Searching for Cinderella: The Slipper Could Fit a Wildcat Paw

For those of us who always root for the underdog, there hasn’t been much to cheer about in this year’s March Madness.

Cleveland State was the only true Cinderella to survive the first round, and made a gallant effort against a high-seeded opponent for at least three quarters of the second round game. But the fact that I lead with this is a testament to the disappointing results of this year’s tournament.

Other notable achievements by Cinderellas include admirable efforts by Akron and American University who kept it close for a half against high seeds in the first round, and Sienna, who gave Louisville a scare in the second round.

For true blue underdog fans, the Sweet Sixteen was an adjustment period. It was hard to get behind teams that had dashed our best hopes for Cinderella, but as the brackets continued to fill, new preferences began to emerge.

As the field for the Final Four is now complete, underdog fans have lost their ambivalence. In comparison to the three Goliaths in the group, Villanova suddenly looks like a shepherd boy with a sling shot, if not a peasant girl in rags.

Before we do a detailed analysis of Villanova, however, we should review the selection criteria.

 
What Makes an Underdog?

There are classic underdogs, and there are relative underdogs. That is why we can only get excited, early in the tournament, about the smaller schools, the long-shots, and the new arrivals.

For the first round we favor firsts, worsts, small, and the wall.

Firsts

First appearance or, lacking this, first in so many years.

Worsts

Lowest seed, lowest RPI ranking, or least difficult schedule.

Small

Smallest school, smallest market if applicable, small in socio-geographical, demographic-economic status—in other words, from somewhere not frequented by the beautiful people.

The Wall

Up against it, trapped behind it, some sense of being cursed or star-crossed, or a record of failure and disappointment in the Dance if they've been there before.

Second Round

In the subsequent rounds, as the pure Cinderellas are eliminated, we move from absolute criteria to the laws of relativity, and the criteria shifts.

Survivors

The lowest-seed surviving at any point in the tournament becomes our favorite. In the event that it is, as last year's disaster, a final four of top seeds, we give up. Short of that, even a No. 2 seed versus a No. 1 seed gets our blessing in most cases. (We reserve the right to make exceptions—see Michigan State.)

Drama Queens

Sometimes events during the tournament create an unanticipated Cinderella. It could be some human drama or a daunting comeback capped by a buzzer beater from downtown. We're always watching for a new dog to emerge.

Destiny's Children

Similar to the Drama Queens, but different by nuance, are teams that are not seeded in the top two but begin to create a sense of destiny as they progress. By the Sweet Sixteen and beyond, we'll jump on any bandwagon smelling of destiny.

Davids

Giant killers—you know, like Goliath.

Amazing things happen once the field is whittled down. At this point in the process it has more to do with who we oppose than who we support. The last thing true underdog fans can tolerate is a “predictable” winner.

Our perspective shifts from championing the lowly, to bringing down the mighty. Polls, seeds, and point-spreads all identify the enemy and, by contrast, who we now oppose and who we must support.

The Villains

Michigan State

They not only won it all in 2005, they’ve made five Final Four appearances in 11 years under Coach Tom Izzo. Any Spartan who has played the full four years under Izzo has been there at least once.

Therefore, despite their third seed status, despite their somewhat surprising late season surge, and despite their third seed victory over the tournament’s top seed, this team is no underdog.

Given the size of the school and its recent basketball success, it is hard to imagine a scenario in this generation in which they would receive an underdog endorsement.

UNC

They've been participants in seven Final Fours in recent years and have earned multiple championships. The team is aptly characterized by their big man, Tyler Hansbrough. He looks and acts like Goliath.

You can imagine Hansbrough being the bully on the school bus or the playground, growing up. He could be a teddy bear off the court for all we know, but his cocky deportment and his man-eating glare on the court make him high-value slingshot bait.

But it isn’t just one player or even one team. It’s the dynasty. UNC is the Pittsburgh Steelers of college basketball. They are permanently persona non grata to lovers of the little guy.

UConn

UConn is the new UNC. The Huskies have become to the Big East what the Tar Heels have long been to the ACC. As the Big East has surpassed the ACC in dominance in recent years, UConn has emerged as the dominant force in the premier conference, usurping the role held by Georgetown for many years.

Again, at least for a generation, UConn’s on our "never" list.

The Heroes: Villanova

They may not be a Cinderella, but they have emerged in the role of David. Yes, they also scored "drama queen" points for the last-second shot against Pitt that got them into the semis, but their prime credentials come from their diminutive status when standing side by side with three Goliaths.

The fact that three of the remaining teams are repeat Final Four participants, with a combined number of National Championships in double digits, has everything to do with making the Wildcats our new best friends. And the more we think about it, the more we like it.

Despite losing points for one previous championship—in 1985—and for being a perennial contender in the nation’s best conference (Big East), 'Nova brings strong credentials to the spoiler role. As a smaller Catholic school, compared to the mega-state schools like many of their rivals, Villanova comes from good Cinderella stock.

Even their amazing win in ’85 helps as much as it hurts because of the Cinderella role they played and the magnitude of the upset. Coach Rollie Massimino running out on the floor at the buzzer to start a group hug with his players is an iconic scene.

Of course, next year the Wildcats could be, and are even likely to be, among the Giants, but this year they are an underdog lover’s best hope.

But what if they lose to Carolina? If they do, there will be no hope for the little people this year.

Would Michigan State deserve another look? Hardly. What’s that cliché about cosmetics and swine?

A championship game devoid of Villanova becomes a WWF Smackdown. Who wants to see two giants body slamming each other?

We can only hope and pray the gods, or at least the Fairy Godmother, are smiling on the Wildcats one more time.

We can deal with it if they lose in the finals, but please, gods and goddesses, at least let them win once more. For the underdog cult to have no dog in the fight at Armageddon is just too much to bear.