4/14/07: A March to Remember

April 14, 2006

So many outcomes one can take from that title, the surprising march the University of Florida made to the title, the Cinderella march George Mason University made to the Final Four and into our hearts, or just the overall unforgettable month of college basketball that was last month. The term “March Madness” often gets thrown out with little knowledge of just how “mad” it can get, or how the name Cinderella is used more in this month than a year at Disneyland. Like when tiny Northwestern State with an enrollment just over 9,000, does the unthinkable and knocks out mighty Iowa on the opening day as a fourteen seed. Their incredible triumph would not be forgotten but somewhat overshadowed by the Patriots of George Mason. The eleven seeded team from Fairfax, Virginia had the country glued to the television throughout its unimaginable run. Taking a step back, this team was a last entry in the field, and thought by many a team out of its league when compared to the rest of the teams. Their opening round win over Michigan State had some heads turned, and then their second win over defending champion North Carolina had many opening up old history books, rekindling just who George Mason really was. They continued their success by knocking off fellow Cinderella Wichita State, and then cementing their selves in sports almanacs by beating heavy favorite Connecticut. And, that’s just two stories of how this years tournament differed from any other year in my opinion. The most significant story in my eyes was the absence of powers Duke, Connecticut, Villanova, and Memphis, all number one seeds, in the final four. This was not the year for these schools and no one could have guessed it, well let me clarify, one person could guess it. Not Dick Vitale, Billy Packer, Jay Bilas or any other college basketball mastermind, but Russell Pleasant of Omaha, Nebraska who guessed not only the correct champion, and championship match-up, but all final four teams correct. In ESPN.com’s annual Tournament Challenge, over three million fans are in charge of their destiny and can pick the victor of all 64 games. So how did Pleasant pick those four teams correctly? Well, by mistake of course. He was asked how he knew George Mason would make the run and he responded honestly that he originally picked the Patriots thinking they were George Washington University. With all the hype of the Cinderella runs, we can not forget the dominant performance Florida made in the tournament. The Gators big men over-powered every opponent and with equally dominant shooting from outside, this team who was “too young” to win it this year, did just that in convincing style. With every great college player leaving too soon for the glamour and fame that is the NBA, an incredible parody has been dropped on college basketball. So expect more George Mason’s, Wichita State’s, and Winthrop’s in the future. So who’s my early favorite for 2007, well Florida of course, with a group of phenomenal players uninterested in the pros quite yet, they will be the one’s to beat. But who truly knows with the magic that takes place every march, Pleasant put it best when asked how he picks his winners, “Go with your heart and don’t forget about the Cinderellas.”