Sweet Sixteen

Cinderella came but her carriage was waiting and she had to be sent on her way except in this instance there was no glass slipper left behind, just lots of blood, sweat, and tears. Well at least that’s the case in this year’s NCAA basketball tourney and it has many people upset and crying that the magic of the tourney has faded.

As of right now the first day of the sweet sixteen is over and 12 teams remain. Of them are all 4 #1 seeds UConn, Louisville, Pitt, and North Carolina. Only two, 2 seeds are alive in Oklahoma who should beat #3 Syracuse tomorrow to advance and Michigan State who faces off with #3 Kansas. The lowest seeds in the tourney are #4 Gonzaga and #12 Arizona and either could become the Cinderella of this tournament if they advance to the Elite Eight but both are facing #1 seeds.

Now you can make the argument and say “but wait ‘Zona is a 12 seed!! and barely got in!! They ARE a Cinderella.” However, Arizona cannot be overlooked because not only do they play in the Pac-10, a power conference, but they were also 18-8 at one point beating teams like Gonzaga, Kansas, Washington, USC, and UCLA along the way before they decided to implode near the end of the season plus they have a 2-3 players that have a legit chance to make the NBA with Chase Budinger leading the way as a definite lottery selection this coming summer. Arizona should not have been a 12 seed but rather a top five seed had they not lost 5 of their last 8 games of the season.

You may then futilely cry “but Gonzaga is a mid-major team! They have to be a Cinderella.” Sorry but Gonzaga has been good for the last 5 years or so, so they can’t be thought of as a mid major anymore and plus they are a 4 seed in this year’s tourney. However, if they beat North Carolina tomorrow they could become the darling of this tourney and thought of as Cinderella although they are such a high seed.

The fans can cry all they want that there is no Cinderella this year but I ask them what is wrong with having the best teams in the tourney? I am all for the gigantic upsets but I want to see good basketball too, so I’m not disappointed that this March there is no Cinderella. The beauty of the tournament is seeing every team, regardless of what seed they are, try so hard to win the championship because they only have a limited number of chances and seeing the passion when teams either win or lose. The winning team always smiles and is ecstatic with joy while the losers all cry, in disappointment as they know they didn’t win, but at least they were given a chance and their hard work had paid off and for some there is no next year but for that one month they were surrounded by their brothers and shared the tumultuous ride that is March Madness together and that is something to be truly cherished.

'til next time,
Peace and Much Love To Ya