I was telling everyone within earshot before the NCAA tournament began that parody was going to be the theme word for this year’s edition. Unlike past years where we had clear cut number ones and dominant teams that were stockpiled full of talent, this year’s edition was full of good teams, but all with flaws. It was simply going to come down to which team was able to play their best at the right time.
The final four that we’ll see play for a national championship in Houston this upcoming weekend include a 3 seed in UCONN, a 4 seed with Kentucky, the 8-seeded Butler Bulldogs and the 11th-seeded Cinderella of the tournament, VCU. It’s only the third time in the history of the NCAA tournament that a one-seed has not been a member of the final four.
It’s a shame for a lot of fans that Butler and VCU are matched up in one semi-final because the dream matchup of an 8 vs. and 11 can never happen, but on the flip-side, at least a mid-major/Cinderella story is assured of making it to the big game. It’s the kind of story that people live for and a huge reason why so many allocate some time to watch a portion of the tournament.
It’s amazing how much we under-estimated Butler and their head coach/guru Brad Stevens. They made it to the finals last year against a talented Duke and were a mid-court shot away from doing the improbable and becoming national champions. Not much was expected of them this time around. Sure, they had a solid team and if they were able to put it all together, a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 birth was not out of the cards, but no one expected the Final Four.
It’s easy to disregard them because they don’t have the lottery selection that’s looking to take the next step. Outside of Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, they don’t have household names. The two things they do have though are a hell of a coach and amazing team chemistry. Everyone always focuses on star power, but it’s funny how we always dismiss the best “teams” in any sport.
The same could be said for a VCU team that had to play an extra game in the tournament because of the added-play in games for 11 seeds in the tournament. Having lost 5 of their last 8, no one expected them to accomplish anything after beating USC to punch their ticket in the 64-team dance.
They don’t have a large lineup and don’t really have a lot of talent to speak of, but what they also have is a great team chemistry and hell of a coach in Shaka Smart. They could have folded against Kansas on Sunday as they were under immense pressure from the top-seeded Jayhawks. All they did was rally and run away to victory. Smart made a great adjustment to an ultra-small lineup and hoped for some good stops and some clutch shots.
This year’s Final Four may not have the star power that we’ve seen in past years, but it may be more compelling to the fair-weather fan or the common man who sees a basketball game here or there. The Cinderella story is still alive and kicking and we’ll see one make it all the way to the final dance next Monday.