Here's what I learned from Duke's trashing of West Virginia:
The blogs will be buzzing tomorrow over Bob Huggins' daughters, who were shown a couple of times in the final moments of the game.
Huggins' interaction with a fallen Da'Sean Butler will be one of the images I most remember from the tournament. And I really feel for Butler, a senior who was West Virginia's new Mr. Clutch this season, following in the footsteps of the original Mountaineer Mr. Clutch, Jerry West. I hope it isn't an ACL tear but that was my first thought when I saw it.
Apparently CBS executives issued a memo that the announcers are allowed to praise Huggins but cannot mention the pitiful graduation rates he has had throughout his career, most notably during his tenure at Cincinnati. Nor can they acknowledge the circumstances under which he left Cincinnati. One can only hope that is changing in Morgantown.
The most underrated aspect of Duke? Their toughness. Brian Zoubek is a tough rebounder now. Jon Scheyer is a tough player. So is Kyle Singler. So is Nolan Smith. They play tough and they are mentally tough. I was really impressed with the way Singler bounced back from his albatross of a showing against Baylor in the regional final last Sunday. He clearly didn't let it bother him at all.
April 3, 2010
How will CBS replace Dick Enberg?
Enjoyed CBS' halftime tribute to Dick Enberg. He was definitely one of the greats. Even in his recent decline and when he was demoted off the top two teams, I still felt he was the best NFL play-by-play guy CBS had (Jim Nantz is so-so and Greg Gumbel is blah). I don't think of his as a basketball guy, even though he's done March Madness for CBS since 2000, was at the call of the famous Michigan State-Indiana State Magic-Bird national championship in 1979 for NBC, and teamed with Billy Packer and Al MaGuire on NBC's college hoops broadcasts on what is considered the greatest college basketball announcing team of all-time. That being said, he was still good at it. He and Jay Bilas have made a solid team these last few NCAA Tournaments.
If CBS keeps the Tournament after this inevitable expansion and new television deal that will kick in next year, I wonder who will replace Enberg on one of their big-four teams. In recent years, the teams have been Nantz-Clark Kellogg (before Kellogg it was Packer), Verne Lundquist-Bill Raftery (the best team CBS has because of how well Verne and Raft play off each other and because Raft is the best analyst alive on any sport, I think), Gus Johnson-Len Elmore (the most entertaining team CBS has because of Gus, although probably not the best because I don't think Elmore fits well with Gus) and Enberg-Bilas. Their second tier play-by-play guys have been Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan and Tim Brando, with Spero Dedes this year replacing Craig Bolerjack.
If CBS doesn't want to alter things too much, they could just bring back Bolerjack and promote Harlan, who is a terrific basketball play-by-play guy on both March Madness and the NBA on TNT. If they feel they need more starpower (and don't ask me why networks feel the need for starpower when no fan has ever tuned in specifically to hear an announcer), the obvious move would be to slide Gumbel out of the studio (he was NBC's No. 2 NBA play-by-play guy in the mid-1990s and even made the famous "John Stockton sends the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals!" call in 1997 when Stockton's game-winning three beat the Rockets in Game 6 of the West Finals) and replace him with James Brown.
Whatever CBS does, let's hope that JB doesn't go courtside. They tried that a couple years ago, taking Gus off the regional semis and regional final, to disastrous results. JB is a great studio host and a lousy play-by-play guy.
No matter what CBS does though, it won't be able to replace Enberg. He will be moving on to do Padres play-by-play and I hope some of those games are available on MLB Extra Innings. I also hope he will continue with tennis as he is really good at that too.
If CBS keeps the Tournament after this inevitable expansion and new television deal that will kick in next year, I wonder who will replace Enberg on one of their big-four teams. In recent years, the teams have been Nantz-Clark Kellogg (before Kellogg it was Packer), Verne Lundquist-Bill Raftery (the best team CBS has because of how well Verne and Raft play off each other and because Raft is the best analyst alive on any sport, I think), Gus Johnson-Len Elmore (the most entertaining team CBS has because of Gus, although probably not the best because I don't think Elmore fits well with Gus) and Enberg-Bilas. Their second tier play-by-play guys have been Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan and Tim Brando, with Spero Dedes this year replacing Craig Bolerjack.
If CBS doesn't want to alter things too much, they could just bring back Bolerjack and promote Harlan, who is a terrific basketball play-by-play guy on both March Madness and the NBA on TNT. If they feel they need more starpower (and don't ask me why networks feel the need for starpower when no fan has ever tuned in specifically to hear an announcer), the obvious move would be to slide Gumbel out of the studio (he was NBC's No. 2 NBA play-by-play guy in the mid-1990s and even made the famous "John Stockton sends the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals!" call in 1997 when Stockton's game-winning three beat the Rockets in Game 6 of the West Finals) and replace him with James Brown.
Whatever CBS does, let's hope that JB doesn't go courtside. They tried that a couple years ago, taking Gus off the regional semis and regional final, to disastrous results. JB is a great studio host and a lousy play-by-play guy.
No matter what CBS does though, it won't be able to replace Enberg. He will be moving on to do Padres play-by-play and I hope some of those games are available on MLB Extra Innings. I also hope he will continue with tennis as he is really good at that too.
This is the national semifinal?
I'm thrilled Butler beat Michigan State but that game was brutal to watch. Butler made one field goal in the final 12 minutes and still managed to win. This is college basketball at its finest?
Also, I'm not so sure Draymond Green wasn't fouled by Gordon Hayward with eight seconds left. Actually, I'm pretty sure he was. Scratch that: he was clearly fouled. No call made, no free throws taken, and thus Michigan State didn't have a chance to take a 51-50 lead with a pair of foul shots.
Whatever. I'm thrilled for Butler, which was one of the 10 best teams all season long (and if you watched games this season beyond just the power conferences, you knew that going into the tournament). And kudos to Tom Izzo on leading Michigan State to another Final Four, this time without his best player, Kalin Lucas. No one does better in March than Izzo (although, I'll be the first to admit his Aprils leave much to be desired with only one national championship in six trips to the Final Four).
Also, I'm not so sure Draymond Green wasn't fouled by Gordon Hayward with eight seconds left. Actually, I'm pretty sure he was. Scratch that: he was clearly fouled. No call made, no free throws taken, and thus Michigan State didn't have a chance to take a 51-50 lead with a pair of foul shots.
Whatever. I'm thrilled for Butler, which was one of the 10 best teams all season long (and if you watched games this season beyond just the power conferences, you knew that going into the tournament). And kudos to Tom Izzo on leading Michigan State to another Final Four, this time without his best player, Kalin Lucas. No one does better in March than Izzo (although, I'll be the first to admit his Aprils leave much to be desired with only one national championship in six trips to the Final Four).
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