The MADness of March: An Old School Point Guard on College Basketball’s National Treasure
It only makes sense that a former basketball player living in Chapel Hill would have lots of thoughts on the 2023 NCAA DI March Madness tournament. Most sports fans turn their attention to the marquee event that draws debates, eyeballs, and money to 17–23-year-old athletes competing for the national title. I am no exception. In Blue Heaven, the conversation never really ends because of the winning tradition for the men’s and women’s programs and UNC being a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Now here is where it got a little dicey in this little country village – the Tar Heel men did not receive a bid to compete for the championship and chose to not accept an offer to play in the National Invitation Tournament. Let the fireworks begin – mine included.
My full disclaimer is that I played at Virginia in the late ‘70s and early 80s and coached at UNC when hoops back then was just as competitive, scrappy, and intense in post-season play. What is different from that time compared with today is that we did not have the technological advances such as smartphones and social media to draw more attention and interest. In addition, today’s bloggers, influencers, and pundits (who pose as journalists) receive airtime for all the wrong reasons. So, my perspective and reflections may be viewed as outdated, but I am all good with that. Here are my men’s shot clock violations on the madness of March college basketball:
- Flame out of the Blue Bloods. The elite of the Power 6 conferences have a big decision to make each and every year – recruit and sign the 3-4 guys who have no intention of playing for more than one season or solicit those who have athletic potential but need a couple of years to develop. Yes, these options are not as clear cut as expressed, but it is important to recognize how the “one-and-done” formula isn’t working out too well for success in late March. Besides the strong possibility of creating team chemistry problems and coaching headaches during recruitment, there is an awkward sense of the pro basketball philosophy invading college basketball. The highest bidder wins! Now the danger of not going after the whales is that your competition is, and many players are impatient regarding playing time. They want to showcase their talents now – not next year or the next. Hello, transfer portal!
- Refrain from calling Texas “Football Country.” The “boots and hats” boys are flat-out ballers. I know they do things big in the Lone Star state, but I am amazed at how fast little Texans have embraced basketball and are now excelling on the national stage. Baylor, Houston, Texas, North Texas, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, TCU, Texas Southern, and Texas Tech have men’s programs that regularly win causing disruption in the world of college basketball. The basketball selection committee must interrupt their biases towards thinking that all Texans do is eat beef and spend Friday and Saturdays at the stadium.
- Tired legs falter in March. Coaches have favorites just like parents. The denials by adults are endless, but human nature rules. And in the game of basketball, we see it playing out as some players get a lot more playing time and really need to sit and watch. I’ve witnessed teams that look like a sure lock for a good run in March to only struggle mightily with shooting in the post-season. I’m certainly no wizard with game execution but it glaringly apparent that coaches must consider the long haul to win the big one. The athletes play all year-round in some form (we just love the game!) and then go into an intense pre-season practice and strength and conditioning programs. The spry legs turn into mush by March and field goal percentage drops. Analytics has helped tremendously with measuring body composition, stress overload, and fatigue; however, most programs haven’t fully embraced or can’t afford the advanced technology. Plus, there is the old-fashioned eye test to clearly see that good shooters have a strong core and lower body. Too many minutes in the regular season turns into offensive inefficiency in the postseason. Rest works early and often.
- College basketball titles are no longer won by non-NBA players. It has come to the point whereby winning teams have at least two solid future NBA players on their team. Whether the coaching staff signs or creates them, that is the reality. The game has progressed so far that when the moment arrives, and your team needs a bucket – give the ball to the scorer and let him make something happen. Whether it is within the team’s offensive set or a clear out for him, the one highly skilled baller will get the job done and give teams a chance to win.
- The loss of sportsmanship hurts the game (Women’s). Record-breaking attendance numbers. Star power galore and big personalities (Clark & Mulkey) in the spotlight. Fashion. Flare. Fantastic display of talent. And yet trash-talking still became the headline of the Women’s Final Four. Is all publicity good publicity? I’m old school and find it rather difficult getting comfortable with show-boating and animated gestures after emotive plays. Give me intensity and passion all day but what is up with all the posturing to draw attention to one’s own accomplishments on either end of the court? Under the breath jaunts of “You can’t see me” or motions of “You’re too short” have no place in the game. Now I am not naïve to believe it is only the young athlete’s fault. They learn these actions and manners from their idols who are more likely NBA players, and the coaches also permit the jawing back and forth. And to some degree, many younger fans love the in-your-face chatter, which only bolsters the posts on social media. It certainly makes for great headlines and post-game I’m just from an era that the only thing we had to do to express domination was to take a glance at the scoreboard. That is, we did our work and demonstrated respect for our opponents.
LSU’s Angel Reese reacts in front of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the second half of the NCAA Women’s Final Four championship basketball game Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. LSU won 102-85 to win the championship. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Lastly, how pitiful that we still have journalists and adult sport professionals resorting to name calling and racist commentary about young athletes who are competing for a trophy – not a life-or-death situation. Teams from South Carolina and Louisiana State have predominately Black rosters. How sad that the cultural wars have now emerged in sports! Using profanity-laced attacks and calling a young person an idiot is disgusting. The ugliness of the racial overtone of the heated conversations only speaks to the ongoing critical battle to dismantle white supremacy. Sports can heal, and they can also hurt. Thank heavens, the camera doesn’t lie, and social media posts are never gone. We have the negativity on tape to dissect and use as a teaching moment. Regardless of race or ethnicity, let’s just play ball.
Carolina basketball fans survived a spring without a chance to win another national title. It was awkward and dreary at times. The University of Miami men and the Tar Heel women’s program gave us hope though. I doubt this feeling of absence will become a common occurrence for UNC nation, so take the time to reflect on all the activities and free time you enjoyed learning more about yourself and loved ones. Sometimes it is healthy to step away from your passion to recharge and reconsider your mission. If you can’t sit still, try over the next few months to get to know the new recruits that will arrive in Blue Heaven to have their opportunity to battle for a national championship. Full engagement in March is just a way of life for the many basketball aficionados and to think differently in Chapel Hill is to be truly “mad.”
(Featured image via AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
“Never Too Far” contains perspectives and insights from an inquisitive and engaged Orange County transplant from Philly. Deborah Stroman is an entrepreneur and UNC leadership professor who has seen too much and not enough, and thus continues to question and explore the thoughts and actions of humankind.
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