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I was among the millions of Americans who watched the NCAA Championship last night, which is rather rare for me, especially given the fact that this is college basketball. I do not know why, but I cannot find the thrill in watching very young men sacrifice an essential portion of their lives for a chance to play in a field that has little to do with the advancement of the human race. However, I was intrigued by the circumstances centered around these year's victors of the Final Four.
On one side, you had the Louisville Cardinals who were expected to win the tourney, being the number one team left after Gonzaga was uprooted by Wichita (76-70), Kansas was crushed by Michigan half-way into the tourney (87-85) and Indiana lost to Syracuse in the Sweet 16 (61-50).
Under normal conditions, they would have been like any other NCAA powerhouse with guards that made power plays and forwards that earned respect within the paint, retrieving rebounds and amassing points. Under normal conditions, I would be rooting against them. However, I was fortunate to have tuned into the Louisville vs. Wichita State game and witness Kevin Ware, in an attempt to block a shot, come down hard enough that his leg folded into an incomplete rectangle. After that game I became a brief fan of the Cardinals, not because of the injury, but because of how the team reacted to the injury. When Ware was taken off the court on a stretcher, the team left a seat empty in honor of him and played the rest of the game with an agenda: to win the championship for Louisville and for Ware. Camaraderie of that magnitude can soften even the most callous of hearts.
On the other side, you had the Michigan Wolverines who had not made a championship appearance since 1993, so their coach was pretty much fighting for his job at this point. In addition, a lot of the players were unknown to me. I did not know who Trey Burke was, even after he won the award for the Naismith College Player of the Year.
But I am happy that I tuned in to watch the game. It was very, very entertaining. The crowd was absolutely electrified, the coaches were shuffling players around, it was like watching a high-pace chess match. Players tried to match other players in skill and agility while the coaches pulled out their trump cards as a response to deficiencies in the lineup. Michigan had a huge boost at the beginning with plays from players like Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr. Spike Albrecht, Michigan's trump card, came in and shot like he was possessed. At the 1st half, he made all four three point attempts and gave the Wolverines a 12 point lead. But this was not Louisville's Coach Rick Pitino's first championship appearance. He responded by bringing in Luke Hancock who wiped all 12 points before the end of the half. After that, Louisville just kept pressing and Michigan would respond back. This was a game that exemplified human resourcefulness and athleticism.
It will probably be a while before I find the motivation to watch another NCAA tournament, but at least I can say I was able to witness the best that college basketball had to offer. Though, I think I'll stick to my sciences and blogging.
(All statistics used in this article can be found on espn.go.com under ESPN Men's Basketaball)
On one side, you had the Louisville Cardinals who were expected to win the tourney, being the number one team left after Gonzaga was uprooted by Wichita (76-70), Kansas was crushed by Michigan half-way into the tourney (87-85) and Indiana lost to Syracuse in the Sweet 16 (61-50).
Under normal conditions, they would have been like any other NCAA powerhouse with guards that made power plays and forwards that earned respect within the paint, retrieving rebounds and amassing points. Under normal conditions, I would be rooting against them. However, I was fortunate to have tuned into the Louisville vs. Wichita State game and witness Kevin Ware, in an attempt to block a shot, come down hard enough that his leg folded into an incomplete rectangle. After that game I became a brief fan of the Cardinals, not because of the injury, but because of how the team reacted to the injury. When Ware was taken off the court on a stretcher, the team left a seat empty in honor of him and played the rest of the game with an agenda: to win the championship for Louisville and for Ware. Camaraderie of that magnitude can soften even the most callous of hearts.
On the other side, you had the Michigan Wolverines who had not made a championship appearance since 1993, so their coach was pretty much fighting for his job at this point. In addition, a lot of the players were unknown to me. I did not know who Trey Burke was, even after he won the award for the Naismith College Player of the Year.
But I am happy that I tuned in to watch the game. It was very, very entertaining. The crowd was absolutely electrified, the coaches were shuffling players around, it was like watching a high-pace chess match. Players tried to match other players in skill and agility while the coaches pulled out their trump cards as a response to deficiencies in the lineup. Michigan had a huge boost at the beginning with plays from players like Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr. Spike Albrecht, Michigan's trump card, came in and shot like he was possessed. At the 1st half, he made all four three point attempts and gave the Wolverines a 12 point lead. But this was not Louisville's Coach Rick Pitino's first championship appearance. He responded by bringing in Luke Hancock who wiped all 12 points before the end of the half. After that, Louisville just kept pressing and Michigan would respond back. This was a game that exemplified human resourcefulness and athleticism.
It will probably be a while before I find the motivation to watch another NCAA tournament, but at least I can say I was able to witness the best that college basketball had to offer. Though, I think I'll stick to my sciences and blogging.
(All statistics used in this article can be found on espn.go.com under ESPN Men's Basketaball)
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