The Bald Truth
If Wisconsin gets invited to the NCAA tournament, it will because of reputation alone.
The Badgers are 19-12 and have one victory all season over a ranked team - at Michigan in their Big Ten opener. That also serves as their most "quality" road victory.
They even lost at Iowa - and that's not easy.
Though the selection committee might end up ruling differently, logic suggests the Badgers had to beat Ohio State in the conference tourney Friday to sew up an NCAA bid ... and they couldn't do it.
Bo Ryan is a great coach, but this isn't one of his better teams. It certainly isn't a team worthy of playing in the NCAAs.
The Balder Truth
Syracuse players are many things, including tough, resilient and well-conditioned. Given their ability to follow a six-overtime victory over UConn with a run-of-the-mill single-OT triumph over West Virginia, "impressive" works well, too.
OK, now can all commentators please stop with all the talk of "courage"?
The Orangemen didn't rush into a burning building to save lives, didn't go off to war, didn't even take a difficult public stand on a controversial issue.
They are basketball players who played lots of basketball.
Yes, they played it very well, but I sure hope that's not how we're defining "courage" these days.
THE BALDEST TRUTH
Jon Scheyer clanked the front end of a 1-and-1. Boston College then grabbed the rebound and the Eagles, who trailed Duke by one point in the ACC quarterfinals, were steaming up court with a chance to win the game.
That's when coach Al Skinner called a time out.
And he wasn't finished showing how smart he was. Oh no, not even close.
BC got the ball inbounds and advanced it into the frontcourt ... when Skinner called time again. Now there were only 5.5 seconds left.
When play resumed, Duke overplayed Skinner's first option - Tyrese Rice - and BC ended up taking a wild, challenged shot that didn't come close to going in.
Why didn't Skinner simply trust his players, especially Rice, after that missed free throw? Isn't that why the Eagles had spent the last six months practicing, for those exact kind of situations?
With the Dookies scrambling to get back into defensive position, BC had every advantage.
Until Skinner called time. Twice.
Coach S apparently wanted to prove he was smarter than Coach K.
Gee. How did that work out?
Totally agree about the Wisconsin comments. Bo is GREAT. It just seems the team was never hungry enough - hit or miss in their hunger. They may get into the dance on reputation alone, but they'll just be massacred. Oh well, there's always next year.
ReplyDeletei was there in 77 and their whole sports program was terrible so now...i like them a lot better.
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ReplyDeleteI agree about the Badgers. I can't spell basketball (see baskteball), so I just deleted my comment. But being a jilted alumnus, I have zero stake at all in whether the Badgers beat FSU or lose by 20. I would prefer a blowout loss just to shut up the boorish fans.
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