This time of year seems to strengthen even the most determined opinions.
All of us consider ourselves to be experts until reality sets in for each of us. A week ago, Auburn was the favorite in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and the SEC was ready for a great opening weekend.
Everything made perfect, sense-based sense.
The NCAA tournament’s predictability, however, prevents it from becoming a national phenomenon. Stories, such as the ones subscribed to and repeated here, were shredded as soon as the ball was tipped.
This is what occurs when the SEC has almost twice as many first-round entries as the ACC, yet the ACC advances twice as many teams to the Sweet 16 as the SEC.
It’s also what occurs when Alabama emerges as one of those two SEC survivors; I wrote Alabama off after they dropped a 14-point decision in the SEC quarterfinals, losing four of the previous six games.
I said on Twitter that night, “Alabama’s free fall in March feels somewhat like the one two years ago.” “Promise early, disappointment late in the season.”
Right now, that post is receiving relatively little backlash.
Nor did the one I penned two days later, following Auburn’s 86-67 victory over Florida to cap up their Nashville blitzkrieg.
Once more, no argument. Even one Alabama supporter concurred in the comments.
Then last Friday happened. Do you recall these two viewpoints, as well as the editorial about Auburn’s humiliation at the hands of the selection committee?
Among the hottest teams in the country, Auburn, let Yale to stay around long enough to prepare the ideal dish for an upset victory in the first round. Just how brittle these hot streaks can be was brought home by the stunning 78-76 Spokane game.
This Auburn squad defeated South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Florida by an average of 19 points in three consecutive NCAA tournament games played in Nashville. However, they were defeated by an Ivy League club that qualified for the dance only by virtue of a game-winning basket against a 13-17 squad.
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