An Elite Weekend

Simply put, this past weekend of the NCAA tournament was a joy. There weren't simply unbelivable finishes, but the regional finals were all great, competitive games from start to finish. But from all of the great drama and superb moments, three things stick in my mind:

1. The one trait separating the cream of the crop: athleticism. Coaches and media members love to trumpet fundamentals, shooting and great teamwork in the college game, but this weekend showed me that to survive in March, you need guys with hops. When you take the top 65 teams in the nation, pretty much everyone can shoot, and everyone has won some close games and everyone has several guys who can put up 20 points in a game. The difference are those few players who can make that crazy, game-changing play. Watching the West Regional final, it was clear to me that Louisville's superior athleticism won the game for them down the stretch. The blocked shots, deflected passes and tough rebounds set them apart from West Virginia.

2. Even though I watched that Illinois comeback against Arizona, I still don't understand how it happened. Deron Williams and the Illini simply ripped that victory out of Arizona's hands. When the Cats kept committing all those turnovers in the final minutes, I was instantly reminded of the similar collapse they had against Stanford in the Nick Robinson Game last year. In that game, Arizona yielded two steals and seven straight points in the final 43 seconds. Those final few tense, gaffe-filled Arizona posessions yesterday certainly elicited some fond memories.

3. I'm baffled by how poorly some of the teams executed in game-winning situations. You see it when the game is tied or the team with the ball is within 3 points. They wait, dribble, wait, let the clock tick down to 8, 7, 6, 5(!!!) before they start their drive to the basket. Arizona botched it Saturday and Kentucky completely blew it in the first overtime. It is absolutely inexcusable that Kelenna Azubuike, dribbling in circles, didn't even get a shot off. If I'm the coach, I make my point guard start his drive at the 8 second mark. That leaves enough room for improvisation in case he hits a roadblock, and it leaves enough time to get an offensive rebound if necessary.