The NCAA Committee really deserves to take a bow with the matchups, storylines and drama they helped provide in picking the field this year. After a very compelling and topsy-turvy first two rounds, now it’s what I like to call “big boy time.” After coaching in a few NCAA tourneys and closely following countless others, one thing I’ve learned through the years is that at this point, it’s usually safe to expect the chalk to advance. We will forever have upsets
I once heard the statement in coaching, “if you are a great coach but a weak recruiter, you will get fired. But if you are a great recruiter and even a fair coach, you will survive.” Obviously, the goal is to be both. But it does explain the importance in college basketball of getting the best players. Ever since I started coaching, I have always been compared to John Calipari more than any other coach. I guess it’s because I made
The NCAA tournament has given us plenty to talk about after its first weekend. We’ve been treated to six overtime games (the tournament record is seven), big time upsets (Duke, Syracuse and Kansas all failed to win more than one game) and memorable finishes (ask THE University of Dayton). But between all of the madness that has commenced this week, one game has managed to stand above the rest: No. 8 seed Kentucky vs. No. 1 seed Wichita State. [Read more…]
As the Miami Heat’s 27-game winning streak finally came to an end last night, the basketball world can now give its full attention to the Sweet Sixteen, which begins tonight. The 12 games between now and Sunday will narrow down the field of 68 to the Final Four who will meet in Atlanta next weekend for a shot at the national title. [Read more…]
Wichita State earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, marking the second straight year and third time since 2006 that the Shockers will go dancing. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Wichita State Wheat Shockers: 1. They’ve got some great NCAA Tournament history. Wichita State reached the Final Four in 1965, losing to eventual champ UCLA. The Shockers shocked everyone in 1981 by knocking off in-state rival Kansas in a regional semifinal and moving on