By Tim Clark / March 24, 2024 / Column, Tim's Two Cents
Bracket

It certainly was a crazy first four days of the NCAA Tournament.

We had an overtime buzzer beater. We had a double overtime war of attrition. We had a furious comeback late Sunday night to send a number one seed to overtime. But Cinderella didn’t spend as much time at the dance this year. 

A sweet sixteen survived and will try to become elite on Thursday and Friday.

Just like we all suspected, the ACC make up one fourth of the Sweet Sixteen. Surely you all had NC State and Clemson advancing. Heck, I didn’t even have Duke advancing this far. The Big East was the other conference that felt shortchanged on Selection Sunday, and all three of their teams have advanced.

The Pac-12 had a nice showing from its four team contingent, but only Arizona survived the weekend. The two Big Ten teams that I thought would advance —Purdue and Illinois— did, while only two of the SEC’s teams are left in Alabama and Tennessee. I assume that is why commissioner Greg Sankey whined that more power conference teams need at large bids. Or maybe Sankey is just an out of touch ass.

An old friend is back once again. Gonzaga makes its sixteenth straight Sweet Sixteen, which is an insane accomplishment. What Gonzaga has become is almost hard to believe.

In my mind, the Big 12 was the best conference in college basketball this year, yet only two teams have moved forward to the Sweet Sixteen. Iowa State and Houston, mirror images of each other, are the two toughest teams remaining in the field.

San Diego State had a similar path to the finals last year. The Aztecs got two lower seeded teams then beat a one seed. This year they will seek revenge on UConn, who beat them in the finals last year.

Okay, let me take a two cent look back and ahead region by region.

East Region

Looking Back

  • Bruce Pearl assured his team at the start of the SEC Tournament that they weren’t losing again. Greg Sankey probably agreed with Pearl. Yale did not. The Bulldogs, quite frankly, out toughed the Tigers. The Ivy League has never been a doormat of college hoops, and Yale became the latest to prove that fact.
  • FAU looked distracted as they wilted in overtime to Northwestern. It was almost like their coach, Dusty May was focused on his next job. May took the Michigan job a day after losing to Northwestern.
  • 11 seed Duquense became a great story, knocking off BYU and extending coach Keith Dambrot’s career one more game.
  • Yale was one of a couple lower seeds that spent it all to get an upset in round one only to have nothing left in round two. 
  • Washington State won one more game than I thought they would.
  • Aside from the obvious in UConn, Illinois has easily been the best team in this region. The Illini likes to push the pace, so a meeting with rugged Iowa State might be the most interesting game of the next round.
  • Two seed Iowa State hasn’t exactly been chopped liver.

Looking Ahead

  • UConn is better than they were a year ago. San Diego State is similar to last year. That doesn’t give me much confidence that this will be a game. Avoiding Auburn is a huge help for UConn. I really don’t see this being much of a game. UConn continues to not be challenged.
  • The best game on paper heading into the Sweet Sixteen is Illinois versus Iowa State. Illinois wants to push it. Iowa State wants to punch it. Fast. Slow. Agile. Tough. I can’t wait for this one. I picked Illinois in this one last week, and despite how much I love what TJ Otzelberger has done with the Cyclones, I am still picking Illinois. Terrance Shannon is at minimum one of the five best players in the entire tournament. Brad Underwood has his team playing better than ever.
  • UConn will finally have a game. They probably haven’t seen a player as dynamic as Shannon all year. I just think top to bottom UConn is too good. Plus, it will be a UConn crowd in Boston. UConn will return to the Final Four.

West Region

Looking Back

  • The darling of this region was Grand Canyon. They brought a huge crowd to Spokane with them, and they had their home gym packed with fans watching their games. After upsetting five seed St. Mary’s, the Lopes played the craziest game of the tournament against Alabama. Despite playing brain dead basketball, GCU took a lead with five minutes remaining. They lost the five point lead rather quickly in what looked more like a rugby match than basketball. It left Charles Barkley and Clark Kellogg mesmerized.

 

 

  • Grand Canyon star Tyon Grant-Foster was the best story of the tournament. Following two heart surgeries, Grant-Foster beat the odds to get back to playing basketball. Not to mention, he should have opened some NBA eyes to his talent.
  • The team of this region is Clemson. Most had them losing in round one, but instead Clemson pounded New Mexico and upset three seed Baylor to get to their first Sweet Sixteen in ages.
  • I really thought at the start of the year that Michigan State would be the team out of the Big Ten to make a Final Four run. North Carolina put the final nail in that coffin of an idea on Saturday. North Carolina looked really good, for the record.
  • Arizona has looked good, too, albeit not against a team like Michigan State. Dayton was over seeded at 7 and Long Beach was running on fumes. The Wildcats probably caught a break getting Clemson instead of Baylor for their next game.

Looking Ahead

  • To say Alabama has looked shaky both in this tournament and the end of the season would be an understatement. On a positive note the Tide did play better defense last game. Of course, Grand Canyon ran no semblance of offense and still stayed close. North Carolina is running on all cylinders right now, and will be able to play with Alabama’s uptempo preference. Carolina wins a game at least in the 80’s.
  • Clemson has proved their mettle in rounds one and two, and certainly won’t be in awe of Arizona. Arizona has lapses at times, but has been really good in this tournament. It seems a fair bet that Arizona wins by 7-10 points.
  • I originally picked Arizona, and that will be my pick of record. However, I think North Carolina is playing better, and I would not be shocked in the least if the Tar Heels end up in the Final Four. This is a matchup that was destined to happen in this region. Can Omar Ballo dominate the paint against Armando Bacott? I think he can, but Arizona will still need a big game from former Tar Heel, Caleb Love. Again, Arizona is my pick of record on my bracket, but I think Carolina will win a close game.

South Region

Looking Back

  • This was the star region in rounds one and two. It contained the most excitement, maybe, of, all the other regions combined. The 10, 11, 12, and 14 seeds all won in round one.
  • Colorado, who got screwed by being placed in the First Four, continued the trend of First Four teams advancing to the round of 32. The Buffs 102-100 win over Florida is probably the game of the tournament so far, and it is the only true buzzer beater to date.
  • Colorado almost made it one more round. After grabbing a late lead against Marquette, the Buffs just couldn’t get it to the finish line. It was a great run and great season for Colorado.
  • NC State had to win five games in five days to win the ACC Tournament and earn a bid. The Wolfpack decided to just keep winning, dispatching six seed Texas Tech and winning a great overtime game against upstart Oakland. DJ Burns is becoming one of the great stories of March Madness. Nobody has figured out how to guard his big body.
  • James Madison won 31 games, so they weren’t your typical 12 seed. They reminded me of last year’s FAU team. Unfortunately, the Dukes stay wasn’t nearly as long. After beating five seed Wisconsin, JMU got smoked by the Duke Blue Devils in the second round.
  • The biggest shocker of the tournament was 14 seed Oakland, with a guy who has coached the, for 40 years, upsetting three seed Kentucky. It was yet another disappointment for John Calipari who is public enemy number one in Lexington. As for Oakland, the Grizzlies were one shot away from moving on to the Sweet Sixteen. Instead, NC State becomes the lowest seeded team still left.
  • If all of those upsets, close games, and buzzer beater wasn’t enough, top seed Houston and nine seed Texas A&M gave us the best game of the weekend. A&M needed a three pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Because of so many fouls, Houston played much of overtime with a walk on in the lineup. Houston somehow outlasted the Aggies to keep chalk pickers happy.

Looking Ahead

  • Duke is putting me in mind of those teams that figures it out at tournament time. The Blue Devils underperformed all season, but have looked different in the first two rounds. Houston showed they could win a shootout, but the Cougars would rather keep it slow and steady. I jumped on Houston’s bandwagon a few weeks ago, and I’m not jumping off now.
  • Marquette got point guard Tyler Kolek back and what a difference he makes. The Golden Eagles got a scare  from Colorado and seem beatable. NC State has found the right player rotation and the right style. The Wolfpack had lost four in a row and seven of nine heading in to the ACC tournament. Now, they can’t lose. Well, until Friday night that is. The fun has to stop at some point. Marquette will find a way to win and move on.
  • Houston is on a collision course with the Final Four. Marquette will be just another bump in the road. Houston got their scare from Texas A&M, who was playing better than Duke and Marquette entering the tournament. Houston’s defense will shut down Tyler Kolek and move to the Final Four.

Midwest Region

Looking Back

  • The only real surprise in this region was Oregon. As an 11 seed, the Ducks beat a disappointing South Carolina rather easily. Then in the game of the region, Oregon needed one free throw from N’Faly Dante at the end of regulation to move forward. Instead, Dante missed and Creighton went down and hit the tying shot to send it to overtime.

 

 

  • Oregon forced a second overtime, but ran out of gas. The Ducks were limited to 8 players and then starter Jackson Shelstad got hurt. The Ducks go all but two points in the second half and overtime from Dante and stud Jermaine Couisnard. Couisnard scored 72 points in two games and nearly sunk the Bluejays.
  • Gonzaga came into this tournament with less fanfare than the last five or six years. Yet, the Zags have been more dominant than any team in the region this side of Purdue. Ironically, that is the matchup we get Friday night.
  • Tennessee slopped their way to a victory over Texas, making those that don’t trust Rick Barnes in the tournament sit up and take notice.
  • Purdue seems adamant about putting their past tournament failures behind them. Utah State never stood a chance last weekend.

Looking Ahead

  • These two games could be really good. Purdue and Gonzaga should be great. Matt Painter vs Mark Few. Again, this Gonzaga team has been doubted all year but is playing really good basketball the last month and a half. Purdue has been full throttle in the first week of the tournament. A Gonzaga victory here wouldn’t be a shock, but I think Purdue is on a mission. Zach Edey will create too much havoc for the Zags.
  • Creighton is playing well, but got pushed to double overtime against Oregon. Tennessee wobbled along to victory against Texas, but was less than stellar. When both play at their highest level, Creighton and Tennessee are Final Four good. I picked Tennessee to go to the Final Four, but the SEC has been bulldozed for most of the tournament. I stated weeks ago that Creighton was a mini sleeper to make the Final Four. I think Creighton finishes off my bracket and beats the Vols.
  • Purdue and Creighton are pretty similar. Zach Edey is 7’4” and has caused matchup issues for every team they play. When the Boiler guards hit shots look out. Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner is 7’1” and may be the one player in this tournament that isn’t intimidated by Edey. He can play inside and out, pulling Edey away from the basket. I like Ceighton’s guards just a bit better than Purdue’s. Purdue is a bit deeper. I am going out on a limb and picking Creighton to win this region, a pick I didn’t have the guts to make a week ago.

With all that said, I think we end up with one seed Connecticut versus one seed North Carolina and one seed Houston versus three seed Creighton. I am not changing my finals pick. I still think it is UConn over Houston in the finals, and UConn becoming back to back champions.

Aside from maybe wishing for more buzzer beaters, this tournament has lived up to expectations. Here is hoping that continues with some great games in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. 

The Madness marches on.

Two Cent Takes(March Madness style)

~The first two days of the tournament are fantastic. It is wall to wall basketball, literally from noon to one in the morning here in the East.

~The scheduling of Saturday and Sunday is stupid. We are stuck watching one game for the first two windows of each day. That’s great, unless we get blowouts. It would be nice to be able to switch to a different game when that happens. Also, it stinks having to stay up past midnight on Sunday when work awaits most the next day.

~96 team games have been played so far in the tournament, and 44 teams have exceeded 75 points. Aside from games Virginia, Colorado State, and Texas were involved in, most games were played at a faster, fan-friendly pace.

~One of the main reasons scoring is up is the fact most guys just can’t keep the ball in front of them. Guys get beat off the dribble on the reg, and most coaches are hesitant to play zone defense.

~During the season free throw shooting seemed so much better than usual. In the tournament I have seen a lot of misses from 80% or better shooters. Pressure, pressure, pressure.

~Why don’t more teams press. Teams struggle more often than not trying to break the press.

~This woman is repulsive, and apparently a Washington Post writer is going to let everyone know just how repulsive.

 

I have no doubt whatever is in the piece is true about this reprehensible woman. Her teams are equally unlikable.

 

 

~Caitlin Clark, Caitlin Clark, Caitlin Clark. Great player, but also incredibly unlikable. First, her dad was even telling her to quit whining the other night.

 

 

Plus, Clark gets away with such garbage. Earlier in this game she took a shot to the head and it was rightfully called a flagrant foul. This play received no call.

 

 

~Back on the men’s side, the announcing has been excellent. I really can’t complain about any of the teams that announced the first and second rounds. I am shocked that Lisa Byington, Steve Smith, and Robby Hummel didn’t advance to call games this weekend. They were fantastic together. Smith and Hummel had a great chemistry. 

~Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson actually make Clark Kellogg tolerable. They have so much fun in the studio, and it never seems contrived.

The Weekly Shiny Penny

This one was way too funny to pass up. It is NSFW and NSFKF(Not Suitable For Kentucky Fans).

 

 

A Penny For My Final Thought…

The one negative in this year’s tournament is the officiating.

It has become pretty apparent that, in general, the officials were given a directive to “let the players play”. On the surface I love that approach. Nobody wants to see a free throw shooting contest. However, referees never seem to be able to find that middle ground.

A foul still needs to be a foul.

What I have seen time and time again, is a bunch of late calls because the refs are waiting to see if a basket goes in before calling a foul. If the shot goes in they wouldn’t make the call.

Why? 

If it is a foul, then it is a foul.

There has been far too much contact allowed around the hoop. Drivers are getting bumped regularly with few calls. Blatant hacks are going uncalled.

The most egregious call of the tournament prevented fans from seeing a potential buzzer beater from Samford to beat Kansas. This was called a foul.

 

Gene Steratore tries very hard not to second guess the officials, but this was a blatant missed call. It prevented Samford from going down to the other end on a 5 on 4 to potentially win the game. Credit to Samford coach Bucky McMillan who handled it better than I would have.

 

 

The regular season wasn’t officiated this way, so why now? Teams have to adjust on the fly to something  they aren’t accustomed to.

Several games have resembled rugby, namely the Grand Canyon/Alabama game. There were tons of fouls called in the Houston/Texas A&M game, but many more should have been called.

The other thing that has been a travesty is instant replay. In the last two minutes of almost every game, officials are stopping play between 5 and 7 times to look at out of bounds, goaltending, flagrant fouls, or clock issues. Then they stay over at the monitor for upwards of five minutes per review. The last two minutes of a game take forever to play.

College basketball must adopt the challenge system, where coaches get two challenges per game to use. Then put a clock on the review. If officials can’t find enough evidence in the allotted time —two minutes seems right— then the original call stands.

These officials have been overworked during the season. They are tired. Then they are clearly given a directive which means they are calling the game differently from the regular season. Dumb. All of it.

I like officials staying out of the way and letting the players decide the game. But when there is this much uncalled contact, it makes the players frustrated and unsure what they can get away with. There is just a complete lack of consistency.

And for goodness sakes, stop reviewing everything under the sun. Refs actually get most calls correct, so maybe we just need to deal with that.

So in review, call tournament games consistently with the way regular season games were officiated, and use replay more prudently until someone smarter than the NCAA comes up with a challenge system.

These games are too good to be ruined by flaws from officials.

Just my two cents…

Looking ahead: My Two Cent Pirates/MLB preview coming via my Musings podcast and next week’s column.