Gonzaga's Success Brings High Expectations

Every Monday when I log onto ESPN.com I check the updated college basketball polls to see what changes occured the past week. Normally I don't look over it too hard, just a quick glance to see where my favorite team is and where other interesting teams are ranked. This past Monday something caught my eye though. As I looked up and down the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and the AP Top 25 poll I noticed that Gonzaga was not ranked in either. How could this be?? Mark Few's Gonzaga Bulldogs have been a perennial Top 25 team since they burst onto the scene with Casey Calvary way back in 1999 with an Elite 8 appearance. Since then they have qualified for the Big Dance every year and made a Sweet 16 appearance four of those years. Because of that, America has come to expect big things from the Zags and to see them out of the Top 25 is almost unthinkable.

Here's the odd thing about Gonzaga: despite their successes they have recently been overlooked when it comes to mid-majors. Sure, they qualify for the NCAAs every year and have been to the Sweet 16 four times but they haven't made the Final Four. I say that like it's unbelievable that they haven't, but again, the expectations for Gonzaga are quite different from other so-called "mid-major" programs. George Mason sent shockwaves through the college basketball land in 2006 when they upset several powerhouse teams to make the Final Four, a first for the program. Butler has been the Cinderella the past two seasons, finishing as national runner-up and VCU appeared in the Final Four last year as well. That's three quality programs who have qualified for the Final Four, but none of them stack up with Gonzaga. When will we see the Zags in a Final Four? It seems long overdue.

How good has Gonzaga been since the 1998-99 season? Consider these numbers: 13 NCAA appearances, 4 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8, 12 Honorable Mention All-Americans or higher, 1 National Player of the Year, 3 NBA first-round picks. Under Mark Few the Zags are 314-82 and they simply don't lose at home. Since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, Gonzaga is 93-7. What that number doesn't tell you is all the teams that won't come to "The Kennel" to play the Bulldogs. Big name programs would rather Gonzaga came to them or, instead of playing them on campus, would opt to play them at Key Arena in Seattle. Tom Izzo and Mike Brey took their teams into Spokane this year and, while Izzo and Michigan State escaped with a seven point victory, Brey's Notre Dame team was dominated by 20. The Zags demand respect and they are willing to travel all over the globe to get it.

Since 98-99 Gonzaga is 21-40 against Top 25 teams and they have defeated the third-ranked team three times and the second-ranked team once. Also, expect it to be a hard-fought game when they match up with a top team. Only five of those 40 losses have been by 20 points or more. There's not many teams in America who can say they have played 61 ranked opponents in that span and there are none of Gonzaga's size that can say that. Forget Butler when it comes to determining who is the best mid-major program. Gonzaga is the top dog.

The expectations for the program are always going to be high. That's a nice problem to have if you are Mark Few, but the question I have constantly been asking myself is, "When will Gonzaga appear in a Final Four?" Perhaps that isn't fair but they routinely show they are competitive on the national scene and that they have players capable of playing at the next level. It doesn't appear that this year will be the year, but how much longer will it be before Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are playing in early April?

March Madness Limps to the Finish Line

They are the Little Engine that Couldn't. Two years in a row the Butler Bulldogs have taken the nation by storm, advancing all the way to the National Championship game, and last night they lost again, this time to Connecticut. In what may have been the ugliest championship game of all-time, UConn and coach Jim Calhoun won the school's third title, all since 1999. It was no small feat considering that the Huskies finished ninth in the Big East and then reeled off five wins in five nights to win the conference tournament and then won six games in the NCAA Tournament. They went undefeated in tournaments and on neutral courts and featured arguably the best player in the nation, Kemba Walker, and a host of talented freshmen. Butler brought back almost every key piece from last year's run and it seemed as though they would win the big one this year. However, they struggled from start to finish and will keep the national runner-up description.

It started off bad when Shelvin Mack had a three pointer blocked and missed two easy layups and it only got worse from there. The Bulldogs shot a horrendous 19% from the field and there may as well have been a lid on the basket. Mack led the team with 13 points on 4-15 shooting. All of his field goals were from deep, where Butler managed to make nine treys. However, they finished the game 9-33 from behind the arc which is good for 27%. It was a historical shooting display for all the wrong reasons and it cost Butler the national championship. It's not that they played bad and it's not that UConn played well. Butler did what they normally do. They were scrappy, played good defense and worked the clock on offense, but they could not get a shot to fall from anywhere and that's why they lost. People cannot make a big deal of Kemba Walker because his play wasn't that great by his standards either. He had almost single-handedly carried the Huskies to the championship game but he shot 5-19 and did not have one assist last night. Butler executed their game plan but the shots didn't fall.

It's a sad ending to a fairy tale story. The Dawgs advanced to the championship game last year, in their hometown, and had a halfcourt shot just miss that would have been a game winner. This year they made a remarkable return but fell short again. However, the ending may be sad but take time to appreciate what just happened. This may never happen again but, somehow, Butler did it. They advanced to the championship game twice. Small schools don't do that. That's reserved for the UCLAs and Kentuckys of the world. It would have been nice to see Butler celebrate last night but it wasn't meant to be. Surely the will be back in the tournament next year but we shouldn't expect to see them in our Final Four brackets. If they are then it is the most impressive thing in college basketball since UCLA's winning streak.

For Jim Calhoun and UConn it was a great ending to a remarkable run. Left for dead and sitting at ninth place in the Big East tournament, Kemba and the boys went on an 11-game winning steak to capture the school's third national championship. Calhoun now joins elite company (John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski) as one of only five coaches to win three championships with the same school. He has won them all since 99 and each time the Huskies came out of the West Region. UConn also became the first Big East school to win the championship since the conference expanded back in 2005. In 2004 the Huskies won the title and started a freshman but since then, no championship team has started a freshman. Last night this UConn team put three out on the floor to start the game. If you watched UConn from start to finish this season you could see the improvement of the players. Jeremy Lamb had a great tournament and became a force on the offensive end. Shabazz Napier, another freshman, ran the point which allowed Kemba to work off the ball and get more open shots. Alex Oriakhi was the inside prescence a team needs and he recorded a double-double last night in the championship. They started the year as a one man show but ended the year as a complete team.

It was a great win for UConn and a sad loss for Butler but the thing that people will always remember about this game is how poor it was. Neither team shot the ball well and Butler barely managed 40 points. It's a sad ending to what was a great tournament. Two mid-majors made the Final Four, no one or two seeds made it to Houston and brackets were busted early and often with plenty of upsets. This will surely be a March Madness to remember but it would have been nice to see it end in a better fashion. However, it did not and now we can start to look into next season. Stay tuned for an update of the preseason top 25 for next year and congratulations to the UConn Huskies on winning their third national championship.

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Can the Big East Win the Big One?

Since the Big East grew to 16 teams a few years ago they have dominated the college basketball landscape, put the most teams in the tournament and churned out NBA lottery picks in mass numbers. The only thing lacking is a national championship, something the conference has not won since 2004, which came before expansion. In 2005 several teams from Conference-USA joined the Big East and many had quality basketball programs. Louisville, DePaul, Cincinnati, Marquette and South Florida made the league 16-strong and with their addition the conference the Big East boasts 40 Final Four appearances and 10 national championships. Of the 16 teams, South Florida is the only one who has not reached a Final Four, an incredible feat for any conference. Despite all these stats, the Big East has not won a title since their expansion and that leaves many pondering the question, "Why?"

The number one reason no team has been able to win the big one is because the regular season is too hard. Think about it, with so many teams playing at a high level and numerous teams ranked, they beat up on each other. I saw a stat a few games ago that said Villanova was 4-5 against ranked teams in their conference. That's nine conference games against ranked opponents with more to come, especially in the conference tournament. By the time the tournament rolls around everybody is wiped out from the competition in the regular season. They have just played potentially 4-5 games in their own conference tournament and then they are trying to win six more games against quality opponents in order to win the national championship. That's hard for a team to do.

Pittsburgh is the winningest team of the 2000s and they have never even made a Final Four. This year could be their year but they have already started to tail off in the last week of the year. A team who must endure that many tests is weaker at the end of the year and that is why we have not seen a Big East champion since the expansion. UConn, led by Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon, won down in San Antonio in 2004 and since the next year the five C-USA teams joined. Since then the Big East has had five Final Four teams (Villanova, Georgetown, UConn, West Virginia and Louisville) and every single one of those teams lost in the semi-final game. Before expansion the Big East had titles in 2004 and 2003. Obviously, the additions make for great conference play but the league can not reap the benefits in postseason play.

This year the Big East could break their own record of eight teams getting NCAA bids this year but none of them seem to be a formidable national title contender. Pittsburgh has the best shot but no one else could go up against Kansas, Duke or Ohio State and expect to win. I would guess that none of the Big East teams will even make the Final Four this year because a lot of them are good but not great and that has been the theme in the Big East since expansion. Reality is, they need to divide into divisions or something to lighten up the schedule because, even though it makes for great television, the top 25 matchups every night aren't helping in the postseason. It's one thing to be battle-tested, but it's quite another to be worn down.

So to answer the question in the headline, no I don't think the Big East can win the big one anytime soon because they hurt their own chances with the regular season schedule. It would take a great team to do that and one that is very mentally and physically tough. I think the only team out of the Big East who could do that would be Pittsburgh but they should focus on getting to the Final Four first. For this year I would shy away from picking any team from the conference to hold up the crystal ball in Houston.

The World of Wadley College Basketball Preseason Top 25

1. Duke Blue Devils (ACC)- The defending champs return key pieces in Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and the Plumlee brothers but what could be the difference maker is transfer Seth Curry (younger brother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry) and freshman Kyrie Irving.

2. Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten)- After a Final Four appearance last year the Spartans want a title in 2011. Point guard Kalin Lucas will run the show again while Durrell Summers will be on the wing. Draymond Green and Delvon Roe should play larger roles this season.

3. Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12)- The Morris twins are back along with Tyshawn Taylor. Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed and Travis Releford will provide scoring but the Jayhawks season really depends on whether or not Josh Selby will be eligible.

4. Syracuse Orange (Big East)- No more Wes Johnson but Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph is a pretty good core. Stud 7-foot freshman, Fab Melo, should see significant minutes.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten)- Jared Sullinger is the real deal and the Buckeyes could ride the freshman big man all the way to Houston. William Buford turned in a good sophomore campaign but will be relied on even more now that Evan Turner is gone. Reliable seniors Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale and David Lighty are back as well.

6. Pittsburgh Panthers (Big East)- Four starters return for the Panthers who are always a tough, grind-it-out team. Sharpshooter Ashton Gibbs was voted the Big East's Most Improved Player last season after averaging 15.7 ppg and is back as a junior along with three key players in the frontcourt: Dante Taylor, Gary McGhee and Nasir Robinson.

7. Kansas State Wildcats (Big 12)- The beard is back! Jacob Pullen that is, the senior guard who averaged 19.3 points and 3.4 assists per game last year as K-State made it to the Elite 8 before falling to Butler. Pullen, along with forwards Curtis Kelly and Wally Judge, hope for a return trip to the Elite 8 and possibly a trip to Houston.

8. Kentucky Wildcats (SEC)- John Calipari is basically starting over after five of his players were drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft but he has a solid squad assembled for this year's run. Like Kansas, Kentucky's success will largely be based on whether or not freshman Enes Kanter is eligible. Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb are the backcourt of the future.

9. Villanova Wildcats (Big East)- Scottie Reynolds is gone but there is so much left at Nova that the Cats should have another deep tourney run come March. There is an abundance of talent at the guard spot, similar to the Final Four team from a few years back so it may come down to how well big men Mouphtaou Yarou and JayVaughn Pinkston play.

10. Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten)- This may be a little bit high but the Illini have all the pieces for a tremendous season. If the veterans (Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis) can mesh with the super sophomores (Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson) and the stud freshmen (Jereme Richmond, Crandall Head and Meyers Leonard) then this could be a season like '05.

11. North Carolina Tar Heels (ACC)- Harrison Barnes is the scorer the Heels needed last season and he should light up Chapel Hill right away. Tyler Zeller needs to stay healthy and John Henson should be improved as a sophomore. UNC needs a reliable ball handler to have success.

12. Missouri Tigers (Big 12)- Mizzou will once again wreak havoc with their high pressure defense which should produce easy buckets for the backcourt duo of Marcus Denmon and Kim English. Michael Dixon, Laurence Bowers and Justin Safford all return as well but freshmen Phil Pressey and Tony Mitchell need to play well for the Tigers to go deep into March.

13. Florida Gators (SEC)- Five starters returning is never a bad thing and the Gators should challenge Kentucky for the SEC East crown. The backcourt duo of Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker is arguably the best in the conference. In the frontcourt the Gators have Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus and Chandler Parsons.

14. Gonzaga Bulldogs (WCC)- It's all about sophomore Elias Harris in Spokane. As a freshman he averaged 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. We're accustomed to seeing Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and this year shouldn't be any different.

15. Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten)- Yes, losing Robbie Hummel was a killer to a team that was going to contend for the national title but JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore won't go down easy. Johnson put up numbers of 15.5 points and 7.1 boards per game while Moore averaged 16.4 points.

16. Baylor Bears (Big 12)- The Bears were a great story last year but now it's time to show they are for real and not just a one year act. If LaceDarius Dunn is allowed to play then Baylor should challenge for the Big 12 title. Like last year, the frontcourt is scary with all the length. Freshman Perry Jones will have an immediate impact playing next to Quincy Acy and Anthony Jones.

17. Memphis Tigers (C-USA)- The Tigers return Wesley Witherspoon and Will Coleman, two upperclassmen who will need to gel with a host of incoming freshmen. It will be interesting to see how coach Josh Pastner does with a roster that he can truly say is his.

18. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten)- Bo Ryan always gets the most out of his players and this year will be no different. Jon Leuer posted numbers of 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while Jordan Taylor was a solid point guard (10 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.6 apg). Keaton Nankivil is also back and freshman Ben Brust can fill it up.

19. Georgetown Hoyas (Big East)- Had Greg Monroe returned the Hoyas would be significantly higher but four starters return so the cupboard is not bare for John Thompson III. Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark all averaged double figures while Julian Vaughn started 34 games.

20. Butler Bulldogs (Horizon)- Last year was magical and this year could have been a repeat if Gordon Hayward had chosen to stay. However, Hayward is on the Jazz and the Bulldogs are adjusting to life without him. Matt Howard will man the post while Ronald Nored and Shelvin Mack will team up in the backcourt.

21. Washington Huskies (Pac 10)- The Huskies will run away with the Pac 10 and are the only team from the conference that will even be mentioned on the national scene. The conference is that bad but the Huskies actually do have some talent behind Abdul Gaddy and Isaiah Thomas.

22. Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC)- Malcolm Delaney chose to come back for his senior year and that meant the Hokies could make some noise in March. Delaney averaged 20.2 points per game along with 4.5 assists. Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson are good complimentary pieces.

23. Tennessee Volunteers (SEC)- Who knows what will come of the Bruce Pearl situation but the Vols do have talent down in Knoxville. Scotty Hopson, Cameron Tatum and Renaldo Woolridge welcome the addition of elite recruit Tobias Harris.

24. Temple Owls (Atlantic 10)- The Owls have talent all over the floor but the two key pieces for a fourth straight NCAA bid are Juan Fernandez and Lavoy Allen. Fernandez averaged 12 points and 3 assists while Allen averaged a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

25. Texas Longhorns (Big 12)- The Horns had a terrible collapse last season after earning their first number 1 ranking in January. Hopefully some players have matured and the team can play consistent ball this year. J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton are two players to keep an eye on.