34-0 doesn’t go as far as it used to go
After advancing to the Final Four last year, Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times said Wichita State has a major target on its back in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
“It takes years to climb the mid-major success ladder and minutes for it to be pulled out from under you,” Dufresne wrote.
“Last year, Gonzaga finally got to the top rung when it entered the NCAA Tournament as the top ranked team in the nation.
“The Bulldogs rolled into the Salt Lake City sub-regional with legitimate national title aspirations, even though skeptics thought Gonzaga was overrated and didn’t play in a tough enough conference to warrant all the fuss.
“The critics were only emboldened after Gonzaga was sent home on the first weekend by a scrappy, hungry, No. 9-seeded team with something to prove.
“That team was Wichita State.
“So here we are, a year later,with a case of pick-and-role reversal.
“Wichita State now wears the target with a 34-0 record, No. 2 national ranking and as the No. 1-seeded team in the Midwest Regional.
“[Gregg] Marshall’s team got ramrodded into the nastiest bracket in the tournament.
The Shockers, on their way to a national title, might have to defeat Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, Arizona and Michigan State.
“Could it be that committee members weren’t buying Wichita State either and have set the Shockers up to fail?
“It’s ridiculous that the Shockers, just to get out of the St. Louis sub-regional, might have to defeat Kentucky, which was ranked No. 1 before this season.
“Virginia, allegedly the worst No. 1-seeded team in the field, gets the 8-9 winner between Memphis and George Washington.
“The NCAA bracket selections suggest the Shockers’ historic season isn’t getting the credit it deserves.
“The bottom line is: College basketball isn’t football, where schedule strength in the Bowl Championship Series era was important because there was no postseason tournament. With the right schedule misses and a loquacious head coach, you could darn near lobby your way to national title position.
“This is different because Wichita State will rise or fall on its own in the NCAA Tournament.
“The Shockers actually didn’t get away with anything this season. The selection committee saw to that.”
Stick to your day job
President Barack Obama’s NCAA Tournament bracket left something to be desired, according to Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald.
“This is why being president is the most difficult job in the world: Everyone on the planet knows who you picked in your bracket,” Dickson wrote. “I only wish Obama took half as much interest in his jobs plan as he does in his bracket.”
Quote of the day
“I guess they called us the little brother, or whatever. We can’t be called that anymore.”
Dayton guard Jordan Sibert after the 11th seeded Flyers knocked off sixth-seeded Ohio
State 60-59 in the NCAA Tournament
Sports, Pages 20 on 03/21/2014