Since I last posted a lot has transpired in the NBA, but not too much has changed. The top 4 teams in the East have clinched a playoff spot, while the bottom 4 spots look to be locked up by the Bucks, Heat, Bobcats, and Raptors (the lowly Bulls are fading fast and are 2 and a half games behind the Raps entering today).
The Western Conference playoff picture still contains the same 8 teams it has for most of the season, but it looks as though there will be quite a finish for the bottom 7 teams in terms of seeding. The Lakers have all but locked up the 1 seed, while the Jazz, Mavs, and Nuggets are all tied for the 2-4 seeds with the same record of 47-25. Meanwhile, the Suns, Thunder, Spurs, and Blazers are battling it out for seeding in the bottom of the West.
Sweet. Yeah, its that time of the year when the NBA becomes as boring as *you know what*. No NBA players want to be playing regular season games anymore, and no fans really want to continue to watch them. Unfortunately, we have to wait until April 18th for the playoffs to start. So what keeps us occupied in the meantime? March Madness.
This tournament has been the best one in recent memory. Sure, there's not quite a George Mason story here (though some would argue Butler, Northern Iowa, or Saint Mary's would be comparable), but the thing that has made this tournament so unbelievably interesting is the mediocrity of college basketball this season.
Anyone who filled out a bracket knows exactly what I mean. We've been accustomed, over the last couple of years, to think that the Big East will always come out victorious due to their immense talent and strength of competition within the conference. Now let's look at how they actually fared this year:
Georgetown: A blowout loss in the first round to Ohio. Yeah, the same Ohio that went 7-9 in the MAC.
Syracuse: Looked good through 2 rounds, beating Vermont and Gonzaga easily. Then, they lost to Butler 63-59. Bill Simmons said it best: "Jim Boeheim at the 5:00 mark: "Guys, I want you to go out there and take the most rushed, horrible shots you possibly can."
Pitt: Lost to Xavier in the second round.
Villanova: Should have lost to RMU in the first round (Who?), but instead won in OT and went on to lose to Saint Mary's by 7 in the second round.
Notre Dame: Lost to Old Dominion in the first round. Luke Harangody was held to -4.5 points.
Louisville: Got down 22-4 to Cal of the great PAC-10 in the first round, only to lose by 15. Many had Louisville upsetting Duke... ah, the beauty of ESPN's love of the Big East.
Marquette: An excusable loss to a good Washington team in the first round. The unexcusable part was the amount of offensive rebounds they gave up in the last couple minutes that lead to their departure.
West Virginia: Still rolling. The one Big East team left has to play the tourney favorite Kentucky in the next round.
So if you watch ESPN at all, your bracket is automatically in the dumps. You likely had Kansas winning it all, West Virginia upsetting Kentucky in the Elite 8, and maybe even Notre Dame getting out of their bracket (more likely, though, you had 'Nova). You had no respect for any team other than the Big East teams, and therefore you had a hard time picking any games right in the first 2 rounds.
However, if you're like me... you still have your final four. You picked Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Duke. You picked Kentucky to beat Ohio State in the finals, and you're looking at winning your office pool.
My main point for this post is a little bracketology advice. I've been extremely good at filling out brackets since I can remember (and I'm so modest, too). Here's some random thoughts that you may want to remember for next year's bracket.
1. If a team outside of a big six conference is given a 1-3 seed, they're probably grossly over-seeded, and should be knocked out in the second round (See: New Mexico). Unless, of course, they have a future Cavs player (See: St. Joseph's)
2. If a team was a #1 seed last year, but they lose almost all of their production, they're not going to be great this year. (See: Pittsburgh)
3. If everyone is picking a #1 seed to lose early, it's probably because everyone hates that school. In reality, they're probably going to make the final four. (See: Duke)
4. If a team loses more than 50% of their last 10 games, but still gets a 2-seed... you know what to do with them. Don't listen to Barack Obama. (See: Villanova)
5. If a team goes 30-4, but has a 9-seed... they're probably going to upset #1 Kansas in the second round. That's just common knowledge people, come on. (See: Northern Iowa)
6. If a team was mediocre all year, but somehow made the tournament... they're still mediocre and should be treated as such (See: Entire Field)
Enjoy the games tonight, and check back soon for NBA Updates once the playoffs are set in stone.
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