Hoops commentary has fallen off dramatically lately, but it's not because my teams are out of the tournament. Or, rather, it's not just because my teams are out of the tournament. Mostly, it's because Kate and I were out of town for the weekend, on vacation in Boston, and I barely saw any of the games. I did see the tail end of the UCLA-Kansas game, and the last two mintues and overtime of UNC's epic collapse against Georgetown last night, but that's about it.
Anyway, the chalk-tastic tournament of 2007 has wound down to a fairly unappealing Final Four. I intensely dislike Florida, I've got twenty-odd years of Syracuse fandom telling me to root against Georgetown, UCLA's games tend to be cover-your-eyes ugly, and Ohio State is probably the least bad rooting option of the lot, with the only knock on them being that I'm sick of hearing about the awesomeness of Greg Oden.
The games next weekend should be fairly interesting-- UCLA-Florida is a rematch of last year's championship game, and Georgetown-Ohio State offers a match-up of seven-foot cetners (Oden and Georgetown's Roy Hibbert). I wouldn't expect a whole lot of aethetically pleasing free-flowing basketball, though, but if you're into clutching and bumping and physical defense, well, have we got a Final Four for you...
Well, we are up to about a 25% chance (assuming all the teams are more-or-less evenly matched) of a "rematch" of the football championship game.
Well, we are up to about a 25% chance (assuming all the teams are more-or-less evenly matched) of a "rematch" of the football championship game.
You're two scare quotes short-- That should be "football 'championship' game."
But yeah, that's a distinct possibility.
You're two scare quotes short.
OK, conceded.
The Oden-Hibbert matchup is probably going to get the most attention, but I think the key to OSU-G'town is going to be Mike Conley, Jr. vs. Jessie Sapp. Sapp in particular has been flying under the radar in the tournament, but I was very impressed with the Hoyas' halfcourt offensive efficiency during their comeback, and that ultimately reflects well on the point guard.