Adam’s Two Cents

Bobby Knight has a great point in talking about the integrity of the game and John Calipari. Knight has come under scrutiny for his comments. Most saying who is Knight to question integrity. He choked a kid at Indiana, threw chairs during games, made obscene comments to several interviewees, head butted kids who came off the floor for foul trouble. Yes it may seem very hypocritical for a person who has done these things to question another’s integrity, but the last time I checked Bobby Knight had coached at three different universities, and not once did he have a team, or put a school, under probation. Something that Calipari has done twice. So why it may sound hypocritical, Knight has every right to question the integrity of a coach who has done something Knight never did, and has done it twice.

Ok Isiah has a point. I can’t believe I said that. Anywho, the Gazelle Group, who are the organizers for the Coaches Versus Cancer Classic, apparently changed the opening round games of Ohio State, North Carolina, Alcorn State, and Thomas’ Florida International. The tourney schedule did have Alcorn State playing North Carolina and Florida International playing Ohio State. That was until Tuesday.

On Tuesday North Carolina gave out a press release stating that their opening game of the 2009-10 season in the C.v.C.C. was against Florida International. When learning this the FIU officials threatened to pull out of the tourney if they weren’t switched back to playing Ohio State. While I said Thomas did make a good point by subtly thinking his team can’t compete against UNC, he’s also contradicting himself at the same time, and that’s where I have a problem.

See Thomas was quoted earlier this month by the A.P. about his opener, and Thomas said “If at some point and time you’re going to be able to play with the big boys, you might as well jump right into the fire and get started.” So what seems to be the problem Isiah? The organizers had Florida International playing Ohio State before you took over at FIU. Then they realized, boy what great attention that would bring if Isiah played against UNC to open the year. Good “business” move on their part, and by saying you might as well jump into the fire and get started pretty much gave everyone the sign that you were willing to play anyone. Now you don’t want to play North Carolina. So you want to play with the big boys, you don’t just want to play with that big of boys is that the case?

What kind of message does that send your team? Now this is just my opinion, but doesn’t every coach go into every game thinking they can win? If so, what kind of message are you giving to the country if you say you’re willing to play with the big boys, but if the competiton is too steep you don’t want to play? I’ll tell you what kind of message that sends the country, the message says that you’re afraid Isiah. While at some point you might get FIU into the Top 25 in your tenure, but you’re not starting out too optimistic.

Who is the real victim in the Rick Pitino story? That’s an easy answer, it’s none other than Joanne Pitino. Joanne has suffered through alot in her lifetime and the one person whom needed to be there for her isn’t even trustworthy anymore.

The Pitino’s have been married since 1976, they have five children, a sixth one died six months after birth due to congenital heart failure. Then Joanne’s brother, Billy Minardi, was killed on 9/11, and her brother-in-law Don Vogt, was killed when a cab struck him in New York City. Now her husband cheats and offers to pay the lady whom he cheated on her with $3,000 for an abortion, and on top of that he might have even paid his equipment manager to marry the mistress.

I really feel for Joanne Pitino, your husband is supposed to be the one you can trust, the one that will be there through thick and thin, and now she can’t trust him and that is tough to deal with.

Now Pitino won’t be fired, though I think he should. Once again this is a case in which wins and losses determine a head coaches fate rather than other issues. In this case I would fire Pitino because what kind of example is he setting for his young student athletes. Basically he showing them that it’s not only ok to fool around on your wife, and lie about it, but it’s also ok to pay people off and when everyone does find out about it, you get to keep your job.

Louisville’s A.D. needs to set a precedence and get rid of Pitino for the immoral issues that he is showing young players, whom most of which have parents that put trust in Pitino to guide them into adulthood. Now he’s steered them into controversy and scandal. I know one thing, if my child wanted to attend Louisville and play basketball for Pitino, I would have to tell him no just becasue I don’t appreciate someone who is self-centered upon their own pleasures, rather than molding a young man’s mind.

Ok it’s Women’s NCAA Tourney Bracket time, so let’s roll through my picks for the women.

Trenton:

Round 1
1)UConn over 16)Vermont
8)Florida over 9)Temple
5)Viginia over 12)Marist
4)Cal over 13)Fresno State
6)Arizona State over 11)Georgia
3)Florida State over 14)North Carolina A&T
10)Minnesota over 7)Notre Dame
2)Texas A&M over 15)Evansville

Round 2

1)UConn over 8)Florida
5)Virginia over 4)Cal
3)Florida State over 6)Arizona State
2)Texas A&M over 10)Minnesota

Sweet 16
1)UConn over 5)Virginia
3)Florida State over 2)Texas A&M

Regional Final
1)UConn over 3)Florida State

Berkeley:
Round 1
1)Duke over 16)Austin Peay
9)Michigan State over 8)Mid Tenn State
5)Tennessee over 12)Ball State
4)Iowa State over 13)East Tenn State
6)Texas over 11)Mississippi State
3)Ohio State over 14)Sacred Heart
10)San Diego State over 7)DePaul
2)Stanford over 15)UC-Santa Barbara

Round 2
1)Duke over 9)Michigan State
5)Tennessee over 4)Iowa State
3)Ohio State over 6)Texas
2)Stanford over 10)San Diego State

Sweet 16
1)Duke over 5)Tennessee
2)Stanford over 3)Ohio State

Regional Final

2)Stanford over 1)Duke

Raliegh:

Round 1

1)Maryland over 16)Dartmouth
9)Utah over 8)Villanova
5)Kansas State over 12)Drexel
4)Vanderbilt over 13)Western Carolina
6)LSU over 11)Green Bay
3)Louisville over 14)Liberty
7)S.D.State over 10)TCU
2)Baylor over 15)San Antonio

Round 2

1)Maryland over 9)Utah
4)Vanderbilt over 5)Kansas St.
3)Louisville over 6)LSU
2)Baylor over 7)S.D. State

Sweet 16

1)Maryland over 4)Vanderbilt
3)Louisville over 2)Baylor

Regional Final

1)Maryland over 3)Louisville

Oklahoma City:

Round 1

1)Oklahoma over 16)Prairie View
8)Iowa over 9)Georgia Tech
4)Pitt over 13)Montana
6)Purdue over 11)Charlotte
12)Gonzaga over 5)Xavier
3)North Carolina over 14)UCF
7)Rutgers over 10)VCU
2)Auburn over 15)Lehigh

Round 2

1)Oklahoma over 8)Iowa
4)Pitt over 12)Gonzaga
3)North Carolina over 6)Purdue
2)Auburn over 7)Rutgers

Sweet 16

1)Oklahoma over 4)Pitt
2)Auburn over 3)North Carolina

Regional Final

2)Auburn over 1)Oklahoma

FINAL FOUR:

2)Auburn over 1)Maryland
1)UConn over 2)Stanford

FINAL:

1)UConn over 2)Auburn

So there you go UConn is my pick to win the Women’s NCAA Tournament.

Well March Madness is delivering, finally. It’s been a long while since we’ve seen action and upsets like this. I didn’t get to watch the six overtime battle between UConn and Syracuse because I was busy watching my New Mexico Lobos get stunned in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament by Wyoming.

So down went Kansas, and Oklahoma, and Pittsburgh, and UConn, and Clemson, and several big time bubble teams also fell victim. UNLV, New Mexico, Northwestern, Providence, Miami-FL, and California didn’t help their cause at all, and have opened the door for other bubble teams that won yesterday like Virginia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, San Diego State, Boston College, Maryland to name a few.

This, though, is what March Madness is supposed to be like. Epic battles in the big conferences, stunners in the little conferences. Cinderella runs by .500-ball clubs. The confernce tourney’s is the heart of March Madness, all the talk all week comes down to three to four straight days on the court where it needs to be settled, it doesn’t get much better than this, and the good part is it’s only Friday in Championship Week.

People who believe you need the “best” 65 teams in the NCAA Tournament need to have their “fan-hood” taken away from them. I have heard over the last day and a half about people debating whether or not these smaller conference teams should be allowed in the tournament if all they do is get blown out in the first round. I have heard many a radio host say they would like to see the top 65 teams in the country. I say I like how it is now.

First off, to say that we need to get the best 65 teams in the tourney is ludacris. How are you going to determine who are the top 65? The AP? Ha! The AP poll is the biggest joke in the world of sports because they get sold on teams too quickly. You can’t have a year long tournament to determine the best 65, because come on there’s 343 teams in D-1, there’s no way all the teams would be able to play each other.

Second, if the NCAA would ever agree to this idea, we would have far less teams in D-1, because there will be conferences and teams who know they wouldn’t have a shot and would probably go down a division, or create the own. Which in turn would dimish the intensity that March brings. Plus, it would get to a point where you would get the same 65 in the field every year, it may take some years to get there but it will happen.

I know the stats, only four 15-seed teams have beaten a two, and no 16-seed has beaten a one. But let’s reward these teams for what they did this season. Just like in NCAA Football if you’re going to have 343 teams in a Division then treat them like they’re in the same Division. NCAA Basketball does just that right now, and if you don’t like it too bad, it’s good for the sport.