March 3, 2006

March Madness hits the Marietta campus

By DREW BONIFANT
atb001@marietta.edu

If your a college basketball player, you know exactly what the month of March means for your school. March Madness brings about a tournament like no other. The tournament shows who is the number one college basketball team in the nation, and who gets all the bragging rights. This year’s tournament is shaping up quite nicely.

During the course of the NCAA Division I basketball season, it is important for the successful teams to both take care of their own business and to take advantage of situations outside their control.

Duke has done just that, having defeated each of its Atlantic Coast Conference opponents and benefited from an ultra-competitive Big East to grab the No. 1 seed near the end of the regular season.

With 25 wins against only one loss, which was to Georgetown on January 21, the Blue Devils are in good position to finish with one of the coveted top seeds for the four regions of the NCAA Tournament. The pre-season number 1, Duke’s sole defeat keeps it ahead of Villanova (21-2), Connecticut (23-2, the No.1 before Duke regained the spot Feb. 20), Memphis (24-2) and Gonzaga (22-3). George Washington, despite a 22-1 record, is sixth, likely hurt by its position in a weaker conference (the Atlantic 10).

In addition to the success Duke has managed, the Blue Devils are also taking advantage of the battles Big East members are waging on themselves. Undoubtedly the greatest source of team talent in Division I, the Big East features 10 of its 16 teams fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, three of which (Villanova, Connecticut and Pittsburgh) have staked legitimate claims for positions among the top five in the country. The inter-conference games that have resulted have hurt these teams’ records while clearing the path for Duke. Connecticut was the top team in the nation until conference-rival Villanova topped it, and Villanova’s claim for the top ranking was spoiled by a loss to Big East foe West Virginia. West Virginia in turn had its chances ruined by losses to Pittsburgh and Connecticut, while Pittsburgh has had its strong season marred by defeats to conference opponents Connecticut, Georgetown and Marquette.

Clearing the dust from intense Big East competition, the message remains that each team that has the talent to challenge Duke in the polls soon loses its spot by falling to an equally-strong conference opponent.

In addition to the years the national powers have endured, this NCAA season has also provided plenty of lesser-names that have proven themselves worthy of a run through the tournament. Memphis is the prime example, as the Tigers have streaked through an undefeated season within its conference (Conference USA) en route to the fourth spot in the AP polls, while George Washington has encountered similar success in the Atlantic 10. Tennessee (20-4, #10 AP, #1 SEC East) has taken advantage of a conference normally dominated by Florida and Kentucky, and Boston College (21-6, #13 AP, #4 ACC) has put itself in position for the tournament by succeeding in a conference ahead of such annual powers as Maryland, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

With less than two weeks remaining, the NCAA season is finalizing its top teams, and with the strain of their schedules passed, the top teams look to remain there at the start of the tournament.