Why not Indiana?

The hype started a week before it was known for sure that Cody Zeller and Christian Watford would return to IU for the 2012-13 season. Multiple major sports journalism outlets had the Hoosiers tabbed as the #1 team in the land, or at worst #2. There were still some loose recruiting ends
to tie up that could have changed the thoughts on the admittedly early top 25 rankings, but at least for the time being, IU was the team to beat. Almost immediately after Watford and Zeller’s announcements, the hype machine started again, with everyone reporting that this would almost assuredly make the Hoosiers one of the handful of teams with realistic dreams of cutting down the nets next April in Atlanta. Among the thoughts that were shared around this time, were comments from CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman and Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis. Goodman and Davis both were skeptical of IU early in the season, with Goodman seeming to come around to believing in them by the end of the season, but Davis was a well documented pessimist when it came to the Hoosiers. Both of these journalists wrote on Tuesday that IU’s billing as the top team in the NCAA was more of a statement about the sad state of college basketball than anything else. I can’t help but ask though, why not IU?

These media types are so fond of saying that they don’t root for teams, they root for stories. While I find it laughable that there could be nobody in the media with a hidden agenda, or a couple of favorites, let’s go with that rationale for now. The media should want the best story possible. What is better than the story of the IU Men’s Basketball program over the last half decade? Five years ago, this was a program on the rise, eagerly awaiting the arrival of heralded freshman Eric Gordon. Until it was revealed that Kelvin Sampson continued the behavior that put Oklahoma in the NCAA’s crosshairs, it looked like the program was on the rise again.
And then the thud.

We’ve just passed the fourth anniversary of the hiring of Tom Crean. To think how far this program has come since then is amazing. On April 11, 2008 fans were looking at a team made up of Kyle Taber and Brett Finklemeier. That’s it. Fans were worried about how we would field a starting lineup, not imagining the possibilities of starting lineup combinations. Over the next 3 seasons the teams combined for 28 wins overall and 8 wins in the Big Ten.
Last season, the team nearly matched that total.

The story is one of rebirth and reclamation. It’s a story of hard work and perseverance. It’s a story about a bunch of players and coaches who came to Indiana to build something special and didn’t leave for greener pastures when the going got tough. The aforementioned Jeff Goodman spent half the year texting and calling Purdue’s Robbie Hummel, writing countless words about his struggle through two ACL injuries. As much as I detest reading good things about Purdue, the Hummel story is what makes people sports fans. This story is no different.

True, the IU roster isn’t stocked top to bottom with NBA first rounders. It may not be a roster that “wows” anyone associated with major American professional basketball. But ask Michigan State about the guys on the roster. While you’re at it, ask Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Purdue and VCU about them too. They’ll tell you that this is a legitimate roster of talented guys, each one bringing his own strengths to the table. Add the incoming highly touted freshmen, and it makes for a possibly special season. This isn’t even mentioning the fact that many of the state school’s best players will be from the state; the way it should be. The storylines are endless: How will IU react to being the hunted? How will the talented freshmen mix with the older players? Will Maurice Creek finally play a full season? How will players handle taking a backseat for the good of the team? Can a team be more than the sum of its parts? These are merely 5 of the myriad that are possible.

In a few hours, this argument could be moot. Kentucky’s checks may clear, and they may add yet another superstar mercenary or two to their cadre. The tale of players who have no business playing college basketball will have another chapter written, and nobody outside of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Wildcat fans will enjoy seeing it unfold. Just like the Yankees, Patriots and Lakers; nobody likes to see the rich get richer in sports aside from the people with a vested interest in them. The Jeff Goodman’s and Seth Davis’ will have their new number one team, all will be right for them and they'll have a new story to write. Another story of all that is wrong with college sports. A story of players just waiting for the NBA Draft to come along and want to play on TV along the way. That story will be nowhere close to the one taking place a few hours north of Lexington, but they’ll try to make it that way.

P.S. - "Give me five" is back

All Roads Lead to New Orleans

When I was a young child, I used to get upset when whoever was driving me somewhere didn't take the normal route to wherever we were going. My mom tried sitting me down and explaining to me that there are a lot of different ways to get to the same place, and that not everyone takes the same way to get everywhere. If my mom paid more than passing attention to what is going on in the world of college basketball, she'd see that the teams in this year's Final Four have driven her point home to me once again.

There are some similarities among the four teams still alive for the championship. All four programs have won an NCAA Tournament before. All four started this season ranked highly, the lowest being 13th ranked Kansas. All four spent the entire season, or a considerable part of the season, ranked in the top 20. All four play their bench very little, in comparison to other teams nationally. All four rank near the top of the efficiency rankings among all of major college basketball. Three of the four won or shared their conference regular season title, and the other won their conference tournament. They may have all met up in New Orleans, but the way they each got there couldn't have been more different.

Kentucky

Google Maps estimate: 745 miles, 11 hours 57 minutes
Ideal estimate: 745 miles, 11 hours 57 minutes

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Rupp+Arena&daddr=New+Orleans,+Louisiana+(Louisiana+Superdome)&hl=en&ll=33.027088,-83.452148&spn=18.335764,43.286133&sll=33.999628,-87.291897&sspn=11.647617,23.225098&geocode=Fb-TRAIdspf2-iElFWhSdw-h0SnVmV017URCiDEa2FUY6quccA%3BFVkCyQEd73ah-iGv41kWSks1bg&mra=pd&t=m&z=5

Highway all the way, no side trips, no veering off course. The prohibitive favorite, and for good reason. They've been dominant all season, losing only two games and never being ranked below #3. This team, like all recent John Calipari teams, has been “NCAA Champion or Bust”. If this team loses in the championship game, or worse yet, if they lose to the hated Louisville Cardinals, there will be absolute bedlam in Lexington. While Calipari may have the most talented team in the land, he may have the most pressure on him of any coach in the land. After the smoothest and shortest route any of the remaining teams can brag about, their dominant season, the undefeated SEC regular season, and the home winning streak will mean nothing if they don't drive home with hardware.

Louisville

Google Maps estimate: 981 miles, 16 hours 47 minutes
Ideal estimate: 708 miles, 11 hours 24 minutes

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=KFC+Yum+Center&daddr=34.49593,-84.92102+to:33.53131,-86.73913+to:32.55766,-85.50949+to:New+Orleans,+Louisiana+(Louisiana+Superdome)&hl=en&ll=34.089061,-87.890625&spn=18.115327,43.286133&sll=34.107256,-87.890625&sspn=11.632722,23.225098&geocode=FQzCRwIdnH_j-iHkxgilXvVzRynlpm6IvHJpiDHw6xyTybV2tQ%3BFbpdDgIdRDXw-ilvDq-34P1fiDFKkrxA0stK4g%3BFa6l_wEdRnfU-imLeOrEfRCJiDGXZ8gYm8gGzA%3BFVzK8AEdjjrn-ilhnJdD5fOMiDGgu0KeGfVqzg%3BFVkCyQEd73ah-iGv41kWSks1bg&mra=dvme&mrsp=1&sz=6&via=1,2,3&t=m&z=5

Started out on a major highway, veered off to the side couple times before getting back on track. Louisville may have had the most confusing route of any of the teams still standing. The season started out very well for the Cardinals, winning 12 games in a row including games against Ohio, Long Beach State, Vanderbilt and Memphis. Not even losing players left and right to injury seemed like it would derail this team. Then the road got bumpy when they took an unplanned detour, and they lost 5 of 7 games and eventually dropping from a top 5 team to unranked. Rick Pitino was able to steer back onto the main road, or so it looked, before taking another side trip and losing 4 of 6 to finish the regular season. Just like UConn last year, Louisville swept through the Big East tournament and kept the momentum going all the way to the Final Four. All in all, a masterful job by Pitino getting his guys to believe, even through injury and adversity.

Ohio State

Google Maps estimate: 1,035 miles, 17 hours 5 minutes
Ideal estimate: 914 miles, 14 hours 45 minutes

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Value+City+Arena&daddr=32.40286,-86.33939+to:31.70597,-88.64419+to:31.68876,-89.1203+to:31.315906,-89.3524032+to:Louisiana+Superdome&hl=en&ll=34.994004,-84.902344&spn=17.922547,43.286133&sll=31.409912,-87.039185&sspn=3.000233,5.806274&geocode=Fb54YgIdwiMN-yGG7bAO6EAXWylDjiixmo44iDGT-niiqqvXxQ%3BFaxt7gEdwpDa-ilfN2WpCISOiDHcOiJaTeYiEA%3BFXLL4wEdomW3-ikFPkK65K2EiDF_-L7a7t_lzQ%3BFTiI4wEd1CGw-ilhjwFruTWDiDG4nARPdZ4RvQ%3BFcLX3QEdLZes-ilfnSm4-d6ciDGdRq-8kA5Gog%3BFSgGyQEdj3qh-iEeOkUXuimqPw&mra=dvme&mrsp=3&sz=8&via=1,2,3,4&t=m&z=5

Aside from a short trip through lovely rural Alabama, it was smooth sailing. It’s tough to say that a team in the Final Four, and a team that spent most of the year in the top 5 underachieved, but in this case it might very well be true. Ohio State started the year as one of 3 teams that most everyone had picked to run away with their conference and get to New Orleans. They have All-Everything player Jared Sullinger, and a solid cast of supporting pieces. For some reason though, this team never really became dominant. They didn’t coast through the season, they just simply didn’t floor it. They stayed on their appointed path for the most part, not honking at anyone or making dangerous passes, and then got off track a little before realizing their shortcut was taking them nowhere. Most teams would feel like they’ve proved everything they had to by now, but this team still wants to show a gear that they haven’t shown all year.

Kansas

Google Maps estimate: 863 miles, 15 hours 8 minutes
Ideal estimate: 872 miles, 14 hours 31 minutes

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Allen+Fieldhouse&daddr=38.21472,-95.24875+to:Louisiana+Superdome&hl=en&ll=34.957995,-91.494141&spn=17.930304,43.286133&sll=38.386881,-94.864197&sspn=1.377824,2.903137&geocode=FaBkUgId_o5S-iHMVyIWRXs2HSl7KNxvNG-_hzFUa0V1D1ujsA%3BFUAcRwIdkp5S-inxOKcXar24hzGn9uksigd5QQ%3BFSgGyQEdj3qh-iEeOkUXuimqPw&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=9&via=1&t=m&z=5

Rough road to start, but eventually got on the highway the rest of the way. Kansas wasn’t supposed to be this good. They were picked by many as the 3rd best team in their own conference. They had little in terms of depth. Somehow, someway, Bill Self guided this team back to the Final Four, cementing his legacy as one of the premier coaches in the country. As if he needed more proof, given that Kansas hasn’t lost back to back games in 6 years or so and has won 8 Big XII titles in a row. Once Kansas proved they were for real, they were on the smooth road to New Orleans just like Kentucky and Ohio State. A few speed bumps here and there did nothing to take them off course. Led by All-American Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks are looking much stronger than anyone thought they were 5 months ago.

NCAA Tournament Preview

With 68 teams in the field of the NCAA Tournament, it is easy to get lost and overwhelmed when trying to put your picks together. Have no fear though, I'm here to help guide you through the rugged terrain that is March Madness. Here's my take on the tournament, region by region.

South Region

Initial Impressions - The South Region is the home of the #1 overall seed, the Kentucky Wildcats. They've only lost twice this season, and swept their entire conference during the regular season. Despite all of this, the committee didn't do them any favors in terms of the other teams in their region. Kentucky should still be considered the favorite to come through this region, but it won't be a cakewalk.

Interesting Note - The South Region is home to the past 2 NCAA Champions, as well as 3 Final Four Teams from last season. Also of note is that there are 19 total NCAA Championships among this region, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a 20th added to that in April.

Dream Matchup - While a Kentucky/UConn 2nd round game would be great TV, as would a Kentucky/Duke Elite Eight game, TV execs and hoops fans alike must be licking their chops for a Kentucky/Indiana rematch in the Sweet Sixteen. The Hoosiers desperately want to prove they belong among the great teams, while the Wildcats would want revenge for "The Wat Shot". Not to mention the fact that both teams have rabid national fan bases who'd be glued to the TV for 2 hours. Any combination of those 4 teams will play well, but because of the built in rivalry and revenge factor, Kentucky/Indiana would be the best game.

Nightmare Matchup (with a realistic shot of happening) - It's tough to pick anyone but Kentucky to have a "realistic" shot at getting through the top half of this region, but Wichita State, a team that scores in bunches, defends shooters and doesn't foul, could pull the upset. Let's say they do, and end up playing Baylor in the Elite Eight. Neither team has much of a national following, and Wichita and Waco aren't exactly huge TV markets. Certainly some might want to see if Wichita State is the next Butler, but not enough to make the bosses at CBS or Turner very happy.

They've Got A Beef With The Committee - Kentucky. How can the #1 overall seed have an issue with their path to the Final Four? Well, in terms of sheer talent, this region is stacked. If UConn gets through Iowa State, and they should, they'll go toe to toe with Kentucky. Not many other teams can come close to matching the amount of talent and future pros that Kentucky throws out there every night, but UConn can. Napier, Lamb and Drummond, if they play to their talent level, are as good a tandem as Kentucky will see. Not to mention Jim Calhoun and John Calipari don't exactly love each other. A lot of motivation for the Huskies' coach to have his team ready. It doesn't get much easier after that. We've discussed both Indiana and Wichita State, but on the bottom of the bracket you have 3 teams ranked in the top 15 to start the season. Not exactly a road paved with gold for the Wildcats.

They Owe The Committee A Beer - Colorado. They finished 5th in a terrible Pac-12 and won the conference tourney. They wouldn't have been in the field without the automatic berth. At best, they should have been a 13 seed. Instead, they have a puncher's chance to beat UNLV before getting beat by their old conference foes the Baylor Bears. Most likely, you won't see them win a game, but nonetheless, they were overseeded.

West Region

Initial Impressions - We knew on Sunday that this region's top seed would probably come down to the winner of the Big Ten Tournament. Anything else would have been a travesty. There are a lot of teams in this region who are hot right now, having just won their conference tournaments. Also among the teams in this region are two preseason media darlings, Long Beach State and Iona (if they beat BYU in the First Four, that is) and in-season media darlings Murray State. I think this region could be the most competitive from top to bottom.

Interesting Note - Missouri is the first team from a power conference to have 30 wins and not receive a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Who knows if that will motivate or deflate them, but it is something to keep in mind.

Dream Matchup - All chalk in this category. An Elite Eight matchup of Missouri and Michigan State might not sound like a ratings bonanza, but it certainly would make for a great game. Missouri with their 4 guard offense and their short bench, against Michigan State and their rough and tumble team, marked by the physical play of their big men. Draymond Green and Kim English are stars in the making and both have enough personality for their entire teams. This could be a doozie.

Nightmare Matchup (with a realistic shot of happening) - We'll go with an early possibility here, and say Murray State vs. Iona. The Racers have been a nice story all season, and there is talent aplenty in this matchup with Scott Machado, Isaiah Canaan and MoMo Jones. No amount of talent though can make up for the fact that the casual fan probably has no idea who any of these guys are, or where either school is located.

They've Got A Beef With The Committee - Florida. A 7 seed? Really? They finished with the same conference record as Vanderbilt and gave Kentucky fits in the SEC Tournament semifinals. Certainly the committee had to take into account the injury to Will Yeguete, but this seems about 2 lines too low for the Gators. The SEC wasn't exactly a superconference this season, plus the committee claims not to take conference affiliation into account, and some bad losses took their toll, but I thought the Gators had earned more respect than this.

They Owe The Committee A Beer - Marquette. I was certain that after their loss in the Big East Tournament, Marquette had relinquished their #3 seed. After looking at the overall rankings the committee did though, it seemed like if anything, they were slotted in as a 2 and fell to a 3. Perhaps it is the Big Ten homerism coming through, but Michigan seemed to deserve this slot more than Marquette.

East Region

Initial Impressions - The East Region is home to the trendy picks this year. There are 3 teams here (Vanderbilt, Florida State and Cincinnati) who probably played themselves into their seeds with their performances in their conference tournaments, and have become hot selections to go far. This region is also home to the only at-large entry without 20 wins, the West Virginia Mountaineers. More on them later. Overall, I think this is the most top-heavy bracket, with a couple teams that are significantly better than the rest.

Interesting Note - Vanderbilt has lost in the first round 3 straight times, and hopes to avoid a 4th upset in a row. This time they get Harvard, a team that spent much of the season ranked in the top 25 and a legitimately solid opponent. No truth to the rumor that the game will be replaced by an academic decathlon.

Dream Matchup - A quick look at this bracket reveals that Bob Huggins' last 3 employers are all in it, Kansas State, Cincinnati and of course West Virginia. If Kansas State and West Virginia miraculously both made the Elite Eight, they'd face off in a Battle for Huggy Bear. If this were a wrestling match, his services as coach would be on the line, just like a Hulk Hogan vs Randy "Macho Man" Savage match I remember from my youth when they fought over Miss Elizabeth's managerial services. But, I digress. This game would be worth tuning into just for the coaches...Huggins and Frank Martin. I'd be watching for sure.

Nightmare Matchup (with a realistic shot of happening) - Yes, Harvard is getting some publicity now because of Jeremy Lin, but let's be honest. Nobody wants to see them play. The only thing that would make it worse would be them playing another non-power league school, like say, Montana. The Grizzlies have a chance to beat Wisconsin, seeing as Wisconsin sometimes has trouble scoring, and Montana plays solid defense anyway (24th nationally in Effective Field Goal defense) and rarely let their opponents make the extra pass (9th nationally in assists against them). Wake me up after this one is over...if it happens.

They've Got A Beef With The Committee/They Owe The Committee A Beer - A combination for this region. As mentioned above, West Virginia is the only at-large team in the field without 20 wins. They essentially get home games for the first two rounds, in Pittsburgh. I hope they aren't too tired after that long 70 mile bus ride. Meanwhile, #7 seed Gonzaga has to fly in from over 2,000 miles away. Certainly Ohio State's fans are within driving distance too, but I can tell you from experience at the Final Four that West Virginia's fans get an A+ in travel. They were loud and proud, and that trip was much longer than an hour. They shouldn't be considered the favorites in this pod by any means, but this still seems unfair to the higher ranked teams that are there.

Midwest Region

Initial Impressions - The Midwest Region probably has the highest concentration of undeserving teams in it. South Florida, Alabama, Cal and NC State are fairly weak bubble teams, that found their ways into the tourney. Almost as soon as this region came out, people started calling the monumental 15 over 2 upset with Detroit playing the part of David. As soon as I saw Belmont here, I knew that they'd also be a popular upset pick. They're experienced and tourney tested. Don't be surprised if someone in your office pool goes too far out on a limb and picks the unorthodox 14 vs 15 Sweet Sixteen matchup.

Interesting Note - The East Region has 4 games in it where a team from a non-power league is the better seed against a team from a power league. For the purposes of this exercise, the Pac-12 is still a power league. A quick glance at the other regions shows that they have a total of 2 similar games.

Dream Matchup - No question here that North Carolina vs. Kansas is the dream of everyone involved with the NCAA Tournament. Roy Williams against his former employer...again. Kansas against the team that they may think stole their #1 seed. One team that drastically overachieved this season and one that somehow managed to vastly underachieve while only accumulating 5 losses. A trip to the Final Four would be at stake in a game that would no doubt be one of the tourney's best this season.

Nightmare Matchup (with a realistic shot of happening) - Anything can happen in March, so it wouldn't be too crazy to see San Diego State and St. Mary's meet in the Sweet Sixteen. Both are solid mid-major teams with plenty of tournament experience. The problem is that this game is in St. Louis. St. Mary's and San Diego State are both in California, for you non geography majors. I'm not sure about you, but I don't see them bringing a whole lot of fans to the heartland. This game would likely take place in front of a stadium full of fans strictly there to see the other game. Not exactly a great atmosphere.

They've Got A Beef With The Committee/They Owe The Committee A Beer - Another combo here. I was tempted to go with Purdue, but A) I don't care if they are mad and B) I'd always rather be the 10 seed than the 8 or 9. Always. Now then, remember a minute ago, when you read that these regional games are in St. Louis? How is it fair to North Carolina to be the #1 seed and have Kansas as the #2? This is essentially a home court for Kansas, assuming they make it that far. The committee couldn't switch Kansas and Ohio State? That would have solved the problem with West Virginia too, as that pod would shift to Omaha. Why not put Kentucky as the #1 seed here (St. Louis is closer to Lexington than Atlanta is), still with Duke as their #2 seed, and then put North Carolina and Kansas in the South region, giving UNC the advantage they supposedly earned? I've just thought of two solutions to solve this problem, but the committee couldn't think of either.

The Game Can Be So Cruel Sometimes

We were all told as youngsters that life sometimes isn't fair. We struggle to deal with it then, but as adults, ideally we are able to comprehend this fact without someone telling us so. Today was one of the times when all IU fans, children and adults alike, had to struggle with that question again.

There have been few players who have been through as many downs as Verdell Jones III, with almost no ups to counteract them. He came to IU as a scrawny guard, looking for playing time and a chance to prove himself. He played his way into the starting lineup through hard work, and ended the season averaging 11 ppg and totaled 100 assists for the season. For all intents and purposes, things were looking up. The team couldn't get any worse than they had been, and Jones looked like he would grow into a legitimate Big Ten player, both physically and skills-wise. His sophomore year showed that he had the goods to play in the Big Ten. He started every game he played in, with an average of nearly 15 points per game. His assist totals went up, his turnover numbers came down. Even with the addition of a heralded freshmen class, Verdell showed that he was an important part of the Hoosiers basketball program.

By his third year, he was not only entrenched as a starter, but also as the resident whipping boy for IU fans. Verdell was jeered and mocked for nearly everything he did on the floor. Fans openly pined for him to play fewer minutes, and counted the days until he left the program. Through all of this, Verdell held his head high (except while dribbling into the lane) and kept playing hard. He wouldn't let anyone bring him down. Now this season, his 4th and final one at IU, with the addition of Cody Zeller and the improvement of the others on the squad, looked like it could be one where Verdell and his teammates tasted some more success. Possibly even enough to sneak into the NCAA tournament as one of the last few teams in. We all know the story of this team's season by now. For Verdell Jones, he had his greatest assist of the nearly 400 he has tallied, a pass to Christian Watford to set up the game winner against Kentucky. He willingly took on a smaller role in the offense, taking fewer than 200 shots for the only time in his career. Even the fans had let off of him recently, as he proved to them that he was a key cog on the machine that was on its way to the NCAA tournament for the first time.

Then it all came crashing down.

Mere minutes into the first Big Ten tournament game that Verdell could legitimately hope to win, he came to a jump stop, dropped the ball, and dropped to the ground in a heap. He grabbed his knee, and didn't move. Not even to writhe in pain. Almost immediately he was surrounded by the medical staff while a stunned crowd sat in silence, hoping he would stand up and walk to the bench. We all knew in the backs of our minds that it was a remote possibility, but it didn't stop anyone from hoping for the best. Eventually Verdell sat up and was helped into the tunnel, where he was wheeled away for the requisite testing and evaluation. Less than an hour later, IU announced that he had a sprained knee and would require further evaluation.

While the initial diagnosis seems minor enough, those of us who saw him fall to the ground know that the probability of this not being a season ending injury is remote. The reaction of Tom Crean in the post game press conference and the fact that he shed tears on the post game radio show tell us all we have to know. Verdell Jones, barring a miracle, is likely done playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. We were all left to ask, how is this fair?

I found myself secretly hoping Mr. Miyagi would appear, do his hand clapping thing, and Verdell would be just fine. The Hoosiers would come back out of the tunnel, and Verdell would lead us to the All Valley Karate Tournament Championship...I mean the NCAA National Championship. I thought to myself, well maybe it isn't as bad as it looked. I kept coming back to the same thought though, that this just isn't fair.

Verdell was asked to do so much more than he ever should have been, like everyone on Tom Crean's initial IU team. He was asked to score, to play point guard, and to help rebuild a storied program from the ground up. He took every challenge in stride, he was tough and he worked hard. He stuck through all the hard times, taking more punishment from opposing players and his own team's fans than most players would have put up with. He had just returned from a shoulder injury, still wearing a brace. He was finally going to realize his dream, the dream of every college basketball player, to play for a chance to cut down the nets. In the blink of an eye, that was all gone.

Today, March 8, 2012, was very likely the last time any of us will ever see Verdell Jones III put on an IU uniform. He will go down in IU lore known as a guy who helped lead a team from 6-25 to 25-7 (and counting) in three years. He'll go down as a lightning rod for the ire of fans. He'll go down as the skinny rail of kid, who grew into a man before our eyes. As long as ESPN has replays, he'll go down as the guy who had the assist on the shot that brought IU basketball back to the spotlight. He'll go down as a guy who played his heart out every time he was out on the floor. I wish it weren't so, but at least to me, he'll go down as a guy who caused me to question the fairness of life, like I was 7 years old again.

Just like my mom said, just like your mom said: Sometimes life just isn't fair.

How Far Is Too Far?

Football is by definition a violent sport. Each season, players suffer injuries from minor bumps and bruises, to season ending knee injuries, to life altering head and brain injuries. A player could be in the prime of his career in September, and by February will be mulling whether it is worth it or not. Case in point is now retired San Diego Charger Kris Dielman. A four time Pro Bowl selection and nine year pro, Dielman suffered a second concussion in less than a year and then a Gran Mal seizure. For Dielman, like many others before him and many who will come after him, the risk of further injury was far too much to play another down.

To see the tearful retirement press conference of a player like Dielman, a beloved player whose career was cut short by an accidental forearm to the head, followed a week later by rhetoric being tossed around about the New Orleans Saints’ apparent bounty system truly shows the sad reality that some guys just don’t get it. Among the many players and former players to weigh in on the topic were Mike Golic and Marcellus Wiley, on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike In The Morning”. This morning, the two former NFL players rationalized the validity of such a system to a degree that made me think they needed a lesson in real life.

The crux of the argument that both Golic and Wiley made was that in a game like football, the job of the defensive players is to hit the offensive players, and hit them hard. Whether or not there is a bounty system, the two men mused, has little to no bearing on whether or not someone is injured. In other words, the chances are basically the same for a player to be injured by a bounty hit as by a regular hit. They claimed that for players making 6, 7 or 8 figure salaries, paying an extra $1,000 or $1,500 for injuring a player is not enough motivation to put anything extra on the hits. The only thing wrong with what happened in New Orleans according to these two was that the system was institutionalized, rather than an informal pool among players. They also asserted that although there was a bounty on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game, he wasn’t carted off the field, so no harm no foul. Finally, they claimed that bounty type systems are part of the subculture of football, starting even at the peewee level, and non-players just don’t get it. With all due respect to Golic and Wiley, I must disagree with their arguments.

I agree with the premise that football players are susceptible to injury because it is the nature of the job, so whether a player had a bounty on him or not doesn’t qualify or disqualify him from being injured. My issue, and many peoples’ issue, with the subject is that there is a difference between trying to hit someone hard, and trying to injure them. A receiver coming across the middle of the field is wide open to taking a hit, but when a player has been told that there is extra money on the line, he is much more likely to go after an area of the body that is more prone to result in an injury, i.e. the head or knees. Tackling a player by his midsection or upper legs is just as effective in ending the play and results in fewer injuries. As far as the claim that players don’t care about that kind of money because they make a ton of money, I wonder how the system survived as long as it did if the amounts were inconsequential. Gregg Williams’ teams in Buffalo and Washington both had bounty systems according to reports, and he brought it to New Orleans with him. If, as Golic and Wiley claimed, the players were not motivated by the extra money, there wouldn’t be 50,000 pages of documents involved in the NFL’s investigation. Obviously it made enough of a difference to happen in several different places or a long period of time.

There is much more wrong with a bounty system than the fact that this one was run by a coach and was common knowledge among people in the organization. The fact that players would be rewarded for willfully taking a player out of a game is sickening. These are the same players who kneel in a circle around their colleague when he is carted away, and then talk about how they are a band of brothers and when one is injured, they all feel it. Little do we know that rather than praying, the player who laid the hit may be thinking about where he’ll spend the extra $1,500 that he just “earned.”

In many ways, Golic and Wiley’s takes on this issue points to a larger problem among football players. In recent years, in light of new research on concussions and other head injuries, there has been a surge in player safety related rules. It bothers me to no end to hear players talk about purposely attaining a lower result on a baseline test than they could have, or lying to coaches about sustaining a head injury, or trying to play through a concussion. These things don’t prove how tough you are, they prove how shortsighted you are. This, as players have claimed, is another part of the “subculture of football.” Whether it is playing through a dangerous injury or paying players for injuring their opponents, this is treacherous argument to make. Nobody cares if you were a tough guy when you played if 20 years later you are confined to a wheelchair, or develop memory loss at an early age, or worse yet end up like Dave Duerson, dead by your own hand. All of these are very real possibilities that can result from a head injury. Whether it is a player trying to play through a head injury or purposely injuring another player, this thought that just because it is part of the culture it should be accepted is not right. True, playing football is not like most of the blue collar or white collar jobs the rest of us have. Every time the ball is snapped, there is a chance it will be the last time each of the players steps on a field. Let’s not add any more danger to the situation by playing through a possibly serious injury or worse yet, by trying to cause injury to another player.

Luckily for the league, the results of the New Orleans Saints bounty system haven’t been nearly as bad as they could have been. The league has a responsibility to punish everyone involved, be it players, coaches or front office personnel, and to punish them to level we may not have seen before. There is no other way to put an end to this ugly escapade and stop others from mimicking it. I expect to see some fines upwards of $250,000 for individuals, possibly $1,000,000 for the organization and hopefully several suspensions and forfeited draft picks. In the larger picture, the NFL also needs to continue to crack down on this “tough guy at all costs” culture that has formed. The league cannot allow players to risk life and limb to play a game. Whether that means tougher rules or more benefits for retired players, something must be done to motivate players to put their safety and the safety of others above everything else. While the game of football will never be completely injury free, no matter how many rules are legislated in or how much padding is put in a helmet, the game can be played cleanly, with hard hits and with players who respect themselves, each other and the game. That can be the new “subculture” of the NFL.

Conference Tournament Primer

ACC

The Favorite - I've got to go with sheer talent here and take North Carolina. While they are certainly not a clear-cut favorite, they did win the regular season league title and they have 3 players on the All-Conference 1st Team. They were atop the polls before the season and will look to prove why this week. Should they need any more motivation, a number one seed will likely go to the winner of this conference, although they'll open the tournament in Greensboro no matter what happens this week.

Don't Let The Record Deceive You - I don't know how much this counts, seeing as they were only 9-7 in the league, but the Wolfpack of NC State are ripe for the picking. They haven't beaten anyone all season that has made an appearance in the rankings. Their league scehdule was soft, only playing Duke, Florida State and Virginia once apiece. They were 7-3 in the league when they blew a huge lead against Duke, and then the wheels fell off. This team is NIT bound for sure.

The Gutsy Pick - In all likelihood, a sleeper pick in this league would need to beat UNC and Duke on consecutive days. The closest we've seen to that this year has been Florida State, beating both traditional powers within a week. The #3 team in a league usually isn't much of a sleeper, but with the up and down nature of this particular team, you'd be going out on somewhat of a limb picking them. However, it shouldn't surprise anyone if they make a run.

Need To Win It - After a coaching change and in the midst of an NCAA investigation, Miami has done an admirable job finishing 9-7 in the ACC. With such a top heavy league though, that may not be good enough. In this case, it definitely isn't. The 'Canes will find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble if they don't hoist the trophy in Atlanta on Sunday.

Make A Decision Man! - The teams are pretty evenly divided in the ACC between the tourney teams and non-tourney teams. What is yet to be decided on is where exactly the teams will be seeded. Virginia is squarely in the tournament, but they can play their way back into the "protected seed" range, or play their way into a non-favorable matchup and a possible quick exit in the Big Dance. An early loss in the conference tournament could lead to a 7 seed, or even the dreaded 8 seed.

Big East

The Favorite - No question here that Syracuse is the team to beat in the Big East. They've only lost one game all season, and it was without Fab Melo. Playing at Madison Square Garden is almost as good as a home game for the Orange. The only thing to play for at this point is placement on the seeding line, as Syracuse is virtually guaranteed a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. For lesser teams, that might be enough to distract them, but not Syracuse. After all the drama that they've been through this season, Syracuse should still win the Big East tournament, and make a hard push at the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

Don't Let The Record Deceive You - A 12-6 Big East record usually means you are a pretty formidable team. Consider this the exception to the rule. South Florida started the season 7-6, with losses to Penn State, Auburn, and Old Dominion. Against the top 4 teams in the Big East, the Bulls were 0-4. Against teams with at least an 8-10 record in the league, they are 3-6. The more telling part of this statistic is that because of the imbalanced schedule, they've 9 games against the bottom 6 teams in the league. If they get by the woeful team they play in the 2nd round, they'll lose in the quarterfinals.

The Gutsy Pick - If you want to go against the grain in this top heavy league, you don't want to look too far down the conference standings. Georgetown has wins over Marquette, and Notre Dame this season, and they took Syracuse to overtime at the Carrier Dome. In a one game scenario, Georgetown has proven they have the goods to compete with the uppser level teams in the conference, so they shouldn't be intimidated by anyone in this tounament.

Need To Win It - This is a sad place for the defending national champions to be sitting, but Connecticut is probably on the outside looking in right now. In my opinion, they'll need to make a run through this tourney like they did last year. With no Kemba Walker, that won't be an easy task. They have no horrid losses, plus good wins against Florida State, Notre Dame and Harvard. The problem is that going 8-10, even in the Big East, means you need to win your conference tournament to get your NCAA bid.

Make a Decision Man! - Usually a 9-9 record in a good league locks a bid up for you, but West Virginia is clearly a team that can play itself out of the NCAA tournament. 4 of their 9 league losses came to teams with sub .500 records, While only 3 of their league wins came against teams with winning records. They were 3-6 in total against the rest of the top half of the conference. With a game looming likely against UConn (assuming they get by DePaul), the Mountaineers could use a win to solidify their spot in the field of 68. A loss to either UConn or DePaul could send Huggy Bear and his boys to the NIT.

Big Ten

The Favorite - In a league with a three way tie for the regular season title, and the top 5 teams within 2 games of each other, it is hard to pick just one favorite. Michigan gets the nod here, because Ohio State and Michigan State have limped to the finish line, and Michigan State just lost a key contributor in Branden Dawson to an ACL tear. The Wolverines have shown they can play with and beat anyone in the league, so doing it again in Indy shouldn't worry them too much.

Don't Let The Record Deceive You - Again, not much room for pretenders in the top half of this league, but Wisconsin seems to me like a team that can't win this tournament. They bore teams to death with their style and usually win via a war of attrition. They are also prone to long scoring droughts and have only one player who can create for himself when the game is on the line. Bo Ryan is a great coach, but his Badgers shouldn't count on taking any hardware back to Madison.

The Gutsy Pick - ATTENTION!!! HOMER ALERT!!! Call me a homer if you will, but nobody in the Big Ten is hotter than Indiana right now. The Hoosiers have won seven of eight games, and have won their last three by a combined 45 points. The Hoosiers are playing with great energy on defense and have enough offense to overpower just about any team. They've beaten each of the teams who tied for the regular season title, and are playing their best ball of the year at the right time.

Need To Win It - Poor Northwestern. They hosted the inaugural NCAA tournament, yet somehow have never played in it. In recent years they've really looked like they might make it, only to falter in the end. They beat Michigan State in their only meeting this year, but were 0-8 against the rest of the likely tourney teams in the league. Anything short of 4 wins and a title probably leave the Wildcats out this year...again.

Make A Decision Man! - Remember that dreaded #8 seed we talked about earlier. Purdue is sitting right about there with that last loss to Indiana. Certainly it isn't a lost cause, as it isn't unheard of for a #1 seed to lose before the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tournament, but it is still probably a good idea to try to get off that seed line. Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, losing early probably won't move them down far enough. Winning a couple games certainly will move them up nicely.

Big 12

The Favorite - Eight straight regular season championships. 3-1 record against Baylor and Mizzou. Number one seed in their grasp, and solidified with the tournament win. It would be ridiculous to pick anyone but Kansas as the favorite right now. They've got so much to play for, I can't see Bill Self allowing his team to let up now. The Jayhawks haven't lost in over a month, and that streak probably won't end this week.

Don't Let The Record Deceive You - They may have the latest Heisman Winner to their credit, but that magic won't translate over to the hardwood for Baylor. They've played 4 games against Kansas and Mizzou and lost all 4. They are only 2-2 against Kansas State and Iowa State. Not exaclty what you'd expect from a team many thought would win this league with as much talent as this roster is stocked with. They may win a game or two this week, but don't expect them to take home the trophy.

The Gutsy Pick - Of the top teams in this league, the only one that Iowa State couldn't solve was Mizzou. They've gone through the season trying desperately to earn the respect of the public and could use that a springboard to greater things. Is it likely to happen? No. But if you are the kind to take a risk, this is definitely a calculated one to take.

Need To Win It - What happened to Texas? They had a great run a few years back and then faded back to mediocrity. The Longhorns were 2-8 against the top 5 teams in the conference, and 0-6 against the top 3 teams. This is another team that loaded up on wins against cellar dwellers, and needs to outlast all of the big boys to steal a bid.

Make A Decision Man! - Frank Martin has got to be frustrated with a team that has beaten Mizzou twice and lost to lowly Oklahoma twice. Kansas State will hear their name called on Selection Sunday, but they could do themselves a favor by at least making it to the Big 12 semifinals. They have enough good wins to get some benefit of the doubt from the selection committee, but another statement or two this week will earn them much more favorable treatment.

Pac 12

The Favorite - This conference is just a mess. I'm taking the easy way out and just taking Washington as the favorites for the sole reason that they won the regular season championship. In all honesty, if any of 5 or 6 teams won this tournament, I wouldn't bat an eye.

Don't Let The Record Deceive You - I wish I could pick everyone in this league for this category, but those aren't the rules I established for myself. Stanford started off well enough in the league, with a 5-1 mark. Then they finished with a thud with a 5-7 record since the middle of January. In a bad league, 10-8 doesn't look very good.

The Gutsy Pick - It is hard to go against talent and coaching in sports, and Arizona has them both. Sure, they started the season with an exhibition loss to Seattle Pacific, but they still have as much or more talent on their roster as anyone in this league. Sean Miller is one of the premier coaches in the country. I wouldn't count them out of winning 3 games in 3 days to land in the NCAA tournament.

Need To Win It - This could be almost anyone in this league, but for the sake of moving on, I'll go with Oregon. They had a gaudy 13-5 conference record, but since there are no good wins to be had in the Pac 12, we must look at the non-conference record of 9-3. The losses were all acceptable (Vanderbilt, BYU and Virginia), but those were their only chances at good wins. So let's review: No good wins out of conference, no good wins in conference and finished 3rd in the standings. That all equals a team that needs to win to be in.

Make A Decision Man! - I'm still not convinced that this is a league worthy of two bids. By virtue of finishing second in the league, California probably will make the tournament, but could play their way into a 10 seed with a few wins at Staples Center. I wish I didn't have to write that about a team that finished 13-5 in a supposed power league, but alas, I couldn't be spared that fate.

SEC

The Favorite - This isn't even close. Kentucky won this league by 6 games, they went 16-0 in conference, and looked almost unbeatable against even the better teams in the league. That isn't to say the Wilcats can't lose. They were pushed by Vanderbilt, Florida and Mississippi State this season, and they are a team of very young players who have a #1 seed locked up. With that said, it would be the biggest upset of them all if they don't claim another SEC Tournament title.

Don't Let The Record Deceive You - After starting the year off very nicely, Alabama came back to earth. They finished with 20 wins overall and 9 wins in the SEC, but feasted on the bottom of the barrel. They went 0-3 against the only three SEC teams assured of making the NCAA tournament and only went 3-2 against Tennessee and the Mississippi schools. Not all 9-7 records are made the same way.

The Gutsy Pick - Basically any team aside from Kentucky is a gutsy pick in this league, but Vanderbilt seems to be the one that makes the most sense. We know they are talented as evidenced by the 3 likely NBA players on their roster, but they couldn't seem to get it together all season. They have a dominating big man and a couple sharpshooters to compliment him, so if they get hot shooting the ball, they can beat anyone.

Need To Win It - Who would pick the #2 seed in a conference tournament as a team that needs to win it to get into the NCAA tournament? This guy, right here. You can't see, but I'm pointing my thumbs at myself. Anyway, Tennessee has little to show for themselves this season outside of a 10-6 record in the mediocre SEC. In a 17 day span they lost to Oakland, Pittsburgh, Austin Peay and College of Charleston. With only 18 wins to show for the season, they can't afford to lose this week.

Make A Decision Man! - I hate to kick a team while they're down (who am I kidding, no I don't), but Florida needs to figure out who they are...and quick. Three straight losses to end the season, coupled with an injury to Will Yeguete will not look good when deciding on seeding. They need to prove to the committee that they can regroup and start winning again. With nice showing in New Orleans, I can seed the Gators getting into the conversation for a protected seed. A poor showing will most certainly drop them into the 6-7 seed range.

And Then There Were Five...

Nobody had ever experienced something like this before, not here at least. There have been ups and downs before, but never so many of them so close together. For the five seniors who will take to Branch McCracken Court for the final time on Sunday, this has been the story of their lives for the past 4 years.

The story of how the Hoosiers reached historic lows is well known, the only argument being when exactly the decline started. Was it when Bob Knight was fired? Was the lazy and shortsighted decision to retain Mike Davis after a modestly successful interim season the catalyst? Was the even lazier and more shortsighted hiring of Kelvin Sampson to blame? Or was Sampson's departure the real beginning? Perhaps some would say the slow decline started years before any of this, with the inability of the Hoosiers to play beyond the first weekend of March Madness through most of the 1990's. Whatever your answer of choice is, most everyone can agree that the crescendo, or more appropriately, the decrescendo, came in the 2008-09 season, with a 6-25 record, the program's worst. Suffering through this nightmare of a season were players who had nothing to do with the demise of a proud program, but were asked to rebuild it.

Among the new names on the roster, and basically all the names were new, were Mike Santa, Kipp Schutz and Tijan Jobe. A team manager, a walk-on, and a project that never panned out. Including the walk-ons, there were 8 freshmen on that squad. Of those 8, five stuck around through the seemingly Sisyphean task, to become the elder statesmen on a top 25 team just 3 seasons later. Kory Barnett, Verdell Jones III, Daniel Moore, Tom Pritchard and Matt Roth have seen the lowest of the lows. No matter how far they take this ride into March, and hopefully early April, they can play their final home game knowing that they succeeded in their work.

As time passes, these five seniors may become mere footnotes in the illustrious history of IU basketball. One day they may be "what's his name" or "that one guy" or just a mere number on a jersey. I can only hope that despite the various records for futility that they were a part of, despite the sometimes empty stands that they played in front of and despite the snickers and barbs they received, especially the ones from IU fans, that they retain a special place in the history of IU basketball.

When the only other people who wanted anything to do with IU basketball were Tom Crean and the NCAA Infractions Committee, they were there. When their fellow players were leaving for greener/easier pastures, they were there. Close losses, blowout losses, Lipscomb, and Northeastern. They were there. Throughout all of this, they've helped develop the players that look to be leading IU even further in the right direction by showing them the ropes of playing in the Big Ten and of playing for the flagship athletic program of the state's flagship university. They've been model citizens off the floor, only showing up in the papers for positive things, earning degrees early, and moving on to graduate studies. Most of all, they've shown what commitment, perseverance and hard work can do. They've been what every program should hope for in a senior class.