LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – Some of my reactions to the makeup and some of the matchups of the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament’s field of 68 (long-winded, eh?):
*The field in the Midwest Regional is an absolute whopper.
Along with 34-and-zip Wichita State, others dropped into that portion of the bracket include Michigan (the Big Ten regular-season champion, which, apparently, was deep into top-seed discussion before its Big Ten tourney loss to Michigan State Sunday afternoon), Duke, Louisville and – if it wins its First Four tilt with Xavier on Tuesday night in Dayton – North Carolina State and its ACC leader scorer and rebounder and Player of the Year T.J. Warren.
Of course, the team some considered – not so long ago – a strong contender to win a national title (and even go 40-0), Kentucky, is also in the field as an 8 seed and could face the team still in contention for 40-zip on Sunday in St. Louis.
But there is little in the way the mostly underachieving (if you bought into the preseason hype, at least) Wildcats of Coach John Calipari have played this season to offer assuredness that they will get by Kansas State in the Round of 64 Friday and earn a Sunday shot at Wichita State.
*I heard some talking heads offer up that the East Regional is as strong as is the Midwest.
But, although a Sweet 16 game between No. 1 seed Virginia and No. 4 Michigan State would be as enticing as would Wichita State-Louisville in the same round in the Midwest, I’m not buying that suggestion.
*The most compelling and/or entertaining Round of 64 matchups will be Oregon vs. BYU (West/Milwaukee/Thursday), Gonzaga-Oklahoma State (West/San Diego/Friday), Creighton-Louisiana/Lafayette (West/San Antonio/Friday) and North Carolina-Providence (East/San Antonio/Friday).
*I get why Virginia (despite the often-mentioned 87-52 loss at Tennessee on Dec. 30) got a No. 1 seed and Louisville didn’t.
Obviously the Committee valued the overall strength of Virginia’s Atlantic Coast Conference (which is also represented in the Field of 68 by No. 3 seeds Duke and Syracuse; No. 6 North Carolina; No. 9 Pittsburgh and No. 12 North Carolina State) more than it did Louisville American Conference (which also has No. 5 Cincinnati, No. 7 Connecticut and No. 8 Memphis in the Field of 68).
And Louisville’s schedule outside of conference – other than tilts with North Carolina and Kentucky, each of which knocked off Rick Pitino’s Cardinals – was anything but overtly challenging.
But having the Cardinals as a No. 4 seed?
I’m not buying that, folks.
Did anyone on the Committee watch that team over the past month or so?
I wouldn’t think so.
*How difficult (or, certainly expensive) will it be to purchase for the regional action in St. Louis on Friday and Sunday?
It will be a scalpers’/brokers’ delight, for sure – a definite sellers’ market.
Wichita State, Kansas, Kansas State, New Mexico and – least we forget about “Big Blue Nation” – Kentucky have large and passionate followings that even now may be within shouting distance of St. Louis.
A possible Sunday double dip of Wichita State-Kentucky and Kansas-New Mexico could prove to be a “tough ticket” the likes of up-front seating at the Academy Awards for non-major award nominees.
