This year's NCAA Tournament has proven once again to be a worthy distraction from everything else that's going on in the world. With its unparalleled drama, suspense and unpredictability, the 2003 tournament has left dreams shattered, goals attained and brackets busted.
With 61 teams of the original field of 65 having returned home already over the past two weeks, four teams now are left standing, all with a ticket punched for New Orleans. Each of these Final Four teams -- Texas, Marquette, Syracuse and Kansas -- has a captivating story and likable quality about them.
First there's Texas. The Longhorns were the only No. 1 seed to survive their region, thanks in large part to most people's national player of the year, T.J. Ford. Ford, the do-it-all sophomore point guard from Houston, stayed close to home (unlike his high school teammate Daniel Ewing of Duke -- how about that for a dream backcourt?!) and has taken the Texas basketball program to a place most Longhorn alumni have never been -- among college basketball's elite. Although the old saying goes, "everything in Texas is bigger," Longhorn fans might want to amend that to say "except for T.J. Ford" if he leads this traditional football and baseball power to a basketball championship.
Ford won't be the only marquee player on display near Bourbon Street this coming weekend. Marquette junior swingman Dwayne Wade made believers of us all with his scintillating performance against Kentucky in the Elite Eight. Wade posted a triple-double, including 29 points, against the No. 1 Wildcats to propel the Golden Eagles to their first Final Four Appearance since 1977. The Golden Eagles of 26 years ago won the National Championship under coach and now-broadcaster, Al McGuire. The return of Marquette to a place of prominence is a feat many never would have predicted. Heck, most people probably (still) don't even know where Marquette is located? (A: Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The return of this once great program, along with the possibility of watching another breathtaking performance by Wade, gives the Golden Eagles more than just intrigue. It gives them a legitimate shot at being the college basketball equivalent to the Buckeyes or Angels -- teams that came from nowhere to hoist the championship trophy.
Whereas Texas and Marquette have superstar players that draw our attention, Syracuse and Kansas have coaches that can be considered sentimental favorites to win the whole enchilada. Orangemen headman Jim Boeheim, coaching his 27th season at Syracuse, has assembled a talented young group of players centering on freshmen phenom Carmelo Anthony. Although Anthony is as much a superstar as Ford and Wade, the real story for the Orangemen is Boeheim. He's remained loyal to his program, overcome prostate cancer a few years ago and came within a Keith Smart jumper of winning the title in 1987. He has done a remarkable job, not only assembling the talent, but also teaching it to function as a team, especially on defense in his trademark 2-3 zone. Boeheim's a beloved member within the coaching fraternity and certainly has waited long enough for it to be his -- and Syracuse's -- turn at a winning a championship.
Another coach vying to be everyone's sentimental favorite is Kansas headman Roy Williams. Never afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve, Williams has become known for his teary-eyed press conferences after his team's season ends prematurely. He turned down his one-time dream job at North Carolina to stay at Kansas and with the players and fans he felt he couldn't walk out on.
This year will mark Williams' fourth trip to the Final Four and second consecutive appearance. Unlike the previous three trips, Williams' squad was not expected to make it this far. Whereas the Jayhawks usually are the team that falls short of expectations, this year's Kansas team did not have the pressure traditionally placed on them, and upset Duke and Arizona on its way to New Orleans. Seniors Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison are capable of taking over a game. They returned for their senior season with only one goal in mind: winning a championship.
Kansas is riding the momentum of two big wins and is led by a great coach in Williams. For these reasons, I think it will be Kansas cutting down the nets Monday night.
If it is indeed finally Roy Williams' turn, this much is sure: his eyes will be filled with tears once again, only this time they will be tears of joy.
Read More
ISTVAN: Tony Bennett left Virginia in a hole
By Ben Istvan | 5 hours agoHis decision to retire doomed this men's basketball season.
Football lands three additional transfers
By Peter Kriebel | 2 days agoOne common trait that stands out with this most recent batch of transfers is size.
