Photo by Brynn Anderson. Credit AP
Well, it turns out UConn was in fact a step above the rest. With their win last night, they became the first repeat champion since Florida went back-to-back in 06-07. Here are some takeaways from the title game and the season as a whole.
Zach Edey deserved better
If your takeaway from that game is to get on a guy who had 37 points and 10 rebounds in the title game, you see the game differently than I do. Did he miss some easy ones down low that I’m sure he would like to have back? No question. But that just isn’t the story here.
His teammates combined to shoot just 9-29 for 23 points. The Boilermakers made one three on seven attempts, the fewest three-point attempts in a title game since UCLA also attempted seven in 1995. There’s your story.
Love him or hate him, what Dan Hurley has done is remarkable
I’ll shoot it straight on this one, I don’t care for Dan Hurley. Hate the way he talks to officials, hate the way he runs onto the court like he owns it, hate how arrogant he is, etc. He is truly one of the least likable people in the sports world, and if I was a student, alumnus, or just a fan, I would despise the way he represents the university from a character perspective.
With all that being said, he’s helped engineer a two-year run that won’t be matched for quite some time. In doing so he has also helped elevate UConn on the hierarchy of college basketball programs. With six national titles, the Huskies are at minimum a top-five program in college basketball history. Credit where credit is due.
Matt Painter rocks
This isn’t a new development, but it’s still worth stating. Matt Painter is one of the good guys in college basketball. He represents that university with class and humility. I have always hated coaches and players who are consistently getting on officials, it’s a tired act. Painter does anything but that. He focuses on the things that his team can control. He deserves so much credit for taking the Boilermakers all the way to the title game after being on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history.
Start the title game at 8:45 EST from now on
The NCAA will probably never budge on the tip time of the title game, I’ve accepted that as a fan. But man I wish they would. Most of the tournament is accessible for everyone, most importantly kids. But then the championship game is at 9:20 EST on a school/work night. I get you don’t want to start it too early on the west coast, it wouldn’t be fair to start the game at 7PM EST while some people are still at work.
I propose starting it at 8:45 EST. That would give people out west time to get home from work, and that 40 minute difference is no small thing for people on the east coast. It would still be a late tip time, but it’s something.
Agree or disagree with anything I said? Email lservello@www.clermontsun.com