Onto College basketball my fri...

OK sports fans, regardless of whether you like it or not football is over. The Super Bowl has come and gone. Learn to live with it. You’ve got several long months to ponder next year’s contenders on the grid iron. I know some of you are going thru some type of physical and emotional withdrawal as I am, but it’s time for us claw our way past the Patrick Mahomes /Arron Rogers / Lamar Jackson Love-Fest Mystery Theatre that is playing out on the national sports media. I encourage you to do as I am and start paying attention to the second biggest sports draw in the Nation, NCAA Basketball.

While most of us were distracted by the chase for the Lombardi Trophy, college basketball has been in full swing. Now that Covid has loosened its grip on our lives the gymnasiums have been packed. College kids and sports fans across America have been returning in the thousands to watch 10 players try to dribble and pitch an orange rubber ball into a basket 11 feet off the ground. It might seem like a simple game to most of us, but for many fans across the country college basketball is an obsession.

Much like college football, college basketball teams are pretty much separated by those that have Blue Blood pedigree and those that do not. Much like in college football, there are some college conferences that seem to dominate the game, at least in a seasonal sense. The ACC, The SEC, The PAC 12 and The Big Ten possess the schools that dominate the game. Duke University, The University of Kentucky, The University of Kanas, North Carolina, Michigan and Michigan State are just a few of the college programs that seem to rise to the occasion year in and year out.

This year has been no different although there have been several noticeable exceptions. Several teams have been given the number one seed in the country only to be upset the following week. Being given number one status seems to be the kiss of death. As the winter has progressed several school programs have entered then abruptly left the national spotlight. Never one to shy away from some friendly wagering banter, my picks in college basketball have followed the same course. One week I’m up, the next week I’m crashing. So, go figure.

North Carolina and Duke for many years held a tight grip on the national spotlight and top spots in the national rankings. They were the Darlings of college basketball. They literally seemed to live at The Final Four. It was getting old. Coaching retirements and changes at both universities have ended all that, at least for now, and have opened the door for new, generational talent at Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, and Arkansas. Once again and in another sport, The Southeastern Conference has become the King of everything east of the Mississippi River. In a conference once dominated by The University of Kentucky there is parity and competition on a national level.

The ACC has of course made a good showing in the national spotlight now that the Magic Kingdoms of Duke and North Carolina have come crashing down. Virginia, Virginia Tech and Pitt are now the strong teams in this conference. Not to be outdone of course, The University of Miami has trumped all of them save for Virginia and sits poised to enter the NCAA basketball tournament a favorite. Go ‘Canes!

Out west and in the frozen tundra of the North basketball flourishes as fans flock to escape the cold. Programs such as Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and Indiana have played some amazing hard-fought games while the rest of America was watching NFL Football. The Big Ten Conference is a major contender for a national title just about every year and this year will be no exception.

The big schools out west of course can never be ignored or counted out. Just like during football season they seemed to get ignored by the national media to a certain degree. UCLA, Arizona, Southern Cal, Stanford and Oregon fare much like their football counterparts by not getting a lot of media face time although they are all playing well. Gonzaga of course enters the tournament every year a perineal favorite but always seems to fall short when up against quality competition. The Zags live and die with the big man. Kansas of course has always been the Beast of The West.

Throughout all the weeks of play upsets have been plentiful especially as the season progressed to the end of February. Surprisingly one factor in most of the upsets has been a common denominator and that is the home team, even when the underdog, usually prevails. Everyone knows I’m a big proponent of the home team factor after mentioning it several times this past football season and it seems to have carried through into basketball. This past weekend 7 of the 8 games I picked were won by the home team with the Kansas vs. TCU match up being the sole loss and believe me it was a close one. As I’ve said before, having the home court is worth some points.

So, what does this all mean? At present not a lot really. No one besides myself will really pay attention until the NCAA tournament in March. Presently each Division 1 team can play for three trophies within their reach. The Regular Season Title, The Conference Tournament Title and The NCAA Tournament Championship. But let’s face it the NCAA Tournament Title is the one everyone wants the most. Winning but or even coming close to winning it places the school above all others. It’s a life transitional event. It will make it break both player futures and coaching careers. It’s a tournament that captures the attention of the entire sports community regardless of whether or not you’re a basketball fan. For me, I already have my final four teams picked out but I’m saving revelation until the brackets come out in March. Considering I was 7 for 8 this weekend my picks could be worth some serious change! Until next week sports fans!

Kev