When it All Fell Apart

March 11, 2021

Tipoff

Today, March 11, 2021, marks the one-year anniversary of the end of the “before times.” This date in 2020 might go down in history as one of the most news-filled days ever. The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. The stock market crashed. Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced they had contracted the COVID-19 virus. President Trump announced a ban on travel from Europe. For basketball fans, though, it was the cancellation of games from the NBA and then the NCAA that made it truly hit home. There would be no more games for a while. Little did we know that evening, that would be the end of the 2020 NCAA basketball season.

Personally, I will never forget the moment on Thursday, March 12, 2020 when the Big East Tournament cancelled the rest of the tournament at halftime of the day’s first scheduled game. By that point, the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12, and the others had already cancelled their tournaments. It was a jarring experience. I recall my own emotions of the moment vividly, wondering how long I would work from home (I write this from home today - my employer cancelled the lease in our New York City office later that spring and asked the few of us in the area to work remotely from then on). It was one thing to hear about hospitalizations and the threat of pandemic in the news. To lose basketball, a passion that I share with my family, through online forums, and with real-life friends, was the thing that made the pandemic hit home. It was a dark place for me and many people.

This year, the games have returned. Something else to remember occurred on March 11, but in 2011. On that night, one of the best games the sport has seen took place in Madison Square Garden. On that night, Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies played an overtime matchup against Big East rival Syracuse in the semifinals. The day before, Walker hit a memorable step-back jumper to defeat top-seed Pitt. UConn would ride Cardiac Kemba all the way to the Big East Tournament title and then an improbable NCAA Tournament title. It remains one of the greatest runs in college basketball history. Just thinking about it gives me chills. Fast forward to 2021 and we are finally seeing buzzer beaters and upsets again. Spring is in the air. Basketball is reaching its apex. One year later, we are back.

The Mixtape

The Field of 68 team puts out lots of great content each week. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

  • One of the most iconic NCAA Tournament moments was a “pass” from Dereck Whittenburg of the NC State Wolfpack. In reality, Whittenburg took a shot late in the game that came up short. Lorenzo Charles saw the shot was going to be short and took the ball all the way to the hoop. This stunning shot took down Phi Slamma Jamma, which featured Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. In this 68 Shining Moments podcast, Whittenburg recaps the season and the improbable run to the ACC and NCAA Tournament Titles with Jeff Goodman.

  • Cardiac Kemba was one of the most memorable NCAA Tournament runs of all time. It all began 10 years ago on March 10, 2011 as Kemba hit a stepback jumper to defeat Pitt on the way towards the Big East and NCAA Tournament Titles. Former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun joined John Fanta of the Demitris and a Splash of Fanta podcast to talk about this incredible moment for the sport.

  • The masked man himself, Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu, joined Robbie Hummel & Jeff Goodman to talk about his season, the experience of a broken nose and wearing a mask, and makes a strong case for the Illini to be co-champions of the B1G. It’s a matter of math, really. Illinois had 16 regular season wins. Michigan had 13. Should the Wolverines have won the B1G title? Ayo believes co-champions would have been a prudent choice this season. You know what? He makes a compelling case.

  • You are trying to understand how the Selection Committee thinks, and so is Tim Miles. On the Mind of Miles podcast, Sporting News writer, FoxSports Bracketologist, and studio analyst Mike DeCourcy takes listeners on a ride through the development of metrics the Selection Committee uses to build the NCAA Tournament bracket. This is a must-listen for anyone that wants to gain insights into the advanced analytics and how they factor into the big decisions.

Conference Tracker

It’s Championship Season! Let’s take a look at conference tournament action and what lies ahead.

Note: Daylight savings time begins on Sunday

  • America East Conference. This morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, the Hartford Hawks or UMass-Lowell River Hawks can make history by winning the America East Conference Tournament and securing their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Tune in to witness history!

    • #4 Hartford vs. #6 UMass-Lowell (11:00 a.m. EST on ESPN2)

  • Atlantic 10 Conference. The Bonnies of St. Bonaventure have been a solid team all season and have a chance to put an exclamation point on that when they take on the VCU Rams for the A10 Tournament Title this Sunday. Meanwhile, VCU has served as a launching pad for head coaching careers and appears to have Mike Rhoades well on his way towards joining notable predecessors Jeff Capel, Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, and Will Wade. Can any school boast a track record like that? Both teams appear to be locks for the NCAA Tournament, so tune in to catch a glimpse at a pair of teams that could make a Sweet 16 run later in the month.

    • Sunday, March 14th

      • #1 St. Bonaventure vs. #2 VCU (1:00 p.m. EDT on CBS)

  • Big Sky Conference. I will be completely honest and admit that I have never heard of Pluto TV 1050. Then again, I have lived in the Midwest and East Coast my whole life. My sincere hope is that the Big Sky fans know where to tune in to catch the games. I can say that I have visited the campus of the Southern Utah Thunderbirds and can attest to their excellent Shakespear center and recreation of the Globe Theatre on campus. The university is in the shadows of Zion National Park and worth a visit if you are ever in the American Southwest.

    • #1 Southern Utah vs. #8 Northern Colorado (1:00 p.m. EST on Pluto TV 1050)

    • #4 Idaho State vs. #5 Montana State (4:00 p.m. EST on Pluto TV 1050)

    • #2 Eastern Washington vs. #10 Northern Arizona (7:00 p.m. EST on Pluto TV 1050)

    • #3 Weber State vs. #6 Montana (10:00 p.m. EST on Pluto TV 1050)

  • Big West. Is there a conference with a better collection of mascots than the Big West? No, there is not. The UCSB Gauchos are the top seed and will have to battle through the 49ers for the chance to play either the UC-Davis Aggies or Roadrunners of Cal State Bakersfield. On the bottom half of the bracket, the UC-Irvine Anteaters face the Cal Poly Mustangs while the UC Riverside Highlanders face the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii. C’mon, was that not fun to read all those glorious mascots?

    • #1 UC Santa Barbara vs. #9 Long Beach State (3:00 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

    • #4 UC Davis vs. #5 CSU Bakersfield (5:30 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

    • #2 UC Irvine vs. #10 Cal Poly (9:00 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

    • #3 UC Riverside vs. #6 Hawaii (11:30 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

  • Colonial Athletic Association. Speaking of great mascots, congratulations to the Drexel Dragons! Alliteration is fun. The Dragons defeated the Elon Phoenix on Tuesday night to claim the Colonial Title for the first time in school history. This will mark the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Dragons since 1996 when they were part of the North Atlantic Conference.

  • Horizon League. Second-year head coach Dennis Gates and the Cleveland State Vikings are going dancing. They won the Horizon League regular season and then then Tournament Title over Oakland on Tuesday night. This will be the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Vikings since 2009, when they defeated Wake Forest in the first round.

  • MAC. It’s MAC-tion time! The MAC has a history of NCAA Tournament runs, from Wally Sczcerbiak and the Miami (OH) RedHawks’ run to the Sweet 16 in 1999 to consecutive tourney victories under former Bulls and current Alabama head coach Nate Oats in 2018 and 2019. This year, the Toledo Rockets are in the launch pad position after finishing the year #1 in the regular season. Senior guard MArreon Jackson is the do-it-all player for the Rockets and averages 17.6 points per game and more than 6 rebounds and 6 assists. He’ll be a load to handle in this tournament.

    • #1 Toledo vs. #8 Ball State (11:00 a.m. EST on ESPN+)

    • #4 Kent State vs. #5 Ohio (1:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+)

    • #2 Buffalo vs. #7 Miami (OH) (4:00 p.m. on ESPN+)

    • #3 Akron vs. #6 Bowling Green (6:30 p.m. on ESPN+)

  • Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The MAAC conference has been upset city as #1 Siena and #2 Monmouth both fell on Wednesday night. Iona took down Siena, 55-52. You may have heard of the coach for the Iona Gaels, Rick Pitino. He was a popular coach for the Greek team the past couple of years. I read that he also coached in the United States before then. He must be an up-and-comer?

    • Thursday, March 11th

      • #3 Saint Peter’s vs. #11 Rider (5:00 p.m. EST on ESPN+)

      • #4 Marist vs. #5 Niagara (7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+)

    • Friday, March 12th

      • #9 Iona vs Marist/Niagara (6:00 p.m. EST on ESPNews)

      • #7 Fairfield vs Saint Peters/Rider (8:30 p.m .EST on ESPNews)

  • Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The MEAC is an HBCU conference with some famous coaches. The North division #1 team, Coppin State is located in Baltimore and coached by Maryland legend and 2002 NCAA Tournament Champion Juan Dixon. Meanwhile, NC Central is coached by the enigmatic LeVelle Moton. The team is being featured on an ESPN+ documentary series this spring, chronicling the experience of coaching young Black men at an HBCU. The conference action kicks into high gear as the quarterfinals begin Thursday night.

    • Thursday, March 11th

      • #S2 Florida A&M vs. #N3 Morgan State (6:00 p.m. EST on FloHoops)

      • #N2 Norfolk State vs. #S3 North Carolina Central (8:00 p.m. EST on Flo Hoops)

    • Friday, March 12th

      • #N1 Coppin State vs. Florida A&M/Morgan State (6:00 p.m. EST on FloHoops)

      • #S1 North Carolina A&T vs. Norfolk State/North Carolina Central (8:00 p.m. EST on Flo Hoops)

  • Mountain West. The Mountain West has produced more than its fair share of NBA standouts, including Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State and Paul George of Fresno State. While SDSU has been the best team, Boise State’s Derrick Alston, a 6’8” forward might be the most talented player this year and next NBA star from out west.

    • #1 San Diego State vs. #8 Wyoming (3:00 p.m. EST on CBSSN

    • #4 Boise State vs. #5 Nevada (5:30 p.m. EST on CBSSN)

    • #2 Utah State vs. #7 UNLV (9:00 p.m. EST on CBSSN)

    • #3 Colorado State vs. #6 Fresno State (11:30 p.m. EST on CBSSN)

  • Northeast Conference. Congratulations to Mount Saint Mary’s and the Mountaineers on their victory in the NEC Tournament. They will make their 6th NCAA Tournament appearance, the first since 2017, and will look to win their first tournament game this March.

  • Patriot League. As you look through the NET Rankings, the ranking system the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to rank teams, Colgate jumps out. The Raiders are ranked #7 in the system, yet you won’t find them in any Top 25 list or even in the top 50 of the popular analytic models, such as KenPom, T-Rank, or Sagarin rankings. At 13-1 overall, Colgate is having a good season and will play for the Patriot League tournament title on Sunday for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Colgate has confused the NET, though, as the Raiders have only played 4 unique opponents all season, all within the Patriot League. This schedule includes 4 games each against Army, Boston University, and Holy Cross, and the conference tournament semifinal opponent, Bucknell. The Raiders will play their fifth opponent, Loyola-Maryland, on Sunday. This wacky schedule has completely confused the NET and will go down as one of the quirkiest situations caused by playing basketball during the pandemic.

    • Sunday, March 14th

      • #2 Colgate vs. #9 Loyola-Maryland (12:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN)

  • Summit League. The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are the Summit League Tournament Title winners. If you are looking for one player that can absolutely score the basketball, I suggest you take a look at 6’1” sophomore guard Max Abmas. The young man averaged more than 24 points per game and had one stretch of 4 games late in the season in which he torched the nets for more than 37 points per game. Good luck to the NCAA Tournament team faced with stopping him.

  • Southwestern Athletic Conference. One of the other HBCU conferences, the SWAC, will play its quarterfinals this afternoon and evening. The Prairie View A&M Panthers have dominated conference action this season behind a withering defensive attack that is generating the second most turnovers forced per possession in the nation. The Panthers are undefeated in conference play and take on the winner of the Grambling State/Southern quarterfinal matchup.

    • Quarterfinals (Thursday, March 11th)

      • #3 Texas Southern vs. #6 Alcorn State (2:00 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

      • #4 Grambling State vs. #5 Southern (8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

    • Semifinals (Friday, March 12th)

      • #2 Jackson State vs. Texas Southern/Alcorn State (2:00 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

      • #1 Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State/Southern (8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN3)

  • West Coast Conference. After a first-half scare against BYU, #1 Gonzaga pulled off a big second half comeback to win the WCC Tournament Championship and have finished the season 26-0. Were the Bulldogs to win the NCAA Tournament, they would match the 1976 Indiana Hoosers and their 32-0 perfect season. Getting to the Final Four would mark the ‘Zags’ 5th 30-win season in the last 6 seasons. So, you know, they are having a good go of it the last few years.

Weekend Primer

Heading into the weekend, we take a look at the big matchups on the schedule.

In lieu of the typical Weekend Primer, let’s take a look at the high-major conference tournaments, most of which are just getting started.

  • American Athletic Conference. The story of the year in the AAC has to be the job that head coach Isaac Brown has done with Wichita State. The offseason looked bleak for the Shockers after a slew of transfers and then the forced resignation of former head coach Gregg Marshall. Marshall had, let’s just say, some anger issues. After replenishing the roster, Brown proved he was up to the task and lead the rebuilt team all the way to the top of the standings, even ahead of top-10 team Houston. For his efforts, Brown was given the permanent position. Hearing the news was quite the shock for the players.

    • Thursday, March 11th

      • #8 South Florida vs. #9 Temple (11:00 a.m. EST on ESPNU)

      • #7 Tulsa vs. #10 Tulane (2:00 p.m. EST on ESPNU)

      • #6 UCF vs. #11 East Carolina (6:00 p.m. EST on ESPNU)

    • Friday, March 12th

      • #1 Wichita State vs. South Florida/Temple (11:00 a.m. EST on ESPN2)

      • #4 SMU vs. #5 Cincinnati (2:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2)

      • #2 Houston vs. Tulsa/Tulane (6:00 p.m. EST on ESPNU)

      • #3 Memphis vs. UCF/East Carolina (9:00 p.m. EST on ESPNU)

  • Atlantic Coast Conference. Somehow, someway, Tony Bennett and Virginia found a way to win the regular season again in the ACC. Yet it was head coach Mike Young of the Virginia Tech Hokies that took home the Coach of the Year award after finishing a surprising 3rd place in his 2nd year in Blacksburg. Due to a COVID pause, the Hokies have not played since February 27th and will open up in the quarterfinals against North Carolina on Thursday night. The Tar Heels bullied Notre Dame, 101-51, on Wednesday night and finished the game on a remarkable 42-4 run in the second half to blow the game open. The winner of that game takes on the winner of Florida State vs. Duke. The Blue Devils are fighting for the slimmest of chances to make the NCAA Tournament. They basically have to win the whole tournament to do it, too, after finishing the season 11-11. The Blue Devils are the only team to win 4 games in 4 days in the ACC Tournament, which they did in 2017. Can they win 5 games in 5 days this time around? Probably not. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech and ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright take on upstart Miami for a right to face Virginia and Syracuse. The Hurricanes have been dealt with a massive amount of injuries this year but stunned Clemson on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals.

    • #1 Virginia vs. #8 Syracuse (12:00 p.m. EST on ESPN)

    • #4 Georgia Tech vs. #13 Miami (2:30 p.m. EST on ESPN)

    • #2 Florida State vs. #10 Duke (6:30 p.m. EST on ESPN)

    • #3 Virginia Tech vs. #9 North Carolina (9:00 p.m. EST on ESPN)

  • Big East Conference. Few #1 teams have had as little to celebrate as Villanova after clinching the Big East Conference regular season title. Star point guard Collin Gillespie tore his MCL last week and starter Justin Moore is dealing with a serious ankle injury. The Wildcats and head coach Jay Wright, recently named a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, will be without 2 starters in a rotation that usually only features 7 players for most of the game. Nova will look to regroup in the Big East Tournament, where resurgent St. John’s, UConn, and Creighton, among others, will battle for the tournament crown.

    • #1 Villanova vs. #8 Georgetown (12:00 p.m. EST on FS1)

    • #4 St. John’s vs. #5 Seton Hall (3:00 p.m. EST on FS1)

    • #2 Creighton vs. #10 Butler (6:00 p.m. EST on FS1)

    • #3 UConn vs. #11 DePaul (9:00 p.m. EST on FS1)

  • Big Ten Conference. The bloodbath kicks into high gear on Thursday night for the B1G. Ohio State and Wisconsin, seeded 5th and 6th, respectively, had visions of a #1 seed at various points during the regular season. Now, they are playing on Thursday night for a chance to make it to the tournament quarterfinals on Friday. Meanwhile, Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa are playing for a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament as well as the B1G bragging rights. And don’t forget about upstart Purdue and the Baby Boilers. They are young but talented and are playing their best basketball in March.

    • Thursday, March 11th

      • #8 Maryland vs. #9 Michigan State (11:30 a.m. EST on Big Ten Network)

      • #5 Ohio State vs. #13 Minnesota (2:00 p.m. EST on BTN)

      • #7 Rutgers vs. #10 Indiana (6:30 p.m. EST on BTN)

      • #6 Wisconsin vs. #11 Penn State (9:00 p.m. EST on BTN)

    • Friday, March 12th

      • #1 Michigan vs. Maryland/MSU (11:30 a.m. EST on BTN)

      • #4 Purdue vs. Ohio State/Minnesota (2:00 p.m. EST on BTN)

      • #2 Illinois vs. Rutgers/Indiana (6:30 p.m. EST on BTN)

      • #3 Iowa vs. Wisconsin/Penn State (9:00 p.m. EST on BTN)

  • Big 12 Conference. It was inevitable that COVID would cause disruptions this March, and that has come to pass for Kansas this week. Starting center David McCormack and reserve forward Tristan Enaruna will be sitting out the Big 12 Tournament this year due to COVID protocols. The loss of McCormack is a tough blow for the Jayhawks as he had been playing very well down the stretch, averaging nearly 16 points and 7 rebounds over the final 12 games of the regular season. Meanwhile, Baylor looks to regroup and solidify its hold on a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament while West Virginia, conference Player of the Year Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State, and the other Texas teams battle it out for the tournament title.

    • #4 West Virginia vs. #5 Oklahoma State (10:30 a.m. EST on ESPN/2)

    • #1 Baylor vs. #9 Kansas State (1:30 p.m. EST on ESPN/2)

    • #2 Kansas vs. #7 Oklahoma (5:30 p.m. EST on ESPN/2)

    • #3 Texas vs. #6 Texas Tech (8:30 p.m. on ESPN/2)

  • Pacific 12 Conference. Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are the surprise winners of the Pac-12 Conference this year. The LA teams, UCLA and USC, had battled all year for the top spot but ceded to Oregon, winners of 10 of its last 11 games. Senior guard Chris Duarte has been sensational for the Ducks and took home Pac-12 Player of the Year honors for his efforts. The Ducks open against the Arizona State Sun Devils, a talented squad that finished a disappointing 8th place in Bill Walton’s “Conference of Champions.”

    • #1 Oregon vs. #8 Arizona State (11:30 a.m. EST on Pac-12 Network)

    • #4 UCLA vs. #5 Oregon State (2:30 p.m. EST on Pac-12 Network)

    • #2 USC vs. #7 Utah (5:30 p.m. EST on Pac-12 Network)

    • #3 Colorado vs. #11 California (8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN)

  • Southeastern Conference. The SEC is having a robust season. Normally, that kind of statement would follow with how Kentucky is right in the thick of things. Alas, the Wildcats are just 9-15 on the season. Basically, it would take a miracle run for them to get into the NCAA Tournament and, short of reaching the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament, they are destined to finish the year with a losing record for the first time under head coach John Calipari. Still, UK has been playing well of late, winners of 5 of its last 7 and two close losses to Florida and Ole Miss. Never say die? Alabama and head coach Nate Oats, on the other hand, is celebrating its first regular season title since 2002 and will look to claim its first SEC Tournament Title since 1991. They will have to battle the winner of the Kentucky/Mississippi State game and, should they advance, fight a tough group of SEC contenders in defensive-minded Tennessee, a young but talented LSU squad, and impressive Arkansas.

    • Thursday, March 11th

      • #8 Kentucky vs. #9 Mississippi State (11:00 a.m. EST on SEC Network)

      • #5 Florida vs. #12 Vanderbilt (1:30 p.m. EST on SECN)

      • #7 Missouri vs. #10 Georgia (6:00 p.m. EST on SECN)

      • #6 Ole Miss vs. # 11 South Carolina (9:00 p.m. EST on SECN)

    • Friday, March 12th

      • #1 Alabama vs. Kentucky/Mississippi State (11:00 a.m. EST on ESPN)

      • #4 Tennessee vs. Florida/Vanderbilt (1:30 p.m. EST on ESPN)

      • #2 Arkansas vs. Missouri/Georgia (6:00 p.m. EST on SECN)

      • #3 LSU vs. Ole Miss/South Carolina (8:30 p.m. EST on SECN)