Bigtime sports action this weekend, which included the NCAA Tournament and other things. Just a few thoughts on this Monday night:
It was a great weekend for the NCAA Tournament and the Elite Eight. Three of the games were decided by a combined total of 15 points or something like that, and the other game, Gonzaga and Duke, was tight until the final minutes when Duke pulled away.
I know a lot of people will talk about the scare Kentucky got, but the most entertaining game to me was Wisconsin and Arizona. Two standout teams that went at it for the right to go to Indianapolis. Let's make one thing perfectly clear: Wisconsin was in two zones Saturday night. They just could not miss from long distance. That was the biggest reason they won this game.
But if you root for Arizona at all, you just have to wonder, and I have wondered this over the last couple of days as well, when is that program, and Sean Miller, ever going to get there. Miller is 0 for 4 in the Elite 8, with three of the losses coming at Arizona. Granted, those three losses have come to outstanding squads in the UConn team that won it all, and Wisconsin the last two years in great games. But I'm afraid he's going to get stuck with the label of can't win the big one, which is a label that I don't think he necessarily deserves. The problem though is that Arizona gets top tier talent every year and still can't get over the hump.
That said, not taking anything away from Wisconsin at all. They are, without doubt, a great team that become nearly unstoppable Saturday by shooting the lights out.
I know Kentucky got a scare, but there was little doubt in my mind they were going to win that game, even when they were behind. This is one of the biggest reasons why I believe Kentucky will not be beat by anyone. Along with being far more talented than any team in the country, they are a team that just refuses to lose. It's obvious they have embraced the pressure of making history and getting everybody's best shot.
Michigan State is back in the Final Four...in a rebuilding year. I am more and more convinced that there is a strong possibility that Tom Izzo could take five guys off the street, dress them in Spartan gear and still make the Final Four.
As far as Duke goes, it is interesting that the last two road to their Final Fours have taken them first through Houston, and on to Indianapolis for the Final Four itself. The last time that happened, they won the title. That was also where they beat undefeated UNLV in 1991, on the way to their first national title. I don't think they repeat history, but it's an interesting note.
So Texas cut longtime successful coach Rick Barnes loose over the weekend. This will be an interesting development; Barnes, for as much as I wasn't crazy about him, was probably the second or third best coach in the Big 12, only clearly behind whoever was coaching Kansas at the time. If you're going to cut a successful coach loose like that, you'd better have a plan to replace him. Now, rumors have been swirling that they've already contacted Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth, so it appears they at least have a plan. It's the University of Texas, so they can also throw a hefty wad of cash towards both him and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall.
And speaking of Texas, for my Husker baseball peeps, how about that sweep of the burnt orange this weekend? It's exciting to see that the Husker baseball program can compete with the best of the best and win some of those games.
On the Rockets: They were in first place for approximately 24 hours, although the Grizzlies of Memphis jumped back into first tonight. Let's get this straight...I've never been crazy about Kevin McHale as the Rockets head coach, as I've said before on this blog. I've sort of thought some of the decisions he's made have been dopey, especially some of his decisions last year in the Portland series. To me, that Portland series loss warranted a firing considering expectations. But he's done a good job this year.
To wit, all of the Rockets big men have missed significant time yet they are still battling for the second seed in the West. Now, Harden has had a spectacular season and they hired T.R. Dunn and J.B. Bickerstaff as assistants, and they deserve credit too, but until further notice I'm going to shut up about McHale for a while. The Rockets need to avoid the Spurs and/or Warriors until the conference finals; Golden State is the best team in the West at least right now and the Spurs are like the Yankees when it comes to the postseason.
One last NFL note; the Raiders got rid of Matt Schaub in the offseason, and yet there are STILL teams interested in him? The one thing this proves to me is that there are no shortage of mediocre to below average quarterbacks in the NFL. Well, that and the fact that teams are still interested in Fitzpatrick.
Until next time....
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