It’s that dreaded word we like to toss around when there’s a lack of dominance at the top: parity. That’s usually what people say when they don’t want to opt for the truth, in an effort to try to soften the blow.
But here goes — without any of the sugarcoat:
College basketball is down this year. Mediocre.
I’ve said it numerous times, heard it from countless coaches, fans and even players throughout the season.
But it won’t matter in a couple weeks. In fact, it could become an advantage in what may be the most insane March Madness in recent memory.
There’s no powerhouse team — evidenced by the carousel of teams at the top of the poll over the past three weeks. Ohio State doesn’t have many holes, but this is not an overly intimidating Buckeyes team that instills the fear of God into the opposition.
There’s no dominant player, with several guys in the equation to earn National Player of the Year honors. I mean, we are talking about BYU’s Jimmer Fredette and Duke’s Nolan Smith as the front-runners for the award — two guys who most NBA executives project as career backups in their league.
The Pac-10 is much like it was a year ago when it was crucified, the ACC may be the worst it’s been since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 in 1985, and the SEC West may as well be masquerading as the America East.
Duke's Kyrie Irving, the nation’s top freshman and arguably the best player through the first eight games of the season, has been out since the beginning of December. And it doesn’t look like he’ll be back for the defending national champion Blue Devils.
Purdue’s Robbie Hummel re-tore his ACL in his first practice of the season. Yet despite his absence, the Boilermakers are in the Top 10.
College hoops has been carried by freshmen ever since 2006, when the rule changed and kids no longer were able to go directly to the NBA out of high school.
This year’s crop has been disappointing — and that’s being kind.
Three of the top 20 (as ranked by Scout.com) haven’t even logged a single minute (Enes Kanter, Jelan Kendrick and Tony Mitchell). Irving’s season has been cut short. Kansas’ Josh Selby missed the first semester. North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes struggled early. Syracuse big man Fab Melo barely sees the floor.
But the NCAA Tournament still will be the greatest three weeks in sports. In fact, it’ll be absolute mayhem — even more so than usual.
Ohio State is the best team in the land, but the disparity from where the Buckeyes sit at No. 1 overall and where Kentucky sits at No. 20 in the AP poll is as minimal as it’s ever been.
Virtually anyone can beat anyone, which will make for the ultimate in unpredictability. There are a few teams that we’ve put into an elite group: Ohio State, Kansas, Duke, Pittsburgh all come to mind. But all are mortal.
The Buckeyes have been the most impressive with a pair of losses at Wisconsin and Purdue. But Kansas and Duke have questionable résumés with a lack of impressive wins -- and in the case of the Blue Devils, a lack of a regular-season conference title. Jamie Dixon’s Panthers have been the class of the Big East, but still have four losses — and may not have a single NBA player on their roster.
It’s been such an enigmatic season that there were eight teams ranked in the Top 20 in the AP preseason poll that still have work to do just to go dancing. Michigan State, Gonzaga, Illinois, Butler, Washington and Virginia Tech all would be sweating it out if Selection Sunday were today. Baylor and Memphis both would be on the outside looking in.
One more, Kansas State, which was ranked No. 3 in the preseason, has shown how wide the proverbial bubble is by going from a probable NIT spot to a potential No. 6 seed in less than a month’s time.
The college basketball diehards care about the regular season, but much of the nation turns its attention to the sport come March.
They want Madness. And they’ll get it.
