Scares, but Nothing Doing

Top seeds given scare
Find way to make the big play
Upsets are extinct

(A Haggy Haiku)

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Try this for mind boggling.
The first two rounds of NCAA Tournament play have been like returning home after a day at the office and realizing everything is as you left it; as it's supposed to be.
Only one school seeded higher than fifth is still alive, and the top four seeds from two regions were unharmed.
Teams, after all, are ranked based on their talent and play during the season and respective conference tournaments. Surely the higher seeds should win.
Still, something seems amiss. Such as the feeling experienced when you think that you maybe left the garage door open.
To find when a similar scenario last played out, we must travel all the way back to the year in which the Cold War ended and Nintendo was re-launched: 1989.
Back then, No. 11 Minnesota represented the lone hope for upset-seekers across the country. Now, it's 12th-seeded Arizona (whose history is anything but surprising or Cinderella-like, having reached the Big Dance in 25 consecutive seasons and won the national title in 1997).
Teams like Louisville, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Duke, Gonzaga and Michigan State struggled this past weekend to pull away from lower seeded opponents.
In the end, they all came through.
By comparison, the 2008 tournament saw four teams seeded higher than fifth in the regional semifinals, including two 12-seeds (Villanova and Western Kentucky), a 10-seed (Davidson) and a 7-seed (West Virginia).
Even in a tamer 2007, where no double-figure seeds reached the Sweet Sixteen, only one region advanced all of the top four teams.
2009 could be an anomaly. It's one year. Hardly a trend.
But for this year, at least, the upset is dead.

Letter of Congratulations

Dear Mark Johnson,

Congratulations to you and the Wisconsin women's hockey team for winning yet another national championship. That makes three in the past four years and four straight appearances in the championship game. Wow.
Through hard work, dedication, leadership, unity, confidence and resilience -- personality traits you try to instill as a coach -- anything can be achieved. The Badgers certainly proved it.
It's fantastic to see that goaltender Jessie Vetter won the Patty Kazmaier award, given to the best NCAA Division I women's hockey player.
In four seasons at Wisconsin, Vetter became the new NCAA recordholder for career shutouts (38), single-season shutouts (13) and career victories (90). Amazing.
Enjoy the moment. And let's get another one next year.

Warm regards,

The Wisconsin Badger nation

Payback

This time the computer said no.
Wisconsin qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2008 on a computer-based tiebreaker (RPI, which calculates strength of schedule). The same program left the Badgers out of the 16 team field this year.
Ohio State had a higher RPI.
The Badgers wrapped up their season with a 4-1 win over North Dakota in the WCHA Tournament third-place game to finish 20-16-4
Last year, the team needed everything short of a miracle to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame lost in its conference tournament, while Princeton won the ECAC's. And the Gophers beat up on Minnesota State to lower its RPI.
All that allowed UW to squeeze through and become the first team with a sub-.500 record to play in the NCAA Tournament.
No such fortune this year.
The focus now will be on grooming backup goaltender Scott Gudmandson to replace departing senior Shane Connelly, and retaining some of its many underclassmen with pro potential for next year.

Picks

March Madness is set to begin Thursday. Here are the champion picks of various people I've associated with over the years.

Mine: UNC

My mom's: UNC

Dave McGrath, sports editor of The Badger Herald before me: Duke

Michael Poppy, former roommate and sports editor of The Badger Herald: UNC

Kyle Turris, former No. 3 pick and Badger and current Phoenix Coyote: Syracuse

Bassey Etim, New York Times Web content assistant: Louisville

Bleacher Report

Florida State vs. Wisconsin

Big Ten Tournament: Badgers vs. Buckeyes

When There's Madness, you Know It's March

Instant classic
UConn and the Orange battle on
Into sixth OT

(A Haggy Haiku)

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Get out your garden hoe, March Madness is in full bloom.

Well, not quite.

But if the Big Dance resembles anything that happened in the conference tournaments Thursday, it should be exciting.

Baylor upset No. 1 seed Kansas 71-64 in the Big 12 Tournament and, at 2-14 in ACC play, the 12^th-seeded Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech knocked off nationally ranked Clemson 86-81.

Later, Oklahoma State stuffed Blake Griffin and 6th-ranked Oklahoma 71-70 and West Virginia upended No. 2 Pittsburgh 74-60 before the stage was set for the six overtimes thriller at Madison Square between UConn and Syracuse.

Jonny Flynn scored a game-high 34 points and the Orange defeated the Huskies 127-117 in what was the second longest game in NCAA Division I history.

It was a matter of survival. Syracuse won.

UConn's top three scorers on the night -- A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson -- all fouled out. Thabeet and Robinson picked up their fifth fouls midway through the fourth overtime.

Looking back on the other games ...

In a stacked Big 12 and sitting on the proverbial bubble of the field of 65, Baylor needed the victory more. The Bears came to play.

The Wildcats didn't.

They hit just 40.3 percent from the floor and could do nothing to stop the shooting of LaceDarius Dunn who hit six threes and scored 24 points.

...

The Clemson Tigers as a program have risen from the the once unfertile soil into becoming a NCAA regular (this year will make three straight appearances). Gritty, hard-nosed basketball has allowed the Tigers to exceed expectations. Immaturity from a history of failure, and horrendous free throw shooting have found a way to catch the team's success and buck it like Bones does potential riders.

It happened again today. Georgia Tech dropped an anvil on Clemson's chest Thursday and left the once solidified four or five seed (in the NCAA Tournament) Tigers doubting themselves once more.

...

Pittsburgh, like Kansas, didn't show up.

That's what happens when its team's best rebounder and second leading scorer (DeJuan Blair) fouls out after playing just 18 minutes and the rest of his teammates can't find the mark.

In a 16-team field such as the Big East has, it's tough for even the nation's best to pull through every night.

...

The same can be said about top teams in a jam-packed Big 12.

It's always tough to beat a team three times in the same season, especially when placed back-to-back; that's what the Sooners faced. And if not for a wishy-washy foul on Griffin in the game's closing seconds that sent James Anderson to the line for the winning free throws, Oklahoma would likely still be vying for a No. 1 seed in the round fo 65.

All that's left is to see what craziness will present itself tomorrow.

Catch 22

Unable to be
Altruistic by request
Asking is unfair

(A Haggy Haiku)

Badger Herald Guest Column

Check It Out

Tucker Starts

Tucker got his chance
Logged big-time minutes and scored
May be start of dream

(A Haggy Haiku)

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It's good to see former Badger Alando Tucker finally get his opportunity at the next level. A rash of injuries to the Phoenix Suns allowed Tucker to start for the first time in his career Thursday against Los Angeles.
He made the most of his opportunity and point guard Steve Nash's absence, scoring a personal-best 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
Playing in garbage time of just six contests during his rookie campaign in 2007-08 and none until the turn of the new year this season, Tucker didn't seem fit for the NBA.
Scarcity can be a beautiful thing.
Tucker -- considered an undersized forward at 6-6 with underwhelming quickness and outside touch -- has played in 15 of the team's 25 games since his recall from the Developmental League. Shaky, garbage minutes again, until Thursday.
He must have done something right in practice this week. Certainly, his exposure to the D-League helped. Suns interim coach Alvin Gentry selected the former first round pick to start -- ahead of Matt Barnes, who has started 16 games this season.
It's only one game. But when you're living day-to-day at the end of the Phoenix bench, solid production like that can make all the difference.
Maybe it's the real start to his professional career.
If so, Tucker, welcome to the NBA.
With solid production, albeit in a blowout loss,

Crede Sign of the Times

To many, it's about time the Twins spent money.
In reality, that's hardly the case.
The Minnesota Twins reached an agreement with Joe Crede Saturday, signing the oft-injured third baseman to a one year contract.
In any other market at any other time a top-tier free agent, even with chronic back problems, would draw a multi-year deal worth tens of millions of dollars.
Not this year.
So while the Twins went out and bought talent, they didn't and shouldn't pay the price.
Crede's base salary is $2.5 million this season, to become $7 million if he remains healthy and makes 500 plate appearances.
The hope is Crede will add much needed power from the right side of the plate to a team that ranked 29th of 30 teams in home runs.
His17 dingers in 97 games a season ago would have ranked third on the Twins.
If Crede can't shed his back problems and contribute, the Twins give up the $2.5 million -- next to nothing when compared to the $6.6 million they spent to have a career backup, Mike Lamb, at the same position.
Finally, the Twins didn't mess up a free agent sign, and fans have something to smile about even while the economy continues to falter.

2009 All-Star Game: Marketing Ploy

Media circus
Shaq and Kobe share top honor
"Storybook" ending

(A Haggy Haiku)

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It's pretty clear that the media fixed the final ballot to ensure that the two former teammates, turned enemies, turned acquaintances shared the stage one last time.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal finished with six votes apiece and were named co-MVPs of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.
Together they won three straight championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, though the feuds had already begun.
To each, the other was selfish. Both wanted more touches. Neither could lead in the other's eyes.
Following a disappointing effort for a fourth title, the Lakers disbanded. Shaq left. Kobe nearly did the same.
An NBA title of his own in Miami deepened the pool of mockery. Bryant, after the breakup, remained silent.
O'Neal took it a step further -- and too far -- last offseason, with a rap in a New York night club. He mocked Bryant for losing to the Celtics in the NBA Finals by saying, "Kobe can't do it without me" and "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes."
Suddenly only O'Neal was seen as the bad guy, so the public relations monolith quickly reported that it was all a publicity stunt. Everything that had happened between the two, just an act.
Not really, Bryant said.
Or was it?
To be sure, the NBA played it as such as the odd couple reunited in harmonious, gregarious fashion Sunday night, feeding more to the other's ego with every lob and behind-the-back pass. Bryant finished with a game-high 27 points and O'Neal added 17 in 11 minutes.
Fact of fiction, feud ongoing or stopped, the NBA got what it wanted: a perfect ending to an imperfect relationship.

Steroids Abound

It should mean something
But the league waited too long
A-Rod did no wrong

(A Haggy Haiku)

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Alex Rodriguez admitted Monday to steroid use for three seasons after accusations arose that he tested positive for the now banned substance in 2003.
The news prompted a Yahoo! Sports columnist to write about the travesty of the game as another one of its bigger than earth stars was caught in the drug scandal.
The game will forever be tainted, yes, but what's done is done.
Baseball could have implemented stricter rules long before Mark McGwire blasted 70 home runs on the juice to oddly enough save baseball from its post strike years of depression (see a contradiction?). And Players could have avoided the stuff out of the kindness of their hearts.
Neither happened.
Instead A-Rod, the biggest name to confess to his wrongdoing (occurring from 2001-03 with the Texas Rangers), played "20 Questions" with Peter Gammons while the entirety of the sporting world looked on with disgust. Admitting wrongdoing has to count for something (ask Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds).
No matter, it was legal at the time AND pitchers bulked up with the same product.
Whatever happened to all things being equal?
Catch these cheaters, whatever the cost. It's all for the purity of the game's sake -- that's MLB's new mantra.
What in the world is pure anymore -- if that word is even relevant today? People, for the most part, aren't, so why should a game played, managed, owned and watched by them be?
A-Rod made a mistake. Steroids are bad for the game and worse on the body.
Baseball is never going to be the same, just as the past cannot be changed, but learning from it can help shape a better future.

Torn Apart

Just when the Timberwolves started earning respect, an awkward fall inveitably tore it apart.

Al Jefferson shredded ligaments in his knee Sunday night in the waning seconds of a 101-97 loss -- just the fourth of the new year -- and Minnesota is suddenly starless.

Worse, in a league full of versatile big-men, the Timberwolves now look awfully small.

"Unfortunately for us, the season is not over," said coach Kevin McHale, who has led the Timberwolves to a 13-10 record since a 4-23 start.

Rookie Kevin Love is the only 4 or 5 (power forward, center) who has logged steady minutes this season.

Only 20, the Wolves had hoped his rookie campaign would be about progress and baby steps. Whatever he contributed, the Wolves would take.

Now he must be a playmaker and scorer. Now the ball will run through him in the post. Now the pressure Jefferson felt in terms of double-teams, defenders, scoring and leading will land on Love.

He hasn't played particularly well as a starter, but there is no way around it: Love must rise to the occasion. The rest of the team must too pick up the scoring slack and the 19.7 shots Jefferson attempted per night.

Although the playoffs are out of reach, owner Glen Taylor may think about swapping one of those four first round draft picks for size before the Feb. 19 deadline to assure the remaining fans the team is still swelling and heading in the right direction.

Bigs Jason Collins, Mark Madsen and Calvin Booth are there for moral support. Among them, 21 points have been scored in 22 games.

The Timberwolves are down. They showed it in practice Monday.

Respect at stake, can they get back up?

Check These Out

My run-down of Wisconsin's Signing Day

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/119878-class-act-wisconsins-signing-day?just_published=1

and my recap of the Minnesota-Illinois basketball game Jan. 29.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/1405386,CST-SPT-ill30.article

Giant Loss

Super Bowl XLIII may have looked a lot different if one of the stars from last year's big game didn't shoot himself and his team in the leg.
Plaxico Burress has always had character issues. This time he went too far.
And November 29, 2008 will be remembered as the night the New York Giants' season changed.
Inclined to show off his wealth by wearing thousands of dollars in bling, Burress insisted on packing a gun at a Manhattan nightclub.
Instead of someone giving him trouble for his jewelry, Burress mugged himself and his season. His gun went off lodging a bullet into his thigh.
Adding insult to injury, Burress faced felony charges for carrying an unlicensed loaded gun into a nightclub.
The Giants suspended their star receiver indefinitely; they went from sitting atop the NFL at 11-1 and seeming destined to repeat as champions, to stumbling to a 12-4 finish.
Against the Eagles in the playoffs, Eli Manning looked lost, obviously missing his favorite 6-foot-5 target. Manning threw just two touchdowns in his final five games of the season compared to 19 in the first 12.
After seeing what happened to the Giants without a go-to-guy and the flipside with Arizona and Larry Fitzgerald, it's clear New York and Burress need each other.
The Giants better hope Burress keeps his hands they can see them.