Section
Pepperdine Links
Online Publications
Appropriately, the first signs of the wonderful warm days of summer to come arrived at just about the time college fans were treated with the greatest event in the history of sport — the NCAA tournament.
Sure, the Roman Colosseum had its days, but could there really be any suspense, any unpredictability, in a match between people and lions? And those original Olympic Games in Athens where Greek city-states faced off against one another in athletic competitions were probably quite a show, but the fact that athletes competed in the nude immediately disqualifies this event from contention.
If you’re like me, you’ve already relocated your bracket from the wall in the TV room to the dresser in your bedroom to hide the shame. Once again the chaos that is March Madness has proven impossible to rationally predict, reminding all amateur and professional sports analysts (myself included) that you can crunch all the numbers you want, but you can’t put a point-spread on heart.
If you don’t believe me, just ask the University of Kentucky Mildcats, who played their entire second round game with University of Alabama-Birmingham like they were predestined to win, only to forget that reputation doesn’t win ball games, good basketball does.
So without further commercial delay, here are some of my more poignant observations from the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, which very sadly, were once again played without the presence of my beloved Pepperdine Waves, who could return a roster full of talented players next year who are familiar with one another if no one jumps ship. We can only hope and wait …
I’m tired of teams that are losing by three points or less with under a minute to go fouling too quickly.
Whatever happened to good old fashioned Georgetown defense? Instead of trying to force a steal, bad pass or inadvertent timeout (see Chris Webber), teams seem content to simply send the opposing team to the foul line. Sure, sometimes college kids have been known to miss big free throws in clutch situations (see Duke’s Jason Williams), but at least give your defense some chance to pressure the ball. Don’t let the game be settled at the charity stripe, have some faith in your defenders and try to force the issue.
And by the way, Dayton, who lost to DePaul 76-69 in the waning moments of a tight, first round ball game, if you are going to send one of the five guys on the court to the foul line, try and remember what you heard in pregame and don’t send the guy that’s shooting 88 percent.
Gonzaga, Gonzaga, Gonzaga … tisk, tisk.
Just when the Pepperdine faithful were beginning to buy into the Zag hype (along with the rest of the nation) the No. 2 Bulldogs got pimp slapped by No. 10 Nevada 92-79 in a game that gave the WCC a black eye worse than that provided by Dan Dickau’s NBA career. Playing the game like a team clearly uncomfortable with all the attention and expectations, Gonzaga learned that sometimes being the underdog isn’t so bad after all.
I mean, this one wasn’t even close. Wave killer Blake Stepp scored just 13 points on 3-of-18 shooting, looking more like an intimidated underclassman than a WCC Player of the Year. And Ronnie Turiaf, 13 points and five rebounds, this guy was like affordable living in Malibu, nowhere to be found.
When you have one last attempt to score a basket to either win the game or send it to overtime, at least get off a good shot.
Even as a neutral observer, nothing gets me more frustrated than waiting the entire game to catch a glimpse of a last-second buzzer beater only to see the game end without even an attempt. I watched two games end with a loose ball and two others on impossible heaves. The problem — no one stepping up to take the final shot.
If you’re lucky enough to play in the NCAA tournament you better have a player who wants the ball in his hands with time ticking off the clock. If not, you’ll not only get an early exit, but frustrate those CBS producers who flip over to your game for the last 54 seconds only to see you dribble around the top of the key and then fire up a no-chance prayer.
And finally, I’m tired of camera shots of players on the bench locking elbows in the final minutes of a close game.
I know, I know, it’s supposed to symbolize that everyone is pulling together to help the team, but if everyone is doing it, can it really make a difference? Plus, it just makes me feel uncomfortable to see all those guys locked together like some kind of Broadway chorus line. Let’s think of something new for the Sweet 16 (i.e. locking cornrows?).
With all we’ve seen so far, I can only imagine what is left in store. So stop worrying about those office pools and start enjoying what is truly this country’s greatest month in sports. The tournament is here. The stage is set. Now get somewhere so you can watch it.
Submitted March 25, 2004
MALIBU, CA
