2013 NCAA Tournament: We Have Yet to be Entertained

Congrats Louisville, Michigan, Syracuse, and Wichita State - you've made the 2013 Final Four. Too bad I'm less than excited to see this play out. Probably more so than I have been for any Final Four in recent memory. Don't worry you four, it's nothing you've done - heck you've been amazing and have given us some of the top memories that aren't FGCU related in this tournament. 

However, the other 64 of you in this 2013 tournament left a hell of a lot to be desired and dare I say you've ruined this tournament for me. No, seriously, this could very well be the least anxious I've been to see a Final Four play out since I can remember the Final Four (which was the 1988 tournament in case you were wondering). 

Just take the second weekend of the tournament this year. Outside of the Kansas vs. Michigan Sweet 16 game there wasn't a single memorable moment to speak of... at least in a positive manner. Outside of that moment, name more than one game that you'll actually remember five weeks from now, let alone five years from now.

There were plenty of moments to forget to say the least. From Marquette's incredibly embarrassing three-point shooting in the East regional final to Florida doing the ass-kicking and getting an ass-kicking the story of this tournament for the neutral fans of March Madness has been the lack of entertainment from what really matters - the on the court action.

D Leads Syracuse to Final Four

It wasn't exactly pretty and Syracuse didn't set the world on fire offensively, but the Orange used their 2-3 zone defense to perfection in blowing out Marquette, 55-39, to earn yet another Final Four appearance.

A trio of double digit scorers - James Southerland (16pts), C.J. Fair (13pts), and Michael Carter-Williams (12pts) - were the stars of the East regional final for Syracuse. All three also got it done on the defensive end of the court as well.

The Orange are going back to the Final Four for the first time in ten years, coincidentally also the last time they won the national championship. As for this game on Saturday afternoon in Washington, D.C. on rival Georgetown's home court there's really only one question that matters.

Was it poor shooting by Marquette or was it good defense from the Orange that won it? That will be the big debate that will be all over sports talk radio come Monday morning, just you watch. However, after watching this team all tournament long it's hard not to say it was all about the Syracuse defense.

Blue Devils Elite

The Duke Blue Devils got a monster game from Seth Curry and played some of their best defense of the season and advanced past Michigan State and into the Elite 8 with a 71-61 victory on Friday night. The win sets up a match up between the Blue Devils and the overall number one seed in the tournament, Louisville.

Louisville is the only 1 seed remaining in the tournament. The game will be a rematch of an early season battle between the two teams that Duke won.

The game will also feature a match up of two Hall of Fame coaches in Mike Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino.

Thanks to the NCAA, here are highlights of Duke's win on Friday night:

UCLA's Overblown Ego Hurting Coaching Search

When you think of college basketball there are but a few schools that stand at the top the mountain, a.k.a the "Blue Bloods." You may know them as UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Kansas and Duke. So, when Ben Howland was let go following an opening round loss to Minnesota in this year's NCAA tournament, you could sort of understand, right?

I mean, after all this is John Wooden's program - you know, the one of 10 national championships in 12 years and all. The expectations at a "Blue Blood" program should be higher than what Howland produced this year or over even over the past few. Put aside the three Final Fours and the four conference championships in 10 years at Westwood - or so we've been told by Dan Guerrero, the Athletics Director at UCLA - that's not good enough anymore. 

Sure, the pressure cooker is hotter than the sun in SoCal and more choking than the smog in the City of Angels, but who wouldn't want the job in Westwood, right? The title of head coach at the University of California - Los Angeles carries so much prestige, you'd be out of your mind to turn it down.

Never mind the fact that before the good Dr. Wooden came on campus the Bruins had never been to the NCAA tournament, let alone won a national championship (a fact most people probably don't realize) and never mind the fact that since John Wooden's departure the Bruins have managed a whole ONE national championship. 

9 Seed in Elite 8

Wichita State ended LaSalle's run in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday guaranteeing that a 9 seed will be part of the Elite 8. Gregg Marshall's Shockers will face Ohio State on Saturday. Here is post game reaction.

Elijah Johnson vs. Mitch McGary's Johnson

Getting hit in the nuts - it's a staple of just about every "funniest videos" show out there. However, there's funny and then there's intentionally punching someone with malice in the daddy button. Insert this from Elijah Johnson:

(h/t to friends at RunTheFloor for video)


In the NCAA a punch to the opponents nuts gets you a flagrant one foul. Feel free to judge on this one, but my two cents say this was about as blatantly obvious and "intentional" as they come - you know, the definition of a flagrant two - which is an automatic ejection from the game.

Moral of this story? Cheap shots to the nuts won't cost you all that much, so feel free to whack away boys...

Cyclones lock up "The Mayor"

Iowa State fans have a love affair with their head coaches these days and rightfully so, but the love affair with their Men's basketball coach is unlike anything seen in the country as "The Mayor," Fred Hoiberg has come back to the rescue of a program he once led to unheard of heights as a player. However, there's a downside to that - it usually means they are winning a lot more than they are losing and that means being on the radar of open jobs all over the place.

On Thursday rumors (likely sent out from Hoiberg's agent) began circulating that Minnesota was sending out feelers and had a sincere interest in ISU's beloved Hoiberg. Well, credit Jamie Pollard, the AD at Iowa State, as he didn't hesitate to flash the cash for a man that means so much to the program and community.

It was announced later on Thursday night that ISU has inked Hoiberg to a 10 year, $20 million contract extension. Apparently it wasn't just Minnesota with interest as Pollard indicated that there was interest from several college and NBA teams about his services.

"I am very excited that we were able to put together a financial package that allows Fred (Hoiberg) to remain an intergal part of the Cyclone family," Pollard said. "Nobody is better suited to be our head men's basketball coach and we wanted to show he and his family, along with all Cyclone fans, that we are committed to keeping him in Ames for the long term."

Hoiberg clearly sees unfinished business at hand in Ames and that was a big part of him sticking around a place he can truly call home.