A Look Back at March Madness
The 2008 Tournament had some great moments.
What did we learn from March Madness in 2008? Who were the stars, who flopped, and why is college basketball better than the SuperBowl? I'll tell you.
After a great championship game, where free throw shooting did prove to be vital for the Tigers, I feel it is only right to take a look back at the tournament. Let’s remember the buzzer beaters, and take a look at some things we’ve learned.
We learned:
Stephen Curry can shoot
Kevin Love is the best all around big man in college basketball
Duke just doesn’t cut it
Tyler Hansbrough may stand a chance in the NBA
ESPN thinks we love Bob Knight a lot more than we really do
Derrick Rose can flat out play
John Calipari doesn’t think free throws are relevant
And lastly, I’ve learned that March Madness is the best sporting event in existence
This 2008 championship game was a good summary of this year’s tournament. Most games were close, and had a play or two gone in favor of the opposing team, Kansas might not be holding the trophy right now.
However, it was a good year for conventional wisdom.
Everyone picks upsets and goes out on a limb when filling out their brackets, but for those of you that chose to take the safe road, congratulations, you probably won some cash. The committee picked four number one seeds correctly, and really, what more could you ask for? Now, if only this could be accomplished in college football…
However, I would argue that the most refreshing part of the entire tournament was that March Madness remained consistent. College basketball is a team game, and that is what separates it from the NBA. Sure, Kevin Love could probably take over a game and score 35 points a night if he had 40 looks a night. But college basketball doesn’t allow that. Instead, Love, Hansbrough, and Roy Hibbert are often foud at the top of the key, setting up picks, calling plays, and rolling towards the basket.
There are exceptions however, and Curry happens to be a rare example.
Sure Curry could put 40 up on Gonzaga or UNC Greensboro, but for a six –foot-three sophomore to just dominate top ranked opponents, and with little help from his teammates, is just a raw example of stardom. He put Davidson within three points of beating Kansas, who happens to officially be the best team in college basketball. Best part is, he isn’t going to use what he did this year and enter the draft, he’s sticking around. Financially, not the smartest idea, I don’t see how his stock could get any higher. However, the winner in all of this is Davidson, and more importantly, the game of college basketball.
I would also argue that the tournament was just fun. Even the girlfriend can fill out a bracket with some slight confidence. I found some of my friends who can’t stand the sight of a basketball game tuning in, and with interest no less. You can’t get this kind of response from any other championship event, not even, dare I say, the Superbowl.
Yeah, I said it, the Superbowl.
I love football, and I love the parties that come with it, but even in a close game, there are too many distractions during the big game. However, with March Madness, even if Belmont played Wichita, each and every one of us would at least keep tabs on the game because of our rooting interest. The bracket brings to college basketball what LeBron brought to Cleveland, or what Sid the kid brought to Pittsburgh, or what Favre brought back to Green Bay, and that is a reason to watch. Alright the Superbowl still has the commercials, but personally, Dickie V makes up for it.
I will admit that my favorite team is North Carolina, and I still believe that in a seven game series UNC beats Kansas and Memphis, however, clearly, nothing could take the title away from a hungry Jayhawks squad. Well, maybe mediocre free throw shooting.
