Brian Thompson Send your tournament
picks, as well as your early birthday wishes to [email protected].
Wednesday is the last day of February. Thank god this month is
almost over! As far as the world of sports is concerned, it was a
pretty miserable month.
The NBA, NHL, and NFL each held their all-star games this month,
but nobody watched or seemed to care. Baseball began its
never-ending season with the beginning of spring training. And, of
course, the XFL debuted.
That may be reason enough why this was a lousy sports month.
But never fear, the greatest month of them all is soon upon us.
March!
And no, it’s not the greatest month because my birthday
falls on the 22nd.
It is my favorite month because March means that it is NCAA
Tournament time for college basketball. March Madness is perhaps
the greatest three weeks of sports on television. Sixty-four teams
start, only one will emerge as champion.
Who doesn’t love sitting in front of the TV all day for
four days in a row? During the tourney, Thursday through Sunday is
a sports lover’s paradise. CBS nicely throws us from game to
game, showing our favorite local teams as well as the top seeds,
and keeping us updated on those inevitable upsets.
It’s hard to get through the other days of the week
without all of that basketball. In the meantime, teams will finish
up their conference schedules, and most will play in conference
tournaments.
While we must play the waiting game until the field of 64 is
announced on March 11, it is never too early to take a look at how
things will shape out. So, since we’re out here in the West,
it’s only fitting that we take a look at Pac-10 schools and
how the contenders are looking heading into March:
UCLA (19-6, 12-2 Pac-10): Of course, we have to start with the
Bruins.
If UCLA wins its remaining four contests, it will win the Pac-10
Championship. That’s pretty hard to believe considering that
the squad was once 4-4 and had many (including yours truly)
screaming for Head Coach Steve Lavin’s head on a platter.
The Bruins have proven that they can keep up with anybody. They
have gone unbeaten since the humiliating 29-point blowout loss at
California. UCLA also proved it can win away from Pauley Pavilion,
with impressive victories at Stanford and Oregon.
Earl Watson, Matt Barnes, Dan Gadzuric and company have been
playing inspired basketball. Moreover, they have been playing team
basketball.
It’s been nice to see for a change.
I usually expect this team to choke come tournament time.
Princeton in 1996 and Detroit-Mercy in 1999 exemplified this line
of thinking. But something tells me that these Bruins could make
some noise. UCLA has put itself in line for a two or three seed. If
this team plays the way it has been playing and has a little luck,
it could make the Elite Eight.
Stanford (25-1, 13-1): Stanford, the consensus No. 1 team in the
nation, is almost assured the No. 1 seed in the West Region.
However, the Cardinal needs to win at UCLA this Saturday to win the
conference title. But should Stanford beat the Bruins Saturday, it
doesn’t get any easier for them. They will turn right around
and play Arizona at home the following Thursday.
Should the Cardinal lose one or both of those games, its No. 1
seeding shouldn’t be in jeopardy. In fact, win or lose, these
tough opponents will only help Stanford prepare for the tournament.
This team has routinely beaten teams by 20 or more points this
year. Close games will only help Stanford this time of year.
Casey Jacobsen is a big-time player. He thrives in the
spotlight. The Collins twins are very consistent down in the post.
In fact, the whole Stanford team is consistently good. Stanford has
played a nearly flawless season. They beat ranked teams like Duke
and Arizona. The only hiccup in their record to this point was the
Feb. 3 loss to UCLA. But this team has what it takes to win it all.
Anything less than the Final Four will be a disappointment for the
Cardinal.
Arizona (19-7, 11-3): Arizona is a team I just don’t get.
Its entire starting lineup consists of Wooden Award candidates.
They were No. 1 back in November. This team should be neck-and-neck
with Stanford in the top 5.
But the Wildcats just haven’t put it together. Sure, they
had a huge tragedy when Coach Lute Olson’s wife passed on; it
is understandable why they went through a lull. But center Loren
Woods has played uninspired basketball all year. He doesn’t
show up for every game and doesn’t play great in big games.
Jason Gardner is having an off year. His backcourt mate, Gilbert
Arenas, on the other hand, has been playing superbly.
Despite their struggles, they have only lost three conference
games. The polls have loved Arizona all year. A two or three seed
is likely.
Somehow, I just don’t see this team ever putting it
together this year. A Sweet 16 berth would be nice, but expect this
team to make a quick exit in the first or second round.
California (19-7, 10-4): Cal is a team that can make some noise
in the tournament. This year, the Bears have pretty much won the
games they were supposed to win, and lost the ones they were
suppose to lose.
But I don’t think we need to remind Bruin fans what Cal is
capable of. Forward Sean Lampley is bringing his great career to an
end. He recently became the school’s all-time leading
scorer.
The Bears will probably only get a seven or eight seed, but look
for them to upset somebody and make it to the Sweet 16.
USC (18-8, 8-6): For a while, it looked as if five Pac-10 teams
would be assured of tournament berths. But our friends at USC have
been doing a lot lately to make sure it’s only four. The
Trojans have been downright mediocre recently, losing four of
seven. Once a top 25 team and a lock for the field of 64, USC finds
itself on the proverbial bubble.
The Trojans will need to get to 10 conference wins to be
considered. If they can win three of their final four games
(let’s face it, they will lose to Stanford Thursday), they
should be in. But don’t expect them to make it past the
second round. After all, this is USC we’re talking about.
Stanford has to be a favorite for the title. They can hang with
the Dukes, North Carolinas, and Michigan States of the world. As
for the rest of the Pac-10, expect one of the other entrants to
make some serious noise. It looks like UCLA may be that team.
All of this tournament talk and we are still 16 days away from
tip-off of the most exciting three weeks of sports. And a lot can
happen between now and then. And even more can and will happen
starting on March 15.
March really is the greatest month.