COLLEGE BASKETBALL EXCEEDS MARCH MADNESS RESULT

 COLLEGE BAKETBALL OVERVALUES MADNESS RESULTS

It's the last of the busy period in which colleges are introducing new head coaches and recruiting classes, as the spring semester winds down at many schools across the United States.

The offseason is a time when expectations are high. You can see the proof in these press conferences by new head coaches, Jordan Sperber. And no team has higher standards than Duke. The fourth-straight highest-ranked recruiting class has been secured by Coach K's Blue Devils. They are coming off a season that saw them enter the NCAA Tournament as #1 overall seed and reach the Elite Eight.

Duke, led by Tre Jones, a former point guard, and three five star recruits, is well positioned to be highly competitive again. This has been noted by media outlets. But are these expectations too high? There have been many comments suggesting that Duke, despite all their talent, won't win the National Championship next Year. To which I naturally respond, "Yes, probably".

This got me thinking: If March Madness results are the only barometer of major college basketball program success (specifically their number and titles in Final Fours and Titles), then we are seriously overlooking regular season success in favour of a notoriously unpredictable tournament.

It's easy to understand why this is so. March Madness is the biggest moneymaker. Schools can earn more revenue by participating in the tournament, which will bring them national attention and help with future recruiting. High-paying coaches can get huge bonuses (Virginia's Tony Bennett was awarded $1.25 million during the tournament). They also have the chance to be noticed for higher-paying jobs. Although you can be successful in regular season, March Madness is where the winners are noticed.

After losing to 16-seed UMBC, the Virginia Cavaliers were deemed tournament underachievers. This will not be the case now that they have a title under them. Many believed that Gonzaga could not compete for a title despite being in March Madness each year since Mark Few took charge in 1999-00. However, Gonzaga won the championship in 2017.

Duke is another team, just like Gonzaga or Virginia, whose tournament success is always under scrutiny. Critics will point out that the Blue Devils only have two Final Fours in the past fifteen years. It is important to note that these were National Championships. The same applies for the past 20 years. Duke also has two additional Final Fours as well as a third title. What a huge underachievement could having two Final Fours within 15 years be?

Only 15 Division I schools out of 350 have been to multiple Final Fours within the past 15 year. A mere 10% of 311 schools have ever made even one. While Duke trails blue bloods like Michigan State, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Kansas (who lead with five), (4), (5), (3), I think this level is very hard to sustain over the long term. UCLA and Indiana have both won 16 consecutive championships but have not reached the Final Four in 2008 or 2002 respectively. Why not try regular season dominance instead?

Yet, many teams enter every season with Final Four ambitions, leading to inexorable disappointment. We don't blame them. They dream of championships. Not 20, 25, or 30-win seasons. Real achievement can sometimes be overlooked in those title visions. Contrary to what many believe, Duke performed well this past season. I get the championship or bust mentality. This is especially true when you consider that the team was a top-three recruiting team. However, let's not forget about the reality.

Duke was the #1 overall seed. This means that they were deemed to be the best team in the country for March Madness. This is a huge disappointment. The team lost five regular season games, which is an indication of how difficult it can be to remain undefeated in college basketball today. BLACKJACK AND CRAPS 36 X 72 INCH COLLEGE BASKETBALL JUMBO FOURSOME LAYOUT REVIEW