That's it, college basketball fans. Another March Madness is in the books. And for the fourth time this decade, a Big Ten team has fallen short of a national championship. Not a stat you'd like to hang your hat on, but as a conference, the Big Ten did more for its national image this year than any other, proving that it is one of the deepest and most competitive conferences in America.
It's flagship program, Michigan State, rode March momentum all the way tonight's championship, and while they did not play up to par, they proved they still the conference's cash crop. Along the way, they defeated 2009 Pac-10 Tournament champion USC, defeated defending national champion Kansas twice (once during the regular season) and quieted the Big East's two best teams in Louisville and Connecticut.
If my count is correct, the Big Ten went 9-7 (5-1 from Michigan State) this March, which I bet nobody expected them to do at the beginning of the year. They got seven teams into the Big Dance, as many as the Big East and more than the ACC. And Penn State gave the conference some hardware, winning the NIT last Thursday after defeating Baylor.
Despite what media experts think, the Big Ten reinvented itself this season with an influx of young players and new coaches. I don't think anybody expected them to be this good so quickly and nobody gave them credit. Yet, even tonight, even after being beaten up early by the Tar Heels, Michigan State didn't back down, a sign of what is to come next year and beyond for this conference.
In the next couple of days, I'll generate a more thorough conference wrap-up and gaze into the crystal ball for next year's Big Ten season. It was a great season, Big Ten, college hoops fans and the best is yet to come.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment