Fw: Mike DeCourcy: The snooze button has been turned off

[richard l. kandell]

Some selected comments from DeCourcy's latest article.

Richard K.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "SportingNews.com SportsMail" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 2:05 PM
Subject: Mike DeCourcy: The snooze button has been turned off


> The snooze button has been turned off
> 01/05/2004
>
> Mike DeCourcy
> Sporting News
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> If you are a member of the NCAA Tournament selection committee -- or a
serious student of its work -- you need to know this: Nap time is over.
> You probably nodded off several times during the most serene preconference
season in recent memory. There were few of the colossal early showdowns we
enjoyed in previous years. With the major tournaments eviscerated by NCAA
regulations regarding how frequently teams can participate, classic title
games such as Arizona-Kentucky (Maui '93) and Cincinnati-Duke (Alaska '98)
were but a memory. And Syracuse won the 2003 NCAA title after a December
spent entirely on campus, so many promising teams felt justified hiding at
home.
> The accomplished. Examples: Georgia Tech, Saint Joseph's, Stanford, Wake
Forest. This is the most exclusive club, but being included does not
guarantee a coast to Selection Sunday.
> The unchallenged. Examples: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Connecticut. These
teams appear to be of Final Four caliber. But it's hard to be certain
because, at the end of last week, they had combined for two road wins and
one over a top 25 RPI team.
> The unproven. Examples: South Carolina, Florida State, Nebraska. They
celebrated on New Year's Eve with a combined 33-3 record, not bad
considering they won 37 games among them last season.
> The underestimated. Examples: Alabama, Seton Hall, Texas Tech. Yes, the
Tech coach periodically makes some news, but who has paid attention to the
Red Raiders' impressive list of early victims (UTEP, Iowa, Utah)? Why hasn't
anyone noticed the Crimson Tide's rapid progress against one of the SEC's
few demanding nonconference schedules?
> The desperate. Examples: Michigan State, California, Colorado. All were
projected to be headed for the tournament this season, but none has yet
played like it.
> Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News.
Email him at address@hidden
>
Some selected