Final Statement

Last laugh

Let me say that as of completion of the final four last Sunday I was laughing my head off.

Butler, Uconn, VCU, and Kentucky. 

I was receiving a lot of heat and ribbing for the Big East flopping in the first two rounds and only getting 2/11 teams into the sweet 16.

Well, let's put things into perspective......

There are only two major conferences left in college basketball right now.

The Big East is one of them.

ACC? Nope.

Big Ten? Nope.

Big Twelve? Nope.

Pac 10? Nope.

What about the Mountain West, with San Diego St. and BYU being ranked in the top 10 all year? Nope.

At least WE got one of our teams in.

I bet that G'town loss to VCU is looking like a 'quality' loss right about now.
Maybe even that Pitt loss to Butler isn't so bad.

But......

I will admit, maybe it really isn't that fair to credit the Big East. Maybe this is more of a function of what Uconn has, rather than what the Big East has.

After all, Uconn has what no other team in the country has going for them: Kemba Walker.

There is no mistaking that he has been the best player in the tournament this year, and perhaps the best player in the country all year long.

His tournament stats: 26.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.3 rebound per game on 44% shooting.

Keep in mind he has increasingly been facing double and even triple teams.

Think about this: Uconn has won 9 games in a row - all elimination games.

Including the Maui invitational in the beginning of the year, Uconn is 12-0 in elimination games.

Of course Uconn has a good team (I love when Charles Barkely calls players he likes a "stud." One of the benefits of hearing him comment on NCAA tournament games is to hear him say: "Jeremy Lamb is a flat out stud").

But a major reason for their record is two fold: 

1) kemba Walker has been the best player on the floor 

AND 

2) Kemba Walker has been the best closer in every one of those games.

In a pressure situation when Uconn NEEDS a score Kemba delivers. 

How is he able to consistently deliver?