The NCAA tournament does not always deliver the best team to their marquee event, the NCAA Final Four. In 2011 the Final Four will have zero number-one seeds in Houston to prove it. Is that a major problem? With number-one Ohio State 38-3, Kansas 35-3 and San Diego State 34-3 at home? Legendary former Georgetown coach and Westwood One radio analyst John Thompson said, “There is no such thing as a mid-major anymore.”
Little Virginia Commonwealth and Butler prove that. VCU finished fourth in the little-known Colonial Conference — fourth? Butler is an eighth seed. Apparently, eight is enough!
Yet, VCU gets no attention in the state of Virginia, but they are living large at this weekend’s Final Four. Operating in the shadow of much bigger in-state schools like Virginia Tech, Virginia and Old Dominion, VCU is saying, “Move over, big guys!” For just the third time in NCAA tournament history, a number-11 seed has reached the game’s biggest stage, the Final Four.
VCU has won five games already — the first time ever — before reaching the Final Four in a field of 68 teams. They routed number-one seeded Kansas on Sunday 71-61; they beat down USC, Purdue and Georgetown. This team has achieved the impossible; who would have thought they could achieve the dream of the Final Four? They will match up against Butler in the first semifinal Saturday in Houston.
Butler lost last year’s title game barely to NCAA Champion Duke. But Butler is back — another small school serving the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis. The Bull Dogs are embarrassing the state’s bigger budget well-known schools: Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue and my alma mater, Indiana State. Back to back Final Fours? In a basketball-crazy state like Indiana, that is phenomenal.
The other semifinal has heavyweights like Kentucky, in the Final Four for the first time since 1998 when the Gophers’ coach, Tubby Smith, was coaching the Wildcats.
They will battle Connecticut, which has won nine games in row in 18 days. They finished ninth in the 16-team Big East Conference, which placed 11 teams — a record in the field of 68. They won the Big East tournament with five wins in five days.
You would think fatigue would have set in by now; they have to be worn out. Kemba Walker is a future NBA player no doubt — he has carried this team. Connecticut and Kentucky played back in November in the Maui Classic. Connecticut won, and of course they are on probation. This tells you all you need to know about the money-generating machine without obstacles, no owners and no union — the NCAA.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday-Friday at 12:17 pm and 4:17 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.
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