I hate big upsets in March Madness and I hate Cinderella teams. Why? Because the basketball quality takes a major hit. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that most of you prefer to think about the Cinderella teams as opposed to watching them play.
Cinderella teams provide great stories for the tournament, as they summon their best moments to miraculously defeat one of the blue bloods and make a deep run in the tournament. The drama arguably reaches its highest point when teams like 2-seed Michigan State University are on the brink of losing in the first round to 15-seed Bradley. It was a great story when UMBC upset Virginia a year ago, becoming the first 16-seed to beat a 1-seed, and when Sister Jean and 11-seed Loyola-Chicago reached the Final Four.
That’s all these Cinderella teams are though: stories. The quality of basketball takes a major hit when top seeds fall to mid-major schools. Remember the games that Loyola-Chicago played a year ago against 7-seed Nevada and 9-seed Kansas State to reach the Final Four? Of course you don’t, because those games were boring, since neither team was very good. How about UMBC’s 50-43 second round defeat to Kansas State? Yikes, that one was rough, and these scenarios are why last year’s tournament left a lot to be desired as Villanova cruised to a double digit victory in the National Championship Game over 3-seed Michigan.
Fans remember Cinderella stories and instant classics very differently. The Cinderellas are once again known for their story of knocking out top teams but we quickly forget that the basketball they play afterwards leaves much to be desired. Just look at NBA All Star, Kemba Walker and his 2011 UConn Huskies. Yes, they went on an 11 game win streak to win the Big East Conference and the National Title behind Walker’s greatness, but we forget that the basketball quality was low. I can point right to the 53-41 final score in the championship game between UConn and Butler. Trust me, the game was rough to watch.
Am I proposing a change to the tournament’s format? No. All I am saying is that I appreciate this year’s tournament, where the top seeds do not lose early and we can be treated to instant classics that feature top seeds squaring off. I will remember the overtime Purdue vs. Tennessee game where Tennessee came storming back from a double digit deficit. I will remember Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans’ one point victory over Duke, who were led by likely top NBA Draft pick, Zion Williamson.
I will remember Zion Williamson and Duke battling against 7-foot 6-inch Taco Fall and UCF. With the Final Four almost upon us, let’s sit back and watch four terrific teams who have been nationally ranked in Virginia, Auburn, Michigan State and Texas Tech. I do not know about you guys, but I am thrilled that the basketball will be prioritized over the story of a Cinderella.