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College Basketball  |  Villanova's Wright certainly worthy of honor

1/3/2020

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Jay Wright, named the AP's College Basketball Coach of the Decade for 2010-19 on Friday, shares a moment with the most important player to his Villanova program, Ryan Arcidiacono, during their run to a national championship in 2016. Wright won another in 2018.
by  Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com
Villanova University's Jay Wright  was named College Basketball Coach of the Decade by the Associated Press on Friday for one incontrovertible reason: He’s worthy of the honor.

Oh, he’s not alone. There were others worthy of it, chief among them being Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky’s John Calipari, and perhaps even more deserving. Frankly, Coach K’s two national titles and five Elite Eight appearances overall in the 10 years probably trump Wright’s two nattys, and Coach Cal’s one championship and seven Elite Eights may.

But, really, it just depends which narrative you prefer when it comes to nailing down the best when you’re talking about the giants of the profession.

Make no mistake, either. Wright is a giant in the profession anymore … and his story to achieving undeniable success from 2010 through 2019, frankly, is a nice change from hum-drum, basketball factory production tales that can be attached to both K and Cal.

A former ’Nova assistant, Wright was a proven head coach before he ever returned to the Main Line, having taken mid-major Hofstra to the NCAA tournament his final two years at the Long Island school in 2001. Now, while the Wildcats had a strong history, which included winning an NCAA crown in 1985 and playing for one 14 years prior to that, it never would have been confused with the likes of those at Duke, Kentucky or North Carolina.

But Wright made them players against the big boys almost immediately. By his eighth season, they already had two appearances in the Sweet 16, one in the Elite Eight and another in the Final Four.

Then something happened, and, to me, it is what truly sets Wright apart from all other the last 10 years.

The upward swing stopped. Cold. The ’Cats, following a trip to the national semifinals in 2009, started going backward. Their win total dropped from 30 to 25 to 21, before, finally, it dropped their record below – gasp – .500 in 2011-12: 13-19.

Truth be told, yours truly thought he was done at that point. The magic touch seemed to be gone. The interest in the program had waned. Heck, it wasn’t ’Nova hanging with the big boys at that time, it was Big Five rival Temple doing so against Duke, even beating the top-5 Blue Devils midway through that losing campaign for the ’Cats before a packed house at Villanova’s own home away from home, the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.

But it was during this time of doldrums for the Villanova program that Wright made his two greatest decisions as its leader: 1) he realized that he needed to make toughness, physical and mental, as much a priority in recruiting as talent, and 2) he went about implementing that philosophy by signing the most physically and mentally tough player arguably in the school’s history.

Yes, there have been, and will be, more skilled and productive players than Ryan Arcidiacono in Wildcats’ lore. But his decision to attend his parents’ alma mater truly was a seminal moment for Villanova … and Wright.

His impact was felt immediately in terms of how the Wildcats played and how much they achieved. Taking their point guard’s lead, they backed down from no one – win or lose – beginning in the fall of 2012 and, really, haven’t stopped since.

A national title in Arcidiacono’s senior season in 2016 seemed the ultimate, only two years after his graduation the Wildcats earned another one. In dominating fashion. With Wright looking dapper as always, diagramming Xs and Os to allow his players to pick apart the opposition and relying on what had become the backbone of his program: toughness.

Spearheaded by that, Wright led the ’Cats to nine NCAA tournament bids and nine 20-win seasons, including four of 32 or better, and, of course, those two championships.

Roll your eyes, make a case for others you feel were more deserving, or scoff at him or his non-blue blood program as much as you want, the reality remains the same:

Wright is worthy of being named coach of the last decade. No doubt about it.
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College Basketball  |  Final Four has 1 entertaining source: Auburn

4/6/2019

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If this guy – Auburn University men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl – and his Tigers don't at least have the chance to cut down the nets Monday night in Minneapolis, this is going to be one incredibly boring Final Four.
by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Hmmm, what to make of it …

The crown jewel of the college basketball season – the Final Four of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – is about to tip off in a few hours with the first of two national semifinals in an oversized, glass-roofed football stadium situated in downtown Minneapolis, and, frankly, am still kinda up in the air here.

In short, regardless of program histories and coaching reps, we got four pretty evenly matched teams, with intense-but-understated Steady-Eddie Tom Izzo and his equally stable Michigan State Spartans serving as the headliners of a show that also includes a classic underachiever in Virginia and two newbies to this “ultimate” hoops scene in Texas Tech and Auburn.

Just begs the question, does that make for quality entertainment tonight through Monday night’s title game, or sheer boredom?

Hmmm, what to make of it …

With the clock, as noted, winding down, gotta say, leaning toward the latter.

Why? There’s no “juice” here. No David. No Goliath. Nothing real big. Nothing real small. Nothing great. Nothing awful.

We got four power-5 conference schools at the event. They’re all “name” schools, not virtual unknowns like George Mason in 2006, or Virginia Commonwealth and Butler in 2010.

The buzz is pretty low. The vibe, really, pretty much on life support.

Say one thing for Duke, when it makes it to this stage, as it gritting-my-teeth so often does, at least serves a critical role in being the team to hate, or root against, for the vast majority of non-frontrunning fans out there. North Carolina, Kentucky or such former, one-time uber-hyped outfits as UNLV and Florida have been fabulous bull's-eye fodder, too.

But that entity is lacking this April.

So, too, is a true underdog … and, sorry, anyone trying to push Auburn as that either hasn’t been following the sport the last six weeks or has no ability whatsoever to judge talent. Since getting smoked at Kentucky on Feb. 23, Bruce Pearl’s Tigers have won 12 straight, including victories against the best team in the Southeastern Conference for most of the 2019-19 campaign in Tennessee – twice, in the regular season and then in blowout fashion in the conference title tilt – and then against perennial national juggernauts Kansas and UNC, in almost embarrassingly easy fashion, before serving UK a nice payback sandwich in a Sunday matinee Midwest Regional final last weekend.

They managed that last one without their best player, Chuma Okeke, too. Suffering an obvious ACL tear that CBS announcers Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel inexplicably couldn’t grasp or even explain – “may be an ankle” … really, brah, are you that outta touch with sports injuries, especially the most incredibly simple one to spot? – late against the Tar Heels,

Okeke, a gifted junior forward, will not be available until next season, if he recovers from surgery by then. But, really, not even sure that’ll matter.

Spearheaded by the Shazam-fast backcourt of Jared Harper and Bryce Brown, Auburn’s advantage over, well, every team in the country is speed. Fastbreaking UNC and UK both challenged the Tigers there, and got burned. Bad.

Frankly, the only source of electricity in these last three games of the season seems like it would come from the sparks off Auburn’s sneakers. Virginia, Tech and even MSU are energy-sapping squads to the max. Both the Cavs and Raiders rely so heavily on defense, and the Spartans on playing, well, the heavy that they come across more like old-school WWE wrestlers, outfitted in shorts instead of singlets, slapping on a sleeper hold – not just to the opposition, but the viewing audience.

Izzo, Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Tech’s Chris Beard may be superstar technicians in their profession, but, my lord, they produce some serious snore sessions on the court.

If anything, to me, Auburn is this Final Four’s only shot at salvation. Should the Tigers fail to beat Virginia tonight, Monday’s finale with the Cavs systematically shutting TV-watching eyelids across the nation along with either Tech or MSU provides a perfect opportunity for an alternative.

Any alternative.

So, that’s what to make of the 2019 Final Four. At this point at least.
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College Basketball  |  Gut check offers no withdrawal for title game

4/2/2018

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NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

VILLANOVA vs. MICHIGAN
TONIGHT | 9:20 | TBS
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​by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Not feelin’ it. One way or the other, just not feelin’ it.
​
Usually when it comes crunch time, or sometimes even well before, the vibe starts kicking in with regard to a big game, a title series, a championship matchup, reaching a crescendo that ultimately smacks my being right on the noggin with an answer.

Who’s going to win?

Right or wrong, it usually hits.

This time, just hours before Villanova goes for its second NCAA men’s basketball crown in three years, nope. Nothing.

No feeling at all.

It could be that the Wildcats reaching this point surprised me. Not because of being unworthy. If anything, you could make the case that they were the best team in the country over the course of the entire season heading into tonight's 9:20 tip-off in San Antonio, and deserve to be where they are more so than any other squad in the country.

Just didn’t feel that happening, either.

Didn’t think they would get past West Virginia and its suffocating pressure defense. Looked on point with that, too, when the two squared off in the East regional semifinal, but then the ’Cats exploded down the stretch, sparked by their own defense and ability to score off it.

As a “backup plan” to that ouster, kinda figured Purdue would have handled ’em. That thought, of course, came before Boilermakers center/man mountain Isaac Haas smashed his elbow against the hardwood.

The real rub, though, for me … probably is Villanova's opponent in this one – Michigan. Not a fan of the Wolverines’ program and believe head coach John Beilein was a weasel in how he bolted West Virginia for Ann Arbor – think the hoops version of Rich Rodriguez when he made the same move in football in very similar shady fashion.

But the Wolverines are good. Real good. Not just winners of a nation-best 14 straight. More like … best team in the country the last six weeks. Even better than 'Nova.

See, it's not the amount of wins in a row that is impressive. It is how they were acquired. Mostly in dominating, almost embarrassingly easy, fashion, with one pray-it-goes-in buzzer-beater thrown in. Against quality opponents. After cruising by No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 17, the Wolverines manhandled the likes of eventual NIT champ Penn State, No. 2 Michigan State and No. 8 Purdue en route to a Big Ten tournament championship.

Michigan then delivered the ultimate gut-punch of this year's NCAA extravaganza to No. 21 Houston before giving the most jaw-dropping effort of the event its next time out against Texas A&M, actually trumping what A&M had done to North Carolina in its previous game. For good measure, Michigan even knocked out the feel-good story of the tourney in Saturday's Final Four opener, ripping that glass slipper off Loyola of Chicago, tossing it to the ground and then grinding it up into little pieces.

German import Moritz Wagner, a Dirk Nowitzki game-alike, often has spearheaded the charge statistically and emotionally for Beilein's boys, but the team's halfcourt “D” has meant the difference between being a typical “kinda disappointing” Wolverines outfit to one reaching its full potential, if not beyond.

Michigan is dangerous. Far, far more dangerous than what Hall of Fame coach Bill Self trotted out there against 'Nova Saturday night with his latest edition of Kansas Jayhawks – a group, regardless of how talented, that seemed lost and disjointed all season, and never more so than when the Wildcats started raining “threes” right out of the chute.

Thing is, the fact no feeling here favors the Wolverines is a tribute to Villanova.

Truly, for me, this one is too close to call. Or feel.

KEYS TO THE GAME

UP-TEMPO OR SLOW
Though both teams can play just about any way you like, they're baselines are pretty set this season: Villanova goes fast, and Michigan does not.
The Wildcats, unlike their highly successful teams of recent ilk, including the 2016 NCAA champion edition, do NOT win with defense. They have the No. 1 offense in the country (86.8 points per game) and they basically bludgeon the opposition, often with a barrage of bombs from beyond the arc. Just don't expect a repeat of Saturday's Final Four-record 18 treys in this one.
Why? Because Michigan checks in with the nation's No. 8 defense (62.9 ppg) and the only team they allowed to hit 70 points in the last month (Texas A&M), they beat by 27.
Edge: Slight, to Villanova. Mainly because it has shown an ability to adapt to any style, even when it is down.
​
TALENT
Villanova has two national player of the year candidates in Jalen Brunson, who already has been awarded one such honor, and Mikal Bridges, and three or four potential future NBA players in Donte DiVencenzo, Omari Spellman, Phil Booth and Eric Paschal.
Michigan may have just one in Moritz Wagner. But, that being said, he's going to be named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament if he comes up big tonight because he went off for 24 points and 15 boards Saturday against Loyola of Chicago. Duncan Robinson (6-8), Charles Matthews (6-6) and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (6-4) give the Wolverines the size in the backcourt to fluster Brunson and Co.
Edge: Slight, to Villanova. Michigan matches up better than most seem to realize.

MOMENTUM
Though Michigan ripped off a nation-best 14 wins in a row, 'Nova hardly has been a slouch in that department, going for 10. The reality, though, is that the Wolverines have faced a much tougher slate during their run, beating as many as seven teams better than any the Wildcats did.
Most would point to Kansas as being 'Nova's best in their stretch. It wasn't. West Virginia was by far, and, frankly, it was not as good as Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State and is debatable with regard to Houston, Texas A&M, Florida State and Loyola at the time Michigan faced them.
Edge: Big, to Michigan. Major underdog status only helps Wolverines to remain aggressive.

COACHING
Villanova's Jay Wright, arguably, is the best in the biz anymore. He already has one national championship under his belt with No. 2 staring him in the face tonight. He has led 'Nova to three Final Fours in the last nine years, and is on a current four-year run in which his average season amounts to a 34-4 record.
May not be a fan of Michigan's John Beilein, his bailing on West Virginia and his Bettlejuice look, but the guy can coach. Actually comical that when most peak back at his history, they recall his days with WVU and leading the Mountaineers to an Elite Eight appearance. Yo, the guy is in his second Final Four, not to mention title game, with the Wolverines, and has an Elite Eight and Sweet 16 on his Michigan ledger, too.
Edge: Slight, to Villanova. Both guys are Hall of Fame-caliber coaches
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College Basketball  |  Honestly, what's not to like about Villanova?

3/27/2018

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 by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Here it is: Like Villanova. No joke. Like it a lot.

​Not just in the Final Four. Not only to win the NCAA men's basketball championship again, for the second time in three years and third overall. But, in general – ya know, the campus, the school, its Catholic tradition, the whole shebang, Jay Wright’s stellar program included.


Here’s the thing. Like Saint Joe’s, La Salle and Penn, too. Heck, Drexel as well.

Why not? Being a Temple alum has never altered a lifelong affinity for college hoops in my hometown of Philadelphia and all five schools set within the city limits, not to mention that neighboring suburban entity that, well, basically has set the standard for the nation the last several seasons.

No envy here, just pure, unadulterated admiration for what the Wildcats have become since Wright started landing the likes of Randy Foye, Allen Ray and Curtis Sumpter back in 2002. The core signified the genesis of a true national power, the type of blue blood in the sport that doesn’t need to do a double-take when finding itself lined up against a Duke or a Kentucky or a Kansas, as it will this Saturday night in San Antonio when it squares off against the Jayhawks, the other remaining No. 1 seed, in a national semifinal.

Keith Herron was the first ’Nova cat who caught my attention, bridging the mid-‘70s gap between beasts Howard Porter and John Pinone. Led by those three, the Wildcats racked up eight NCAA bids, five Sweet 16s, five Elite 8s, a Final Four and a title-game appearance. Heady stuff, and then came the original coup de grace, the 1985 national championship squad that made Rollie Massimino a legend when, really, love him or “he broke up the Big Five” hate him, he probably already deserved to be one before then.

But, under Wright, they’re even better now, and, frankly, think that’s great. If anything, actually wish my alma mater would follow the Wildcats’ lead.

Definitely wish my fellow Owls would at least grasp what it is.

Here’s the thing, everyone around wanting to root against Villanova with a vim and vinegar your teams rarely seem to have when they play against it: you, and your schools, mine along North Broad included, miss the point. You’re living in the past. You’re thinking small. Real small.

The game ain’t about winning Philly. It’s to win the whole damn thing. To be the best in the country.

Focusing all your energy on local rivalries and the often silly minutia that goes with them, the big picture gets lost. The big-time recruits, too.

Drexel’s best pitch: We play in Philadelphia.

Penn’s: We offer an Ivy education.

La Salle’s: Tom Gola played here and we had that South Philly floater a handful of years ago.

Saint Joe’s: We reached the Final Four … in 1961. Doesn't count due to a gambling scandal. But, still, we were there.

Temple: Coach Fran Dunphy is a great guy.

Hey, yo, it’s time to step it up at each and every one of those places.

None of them may be able to use Villanova’s for quite some time, if ever: We’re one of the best teams in the country … every year.

But, not for nothing, give it an effort, will ya, over in North Philly, West Philly and City Line? Jeez …

Maybe all that misguided distaste for/disgust with ’Nova then could be redirected into a more productive, positive way – such as deserved support for your basketball programs instead of some mutated joy in seeing the Wildcats fail, a rarity anyway.
​

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JALEN BRUNSON

ONE THAT GOT AWAY

For Temple fans who harbor ill will toward
Villanova, the last three years have to be especially disturbing.


It wasn’t that long ago that the son of the one of the Owls’ all-time greats ranked among the nation’s top recruits, and was considering the idea of taking his talents to North Broad.

But then Rick Brunson’s candidacy to be a Temple assistant went “poof,” and Jalen Brunson opted for the Main Line.

A national title and Final Four later, the younger Brunson can lay claim to being one of the country’s best players … and, arguably, the biggest thorn in current Owls head coach Fran Dunphy’s side.

Just imagine where Temple would be with Jalen …

We’ll never know.

But the Wildcats are pretty damn good thanks in large part to their junior point guard, who averages 19.2 points per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor, including 41.4 from beyond the arc, and 81.1 from the line. Toss in 4.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and his calming influence every time out, and you’ve got an All-American, and very well a national player of the year.

Funny thing is, while experts with NBA draft thoughts dancing around in their head try to draw comparisons to current and former pros, they miss the boat continuously on his most obvious one: his father.

A lefty who could dominate the flow of a game with his handle and physicality just like his son does now, Rick handled the point for John Chaney’s Elite 8 squad in 1993. He later played nine years in the NBA.

Expect a similar pro career for Jalen.
​
You know, once he finishes up at Villanova … instead of Temple. ​
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College Basketball  |  Sticking with Kentucky and Coach Cal

3/22/2018

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Love him or hate, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has his Wildcats making a push for the Final Four again.
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​by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Not going with Duke or Villanova.

Not changing a damn thing from my original bracket, frankly, despite the trendy, cheesy, second-chance reseeding/re-picking way of doing things now that we've completed one weekend of the NCAA Tournament to get down to the Sweet 16.

Why bother? See no need. My national champion pick is alive and well and overall No. 1 Virginia never made it this far in my projections anyway.

Biggest upset of all-time, my arse. Never witnessed such a highly rated squad more ripe to fall off a cliff with just the slightest of nudges, or even the threat of one.

But we digress …

Just gonna continue to roll with Kentucky, the South Region's 5-seed. Ever since taking pen to paper and marking down my selections, have felt pretty good about that.

To me, not a single reason to adjust.

Sure, Duke and Villanova, the popular favorites to win it all at this point, have been impressive thus far. But Duke isn't the most talented team remaining. Kentucky is, and if Kentucky isn't, and that's a big IF, then Texas A&M is – not Duke.

The Aggies toyed with 2-seed North Carolina in the West. Absolutely freakin' toyed with it, while looking like a bunch of 6-10 guys making like Ben Simmons is routine stuff.

'Nova? Gotta be honest, don't envision the Wildcats getting past West Virginia in the East Region Friday night at Boston. The Mountaineers have the tenacity and athleticism to match whatever Jay Wright puts out on the floor, and more length. Yeah, 'Nova has national player of the year candidates in Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. WVU counters with the best defender in the country (Jevon Carter) and a lineup that never has any fewer that three 6-8 or taller gazelles who can jump out of the building on the floor at one time.

Wouldn't mind a second title making its way to Philly's Main Line in the last three years, just not feeling it is going to happen. More of a vibe similar to last season's upending by Wisconsin, another matchup nightmare for 'Nova, than that one from 2016.

Thus far, UK hasn't been dominant at all. Even got lucky with draws, and still struggled a lot with 12-seed Davidson and a little with 13-seed Buffalo. But believe in John Calipari, in his ability coach in game and to motivate heading into a game. His Wildcats were young this season and showed it, and just now are starting to display a toughness and confidence to match their skill.

UK's biggest threat appears to be A&M. Without question. Forget upset wins by University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC to all you acronym loyalists) and aforementioned Buffalo, the former benefiting from Virginia's shakiness and depleted roster and the latter from Arizona's willingness to quit. The most dynamic performance of the tournament was turned in by the Aggies, whose size-skill combo absolutely decimated UNC.

For their efforts, tonight they get Michigan, which posted the most dynamic performance in conference-tournament action just a week earlier with its destruction of Purdue.

Tough draw. So much so that, to me, if the Wolverines prevail they then become the biggest threat to UK. After them, it is Gonzaga, the most overlooked returning national semifinalist this deep in a tournament since fellow mid-major monster Butler.

Duke? 'Nova? The consensus can have them. Not seeing either here, even as threats.


SWEET 16 SLATE

TONIGHT
7:07
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (7) Nevada, CBS
SOUTH REGION | ATLANTA

7:37
(7) Texas A&M vs. (3) Michigan, TBS
WEST REGION | LOS ANGELES

9:37
(9) Kansas State vs. (5) Kentucky, CBS
SOUTH REGION | ATLANTA

​10:07
(9) Florida State vs. (4) Gonzaga, TBS
WEST REGION | LOS ANGELES
​
FRIDAY NIGHT
7:07
(5) Clemson vs. (1) Kansas, CBS
7:37
MIDWEST REGION | OMAHA

(5) West Virginia vs. (1) Villanova, TBS
EAST REGION | BOSTON

9:37
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Duke, CBS
MIDWEST REGION | OMAHA

10:07

(3) Texas Tech vs. (2) Purdue, TBS
​EAST REGION | BOSTON

FROM THIS POINT ON ...

FAVORITE TEAM
Clemson
BEST TEAM
Kentucky
FAVORITE COACH
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
BEST COACH
Jay Wright, Villanova
FAVORITE PLAYER
Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova
BEST PLAYER
Jalen Brunson, Villanova
FAVORITE STORY
Loyola-Chicago
BEST STORY
Gonzaga
MOST OVERHYPED COACH
Mike Krzyewski, Duke
MOST UNDERHYPED COACH
Mark Few, Gonzaga
MOST OVERHYPED TEAM
Duke
MOST UNDERHYPED TEAM
Nevada


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