And, of course, you can't beat the George Mason story. It was sad to watch the Patriots' miracle run end against Florida in a game that looked a lot like most high seed vs. low seed first round games-the underdog keeps it close at the half, and then, as if turning on a switch, the better squad opens an eight-point lead, which grows to 16 midway through the second half, and then the point of no return has been reached.
I just called George Mason's run miraculous. The sports media would have us believe that the Patriots' inspirational journey was not only very improbable, but also that it speaks to how infrequently academics-first institutions triumph in Div. I college sports. Duke singularly shatters that argument. And, if we think about it, is George Mason such a feel-good academic story? The president of the university allegedly sent an e-mail to all George Mason professors early last week asking for academic slack for the basketball team. I bet J.J. Redick doesn't have to attend class either, but the president of Duke probably doesn't send e-mails excusing him from work. U.S. News and World Report ranks George Mason 130th overall on the national universities list. Among the teams ranked higher that play far better basketball: Georgetown (23), UNC (27), Boston College (40), Florida (50), Texas (52), George Washington (53), Ohio State (60) and UConn (68). So, to the extent that George Mason's run was miraculous, it is just because its players are less talented on the court than others, not that they are smarter than others. George Mason has standards of admission no higher than most basketball powerhouses. Their recruitment program is just seriously deficient. What would constitute a real NCAA tournament miracle? If Bucknell, ranked 27th on the U.S. News liberal arts colleges list with an undergraduate student body one-fifth the size of George Mason's (3,454 vs. 17,408), made a run deep into the late rounds, then we could talk about miracles.
Response to "My column"
In brief response to The Student's brilliant mock version of this column in the April Fools edition, I will say four things: first, this year's NCAA Tournament has proven that no one, whether it be you or Clark Kellogg, can accurately predict the outcomes of two weeks' worth of games. The more CBS and ESPN resort to pre-game forecasts, the more their analysts are set up to look like fools. Second, relegating the L.A. Clippers to "no chance for the playoffs" status was, admittedly, idiotic. Third, speaking of my ubiquitous NBA rankings, check out who's on a tear and rapidly approaching Miami's number two-position in the East. And finally, I was very wrong about the Knicks. Brown and Thomas should be fired and Marbury shipped far away.
Players Championship
Two weeks ago ESPN's expansive coverage of golf's Players Championship in Jacksonville, Fla. stunned me. Repeatedly, Sportscenter segments aired from TPC Sawgrass, the site of the tournament. That's the sort of treatment you expect ESPN to afford the four majors-the U.S. Open, the British Open, the PGA, and the Masters-but not to a non-major, even the biggest one in golf. By contrast, the Final Four has squashed what would presumably be significant coverage of this year's Masters, the greatest tournament in all of golf, beginning tomorrow morning.
Phil Mickelson's game has never been in better shape. At the Bellsouth Classic last week, he tied the course record with 63 on Thursday and then cruised in the lead until Sunday en route to a resounding 13-stroke 28-under-par victory (fourth best all-time). Phil is even inventing new styles. Evidently he now carries two drivers in his bag-one for a fade and one for a draw. Others are laughing at him. But if he carries the Bellsouth momentum into Augusta, he will put himself in great position to win, and hopefully in position, finally, for a momentous showdown with Mr. Woods.
LeBron comes up big
LeBron James is only 21 years old, so he has plenty of time to beat any criticism leveled against him at this stage. Nonetheless, until two weeks ago, a mini but potentially substantial blemish to his reputation was developing: some said that he could not perform under pressure late in fourth quarters, and that he passes the buck too often. I, for one, thought that his passes out of double-teams to open shooters in late-game situations was advisable and not imprudent. In any case, the debate is now moot, since on March 22 LeBron hit a deep fadeaway game-winner against the Charlotte Bobcats with 0.9 seconds left. Wondering about his killer instinct is not the right criticism of LeBron. I look forward to observing whether he can turn the Cavs into a serious playoff contender in the Eastern Conference once Hughes is back and the squad is at full strength.