The Peterson Principle: 3/23/15

Tim Peterson

Tim Peterson

By Tim Peterson

I love March Madness. Thursday and Friday of the first week of the Tournament are still the best two days in sports. And this year once again, didn’t disappoint.

Two number three seeds were knocked off by fourteens and there were five games decided by one point. Observations from the first weekend.

There has been a lot of talk about the tournament being diminished because the basketball is so bad. There is some truth to that. With the one and done rule in place, college is a just a quick rest stop for a year for highly recruited players waiting to make the jump to the NBA. It’s not as good as the days of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. I agree it should be changed. The rule has also watered down the talent in the NBA. The NBA isn’t nearly as good as it was in the 80’s and early nineties. Make the players stay at least three years- even two would be a vast improvement.

However even with that said, it hasn’t hurt the attraction of the tournament. Every game is do or die. Every basket, foul, and free throw down the stretch affects the outcome of the game. The emotions of the players are all on display right in front of us. There’s nothing better.

UCLA got in on reputation. There is no doubt. Their resume wasn’t there and I didn’t disagree at all with the critics that said the Bruins selection last Sunday was a joke. But this is what makes the Madness so great. A controversial goaltending call (yes it was goaltending) and them some hot shooting against Alabama Birmingham and boom! The Bruins are in the Sweet Sixteen. Did they catch a break? Sure. But you can’t say they didn’t take advantage.

Kentucky looked very ordinary and Cincinnati played about as well as they could in the third round match up, yet Kentucky still won by 13. The Wildcats haven’t done anything to convince me that they won’t be cutting down the nets on April 4.

You either love or hate John Calipari – most people hate him. But there is no disputing that he has won, and won big, at every school he’s been at. It’s hard to count the number of players that have left Kentucky after one year but he continues to churn out championship caliber teams. He’s the best recruiter in the nation. Yes, the NCAA has hit him and his previous schools with several violations. But we’ve seen how the NCAA operates. Do you really trust them?

Does anybody have it better than Mark Few at Gonzaga? After turning that program into a perennial power, he could own Spokane. He could write his own ticket. A lifetime contract is his for the asking. Despite numerous offers he still hasn’t left. The grass isn’t always greener. The lure of NBA dollars and a big contract can result in disaster. See J.P. Carlesimo, Mike Montgomery, oh and the former Butler coach. What’s his name in Boston?

I got a Final Four of Kentucky, Arizona, Duke and Michigan State. I know…real risky.. but hey that Michigan State pick. Pretty bold huh?

That’s my principle.

Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40.

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