If you know the difference between a basketball and a bocce ball, you know that upstart Florida Gulf Coast has come out of absolutely nowhere to capture the nation’s attention and become the first 15-seed in NCAA history to advance to the Sweet 16.
What does this have to do with the Most Improved Player Rankings? Well, FGCU coach Andy Enfield called his team “the most improved team in the nation.” You know that caught our attention. That. of course, and Enfield’s wife.
Anyway, it’s great to be a part of the biggest story in basketball this week.
With that said, we’re down to the Final Four in the Most Improved Player Madness! Everyone is bursting with excitement to see who is going to take home the title!
Here to call the first game is my friend Jim Nantz and his friend Clark Kellogg.
DUCKWORTH REGION CHAMP: (2) Larry Sanders vs.
BARROS REGION CHAMP: (1) Jrue Holiday
NANTZ: Hello friends, and welcome to the Final Four of Most Improved Player Madness, I’m Jim Nantz alongside Clark Kellogg.
KELLOGG: Yes, Jim, and this is going to be an inspired matchup. Sanders vs. Holiday, the big fella vs. the little guy. You’ve really got to squeeze the orange in this one. This game is going to be about which player can impose his will. Sanders is a big guy, and he’s going up against a smaller player. I remember one time when I played…
20 minutes later
NANTZ: Clark …
KELLOGG: … and that’s why I never use disinfectant soap when I’m scrubbing the toilet.
NANTZ: Clark please, we don’t have that much space in this column.
CLARK: Just one more thing, Jim – the big fella in this matchup has the size advantage because he’s so much taller …
20 minutes later
CLARK: … and then I said, “I thought that was low-fat cheese!”
NANTZ: When are The Masters?
NANTZ: Friends, Sanders advances to the championship game. Let’s go to the other half of the Final Four now, where my friend Gus Johnson and my friend Charles Barkley had the call. I believe this one came down to the final buzzer.
SEIKALY REGION CHAMP: (1) Nikola Vucevic vs.
MURESAN REGION CHAMP: (2) Greivis Vasquez
GUS: …. (silence)
Sanders takes home the MIP championship.
BARKLEY (while chewing): Yeah, Gus’ head exploded. Vukavon wins.
Most Improved Championship
(2) Larry Sanders vs. (1) Nikola Vucevic
NANTZ: Hello again friends, this is Jim Nan-
CLARK: … and that’s how I ended up with such a terrible rash.
NANTZ (snatches Clark’s mic): This battle of big men came right down to the wire, with Vucevic and Sanders grappling for the title. The final buzzer sounds, and it’s a SANDERS CEREMONY! Larry takes the title!
GUS: (Explosion)
BARKLEY (still chewing): Again?!
CLARK: You know guys, this reminds me …
BARKLEY: Clark, why don’t you just shut the hell up so we can get on to the rankings.
KELS: On to the rankings.