Hoops Ramblings

I have decided to blog about nothing except college basketball during the month of March. If you are looking for pop culture observations, check back in April. If you enjoy college hoops insights sans journalistic integrity, then read on.

• Before I get to March Madness, I want to update you on the UVa men's basketball team. Tony Bennett came in as head coach from Washington State before this past season. Shortly after he arrived, John Brandenburg -- a fundamentally sound white big man whose game is seemingly perfect for Bennett's style -- transferred to Colgate. Before the first game, talented big man Jamil Tucker took a leave of absence from the team for unknown personal reasons -- he never returned. Near the end of the season, Calvin Baker -- an experienced senior point guard -- left the team for family reasons. Last week, highly touted freshman Tristan Spurlock decided to transfer (he says he wanted to stay but Bennett advised him to transfer) and star sophomore Sylven Landesberg decided to go pro. Landesberg had been suspended from the last three games of the year for academic reasons (apparently he skipped a few art classes), but he did not fail out. He could have returned to the team and school next season, but he dropped out of classes last week. Landesberg is good, but in my opinion he needs at least another year to develop his outside game. Since he was dropped out of school, he cannot test the waters and return to school. I think Bennett will be successful at UVa once he gets his type of players, but it is a little disheartening that 5 key members of the program left before season's end or after the season ended. UVa has a solid class coming in next season, but I expect it to take 3-4 years before UVa returns to respectability. Let's now talk about teams that actually made the Big Dance.

• March Madness 2010 has been one of the best of all-time. Double digit seeds won 11 games. Two 5-seeds are in the Final Four. Only one 1-seed is in the Final Four. Three buzzer beaters. West Virginia saved the Big East from being vastly overhyped -- the first time I filled out a bracket, I had four Big East teams in the Final Four (I later switched UK in for West Virginia). Speaking of which, everyone's bracket sucks. In a normal March Madness, only about 90% of people will say their bracket sucks (as opposed to 100% this year).

• I still think 1998 is my favorite March Madness of all-time. This year has probably been just as good or better, but I was on high school Spring Break on the first and second weekends of March Madness 1998 -- my friends and I drank at least ten liters of Mountain Dew each per day, crushed a few boxes of Hot Pockets, and filled out our own bracket on a giant posterboard. We watched just about every game, and it seems like every game was close and there were a few unbelievable upsets every day. My favorite March Madness moment is Bryce Drew's three at the buzzer as Valpo upset 4-seed Ole Miss by one (Valpo also won its second round game against Florida State). 14-seed Richmond upset 3-seed South Carolina. Rip Hamilton hit a fade-away floater in the lane to beat Washington at the buzzer. UK won the title in Tubby Smith's first season.

• There have been some great storylines in this year's Madness: Butler gets to play in its hometown of Indianapolis for the Final Four. Baylor made the Elite Eight less than seven years after one player murdered another player and the coach tried to cover it up. West Virginia and Michigan State advance to the Final Four without injured point guards. Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh hit a game-winning three against UNLV then made the ballsiest shot of the tourney against Kansas. Michigan State underachieved during the regular season, but Tom Izzo led the Spartans to their 6th Final Four in the last 12 years.

• Gus Johnson had another great Madness as an announcer. I am waiting for CBS to realize that Gus should be announcing the Final Four games instead of Jim Nantz. When Jim Nantz tells me that the Masters is a tradition unlike any other, I believe him. He was born to be a golf announcer. Gus was born to announce every close March Madness game. See below for a Gus Johnson soundboard and the video of Gus' best game of the tourney (although the video does not contain some of Gus' best calls from that game).

http://www.gusjohnsongetsbuckets.com/