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DEL.ICIO.USOne delicious Final Four ahead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
St. Louis — There will be no George Masons in the Georgia Dome. There will, however, be four King Georges.
For the first time since 1998 and only the fifth time ever, the Final Four will be comprised of teams already holding national titles. Only once before, in 1995, have the owners of this many aggregate championships (14) convened under one roof.
The reigning champ (Florida) will be there. The program with the most championships (UCLA) will be there. The school that won in 1984 (Georgetown) will be there. And so will Ohio State, which took the title when the hot Buckeyes name was Jerry Lucas, not Greg Oden.
“All the teams moving forward are really good,” said Ernie Kent, whose Oregon Ducks lost to Florida here in the Midwest Regional final. “They’ve all got size and depth and tradition and history. All those things are in place. It should be a great Final Four.”
To be honest, this NCAA tournament hasn’t been all that memorable. The lowest seed to reach the Sweet 16 was No. 7 UNLV. The lowest seed to crash the Elite Eight was Oregon, a No. 3. The first two weekends of the Big Dance were notable mostly for blown leads and for favorites struggling but surviving.
The Final Four should be different for the simple reason that there will be no real favorite. Any of the four could claim the title without it being considered an upset. Asked Sunday if, having booked passage back to the national semifinals, his Florida Gators might be able to relax, Al Horford was incredulous.
“We’re playing UCLA, man,” he said. “Any team that’s left can beat you now if you relax. Now’s the time to step it up.”
Each of the four has had its step-up moment. Ohio State had two near-elimination experiences. Georgetown had two near-miracles in the Meadowlands. UCLA had to defuse Kansas. And Florida had to fight its way through a bracket of challengers primed to dethrone the champ.
Said Corey Brewer: “It’s a lot harder this year. Night in, night out, we get everybody’s best shot. But it’s been really rewarding.”
The Gators, as Horford noted, will play UCLA, the team they trashed 73-57 in last year’s championship game. Said Kent, whose team played both: “This year’s UCLA team is probably tougher mentally having gone through this a second time and having had a much more difficult time in the Pac-10. If they can defend the [Florida] big guys and still get out on the 3-point shooters, they’ll have a chance.”
The other semifinal matches teams powered by big men. Ohio State has Oden, who outscored Memphis’ Joey Dorsey 17-nil in the West Regional final after Dorsey called him “overrated.” Georgetown has Roy Hibbert, who fought through foul trouble to help fuel the Hoyas’ epic comeback against North Carolina.
The last numbers of this dance could well be epics themselves, but a word of warning: They might not be pretty to watch. UCLA strangles the life out of games with its defense. Ohio State, as evidenced by its propensity to fall into deep holes, can look really awful. Georgetown runs the Princeton offense, which is a clinician’s delight but not necessarily a spectator’s. And even Florida has slogged through four rounds without a truly surpassing performance.
“We’ve had to go through the journey a different way,” Gators coach Billy Donovan said. “We couldn’t do it the same way [as last season] because people were not going to let us.”
But nobody has stopped the Gators’ repeat-after-me mission yet, and it will take a giant of an opponent to do that. Three giants remain. Three worthy challengers, one defending champ, one delicious Final Four.
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By Buck Cochran in the NW
March 25, 2007 9:03 PM | Link to this
Should be one of the best ever and the Reptiles will repeat ith a story line that won’t ever be forgotten.
By James Adams
March 25, 2007 9:43 PM | Link to this
Had coach John Thompson been smart, he wouldnt have made his team dribble Sunday. The ‘dont put the ball on the floor until youve taken at least five steps’ offense worked great against Vandy. In other matters, Ive made a command decision. If I ever unearth a genie, or discover an un-evil Leprechaun, my third wish of ‘weekend in Vegas with Jessica Alba’ has been replaced with ‘mute Billy Packer forever’. Why do I think that if we looked in the bottom of his sock drawer, wed find, in lieu of Playboys, a pile of “Street & Smith’s ACC Basketball Preview”s from the 90’s.
By Orlando Rivera
March 25, 2007 11:33 PM | Link to this
James, I agree. Fortunately they still won in spite of the refs atempt to keep UNC in the game (the free throw attempts was so atrocious). I wish they would mute that moron Packer but oh well.
I’m looking forward to watching the Ohio State Luckeyes finally going down against the Hoyas, and they’ll take on Florida, which should be a classic. However, I see GT cutting down the nets when it’s all said and done on Monday.
By mikey1
March 26, 2007 12:28 AM | Link to this
Vitale is MUCH worse than Packer! At least Packer knows something… maybe.
By Buck Cochran in the NW
March 26, 2007 1:17 AM | Link to this
AMEN mikey1
By MovieTall1
March 26, 2007 1:28 AM | Link to this
I don’t care who wins, as long as it isn’t the Gaylosers! I hate Noah, and hope that somebody will finally put a body on him. Of course, then Donovan would be crying as usual when his team is behind. F—- them!
By James Adams
March 26, 2007 1:53 AM | Link to this
Dick Vitale….damnit…Jessica Alba and Vegas have been bumped to five…WAIT A MINUTE!!….with Stuart Scott and Chris Berman still out there, Im going to need to find multiple wish-givers!!!
By Atlanta Gator
March 26, 2007 6:48 AM | Link to this
Buck——I wish I had your confidence to foretell the future, but I’ll accept your prediction with the caveat that I think any one of these four teams is capable of winning.
By steve
March 26, 2007 7:16 AM | Link to this
To MovieTall1: first off - what the hll kind of a nickname is “MovieTall1”? Jeez…Secondly, obviously you’re a Gator hater for a reason…probably an inferiority complex. You wanna take Noah one one one “Tall” man? Your kind make me laugh! I’ll be Donovan could kick your a* one on one. You petty loser.
By jim Herrick
March 26, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this
Dear MovieTail, You learned that Gaylosers in my class didn’t you??? Imagine if those LOSERS win their 3rd!!!!NCAA Championship in a row???/ They will be tough to deal with. Especially when you realize they have defeated us 15 out of last 17 times in football and that we haven’t done a thing since Final 4 in the Pit in early 80’s. Man we stink!!
Should have kept me, I cheated like Hell and had no character but I would have won faster than this decent human being—What is up with that??—-you got there now.
By Gator Scott
March 26, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
Bradley, i think this has been a great tournament! I don’t need to see George Masons and Coppin States advance to appreciate the NCAAs. We’ve seen college kids get hot AND cold and more great finishes than I remember. Maybe the NCAA was just more accurate with their seedings?
There should be some great games this weekend. I actually can’t wait to see Hibbert vs. Oden Saturday. And, hopefully, one of them against the Gator frontcourt.
Greatest week (or 2) in sports, for my money. The Final 4, The Masters starts and baseball begins! Then the NHL playoffs begin. Did i forget anything?
And it didn’t take long for the “Gayloser” to come out. Some of you people are completely pathetic. I’m glad none of my Dawg friends are like “ya’ll”.
By reza
March 26, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this
New era in championship.College football and basketbal trophies must go through the Florida gators. They have proven they are for real. Go gators.
By Boomer
March 26, 2007 1:20 PM | Link to this
Delicious? Yeah, whatever, Monkeyboy. Aren’t they all. Everybody at the AJC is having to re-apply for their current jobs. Hows about you don’t even bother.
By x3man
March 26, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this
It’s a good final four, too bad UNC isn’t there. Up by 10 & Hibert with 4 fouls… and they shoot threes & dont try to drive in the lane?
By nate
March 26, 2007 4:27 PM | Link to this
I like UCLA. Defense wins championships. UCLA plays great team defense. I know Florida will be favored by most people. It is SEC country and they just left here with a SEC Title, but I don’t think that’s going to matter much. Florida only goes about 6 deep and I think the UCLA defense will be the difference. Florida is talented, good and well coached but not invincible. This is a very deep Final Four. I wouldn’t be suprise though if Georgetown pulls this off. If they get into a half court game, they will beat you soundly. They use their size inside very well. That’s what beat UNC. They forced them into a half court game. Ohio State is solid but I think Georgetown will prevail. But I’m sticking with UCLA to cut down the NETS BABY!!!!
By Ji
March 26, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this
i have no harsh feelings for the gators. im not a georgia fan either so don’t mistake me for hating on the gators jus b/c im a georgia fan. but i really don’t like the gators. i hope they get beaten in the finals.. i would really like to see ohio state florida in NCAA finals.. it would just be interesting. but no matter what… great final four. hope all games are incredible
By Derrick
March 26, 2007 5:21 PM | Link to this
It would have been fantastic only if North Carolina was in it. But no calls by the gutless left them out. Now it may be average at best.
By Derrick
March 26, 2007 5:26 PM | Link to this
Orlando, you’re an idiot, if the refs had done their job Carolina would have won by twenty. And Packer was so pro Georgetown someone should have stuck a sock in his mouth. No calls by the officials, walking, fouls that should have been called, burns me up.
By James Adams
March 26, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this
Tale of the Tape: Since 1993 Sweet 16’s: Acc-36 SEC-33 Elite 8’s: acc-18 SEC-17 Final Four’s: acc-13 SEC-12 Runners-Up: acc-3 SEC-3 Champions: acc-4 SEC-4
My personal favorite Head-to-Head: SEC (14-6) 1st Round (1-0) 2nd Round (3-1) Round of 16 (3-3) Round of 8 (4-1) semi-finals (2-1) Champ Game (1-0)
ACC fans, yes YOU Billy Packer, time to shut up and understand that you aren’t superior in ANYTHING, except crying coaches and busted draft picks.
By Bill
March 26, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this
Well Movie did you use all your intellect in that post?Quite the contradiction in terms,calling the Gators losers.Open your eyes and you’ll see UF currently hlods the basketball and football titles.
As for the gay comment,I wouldn’t be saying much if my team lost to a bunch of gay guys 15 out of 17 in football and 8 in a row in hoops.
Lastly When did Donavan cry?