Observations From Sunday's NCAA Tournament Games

By Have Jumpshot Will Travel (a.k.a. Trashtalk Superstar)

The opening round of the NCAA Tournament has been completed. The greatest event (opening weekend of the NCAA's) in sports is fading from view in our rear view mirror. Sixty four teams have been paired down to sixteen. As fervent readers of this blog must already know, we've got thoughts:

• Although I never believed that Wisconsin could get to the Final Four, I didn't expect them to lose this soon. In an earlier post ("Deep Thoughts"), I committed to doing a Jager bomb for every time a lame-o broadcaster pointed out Wisconsin guard Kammron Taylor's resemblance to actor/comedian Chris Rock. I thought that Kammron Taylor would be around for a while. Even though I was skeptical of Wisconsin, I expected them to get to the Sweet Sixteen. Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, I did not do the Jager bombs (Jim Nantz and Billy Packer did the Wisconsin/UNLV game today - they aren't lame ass broadcasters).
• Texas was overrated. I should have said so earlier. Then I would look smart now. But I've known this to be the case all year. Actually, I've considered Texas to be over rated every year. Since 1995. With the exception of their 2003 team (the 'Horns ruined my bracket that year when T.J. Ford took them to the Final Four), Texas has never been deserving of their elite reputation. Yet they've been given inexplicable media hype for ages. Although talented, Rick Barnes' teams have traditionally been soft. Before that, Tom Penders' teams were soft and undisciplined. I know that Kevin Durant is a great talent, but I just can't understand all the media love for the Texas program.
  
• In another point that I should have made earlier (again, to make myself look smart as I've been saying this for months), Ohio State point guard Mike Conley Jr. does not play like a freshman. Despite the presence of Greg Oden and upper class men Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis, Conley is the best player on the team. Ohio State will not win the Championship this year, but if Conley and Oden stick around (hell, even if Oden leaves but Conley stays), it's only a matter of time before they do.
  
• Southern Illinois handled Virginia Tech with relative ease. Although I expected SIU to win this game, I was surprised at how easily they did it (SIU had narrowly defeated Virginia Tech earlier this season). If Illinois had competent guards (Southern Illinois head coach Chris Lowery is a protegee of Illinois coach Bruce Weber, and SIU runs the same offensive and defensive schemes as Illinois), they wouldn't have fallen to Virginia Tech on Friday.
• Please don't refer to Southern Illinois as a Cinderella or a giant killer. They're a 4 seed. They're in the Sweet Sixteen. They should be there. Good luck with Kansas.
• With Wisconsin and Kammron Taylor no longer in the Tournament, maybe I should do a Jager bomb every time some Einstein in the national media, ever so cleverly, inquires: "what the heck is a Saluki?" The Southern Illinois Salukis have made six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. This is their second Sweet Sixteen in five years. Any member of the national media who hasn't heard of them has either not been paying attention (if it were my job to cover college basketball, I think I'd probably pay attention to college basketball-beyond just Duke and Syracuse), or is a tad slow. Either one is a distinct possibility. Note to all national media: after six freakin' years, it's no longer clever or cute to be continually perplexed by the word saluki.
• Lon Kruger doesn't wear mock turtlenecks anymore. WTF?
• With Kruger's conversion to suit and tie at UNLV, and with the recent firing of Tommy Amaker at Michigan, one is left to ponder: who's left to carry on the proud tradition of the the mock turtleneck in college basketball? Will the mock turtleneck become just another vestige of a bygone era? Like the buggy whip? Or the Rubik's Cube? Or the mullet (yeah I know, Kentucky fans, NASCAR fans and Green Bay Packers fans still wear mullets - but almost no one else does). Something needs to be done. The mock turtleneck must be saved! If anyone can think of a college basketball coach who rocks the mock turtleneck, or dickie, e-mail us.
  
• USC is in the Sweet Sixteen. With a new (on campus) arena, and with super recruits on the way (if he stays out of trouble, O.J. Mayo is the real deal), the Trojans are poised to make a run at basketball significance. Enjoy it while you can SC fans (if there actually are USC basketball fans). As soon as he gets the program put on probation, coach Tim Floyd will jump to another job. He always does.
• Kansas has as much talent as anyone in college basketball. They're really playing well now. Look out for the Jayhawks (but please don't subject us to Rock Chalk Jayhawk).
• Speaking of Kansas, coach Bill Self has one hell of a toupee. You really can't tell that he's wearing a rug...until he turns to the side. Man, the back of his head has hair going in two different directions. It looks like there's a flap that hangs down from the top and doesn't quite blend in with the natural hair below. He really needs to do something about that.
  
• Hey, what happened all those talking heads who were, at this time last week, lamenting that the Big East didn't get nine or ten or fourteen teams in the Tournament?
• Verne Lundquist is a national treasure. He's as solid a play by play man as one can find, yet he speaks with the grizzled, robust voice of a man who's seen it all- in sports and in life. Although, as a play by play man, his job is to call the action on the court or field of play, with just a line or two he's able to interject more humorous and informative commentary than most color commentators do in an entire broadcast. Lundquist may do play by play, but he certainly adds color to any broadcast he's a part of . That's why Verne Lundquist is my favorite play by play guy. He's just freakin' cool.
  
• Since we're giving Verne Lundquist some much deserved shine, the editorial staff here at Drive and Dish ask the following: is there anyone who's ever seen or heard him do a game who wouldn't jump at the chance to go drinking with Verne Lundquist?
• As has been stated here before, good play by a team's guards is the key to success in the NCAA Tournament. However, teams that win Championships have top notch big men too. If you want to know which teams are likely to win the whole thing, look for teams who have solid, experienced guards but also have at least one really good big guy. Never pick a four guard team, even though they're really fun to watch, to win it all.
  
• Another indicator of Championship potential: teams that win the NCAA Tournament always have at least two or three future NBA players on their rosters. A quick look at a few of the remaining NCAA Tournament teams reveals that several meet that particular criteria: Hmm...Florida, North Carolina, Kansas, Georgetown, Ohio State (although their future NBA players are probably too young for them to win it this year) -- all check.