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Random Thoughts and Brutal Honesty: Tournament Edition
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With this tournament bringing in upsets, excitement, OT and buzzer beaters, it's time for a heavy dose of honesty and realness.
- The Stanford Cardinal had a pair of 7 foot twins that they considered Twin Towers years ago. However, their names were Jarron and Jason Collins. I think it's safe to say that Brook and Robin Lopez will go on to have better careers at the next level. Brook will have the better career of the two as he was simply automatic in the second half against a game Marquette team. Robin Lopez reminds me of Anderson Varejao and he'll end up being twice as good as him too. Stanford nearly blew it when Doug Oliver chose to bench both Lopez brothers for way too long during the middle of the second half, allowing Marquette to take back momentum. It was a big mistake that nearly cost them and I could bet my last dollar that head coach Trent Johnson might have brought them back in sooner. Of course, Trent Johnson nearly became Idiot # 1 by getting himself ejected during a TOURNAMENT GAME!!!!. Brook Lopez saved his hide and even he couldn't deny it in his interview after the game. If they would have lost, he would have had a LONGGGGGGGGGG offseason. Brook Lopez may have just put himself in the Top 15 of this year's draft with his performance on Saturday.
- Duke and Connecticut are two storied programs with a lot of pride and reputation. Not to mention two legendary head coaches. Having said that, it's safe to say that both programs are at a crossroads. Connecticut fans {and I hate to mention this again, Kelsdad} have got to be humiliated at the moment at their loss to San Diego. This was a team that Connecticut was clearly better then, but for some reason Uconn brought a lack of energy and work ethic and it was very noticeable early on. A huge setback for the Uconn program. With all the blocks that Haseem Thabeet got during the game, he should have had at least a double double against an undersized San Diego team. As for Duke, I feel that for the past few years that their teams have been set up to do well during the regular season, but not set up in a way that they can be successful during the Big Dance. Duke was SUBPAR during the entire tourney. How many backdoor cuts did they fall for in the two games? Belmont executed that play literally at will!! It was pretty easy for West Virginia to defend Duke. Defend the perimeter as they have no inside game, and force Duke to shout outside shots. Kind of reminds me how NBA teams defend the Bulls. Demarcus Nelson was a disappointment with a capital D. And I had them to go in the elite 8! Guh!!!
Once again, we have a pair of Wildcats in the Sweet 16. Villanova and the Davidson Wildcats. Why the heck are so many teams named Wildcats?!!! Villanova, Kentucky, Arizona, Kansas State, and now Davidson. Many of us knew of Stephen Curry as that kid who averaged 25.1 points for played for Davidson. I think it's safe to say that America has experienced the desire and determination of Stephen Curry. He'll be making the All-Tournament team. Curry is quickly etching his name in tournament lore and carving his own legacy. If this continues, he won't be known as Dell Curry's son. It'll be Dell that'll be known as the dad of Stephen Curry.
Georgetown's elimination this afternoon made things that much easier for the Kansas Jayhawks. They are a juggernaut.
I think it was a huge mistake for the tournament commitee to put North Carolina, Louisville and Tennessee in the same bracket. Louisville/Tennessee will be a classic 2-3 matchup. Tennessee needs to win or the SEC risks being eliminated from the tourney before the Elite 8. Ouch!! Tennessee will be battle-tested as they went against a Butler team that was way better than it's ranking. I see Memphis's run ending against Michigan State in the Sweet 16. North Carolina can beat the New York Knicks by at least 20 points at the moment. And if the Western Kentucky guard play can match the play of UCLA, they have a great chance of pulling off an upset.
