We will not have another Saturday with college football or college basketball until late August. I will miss it enormously, but as I grow older I appreciate different seasons more and more. Today's games represent one of the best Final Fours in many years:
5:09 PM Central (TBS): (7) Connecticut (33-5) v. (13) Illinois (28-8)
7:49 PM Central (TBS): (2) Arizona (36-2) v. (3) Michigan (35-3)
This year's tournament is the first time since 2014 that the names of the four teams are also the names of four different states. In 2014 the Final Four was Connecticut, Kentucky, Florida, and Wisconsin.
Connecticut 10 - 7 Illinois (15:39 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteDeep down, no one who lives on the East Coast expects an East Coast team (like UConn) to lose to a team from Middle America.
Connecticut 18 - 9 Illinois (13:20 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteKen Pom has Illinois winning this game 74 to 70, but I don't think that's happening. Of course, Ken Pom doesn't live on the East Coast.
Connecticut 18 - 12 Illinois (11:25 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 21 - 22 Illinois (6:25 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteIllinois now showing the defense that took out Houston and Iowa in the South Region.
UConn has made 1 of its last 12 shots. Illinois leads 22-21 with 5:45 left in the first half.
ReplyDeleteThe HoosierDome (or whatever the place in Indy is called) appears to be a bad shooting environment. Together, these teams are 6-25 from three-point range. They should move the final to Hinkle Fieldhouse.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 28 - 24 Illinois (3:04 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteUConn has started attacking the rim, which is what they should keep doing.
Duke would have beaten Illinois by 18 points.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 37 - 29 Illinois (Halftime)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Illinois for a trip to the Final Four. Beating Houston in Houston was impressive. They were lucky that Florida didn't make it to the regionals, but they played a solid game to beat an annoying Iowa team. So good job by the Illini. But they aren't competitive with UConn. This game is over.
Connecticut 52 - 42 Illinois (11:49 left in 2d)
ReplyDeleteUConn figured out how to shoot in the Dome. The Huskies are now 10-26 from three-point range, while the Illini are 4-17. That's the difference in the game.
Kentucky had really good teams in 2011 and 2014. We lost to UConn in the 2011 Final Four, and we lost to UConn in the 2014 Final, and both games were like this. They were just too good for us, and the games were never that close.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know that we lost by 56-55 in 2011. But we trailed the whole second half, and we were never really in a position to get control of the game.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I have very few memories of those two UConn games, other than the sinking feeling throughout that we were going to lose.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 57 - 51 Illinois (6:08 left)
ReplyDeleteUConn has stopped scoring again. Illinois on an 8-0 run. Hurley calls time.
Connecticut 57 - 53 Illinois (5:01 left)
ReplyDeleteThat's a 10-0 run for the Illini. UConn ball.
UConn goes into Tarris Reed for a basket. 59-53. Illinois misses a three. UConn gets a runout. 61-53.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 61 - 56 Illinois (2:46 left)
ReplyDeleteUConn going to the line. Barring some type of Duke-like collapse, the Huskies should have this one.
College basketball was enormously popular in New York City until the big point-shaving scandal of the early 1950's. If not for that scandal, schools like City College, Long Island University, and New York University would probably be up there with Duke, UNC, and Villanova as East Coast powerhouses. The scandal set back NYC college hoops for decades. But two teams in the NYC area survived with major fan bases: UConn and St. John's. UConn is now closing in on its Seventh trip to the finals since 1999, and St. John's isn't far behind.
ReplyDeleteAlso, keep an eye on Villanova, which won titles in 2016 and 2018, and which is now rebuilding under a new coach.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 63 - 59 Illinois (1:38 left)
ReplyDeleteGood for the Illini. They have really fought all the way here. Keaton Wagler has 17 points and 8 rebounds. UConn ball.
Alex Karaban misses a wide-open three, but UConn gets the rebound, and then Braylon Mullins hits a three. That should have been the game, but then Wagler hits a three at the other end. UConn leads 66-62 with 43 seconds left. UConn ball.
ReplyDeleteSilas Demary makes 1-and-1 for UConn, Wagler misses a three at the other end, and (as I predicted) this game belongs to the Huskies.
ReplyDeleteConnecticut 71 - 62 Illinois (Final)
ReplyDeleteBack on November 28, UConn beat Illinois 74-61 at Madison Square Garden. That game and this game were the only two games all year where the Illini couldn't score at least 65 points.
Now we have Michigan and Arizona to decide who gets to represent the rest of the country. At least this year, the rest of the country will be sending a team that's better than San Diego State or Purdue.
ReplyDeleteUConn has never lost in the National Championship game.
ReplyDeleteThis is how I remember them beating us in 2011 and 2014. Their big guys just completely killed our offense, and that's what they did to Illinois today.
ReplyDeleteUConn is now number 9 on Ken Pom, and 33 in luck.
ReplyDeleteNow we have the Main Event: Arizona v. Michigan. Ken Pom has the Wolverines winning this one by 80 to 79.
ReplyDeleteHere are the starters for Michigan:
ReplyDeleteYaxel Lendeborg, 6' 9" Forward, Grad Student (Pennsauken, N.J.)
Morez Johnson, Jr., 6' 9" Forward, Sophomore (Riverdale, Ill.)
Aday Mara, 7' 3" Center, Junior (Zaragoza, SPAIN)
Elliot Cadeau, 6' 1" Guard, Junior (West Orange, N.J.)
Nimari Burnett, 6' 5" Guard, Grad Student (Chicago, Ill.)
Here are the starters for Arizona:
ReplyDeleteIvan Kharchenkov, 6' 7" Forward, Freshman (Munich, GERMANY)
Koa Peat, 6' 8" Forward, Freshman (Chandler, Ariz.)
Motiejus Krivas, 7' 2" Center, Junior (Siauliai, LITHUANIA)
Brayden Burries, 6' 4" Guard, Freshman (San Bernardino, Calif.)
Jaden Bradley, 6' 3" Guard, Senior (Rochester, N.Y.)
Arizona 3 - 10 Michigan (15:59 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteWolverines off to a hot start. But Yaxel Lendeborg already has two fouls.
Arizona 5 - 16 Michigan (14:27 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteArizona calls time
Arizona 10 - 22 Michigan (11:34 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteMichigan looking awesome so far. Arizona already has six turnovers.
Arizona 21 - 28 Michigan (7:21 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteLendeborg has to leave with an ankle injury, and the Wildcats jump all over Michigan. Arizona is currently on an 11-2 run, and Michigan has called time.
Arizona 23 - 35 Michigan (4:35 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteEven without Lendeborg, Michigan appears to be better than Arizona. Jaden Bradley goes to the bench with a third foul. The main question now appears to be whether Lendeborg will be healthy to play against UConn.
One of the more amazing facts in NCAA basketball history is that Michigan has been to the NCAA Final on seven different occasions, but is 1-6 in those games. Meanwhile, UConn is 6-0 in NCAA Finals.
ReplyDeleteMichigan won it all in 1989, beating Seton Hall in overtime. But Michigan finished second in 1965, 1976, 1992, 1993, 2013, and 2018.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to Michigan, I believe they were the underdog in all those games, with the exception of 1993.
ReplyDeleteArizona 25 - 38 Michigan (3:21 left in 1st)
ReplyDeleteArizona's offense has been terrible. They are 2-5 from 3-point range, 7-20 from 2-point range, and 5-9 from the line. They also have 7 turnovers. By contrast, Michigan is 5-12 from 3-point range, 9-20 from 2-point range, 5-5 from the line, and they have only 4 turnovers.
Arizona 32 - 48 Michigan (Halftime)
ReplyDeleteArizona looks like they just haven't seen this level of athleticism all year. Michigan not only got all the 50-50 balls, they were getting 30-70 balls.
So I think this game is over, and now we wait to see if Lendeborg plays on Monday night. I think Michigan will need him against UConn, even if they don't need him tonight.
This new generation of college coaches -- Hurley, Dusty May, Tommy Lloyd, Jon Scheyer, Todd Golden -- is the best I can remember since guys like Pitino, P.J. Carlesimo, and Coach K were all coming to the fore in the late 1980's. We could be headed for a great era in college hoops.
ReplyDeleteHere are the last ten titles by coach:
ReplyDelete2015: Duke (Coach K) (retired)
2016: Villanova (Jay Wright) (retired)
2017: N. Carolina (Roy Williams) (retired)
2018: Villanova (Jay Wright) (retired)
2019: Virginia (Tony Bennett) (retired)
2020: N/A
2021: Baylor (Scott Drew)
2022: Kansas (Bill Self)
2023: Connecticut (Danny Hurley)
2024: Connecticut (Danny Hurley)
2025: Florida (Todd Golden)
Now the question is whether Dusty May (who took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023) is ready to join this list.
The 2027 Final Four will be in Detroit.
ReplyDeleteJaden Bradley, meet Doug Shows. Bradley is called for his fourth foul with 18 minutes left in the game, and Arizona is done.
ReplyDeleteI really hope they don't have Shows in the Final. Michigan and UConn deserve better than that.
ReplyDeleteTommy Lloyd is yelling at Doug Shows. Good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteLendeborg is playing again. He's still limping, but he's already made two three's in this half.
ReplyDeleteLendeborg is riding a bike on the sideline. He is clearly hurt. It's hard to see how he could be 100 percent for Monday night
ReplyDeleteArizona 45 - 72 Michigan (12:17 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteThis is a historic beatdown.
In 1990, UNLV beat Duke 103-73 in the National Championship. I'm pretty sure that was the last time a team scored 100 points in the Final Four.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a mini-pennant for UConn, so tonight will be the last night for the college mini-pennants until late August.
ReplyDeleteBut don't worry -- we have MLB mini-pennants from the 1970's.
ReplyDeleteArizona 73 - 91 Michigan (Final)
ReplyDeleteThis final between Michigan and UConn feels like a very big deal -- probably the biggest one I can remember since UK and Kansas met for the title in 2012.