Monday, March 15, 2010
bracket yawn
I like women's college basketball for reasons a lot of people don't like it. It's slower, mostly old school ball. Great players stay four - or at least three - years. There's parity below elite level. The problem is that the elite group is so small, & so dominated now by UConn that there's no suspense in the NCAA tournament.
Even when Rutgers made a run to the Championship game in 2007, I didn't expect them to beat Tennessee. Rutgers is at best a second tier team, although it's a marquee program as those exist in women's ball. Rutgers actually helps the Vols & Huskies. First, by providing a regular season test against a C. Vivian Stringer defense, which gives other coaches the willies. Second, because Rutgers might knock off some pesty ranked teams in the BE & NCAA tournaments, clearing a bracket.
1995 Connecticut 70-64 Tennessee
1996 Tennessee 83-65 Georgia
1997 Tennessee 68-59 Old Dominion
1998 Tennessee 93-75 Louisiana Tech
1999 Purdue 62-45 Duke
2000 Connecticut 71-52 Tennessee
2001 Notre Dame 68-66 Purdue
2002 Connecticut 82-70 Oklahoma
2003 Connecticut 73-68 Tennessee
2004 Connecticut 70-61 Tennessee
2005 Baylor 84-62 Michigan State
2006 Maryland 78-75 (OT) Duke
2007 Tennessee 59-46 Rutgers
2008 Tennessee 64-48 Stanford
2009 Connecticut 76-54 Louisville
There's a predictable dominance in the men's tournament, rarely ever a true "Cinderella" in the Final Four (usually an over-achieving major conference school) but nothing like the Huskies & the Vols. There's no traditional powerhouse programs in women's ball, no Kentucky or UCLA; just two coaches named Auriemma & Summit.
Even when Rutgers made a run to the Championship game in 2007, I didn't expect them to beat Tennessee. Rutgers is at best a second tier team, although it's a marquee program as those exist in women's ball. Rutgers actually helps the Vols & Huskies. First, by providing a regular season test against a C. Vivian Stringer defense, which gives other coaches the willies. Second, because Rutgers might knock off some pesty ranked teams in the BE & NCAA tournaments, clearing a bracket.
1995 Connecticut 70-64 Tennessee
1996 Tennessee 83-65 Georgia
1997 Tennessee 68-59 Old Dominion
1998 Tennessee 93-75 Louisiana Tech
1999 Purdue 62-45 Duke
2000 Connecticut 71-52 Tennessee
2001 Notre Dame 68-66 Purdue
2002 Connecticut 82-70 Oklahoma
2003 Connecticut 73-68 Tennessee
2004 Connecticut 70-61 Tennessee
2005 Baylor 84-62 Michigan State
2006 Maryland 78-75 (OT) Duke
2007 Tennessee 59-46 Rutgers
2008 Tennessee 64-48 Stanford
2009 Connecticut 76-54 Louisville
There's a predictable dominance in the men's tournament, rarely ever a true "Cinderella" in the Final Four (usually an over-achieving major conference school) but nothing like the Huskies & the Vols. There's no traditional powerhouse programs in women's ball, no Kentucky or UCLA; just two coaches named Auriemma & Summit.
Labels: Rutgers
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"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
This is the first time since 1966 that the NCAA Men's tourney is without UNC, UCLA and UConn. Other traditional powerhouses like Indiana, Arizona, Memphis, LSU, Stanford, USC, Massachusetts, Michigan, Utah, NC State and Providence are all absent. Yesterday's NY Times looks at how some smaller colleges can attract talented players.
As for this year's women's tournament, the NCAA should save itself the hassle and award the trophy to UConn. I'll bet you lunch at the Waiting Room that no team comes within 10 points of the Huskies at the final buzzer.
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As for this year's women's tournament, the NCAA should save itself the hassle and award the trophy to UConn. I'll bet you lunch at the Waiting Room that no team comes within 10 points of the Huskies at the final buzzer.
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