Most Dominant Tournament Team?
North Carolina had a great run through this year's NCAA Tournament, winning every game by double digits. So how does this rank in terms of the champions' runs in recent history? I did a little number crunching to find out.
UNC beat Radford by 43, LSU by 14, Gonzaga by 21, Oklahoma by 12, Villanova by 14 and Michigan State by 17. That's an average margin of victory of 20.1 points per game.
Here's how past champions did:
2008, Kansas - 13.8
2007, Florida - 14.1
2006, Florida - 14.3
2005, UNC - 13.8
2004, UConn - 13.3
2003, Syracuse - 9.0
2002, Maryland - 14.0
2001, Duke - 16.6
2000, Michigan St. - 15.3
1999, UConn - 11.8
As you can see, in the last 10 years, no one has even come close to the dominance that UNC had in this year's Tournament. Carolina won each game by an average of about 6 points more than most National Champions from the past decade. In fact, the only team with a bigger overall margin of victory in the Tournament was Kentucky in 1996, at 129 points.
Let the debate begin!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Saturday Semis Recap:
If you take a look at the film of Michigan State's game against Louisville and their game against Connecticut you will see two different teams. Tom Izzo did it again, devising a brilliant strategy to beat UConn and advance to the National Championship game. Off every made or missed basket, the Spartans pushed the ball up the court as fast as possible. This allowed them to do two things: score easy baskets in transition and limit the effectiveness of Hasheem Thabeet. While Thabeet was able to score on the offensive end, he had very little impact defensively. And with UConn's best defensive weapon neutralized life was much easier for Michigan State.
This game was back and forth in the first half and for much of the second until the Spartans started to pull away a bit (just like the Louisville game). Connecticut just couldn't hit outside shots, while Michigan State got some great contributions from role players plus an instant YouTube dunk to spark the "home" crowd. What the Spartans have done in this Tournament has been very impressive.
Just like pretty much every other game in the Tournament, North Carolina had little trouble with Villanova, jumping out in front early and not looking back. There was no point in this game after the first minute where I thought Villanova could actually win. They continually threw up 3-pointer after 3-pointer that clanged off the rim and went right to UNC. Dante Cunningham was the only thing that kept Villanova in it in the first half, and he didn't score in the second. UNC did anything they wanted with just about any player they put on the floor.
I know UNC is immensely talented, but as someone who is not a fan of the Tar Heels I have been very frustrated by the lack of competitiveness in their opponents. LSU is the only team that has showed up to play against the Tar Heels. And the ineptitude of the last two opponents (Oklahoma and Villanova) has been embarrassing. If you look at the 3 point percentage of these two teams, it is incredibly low. And it's not because of good defense, it's because of hurried offense and bad execution.
I am fairly confident that Michigan State will show up against North Carolina. They will have a great homecourt advantage plus the fresh memory of a 35 point loss to the Tar Heels. Clearly Michigan State is a better team than they were during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. But the question is: can anyone slow down the Tar Heels? When Green, Ellington and Lawson are all hitting shots UNC is impossible to beat. They just have too much talent. What will be interesting to see is what approach Tom Izzo takes. I think he will go back to the type of game plan he had against Louisville to slow the tempo and force the other team to make mistakes. Whatever he chooses, Michigan State better hope it works or it will be a long night.
If you take a look at the film of Michigan State's game against Louisville and their game against Connecticut you will see two different teams. Tom Izzo did it again, devising a brilliant strategy to beat UConn and advance to the National Championship game. Off every made or missed basket, the Spartans pushed the ball up the court as fast as possible. This allowed them to do two things: score easy baskets in transition and limit the effectiveness of Hasheem Thabeet. While Thabeet was able to score on the offensive end, he had very little impact defensively. And with UConn's best defensive weapon neutralized life was much easier for Michigan State.
This game was back and forth in the first half and for much of the second until the Spartans started to pull away a bit (just like the Louisville game). Connecticut just couldn't hit outside shots, while Michigan State got some great contributions from role players plus an instant YouTube dunk to spark the "home" crowd. What the Spartans have done in this Tournament has been very impressive.
Just like pretty much every other game in the Tournament, North Carolina had little trouble with Villanova, jumping out in front early and not looking back. There was no point in this game after the first minute where I thought Villanova could actually win. They continually threw up 3-pointer after 3-pointer that clanged off the rim and went right to UNC. Dante Cunningham was the only thing that kept Villanova in it in the first half, and he didn't score in the second. UNC did anything they wanted with just about any player they put on the floor.
I know UNC is immensely talented, but as someone who is not a fan of the Tar Heels I have been very frustrated by the lack of competitiveness in their opponents. LSU is the only team that has showed up to play against the Tar Heels. And the ineptitude of the last two opponents (Oklahoma and Villanova) has been embarrassing. If you look at the 3 point percentage of these two teams, it is incredibly low. And it's not because of good defense, it's because of hurried offense and bad execution.
I am fairly confident that Michigan State will show up against North Carolina. They will have a great homecourt advantage plus the fresh memory of a 35 point loss to the Tar Heels. Clearly Michigan State is a better team than they were during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. But the question is: can anyone slow down the Tar Heels? When Green, Ellington and Lawson are all hitting shots UNC is impossible to beat. They just have too much talent. What will be interesting to see is what approach Tom Izzo takes. I think he will go back to the type of game plan he had against Louisville to slow the tempo and force the other team to make mistakes. Whatever he chooses, Michigan State better hope it works or it will be a long night.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Final Four Preview:
There's no question we have four teams in the Final Four that have very rich Tournament history. In fact, these teams have won four of the past 10 National Championships. Take a look at their records in the Tournament:
UNC: 100-39 (National titles in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005)
UConn: 46-27 (National titles in 1999, 2004)
Michigan St.: 47-21 (National titles in 1979, 2000)
Villanova: 48-29 (National title in 1985)
With such sterling resumes we can only hope the games can live up to the billing.
#1 Connecticut vs. #2 Michigan State (6:07) - If you look up and down the UConn roster, you can't help but see a ton of talent. The starting lineup of Price, Austrie, Robinson, Adrien and Thabeet could all end up in the NBA. Obviously the main focus on offense and defense is Thabeet. He is such a force inside that you have to completely change your game plan to account for him. But if you focus too much on Thabeet, someone like A.J. Price or Stanley Robinson can kill you. UConn looked like the best team in the country in January and is rounding back into form after a bit of a late-season slide. They will be very tough to beat.
Much has been made of Michigan State playing basically at home. This will be a factor, but in the Final Four with so many tickets being used by corporations it's not going to be like playing in the Breslin Center. They have one big advantage though: Tom Izzo. His game plan against Louisville was tremendous. And coaching can beat talent, which is the Spartans' main shot. That isn't to say Michigan State doesn't have talent. Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are great guards and Goran Suton can beat you inside or outside. Michigan State's not going to let UConn dictate the tempo of this game.
#1 North Carolina vs. #3 Villanova (8:47) - Before the season started, pundits handed this year's trophy over to the Tar Heels. There was talk of an undefeated season, one of the best teams ever. People seemed to get that these are 20 year old kids (aka they're human). But Carolina overcame a mid-season 2 game slide and has played brilliantly in the Tournament. When you look at their starting lineup, you don't see a weak link. Like Connecticut, UNC has a starting five that will be playing in the NBA (Lawson, Green, Ellington, Thompson, Hansbrough). In fact the former player of the year is probably the least likely to succeed at the next level. And look at the talent on the bench: Ed Davis is certainly a future lottery pick. The only way Carolina will lose is if they beat themselves or get outcoached.
Much like 24 years ago, Villanova has been the story of the Tournament. They have played as well as any team, in dispatching of Duke and outlasting Pitt. The Wildcats can beat you outside with Scottie Reynolds and a barrage of 3 point shooting. Or they can punish you inside with Dante Cunningham. And they play terrific defense: just watch the film of the Duke game to find that out. If they can frustrate North Carolina's shooters and defend effectively 1-on-1 on Hansbrough, they have a shot. I'm sure UNC did not want to see this Villanova team in the Final Four.
There's no question we have four teams in the Final Four that have very rich Tournament history. In fact, these teams have won four of the past 10 National Championships. Take a look at their records in the Tournament:
UNC: 100-39 (National titles in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005)
UConn: 46-27 (National titles in 1999, 2004)
Michigan St.: 47-21 (National titles in 1979, 2000)
Villanova: 48-29 (National title in 1985)
With such sterling resumes we can only hope the games can live up to the billing.
#1 Connecticut vs. #2 Michigan State (6:07) - If you look up and down the UConn roster, you can't help but see a ton of talent. The starting lineup of Price, Austrie, Robinson, Adrien and Thabeet could all end up in the NBA. Obviously the main focus on offense and defense is Thabeet. He is such a force inside that you have to completely change your game plan to account for him. But if you focus too much on Thabeet, someone like A.J. Price or Stanley Robinson can kill you. UConn looked like the best team in the country in January and is rounding back into form after a bit of a late-season slide. They will be very tough to beat.
Much has been made of Michigan State playing basically at home. This will be a factor, but in the Final Four with so many tickets being used by corporations it's not going to be like playing in the Breslin Center. They have one big advantage though: Tom Izzo. His game plan against Louisville was tremendous. And coaching can beat talent, which is the Spartans' main shot. That isn't to say Michigan State doesn't have talent. Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are great guards and Goran Suton can beat you inside or outside. Michigan State's not going to let UConn dictate the tempo of this game.
#1 North Carolina vs. #3 Villanova (8:47) - Before the season started, pundits handed this year's trophy over to the Tar Heels. There was talk of an undefeated season, one of the best teams ever. People seemed to get that these are 20 year old kids (aka they're human). But Carolina overcame a mid-season 2 game slide and has played brilliantly in the Tournament. When you look at their starting lineup, you don't see a weak link. Like Connecticut, UNC has a starting five that will be playing in the NBA (Lawson, Green, Ellington, Thompson, Hansbrough). In fact the former player of the year is probably the least likely to succeed at the next level. And look at the talent on the bench: Ed Davis is certainly a future lottery pick. The only way Carolina will lose is if they beat themselves or get outcoached.
Much like 24 years ago, Villanova has been the story of the Tournament. They have played as well as any team, in dispatching of Duke and outlasting Pitt. The Wildcats can beat you outside with Scottie Reynolds and a barrage of 3 point shooting. Or they can punish you inside with Dante Cunningham. And they play terrific defense: just watch the film of the Duke game to find that out. If they can frustrate North Carolina's shooters and defend effectively 1-on-1 on Hansbrough, they have a shot. I'm sure UNC did not want to see this Villanova team in the Final Four.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)