Tuesday, March 10, 2009

NCAA Tournament Looks a Lot Like the Mid-1980s


The mid-80s were a great time. Reagan-omics. Back to the Future. Smurfs. Great college basketball.

In the mid-80s, North Carolina was an elite team filled with stars, the Big East put three teams in the Final Four and Memphis State was the fourth team.

In 1984, North Carolina was the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament. They fielded a team with Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Kenny Smith and Brad Daugherty. The best Tar Heels team ever fizzled in the Sweet 16 and were bounced by Indiana. In 1985, the Big East sent St. John's, Georgetown and Villanova to the Final Four. That still is the only time one conference placed three teams in the Final Four. Memphis State was the only non-Big East team to make it.

In 2009, North Carolina was the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament. Despite some missteps, they enter Championship Week as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. The Big East has a chance to put UConn, Pitt and Louisville as No. 1 seeds and all could make it to the Final Four in Detroit. If one of them doesn't get there, Memphis just may.

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