegiate talent in basketball. Notice we said “collegiate” talent. If you would rather muse about draft stock or speculate about a player’s potential impact at the next level………well, the NBA pages are just a few clicks away on this site. Trust us when we say that we do a great job of covering it.
So, now that we have gotten rid of those folks, let’s recap the season and give out some awards, shall we?
Who’s the Best Team?
Great question, and unfortunately the picture hasn’t gotten any clearer. North Carolina was the pundits pick to run away and hide from the rest of the world. There was even talk of an undefeated season. Foolishness. Injuries to Tyler Zeller and Marcus Ginyard, lapses on the defensive end of the floor (and if someone could tell us why Roy continually doubled Maryland’s post players, while leaving Grievous Vazquez with open looks, we would much appreciate it) and perceived chemistry problems have all conspired to dull the once blinding shine this team had. And now Tywon Lawson is injured. Can they gut out six games in a row and fulfill their destiny?
Which brings us to the triumvirate of Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Louisville. Three power teams from the best conference in the land. We would like to take this time to point out that we picked Louisville to win the Big East in our very first Review….but we digress. So here’s how it looks… UConn can’t beat Pittsburgh….but Pittsburgh can’t beat Louisville…..who in turn can’t beat UConn. Confused yet? The Big East tourney will be a blood bath…in the best possible sense of the phrase. In actuality, all three teams could get to the Final Four. And all three teams could cut down the nets. But there will only be one.
After these four teams….who aren’t head and shoulders above the competition, by the way….there are six to eight teams that can celebrate with Jim Nantz, if things fall their way. We fully expect the wildest March Madness in years.
Who’s the Most Disappointing Team?
Well...where do we start? Lexington is a good place to begin. A team with a premier wing player and top tier post player should not lose to VMI out of the gate……PERIOD. Nor should they finish 8-8 in the worst BCS conference in college ball. And yet…..UK has managed to do just that. We won’t lie….we take a certain amount joy from the struggles of the ‘Cats. Their fans ran off an upstanding coach, who did things the right way (and who, by the way, has his team in Minnesota poised to make the tourney)…..because he didn’t live up to their expectations. Well listen here, Blue Bloods …your expectations should be tempered from here on out. Kentucky is no longer Kentucky. And you will be well served to remember that going forward…..Capice?
Now let’s move on to Davidson. Picked as a top 20 team in the pre-season, Davidson never really lived up to that status. In all honesty, the media drank the kool-aid. Without a pure PG, there was no way this team was going to live up to those expectations. And Steph Curry, while spectacular, can’t carry a team all season long.
But no team let us down like….drum roll please…..
Georgetown. Seriously, what happened? At one point, they were a top 10 team. Tuesday they lost to St. Johns. Let that sink in….St. Johns. Greg Monroe is a top five pick this year. DaJuan Summer. Chris Wright. Austin Freeman. That’s not a bad team at all. And JT3 is a top notch coach. We are scratching our collective heads over what happened. We’re sure the folks in the DMV are as well.
Player of the Year
This one writes itself. So much so that He will go unnamed. His acrobatics over the scorer’s table after His comeback from the concussion got Him some well-deserved props for his toughness, a drum that we’ve beat for the longest. The video game numbers that He put up this year have been a joy to behold. It’s a shame that we won’t be able to watch Him next year. But this year will give us enough memories to last for a while. So enjoy Him while you can. There’s only about a month left and then He’s gone.
Newcomer of the Year
We have to go with Tyreke Evans. His team is #3 in the country. Whether they deserve that ranking is debatable, but his contributions are not. Although he still isn’t shy about getting his, his ability to drive and kick has really allowed this team to blossom. See ya in the league, ‘Reke.
Coach of the Year
Is there any doubt that Bill Self takes this one? Although the league was down, winning the Big 12 is nothing to sneeze at. And consider this….eight of his 10 players are freshmen or sophomores. Some coaches can win a title, lose everyone and still compete the next year. Some can’t. Bill Self joins Roy Williams as coaches that definitely CAN.
All-TPFSports Teams
First Team
- DeJuan Blair – PF (Pitt) – That’s our boy. Big Blair stepped up and led his team to the top. The only way to beat this team is to get him off the court.
- Him – C/PF (Oklahoma) – Seriously?
- Tywon Lawson – PG (UNC) – Finally living up to the billing that he came to college with. Absurd assist-to-turnover ratio.
- James Harden – SG/SF (Arizona State) – Silky smooth. Won’t wow you with off the charts athleticism. More of a Brandon Roy-type efficiency.
- Jerel McNeal – SG/SF (Marquette)- Criminally under-rated. Not here. Not anymore.
Second Team
- Tyler Hansbrough – C/PF(UNC) – Tyler ends his storied career with only one thing missing. But, there’s still time.
- Hasheem Thabeet – C(UConn) – A defensive force that is beginning to really understand basketball. There’s just something about those Nigerians that grew up playing soccer.
- Sam Young – SF(Pitt) – Started off on fire and then settled nicely into a secondary role. He still possessed the goods to go off at any time.
- Steph Curry – G(Davidson) – Led the nation in scoring and proved he had some PG skills. Turnovers were ugly, though.
- Toney Douglas – G(FSU) - Criminally under-rated as well. Came within a hare’s breath of winning ACC POY.
So there you have it. The next time we put pixel to screen, we’ll be talking match-ups and seedings. Savor it, college basketball fans. It’s the greatest time of the year. And we, at TPFSports, have something very special planned for our readers. Until then …
“Man, college basketball isn’t as good as it was when we were growing up. It just isn’t.”
Yes, it is, Jason…
For answers to your college basketball questions, please send us an email at feedback@tpfsports.com
