Eight is Enough

First things, first. The NCAA’s TV coverage of its basketball tournament has all of its cutesy names for the various stages of their “Big Dance.” After the two full rounds of regional action, they eliminate all the pretenders and are left with the “Sweet Sixteen.” They eliminate half of those teams to get down to the “Elite Eight,” and narrow that down to the “Final Four.”

Why is it they have NOTHING to show for that first full round of games (or is it second round, due to those so-called play in games)? You know, when they eliminate that first wave of teams and leave the field at 32 teams? There is NO cute name for the 32 survivors. No “The Thrilling Thirty Two.” No ” The Thrifty Thirty Two.” No “The Therapeutic Thirty Two.” No “The Thirsty Two Ouncer.” No “The Blank Thirty Two” anythings.

Maybe Twitter should get in on this naming opportunity and sponsor it. Maybe they could possibly follow the lead of “The Rose Bowl, Presented by A T & T,” only they could call it “The Tweet Twirty Two, Sponsored by Twitter.” I’m sure the NCAA would whore themselves out and sell the naming rights to ANYONE who would pay them enough money. I’m sure somewhere in there, there would be some kind of “HASHTAG – #TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!

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Back to business. The NCAA Tournament is now down to its “Elite Eight” remaining teams. SIXTY games have now been played. SIXTY teams have now lost their last games of the season and are headed home.

The eight remaining teams are Kentucky and Notre Dame in the Midwest Region, Duke and Gonzaga in the South Region, Arizona and Gonzaga in the West Region and Louisville and Michigan State in the East Region.

What do most of these teams have in common? Besides being Midwestern based in the case of five of them (and zero of the teams being from the East), they pretty much ALL represent the “power programs that be” that continues to dominate the current landscape of college basketball. For all of the excitement as to WHO would get invited to “the dance,” it’s the same old power programs left in the “Elite Eight” that are (almost) always in it.

A summary of the remaining teams left “dancing.”

Kentucky – Still the team to beat. Dominating defense. Everywhere you look, there is someone 7 feet tall blocking everybody’s shots. They crushed West Virginia the other day 78 to 39. They are so good, they WILL win this tournament unless someone plays a near perfect game that is the game of their lives.

Duke – They are probably realistically the only team that is good enough to beat the Kentucky juggernaut. They’ve got the all world player of the year at center and several high school All America’s sprinkled throughout their team. Like the miracle Duke team that beat a similar UNLV juggernaut 24 years ago, this team COULD pull off the big upset.

Gonzaga – They are one of the “elite programs.” They are something like 35 and 2 this year and nearly unbeatable themselves. Another year, they might even have a chance to win it, but this isn’t “another year.” They are definitely one of the top eight teams in the country this year, but good enough to beat this year’s Kentucky? Doubt it.

Michigan State – They weren’t a great Michigan State team this year, but they WERE Michigan State, and they have gotten this far due to being a well coached, hard working team. These guys always seem to play their best in tournament basketball. Always playing up to and even beyond their potential. But probably not good enough to win it THIS year.

Arizona – They are a really good team. Earlier in this tournament, I thought they were good enough to beat Kentucky, but they probably are only good enough to BE in the Final Four, not win it.

Wisconsin – See Arizona description above. Wisconsin and Arizona play each other on Saturday. It will probably be a great game. “Making” the Final Four is a HELL of a season.

Louisville – It shows how good this program is to still be alive in a year that most would consider a rebuilding year.

Notre Dame – You have had a really good season when you reach the final eight teams and you are NOT one of the power brokers of college basketball. Now, all they get to do is play unbeaten Kentucky. They are Irish. They will need luck.

Most years, you could say that ANYBODY still in this tournament would still have a chance to win the championship. This isn’t most years.

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Maybe it will be 7 Eleven that goes after those first round “naming rights.” I kind of like “The Thirsty Two Ouncer.”