Sixteen lessons from first- and second-round action
PHILADELPHIA -- 1. Hofstra ought to have received an at-large bid; the Pride defeated George Mason twice in the three weeks before Selection Sunday.
2. The Big Ten was very far from the best conference in America; nary a single conference club advanced to the Sweet 16.
3. The Pac-10 was throughout the season underrated; UCLA and Washington won two games each, and Arizona played Villanova (and Wisconsin) tough.
4. Roy Williams and Bill Self are no substitute for experience; both the Tar Heels and Jayhawks lost in large part thanks to their youth.
5. Brandon Rush is a mensch; he's coming back for his sophomore season.
6. The "Bracket Buster" has helped level the playing field; the event assures mid-major clubs a high-profile game, well preparing the George Masons, Wichita States, and Northwestern States of the world for the bright lights of the NCAA tournament.
7. April anarchy will soon be upon us; the biggest coaching carousel in history is just around the corner.
8. Offensive efficiency is necessary but not sufficient; Tennessee, Michigan State, Illinois, Alabama, and Air Force all lost despite ranking in the Top 25 in points per possession scored.
9. Defensive efficiency may be even less important; Iowa, Kansas, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Southern Illinois, and UNC-Wilmington all lost despite ranking in the Top 25 in points per possession allowed.
10. Marcus Williams should have been a first-team All-American -- even though he only played a single semester; he singlehandedly led Connecticut past Albany and Kentucky.
11. The NCAA tournament is not about the size of the dog in the fight, but about the size of the fight in the dog; mid-majors have upset numerous BCS-conference schools.
12. Blogs are mainstream; witness ESPN and CNN/SI.
13. Players win regular-season games, but teams win tournament games; Gonzaga, for one example, could not have won without a big game from J.P. Batista.
14. The selection committee was wise to include Memphis rather than Ohio State as the fourth No. 1; the Tigers beat the Bucknell Bison handily while the Buckeyes lost convincingly to the Georgetown Hoyas..
15. More fans need to attend first- and second-round action; the Wachovia Center was half-empty for the opening game on both Friday and Sunday.
16. March Madness is the best event in sports; dozens of close games and numerous upsets.
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