Is It March Yet? (NCAA Basketball)

Someone recently asked me to pick a favorite sport between NCAA football and NCAA basketball. What a no-brainer. I’ve never been shy about voicing my opinions when it comes to the BCS “system.” It’s a patchwork of inconsistent logic and algebra that ruins the end of an otherwise exciting season.

There are plenty of reasons why college basketball is more agreeable than football, but here’s the biggest reason: Selection Sunday. It leaves little room for argument. It’s 32 teams, one champion, and upsets every time. Now that we’re just past the halfway point in the season and teams have started conference play, it’s not too early to start talking tournament—it never is.

Before last Saturday, North Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas had been referred to by nearly everyone as the “big three.” It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone how those schools would be at top of the heap in March. But after Saturday, it’s looking like the “big three” might change.

UCLA jumped up a spot to number four in the rankings after handing a very talented Washington State team their first loss of the season. The Bruins beat WSU 81-74 in a nail biter. Wazzu threatened late in the game after draining seven 3-pointers in the final 1:30 to draw within 77-74 with 13 seconds left, but UCLA dynamo Kevin Love was just too much for Wazzu to handle.

Now the whole nation knows how good that kid is, and so do the 27 NBA scouts who showed up to the game.

Kevin Love had a breakout game with his 27 points and 14 rebounds, but the most important thing about UCLA’s win (and what the rest of the “big three” had better pay attention to) is how well they played as a team.

When March rolls around, that’s going to make the difference. Every other talented yet middle of the pack team out there knows it. Having a star player helps, but if that star player is the only thing a team has going for it, mediocrity is just around the corner.

Just ask O.J. Mayo. At the beginning of the season plenty of people were picking USC to be a contender. Mayo is a great athlete, but his shoulders just aren’t big enough to carry the rest of that squad.

A star player with amazing support, well, that’s how you end up with a high seed in the tournament—even if it isn’t a number one seed. When you get right down to it, the only difference between a one seed and a two is politics. Conference wins against tough teams, like the one UCLA just notched in their belt, are going to pay dividends on Selection Sunday.

As far as the “big three” are concerned, things could be getting mixed around in the near future. North Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas are the only undefeated teams left in the game. Of those three, Kansas is on the thinnest ice.

They’re on the road this Saturday against a very deceiving Missouri Tigers squad that’s averaging around 80 points per game. Missouri also just defeated No. 13 Texas 97-84. If KU is going to get a loss any time soon, it’s against MU.

If KU drops a game they’ll likely trade spots with UCLA. But even if they do, KU is still a popular lock for a top seed in the tournament.

But again, the beautiful thing about NCAA basketball is March 16th. After Selection Sunday, it really doesn’t matter what your rank in the top 25 was. Everyone gets a clean slate.

Unlike the BCS, all of our questions and concerns about who belongs where will be answered on the court.

Definitively.

–Joey Alfino, RED Editorial Staff