2014 should be known as the year of the “upsets” when it comes to discussions about the NCAA Tournament. It should also be known as the “year of appreciation” as well.
As we head into the “Sweet 16,” there are four teams ranked as an eighth seed or above (Kentucky is an eighth seed, Stanford is a tenth seed, and Tennessee and Dayton are eleventh seeds). I haven't recalled an NCAA tournament in the last 20 years with such upsets and passions like the one we are witness to in 2014. In fact I believe David Greene, a radio show host for NPR, best described day one of the tournament earlier this week.
“I love March Madness,” said Greene. “Sixteen more games in the Men's Division I college basketball tournament today. They'll have to live up to all the excitement yesterday. It was a day of upsets, buzzer beating shots, and nail-biting overtime wins, and much of it happened at the NCAA's Tournament site in Spokane, Washington.”
Think about how amazing the tournament has been so far. Saying “Cinderella has been busy” is an understatement. Third-seeded Duke lost to 14-seeded Mercer last week. I can tell with a lot of certainty that nobody saw that coming. And if someone says they did, then he/she is lying. Many fans expected Duke to make the Sweet 16, at the least (I had Duke losing in the Sweet 16 to Michigan in my bracket). The always honorable head coach of the Blue Devils, Mike Krzyzewski, gave great respect to Mercer after the loss.
“They’re men,” Krzyzewski said. “They’re strong, and I don’t just mean physically. They have a great coach. Honestly, what they did was beautiful to see. I applaud them and I applaud their fans for what they’ve done this season.”
Despite Mercer losing to Tennessee on Sunday, their win against Duke was still one for the record books. I've never seen such passion from College Basketball players. In an era of sports history where Colleges misuse their players (too many rules, restrictions, etc) and take advantage of them, it's nice to see that these young men play for the pride and honor of the game. For instance, the Stanford defense played an amazing game against a tough Kansas offense. Kansas could not find a open shot in the second half.
Mike Greenberg from “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on ESPN Radio made a great point this morning. He said Wichita State “haters” are going to bereave the team for losing to No. 8 Kentucky. Wichita State had an amazing season and deserved to be a No. 1 seed. Take the conference and opponent difficulty out of the equation. The fact is that Wichita State won every game this season until their loss to Kentucky on Sunday. How many other NCAA teams can say that this season? Absolutely none. Wichita State had a season to be proud of and should not have their efforts defined by the one and only loss they suffered.
Not all (in fact very few) of the players we are watching will make the NBA. Even fewer will become stars in the league and receive “the big pay day.” Fans should enjoy the passion and hunger that the college players provide. A lot of us lose that hunger as we get older. The youth of today carries an abundance of hunger and determination. It's a blessing to witness such hard work and skills. It comes around once a lifetime. NCAA tournament fans should be mindful of the opportunity these young men and women have and allow them to experience it to the fullest.
2014 could very well be known as the year of the Upset. However no fan should be “upset” because we are witnessing the very best College Basketball has to offer.
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