Man, those games last night were tough to enjoy. Looking back, we should have seen it coming. You take the four clear cut, best teams. Three (Kansas, North Carolina and UCLA) are the most famous (along with UMass Kentucky) in the sport. Add in at least 10 future NBA first round draft picks and when you added it all up, it should have equaled something special.
Of course, what you got was one of the worst and most disappointing Final Fours in recent memory. Here are some randoms that we contemplated while watching last night:
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1. Now all those Coach Cal Haters can shut their mouths. Any article written about the former UMass coach always includes how he left the Minutemen after the 1996 Final Four for the NBA seconds before the NCAA swooped in and announced star center Marcus Camby had accepted cash, jewelry and other goodies (OK...they were reported to be hookers). In reality, Cal was leaving regardless of the Camby mess. He was losing three starters off the his Final Four team and school president Michael Hooker, a huge Cal/b-ball supporter had departed for the University of North Carolina. As far as the Camby Chronicles, the Denver Nuggets' star has admitted that his college coach had no idea that he was in bed NBA agents and runners. To blame Cal, Camby has said numerous times, is utterly stupid. And now, 12 years later and regardless of tomorrow night's outcome, when they write about John Calipari, they will write that he took two different teams to the Final Four.
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2. My 6-year old son won the teacher bracket that his Old Man is running at school. In fact, he was the only one out 33 who correctly predicted the championship match-up.
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3. Roy Williams is a nice guy, to be sure. But we find it hilarious when he is mentioned as one of the all-time great coaches. Yes, he has taken his Kansas and North Carolina teams to six Final Fours. And while that is certainly no small accomplishment, those two schools have their pick of the litter among high school blue chip recruits. Always have and always will. Give John Chaney that talent, he, too, goes to six Final Fours. Same with stiffs like Steve Lappas, Quin (Hey, Ladies) Snyder and Matt Doherty. Speaking of Matty D, we will not, for, like the 100th time, remind you that the only Final Four that ended successfully for Roy Williams was the one when he had six future NBA players -- all of whom were recruited and coached by Doherty.
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4. Tyler Hansbrough? He will have an NBA career along the lines of Antawn Jamison. Great college player -- good NBA player.
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5. Kevin Love? The Memphis team showed that Love will not dominate in the NBA. He is simply not athletic enough. But the pros will lower his weight and body fat, add some muscle and shape him into a very good NBA player. One who will make and NBA all-star game or two before he is done.
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6. Derrick Rose? An immediate NBA star. Depending on who has the first pick in June, Rose will most likely be the selection. He is the finest collegiate one v. one break-down player in recent memory.
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7. While you we wait for the Other Travis Ford Shoe to Drop, we can easily envision this scene in the next 10 days: LSU names Ford its new coach. Derrick Kellogg, fresh off a National Championship at Memphis, returns to his alma mater UMass to succeed Ford. And don't think for a moment that Cal won't be funneling Memphis' recruiting leftovers to Western Massachusetts.
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8. On the subject of coaches, there are some crazy rumors out there. Bill Self leaving Kansas to collect five million per at his alma mater OSWho Oklahoma State? Or is it Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie to Okie State and Travis Ford back to his alma mater Kentucky?
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