Can you hear that? Yup, that’s the sound of hearts beating a little faster and a little harder with every game that is played in college hoops these days. Are you staying up late to watch all the games like I am? Well, if you’re not, it’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon that is loving college basketball – it will for sure keep your heart in check!
College Hoops Recap
Let’s recap what happened last week in college hoops: Indiana embarrassed me in my blog lost to Minnesota as I was singing their praises … Duke lost at UVA and didn’t make it off the court before it was rushed (Coach K made his I’m not happy face – thanks Last Angry Fan blog!) … Blue Devils came back to beat Miami in a clutch game on Saturday … Georgetown won its 11th-straight game to move up to No. 5 in the Associated Press rankings (highest since week 2 of 2007-08 season) … Oh yeah, and Gonzaga held on at BYU (barely) and then defeated Portland at home (raise your hand if you watched that game … no you didn’t, put your hand down) and got the No. 1 ranking in the AP for the first time in school history.
Conference Love
So, what does all that mean? Well, not a whole lot just yet. We’re all happy for Gonzaga but I’m not sure how many people reading this can say, “Man, I’m a huge West Coast Conference fan!” … Oh wait, yes I can. Yup, I see 1, 2 … and that’s about it. Two of you (if that) may care about the WCC as opposed to the far sexier basketball conferences like the BIG EAST Conference and the Big Ten Conference. The BIG EAST is like the perfect little black dress, it never goes out of style … until, well, they’re not really the same conference they were before – but, let’s save that for when all the deets come out on the Basketball / Catholic 7. The Big Ten is “so hot right now”, we may as well call them Hansel from Zoolander. The BIG EAST accounts for six schools in the AP Top 25 while the Big Ten boasts five. The WCC? One. High five, Zags! Way to represent!
East Coast Bias / Zags Hoops Love (sorta)
This is the first time Gonzaga has been No. 1 in school history. If you’ve ever heard the term East Coast bias, you may be connecting the dots right now. Has Gonzaga been overlooked all season despite a 29-2 record and losses to only top-15 teams? Is it because we on the East Coast are too self-involved and don’t bother watching games that start that late? Absolutely not. Gonzaga is No. 1 for the first time this season because while they’ve only lost two games and both have been to top-15 opponents, the more important stat is that of the 29 teams they’ve beaten, only one was ranked (then-No. 22 Oklahoma State – the Cowboys are now up to No. 13).
Don’t get me wrong, Gonzaga still had to win 29 games which is INCREDIBLY difficult. But, the only way to play their schedule and see a No. 1 ranking is in a year like this one. There are no dominant teams and anyone can win on any given night. Gonzaga should send thank you notes to Minnesota (for beating Indiana), UVA (for beating Duke) and Duke (first for losing to UVA as well as for beating Miami) so the Zags could back their way into No. 1 through a process of elimination.
Conference Tourneys Around the Corner
We’re getting closer to the conference tourneys, which just ups the excitement for the NCAA tournament. Some argue that the conference tourneys may be better because you see the culmination of gritty teams (with history, drama and rivalries) playing each other for bragging rights. And for some, they’re playing for the only chance they have at an NCAA tourney bid. What’s my opinion on conference tourneys? I say you watch both and be the judge yourself! My can’t miss tourneys are the BIG EAST and Big Ten … but, you can be sure that I’ll be parked in front of a tv for as many games as I can!
Zubaz and Hoops
I love good unis. When a team goes with an alternate base color (like black or white) with accents of the official colors, I love it. When Oregon (Nike University as I call them) flaunts new football unis every game, I’m not mad. Even when the Warriors went with sleeves, I was dow. It seems adidas is banking on people embracing the “what’s old is new again” in its unis. Do we all remember Zubaz? Well, if you don’t, Wikipedia has been kind enough to have an entry on the once-popular item. Adidas thought it would be a good idea to make unis out of Zubaz … and add fun sleeves for some (a la the Warriors). Fashion do or don’t?
Get excited for some March Madness everyone! Remember, Selection Sunday (when the brackets are revealed) is Sunday, March 17! Once the brackets are out, make your picks, sit back, cross your fingers, drink your beer and enjoy! Still working on that March Madness drinking game – so send your suggestions my way!
