Please Enjoy The NCAA's Anyway...

  We’re set for San Antonio. A Final Four has been set. And it’s a good one. 

That’s because all #1 seeds made it to the last two rounds. Which is only the second time this has happened. The last time was in 2008—when the Final Four was held in, drum roll please, San Antonio. 

Back then, it was North Carolina (ACC), Memphis (C-USA), Kansas (Big 12) and UCLA (Pac-10). Now it is Auburn and Florida from the SEC, Duke out of the ACC, and Houston representing the Big 12. Kansas defeated UNC and Memphis took out UCLA in the semis. Kansas won the title in overtime. 

Ironically, the ACC entrants in 2008 and 2025 both opened with Mt. St. Mary’s. Duke supporters hope that is not an omen, as Carolina left Texas without even reaching the finals. Each school didn’t really have too many difficult games; Memphis was the only team with a win by less than five points. (Memphis had its victories stripped as a result of the eligibility issue with Derrick Rose, the Tigers’ top player).

That’s where the similarities end. Duke has been dominant thus far, even when star freshman Cooper Flagg suffers a rare off game. Auburn was that much better than Alabama State, Creighton, Michigan and Michigan State (those two wins presumptively makes the Tigers the best team in Michigan). Houston had some tough battles with Gonzaga and Purdue, punching its ticket with a resounding win over a good Tennessee squad. Florida, the team I picked to win it all, had to make two comebacks to win against defining champion UConn and then over a very tough Texas Tech, which included a did-you-see-that three point shot by senior guard Walter Clayton, Jr., who must have ice water in his veins to take, let alone make that ridiculous shot among the 30 points he tallied en route to taking the Gators to the Final Four.

I’d like to say I have confidence in my selection of UF to win it all. Florida must get past SEC foe Auburn. The Gators downed the Tigers at home on February 8th by a score of 90-81. Auburn is the top-seed and is seeking revenge here. However, the Tigers top player, John Broome, suffered what appeared to be a hyperextended right elbow against Michigan State; while he returned to play, he was, effectively, a one-armed player. How well he heals will go a long way to determining how Auburn will fare going forward. 

I was totally impressed with how poised and talented Connor Flagg was as he played. He showed why he will be the number one selection in the upcoming NBA Draft, no matter how Duke does. What he has is a great supporting cast to take all of the pressure from him. 

Houston will be no cake walk for the Blue Devils. This is a gritty team which likes to control the pace of play and can be ferocious on defense. 

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee got this bracket right. Very few upsets, some nice matchups, and in the end, all the top seeds made it to the Final Four. Now let’s see how it plays out—if it produces spectacular games or duds. Is the SEC the best after all, or will interlopers Duke or Houston give the SEC its comeuppance? 

No matter how the competition ends up, there is a giant among the players. Coaches, too. No, not a guy who is 7’5”. 

It’s the almighty dollar, the driving force in college sports. This fortnight of hoops is brought to you by so many corporate sponsors—are you tired of seeing Charles Barkley and pals in his blimp or Batman versus Bateman? As I have stated previously, CBS and Turner have shelled out much dinero for the privilege of bringing all of the games wherever you desire to watch (or stream). 

Yet we watch, a lot like those who go to NASCAR for the excitement—spectacular driving, close finishes and the horrible crashes. Because this America and where can you get so much meaningful basketball in such a concentrated fashion—both men’s and women’s?

Buried in the commercials are the spoils for the young stars. Did you see the commercial where the young guy leads a group of North Carolina band members? That’s NIL. Ditto Cooper Flagg playing bingo. 

This isn’t chump change we’re talking about. Some of these so-called student-athletes are getting seven figures for their services. Think they are invested in the academics of the school they currently attend? The question is self-answerable, as the transfer portal is loaded with those seeking a better payday elsewhere under the guise of wanting to win a NCAA title. 

When St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino benched his star player for woefully underperforming, which led to the Johnnies ouster from the tournament by Arkansas, fans were livid. What they didn’t know was that this was turmoil coming to the surface, as the reigning Big East Player of the Year, R.J. Luis, Jr. wanted out to test the market and to see his worth as a possible NBA draft choice. It’s all about the money.

Which isn’t reserved for just the players. Maryland Head Coach Kevin Willard, a disciple of Pitino, left cash poor Seton Hall for the greener pastures of College Park. Except that the green he needed to operate successfully in the Big Ten and nationally wasn’t there and he had the Athletic Director who hired leave him left for a better place, Willard aired his grievances publicly during the tournament and once the Terrapins were eliminated, he wasted no time in heading back to the Big East at Villanova, a much richer school in the college hierarchy. 

Sean Miller, whose time at Arizona was unceremoniously ended, resurfaced at Xavier, a school he once coached with great success, which included a fine 2024-25 season. Observers were stunned when the University of Texas terminated its interim coach and brought Miller into a very productive and rich program. 

Add in the pressing need for programs to have General Managers to deal with this player portal and NIL craziness, the free market economics at the collegiate level has created chaos—no matter how viewable the product is. The team at your favorite school may have three or more new faces each year, as the transfer benefits top-performing kids at mid-majors who now believe they deserve a cut of the action, as well as those who didn’t get the playing time they justly or unjustly thought they merited. 

Is this what we want college athletics to be? When tuition costs are through the roof at many schools, these kids act privileged and are many times handsomely rewarded as a result. I’d like to see how many even graduate from the last college they attended; I am not raising my hopes for that to be as high a number (over 80%) as it has become—the result of not staying on one campus and appreciating the concurrent academics must have its educational pitfalls. 

With this in mind, it was sad and also good to see what an entrant in this year’s tournament decided to do. St. Francis, PA in effect said “enough.” The people in charge felt they could no longer compete in the North East Conference, endure bus rides of up to six hours, and continually lose money in the process. 

Instead, looking at the academic integrity of the school which was paramount in their eyes, which it should be, the college opted to de-emphasize its athletics and participate in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, a Division III aggregation located in Western Pennsylvania, allowing the St. Francis student-athletes to travel not much more than three hours, thereby reducing the staggering costs and enhancing the academic experience. It will take three years to effectuate the reclassification, and as Father Malachi Van Tessel, the school’s President stated: “This strategic and mission-aligned decision reflects our enduring commitment to the holistic development of our student-athletes—supporting their academic pursuits, athletic excellence and personal growth within a values-based educational environment.”

I saw this happen with Gettysburg College. Their teams were classified with the big-time schools in the Middle Atlantic Conference University Division. It was hard for such a small school to compete with the bigger programs. So when 10 schools departed the MAC to form the Centennial Conference in 1992-93, Gettysburg made the switch without hesitation and for the same reasons. Its teams have been in the mainstream for titles—not really much more than my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall; it is a happy marriage for all concerned. Without the pressure of NIL and the transfer portal interfering with the students getting an education and without thinking about where they will find the lucrative pot of gold they believe they are entitled to. 

This year’s tournament has the best talent playing at the highest level. Just remember that there is a more pristine college athletic experience in Division III, the Ivy League and to a great extent in the Patriot League, but even the latter two are affected by the transfer portal. 

Please enjoy the NCAA’s anyway. I probably should have written instead about the torpedo bats of the Yankees. 

I Know It's March Madness Time, But...

  In the midst of March Madness, baseball has begun for me. As it should, now that Spring is officially here. 

Sure, the run up to the end of the collegiate basketball for the 2024-25 season has been great. We have seen a couple of upsets in the opening rounds of the NCAA Men’s Tournament—Mc Neese State flexed its muscle in a win over Missouri as did Colorado State when the Rams bounced an overrated Memphis squad from the tourney. It took a buzzer-beater shot for Maryland to eliminate CSU on Sunday. 

We learned that North Carolina, everyone’s whipping boy for grabbing the last slot in the Big Dance. should have been in the tournament with its convincing play-in win over San Diego State, but were they anything but an 11 seed as shown by how Mississippi had difficulty with the Tar Heels? UNC might have made it past the Rebels if the deficit at one point had been far less than 22 points. 

Kansas, another blue blood and the pre-season #1, bowed out with a loss to Arkansas. It was a not-too-subtle fall from grace this season for the Jayhawks. 

Props to the University of New Mexico and Richard Pitino, son of St. John’s head coach, Hall of Famer Rick Pitino. The Lobos handled a very talented Marquette team in the opening round. His team gave a favored Michigan State squad fits in the Round of 32. 

Unfortunately for his father, St. John’s picked a very bad time to have a bad game. New York’s media darlings lost to John Calipari and his Arkansas Razorbacks. 

Defending champion UConn and Florida staged an epic battle. The heart of the Huskies was evident as they valiantly tried to overcome a late spurt by the Gators which proved enough for the team from Gainesville to move on. There will not be a three-peat. Just like in the NFL. For the record, UConn should not have been a #8 seed. And please, Danny Hurley, UConn’s Head Coach—get a grip on your emotions. 

How did the 14 SEC teams do in the first two rounds? Not exactly great. Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Missouri and Georgia went down in the first round. Texas didn’t make it past the play-in game, losing to Xavier (in an odd twist, Texas fired its coach and replaced him with Sean Miller, whose Xavier team had just beaten the Longhorns). When the dust settled after the second round, the SEC had a record 7 teams still vying for the title: Alabama; Arkansas; Auburn; Florida; Kentucky; Mississippi and Tennessee. 

The favored teams performed for the most part on the first round. The somewhat maligned Big Ten went 8-0 to open the festivities, but only four teams advanced to the next round. The Big 12 also placed four teams in the Sweet 16, and they were joined by Duke, the lone ACC team left. Every top four seed won its opening game. No First Four team advanced beyond the first round for the first time since 2011. 

Looking ahead, old rivals Kentucky and Tennessee meet next weekend. Duke faces a solid Arizona team. Top-seeded Auburn draws a hot Michigan squad. Iowa State and Michigan State tangle. Arkansas draws Texas Tech. Maryland and Florida meet. Alabama will be tested by BYU. Houston faces Purdue. 

Good contests abound, with all #1 seeds alive and three #2, #3 and #4 seeds each still in the mix. The lowest seed still alive is #10 Arkansas. This hasn’t been a tournament of upstarts thus far, although that is going to be tested anew as the games go on. No matter what, for those participating and still in the mix, it remains March Madness. 

I really haven’t been following the other post-season tournaments. The National Invitational Tournament, once the best of the best and held at Madison Square Garden has produced a plethora of close games. Cal-Irvine is the only remaining top seed still playing and North Texas is the only second seed remaining. 

Army is still in the College Basketball Invitational with the likes of Queens NC, UIW, Jacksonville, Cleveland State and Florida Gulf Coast. The College Basketball Crown games start on March 31 and end on April 6 if you want to check out FOX’s attempt at further undermining the post-season.

As for the women—the top teams have either romped or had some minor trouble in the first couple of games. A trio of #5 seeds have made it to the Sweet 16—Tennessee, Mississippi and Kansas State.

In Division III action, there will be no double for NYU. That’s because Trinity CT is the best men’s team, having downed top-seeded Wesleyan in the NESCAC Final then once more defeating their rival in the semi-finals. Those wins catapulted the Bantams to a comeback win over the number 2 team in DIII on Saturday, with a late run to hold off the Violets, who defeated Washington University to reach the championship match. 

In a rematch of last year’s final, the NYU women prevailed once more over Smith. It still boggles my mind that Smith is an athletic power. Note that the schools which made the Final Fours were name-brand, quality institutions. With the exception of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, B’Gosh. 

Steph Curry suffered a pelvic contusion and Golden State become mortal against Atlanta in the start of a crucial six game road trip. Not a good thing for the Warriors’ chances to avoid the play-in portion of the playoffs. 

Also, the Los Angeles Lakers welcomed back Lebron James from his groin injury when they played Chicago at home on Saturday night. When I saw the lopsided score in favor of the Bulls, I guessed that James didn’t have Luca Doncic playing with him that night. I guessed wrong—a lot like my busted NCAA bracket which looks like Swiss cheese. 

A note on George Foreman’s death. Forget the preacher/pitchman. I think of him as a mean, ornery big man with a devastating punch. His comeuppance came in the stifling heat of Zaire against Muhammad Ali. Foreman’s comeback 10 years later was remarkable. He was a giant among heavyweights. 

I did mention baseball. At last it’s finally that time of the year when the MLB games finally count. 

Technically, the season started about ten days ago in Japan when the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs in a two game series. Shohei Ohtani’s return to his home country was a rousing success. 

The New York Yankees open their defense of the American League crown when the Milwaukee Brewers come to the Bronx on Thursday. While Aaron Judge remains the focus of this team for good reason, it is a different squad in many ways from last year’s version. 

For openers, Juan Soto and his 41 home runs are playing in another borough—Queens. That is a big hole in the NYY lineup which has to be replaced. 

General Manager Brian Cashman brought in aging veterans as reinforcements—Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. He is relying on Jasson Dominguez to man left field where he remained a work-in-progres during Spring Training—even if his bat produced well enough. Judge will be back in right field, where he is better suited to play, with Bellinger and Trent Grisham now patrolling centerfield. 

Gone to Detroit is former second baseman Gleyber Torres. Jazz Chisholm moves to his natural position to replace Torres, leaving third base to Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu when the latter returns from injury. 

Austin Wells will catch and bat leadoff.  Anthony Volpe will continue to improve at shortstop. But the DH spot will rotate among a number of players as there is no timetable for Giancarlo Stanton to return from injury (again).

The pitching is suspect. Even with the addition of lefty Max Fried, there are holes in the starting rotation which have already necessitated reinforcements. Ditto in the bullpen. 

Yet I feel that optimism building. Even if reality isn’t so pretty and the Yankees are far from a lock to win the AL East let alone make it to the playoffs. 

Because it is baseball season. It is the sport I played in college. I went to Weequahic Park in Newark to see my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall College, take on Rutgers-Newark. Dressed in F&M gear which included a game-worn #25 grey jersey not unlike what I wore in 1970, I watched my team demolish the Scarlet Raiders by 13-3 and 19-7 scores in a doubleheader. The Diplomats followed up with another victory in a romp over Moravian on Sunday. 

They may not be the best team in the Centennial Conference—Johns Hopkins has been ranked at #2 and the Blue Jays come to Lancaster on Saturday to open conference play. But they are resilient, having rebounded nicely from a 2-8 West Coast trip against stiff competition. 

I watched the game with a friend who played at RU-N and thought about how I once played right field for F&M. It made me think about my first at bats in college—base hits my freshman year against Elizabethtown. Then the next season versus St. Joseph’s, a Division I school as a varsity player, 55 years ago on April 7th. Both on the first pitch I saw. I remain amazed that a 5’5” kid who had not played organized ball since his freshman year in high school could have done this. 

I know it’s March Madness time. But…I love baseball. The Yankees. F&M. Baltimore for my annual trip with Fan X. Any stadium. Any game. Televised or in person. I’m there. 

I'm Not Ready To Discuss Baseball

  Selection Sunday has happened once more. The annual bracketing of 68 teams, replete with nervousness and anxiety, the work of a studied Committee with copious rules to follow and mountains of data to sift through in making the final selections. And still they sometimes get it right, but more often the Committee’s verdict brings more controversy than not. 

We have reached the conclusion of a regular season which begins play in early November and wrapped up with conference tournaments in early to mid-March. For some, it is the body of work compiled up to the start of the final conference tournament plus how they fared in the post-season. Others simply have to win or go home to make the Big Dance. 

While there are some nice stories such as St. Francis of Pennsylvania, a small school of which is the oldest Catholic-Franciscan school in the United States, located in the Laurel Highlands of the Commonwealth. The Red Flash infrequently has stars who play in the NBA (Maurice Stokes, Norm Van Lier, Kevin Porter and Mike Iuzzolino). 

This is their first time back in the tournament since 1990-91. With no wins of distinction other than riding a hot streak last week in New Britain, Connecticut to snare the conference crown, St. Francis was destined to be slotted in the play-in game as a 16 seed. 

Don’t tell it to the players that their dreams may be burst after one game. This is what they strive for. It isn’t for the NIL money which flows aplenty at most of the other entrants in this event. Instead, the pride of playing their hearts out in winning the NEC title, then getting to play one more game amongst the big boys, is a memory of a lifetime for these kids. 

Then there is the storyline of one of the big boys—the University of North Carolina. This is a down year for Carolina in the eyes of its fans and those who follow college basketball. The Quad 1 record of the Tar Heels is atrocious—they went 1-13 this season, defeating only UCLA. At least the Heels didn’t fall in Quad 2, going 8-0 and suffering a one point hone loss to Stanford while amassing a 7-1 record in Quad 3 games. That’s not a particularly good season. 

What made the UNC story more compelling on the eve of the announcement of the tournament field was what happened in Charlotte during the ACC Tournament Semi-Final contest against its arch rival, top-seeded Duke. 

Down by 24 points and left for dead in the second half playing a #1-ranked Duke team without its star, freshman Cooper Flagg, who suffered a sprained ankle in the previous game, North Carolina put on a spirited, determined run to get back in the game. 

Instead, the unthinkable happened. When Ven-Allen Lubin converted his second free throw attempt to knot the score at 72, whistles from the referees were ominous. Jaclyn Withers had committed a lane violation, wiping that precious point off the board with seconds left to play, dooming the Heels to a most painful loss to its hated rivals. 

Teetering on the brink to begin with, the Tar Heels players, coaches and faithful had to endure a fitful 48 hours to await their fate. Prognosticators had them in the Final Four In the tournament, then in the Last Four Out. 

It was a fluid situation, made more complicated by Colorado State and Boise State reaching the Mountain West final, with Utah State and New Mexico now at-large bids. Well, the NET of 36 was the metric which proved to be enough for UNC to dance. And maybe some name recognition too. Although the Tar Heels are an 11 seed and are in a play in game versus San Diego State, which may actually have a better resume. 

For every story like St. Francis or the University of Delaware, a team with 19 losses which managed to make the CAA Tournament finals only to have its luck run out in a close, four point loss to UNC Wilmington, there are those elite teams that are able to be above-average in its NIL-laden conference and not have too many worries about whether it will continue to play, but rather who the next opponent will be. Therein lies the second story of the NCAA Tournament. 

Big monied Power 5 conferences seem to get more and more teams into the Big Dance. To the detriment of other worthy schools whose resources and power ratings don’t and cannot match the likes of the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference or Big 12, their seasons are over. 

It is absolutely outrageous that the SEC has a record-breaking 14 schools in the tournament—that tops the old standard by a whopping 3. Sure, the SEC has high seeds in Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. But how many of those 14 chosen will survive into the Sweet Sixteen—not too many. 

We have seen years when schools like Florida Atlantic, San Diego State or Florida Gulf Coast ride some magic in their focused play to make a run to fame. NC State, a member of the revered ACC, had a very average season, got hot at tournament time and ended up in last season’s Final Four. Plus so many fans revel when a Towson takes down a Virginia in an early round—even if it totally busts their bracket selections in whatever pool they might be in. That could happen this year with the likes of a Drake, VCU, UC San Diego, Grand Canyon or a Georgia and defending champ UConn, which is a #8 seed.

This is the magic of March Madness. No wonder why CBS and their affiliation with Turner Sports to televise each and every game beginning with the play-in games results in high viewership and allows for the ca-ching of the cash registers of the network, the NCAA and its member schools which make the tournament. 

It has become a phenomenon, not unlike the march to the Super Bowl, the NBA Playoffs, the MLB post-season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Because it has meaning and because it gives us winners—and doesn’t America just love winners?

Do enjoy the games—whether it is the Men you watch or if you tune into the Women’s Tournament . There is no clear cut choice that will win either tournament—Duke has its issues with Flagg’s ill-timed injury and the SEC top teams can easily win or be eliminated on the men’s side, while UCLA, a suddenly red hot South Carolina, perennial power UConn, star-laden USC, Texas and TCU headline the women’s bracket. It’s unpredictable, like the weather this time of year. 

Just a couple of comments on conference tournaments. Held at neutral arenas, they are not well-populated during the early rounds. Even if the seats are sold.

Except for the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. I have been to numerous of those games, first with Seton Hall fans, then when Rutgers was in the league. I know that ACC fans will say that their tournament is the best. 

I beg to differ. There is nothing like the fervor of the Big East in March in the Big Apple. My belief was comfirmed watching a quarterfinal game between lowly De Paul and #2 seed Creighton. The overmatched Blue Demons took the Blue Jays to double overtime before losing. Not a seat was empty. That is fan-friendly college basketball at its finest.

Also, coaches are already being fired. There are vacancies at Villanova, Minnesota, UNLV and Iowa, where Fran Mc Caffrey was let go after 15 years at the school. More are on the way—possibly including Steve Pikiell at Rutgers after the Knights lost to USC in double overtime. Bye bye, one-and-done stars Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.  

By the way—in D III hoops action, the Final fours are set. NYU, Trinity (CT), Washington (St. Louis) and Wesleyan, the #1 seed, which needed to win in OT at home versus Emory, are headed to Fort Wayne. NYU is still able to go for the double win, as the top-ranked women are joined by Smith and two Wisconsin schools—Oshkosh and Stout. 

Meanwhile, the New York Jets offered enough money to lure former Chicago and Pittsburgh QB Justin Fields to New Jersey on a two year contract worth $40 million, with a lot of that money guaranteed. It’s a good gamble on behalf of management; he reunites with his Ohio State teammate, WR Garrett Wilson, with the hopes that their college connectivity can extend in the pros. 

With the advent of free agency, teams went wild in tearing down and reconstructing rosters. Buffalo is hellbent on winning the Super Bowl—they signed former LA Chargers star defensive lineman Joey Bosa in hopes to contain elite quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, etc. to make it to the Promised Land. On the negative side, two new signees are suspended six months for positive PED use. 

Quarterbacks and wide receivers moved from one team to the next in rapid succession. Former Jets QB Sam Darnold, who resurrected his career in Minnesota, was rewarded with a big payday in Seattle, after the Seahawks sent gent Smith, another former Jets QB who revived his career,  to the Raiders. The Rams sent former Super Bowl M.V.P. Cooper Kupp packing—he landed in Seattle, too, while LA picked up former Green Bay and NYJ Davante Adams to pair with blossoming star Puka Nacua. 

Yet the headlines are with another Jets QB, recently released by the team. Yes, it’s more wondering where (and if) Aaron Rodgers will land at age 42 to make another futile attempt to lead a team he is sure to disrupt its chemistry in the process. While Rodgers is headed to Hall of Fame, he still feels he has enough left in his tank to propel a team to the Super Bowl. He has convinced the Vikings, Steelers and Giants to actually believe that he still has that ability. Good luck there—at least two of the suitors will have to scramble big time to come up with suitable alternatives at QB if Rodgers goes elsewhere (or comes to his senses and retires).

It is too early to assess what teams have gotten that much better or have become even more average to mediocre. We need to factor in the NFL Draft to more accurately decide who is a contender and/or just a pretender. One heck of a lot of media coverage was expended in this time frame—it tells you the popularity of the NFL is surging even higher. 

Finally, I am touching on the NBA. I have been watching the Golden State Warriors go bananas since the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. I wouldn’t have thought one player could energize a team like he has. Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers getting Luka Doncic to pair with the now-injured Lebron James (his recovery from the groin strain is so vital to LAL’s playoff hopes), Butler’s unceremonious departure from Miami has become seamless by the Bay. 

Still, I wonder if GSW is legitimate enough to win it all. They are perched in the sixth spot in the playoff chase, barely in front of Minnesota and two and a half games behind fifth place LAL. And they struggled against a decent New York Knicks team minus Jalen Brunson, their star guard and catalyst. 

Oklahoma City is the dominant team in the West, behind the outstanding play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Over in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland is the big winner, authoring two winning streaks over 15 games. But until they are dethroned, many believe that defending champion Boston can win it all. The regular season ends in April. 

I caught a debate about who is going to be the NBA M.V.P. Alexander, for all he has done to lead OKC, or superstar Nikola Jokic. SG-A leads the NBA in scoring and is a highlight reel star every time he hits the floor. Jokic plays on a team hobbled by injuries and he has carried them to a third seed in the West so far. I am not ready to predict a winner here because their statistics are so comparable. Could we see a close contest?

That’s it. Even if the regular season opens this week in Japan, I’m not ready to discuss baseball.