2010 Final Four: Unexpected, Yes—But Not Disappointing

I’m excited about the 2010 Final Four, as always.

However, I will admit that my immediate gut reaction to the pairings had a twinge of discontent.

After the dust settled on Sunday, I was able to step back from the excitement of the games and view the big picture, and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Initially.

We were left with four really good teams, but the three supposedly great ones—Kansas, Kentucky, and Syracuse—stumbled before reaching Indianapolis, and all of the real Cinderellas had fallen by the wayside by the time the Elite Eight was set.

That’s why I couldn’t really feel satisfied. It didn’t seem that we were bound for an epic clash in the Final Four, let alone the national championship.

It might be unfair to Duke to label them as a “really good” team, but let’s be honest: This Blue Devil team isn’t terribly exciting. They might be the best in the country, but they don’t conjure up images of greatness.

Why?

They win in a boring manner.

There’s nothing wrong with that; it just isn’t a thrilling performance.

Even Duke fans know that in their heart of hearts. They recently witnessed greatness firsthand in the ’03-04 squad that boasted J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams, and Luol Deng. This year’s Blue Devils may win a title—unlike that team—but the ’09-10 team can never claim to be as fun to watch as their predecessors who gave us a great Final Four matchup with UConn.

A case could be made for West Virginia as an elite team.

I even had them advancing to the championship game in my pre-tournament bracket, but West Virginia just doesn’t have the feel of a great team—especially without Darryl Bryant.

Like Duke, they might easily win it all, but there isn’t the same excitement surrounding them that usually accompanies a Final Four team. They have one star and a bunch of good players, but without Bryant as a ball-handler, there’s a good chance they won’t look very polished.

There isn’t really a true Cinderella story either.

Please don’t try to pawn off Butler on me as a mid-major underdog. If you truly believe that, you never watched the No. 11-ranked Bulldogs prior to the NCAA Tourney.

This team played tough non-conference opponents in Georgetown and Ohio State and has a bona fide star in Gordon Hayward. Just because they don’t get the media coverage doesn’t make them a Cinderella. They proved throughout the regular season that they were one of the better teams in the country.

Sure, it’s surprising that Butler beat Syracuse, but certainly not a shock. Having watched multiple K-State games this year, I would also argue that it’s not much of a surprise that the Bulldogs knocked off the Wildcats.

Go ahead and call Butler a feel-good story for toppling a few better teams to reach a Final Four in their hometown, but don’t insult them by putting them in the same underdog category as St. Mary’s or Northern Iowa.

Michigan State is even less of a surprise. At the beginning of the year, most analysts expected the Spartans to be in this position. They were ranked No. 2 in the preseason for crying out loud. We knew all along that this team had the talent to reach this level.

They haven’t overachieved in March. They just underachieved in the months prior to that.

The storylines that were hyped a few weeks ago have all disappeared. There will be no heroic final pitting of Kansas or Syracuse against Kentucky. Nor can we hold our breath with the hope that David topples Goliath.

Because all of the Davids and Goliaths packed their bags and are headed home instead of to Indianapolis.

However, the more I reflect on what got us to this point, the more I like it.

We haven’t slapped the endearing term "March Madness" on college basketball’s annual quest for greatness without cause. There truly was madness this year, and I wouldn’t trade one minute of what happened for a different four teams.

Yeah, my bracket fell apart when Ali Farokhmanesh drained that three to take down the mighty Jayhawks, and it looked even uglier when Willie Veasley’s errant three somehow fell to help Butler seal the deal against the powerful Orange. But I still jumped out of my seat with sheer excitement

All of those other great early-round games were fantastic too. Florida-BYU introduced the country to Jimmer Fredette. St. Mary’s-Villanova turned Omar Samhan into a household name.

It’s why I watch the tournament.

So why should I feel disappointed about this Final Four?

John Wall and Sherron Collins have been shoved down my throat all year. Do I really have to see them again in Indy to get pumped up? I will still get to see plenty of stars, and just because they aren’t as well known doesn’t mean they can’t put on a great performance. Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Da'Sean Butler, and Gordon Hayward all have really good supporting casts around them.

It’s great when two mammoths collide for the championship (see Kansas vs. Memphis). It’s great when George Mason teases us with dreams of the unthinkable. It’s great when the Villanovas and NC States of the world prove that the impossible is merely improbable.

But at the end of the day, all I want to see is great basketball.

I don’t care which teams or which players I see. If the game comes down to the wire and involves a buzzer-beater, I’m into it heart and soul.

The reality is that we have an excellent chance to see three great basketball games this year. Unlike college football, the team that emerges victorious Monday night will have earned the right to cut down the nets by surviving a grueling postseason.

So don’t let anybody ruin it for you by telling you that these aren’t the matchups we want to see. Just enjoy the last chance you have to watch college basketball in a while and hope for great games.

That One Shining Moment comes but once a year. Enjoy it while you can.