Three teams combine for the 9 titles among the Midwest Region’s remaining teams.
Duke with five titles, all under current coach Mike Krzyzewski, leads the way.
Next is Kansas with three, two in years ending in 8, having won it all with Danny Manning in ’88 and Mario Chalmers in ’08. Current coach Bill Self guided the ’08 team.
Fifteen years ago, Syracuse (3-0) in this tournament and one of two “11” seeds, (Loyola of Chicago is the other) in the regional semis/”sweet sixteen,” won it all led by Carmelo Anthony and under current coach Jim Boeheim.
The recently deceased, great player Jo Jo White, pictured above, was on some fine Kansas teams, but none won the crown.
Both the South and Midwest Regional semi-finals house a total of nine titles among its four teams.
In the South region, Kentucky once an 8 to 1 underdog and now an 8 to 5 favorite to win the region, (I noticed the plowing in their favor after one day, now all the so called experts got around to it) has 8 previous titles.
Loyola of Chicago has one.
The Ramblers won it all in 1963, defeating two time champion, Cincinnati in the final.
Nevada coming from way back/a Cincinnati collapse prevented a Loyola vs Cincy redux 55 years later and 3 rounds earlier.
Tomorrow a look at the 9 titles among the 4 Midwest Region teams.
The 1963 NCAA Champion, Loyola of Chicago team pictured above.
Imagine, Bill Simmons said the Golden State Warriors would win 75 games in the 82 game NBA regular season.
The perception was a far more realistic 67 and a fraction.
I knew it would be less. It will be.
Not only that, but the Houston Rockets and not the Warriors, will be the top seed in the NBA West.
The Warriors are still the favorites.
After last year’s easiest of journeys for both Golden State and Cleveland to a third straight Final clash, at least on paper and with some certainty, this year’s road will be far more difficult to manage.
In this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament national semis/final four, the winners of the South and West regions will clash in one semi.
That semi will have no higher than a three seed from the West and none higher than a five seed from the “paved” South region.
Kentucky, as cited here yesterday, a 4 time champion in years ending in 8, which of course this one is, had another good but not great day in its “paving” process.
Kansas State will be their regional semi opponent a perceived tougher one than Maryland Baltimore County, which covered in defeat to Kansas State yesterday.
However, Nevada (do not get me wrong neither Kansas State nor Nevada is without a chance) overcame a 20 plus point deficit in the last 11 minutes to oust “Kentucky neighbor” and South 2 seed, Cincinnati, making “Ken” the clear favorite in the region.
Not this season, with a plethora of big tournament upsets!
Yes, Maryland Baltimore County, a big underdog in its conference title tilt, became the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed, (yes Virginia, the Sports Illustrated jinx return after Nick Foles and the underdog Eagles avoided it “Suping” New England) but look who it really helps.
Thus far among other possible teams, it is Kentucky, 4 times the title team in a year ending in “8” as they await the Kansas State, favored by 10 or so Maryland Baltimore County winner.
Another note: If heavily favored Cincinnati prevails today vs Nevada, then in a round of 16 tilt, there will be a redux of the 1963 title game, when Loyola of Chicago beat two time champion, Cincinnati.
The first Mets game, albeit one in spring training, after news of Ed Charles’ death, was played vs the Baltimore Orioles.
Perhaps symbolically, it ended in a (4-4) tie.
That leaves me to some baseball thoughts on the two 100 or more wins, teams that clashed in the 1969 World Series.
A victorious Mets’ team, tremendous long shots when the season began, did win 100 games and were a tremendous team, with excellent pitching and a team in the field and at bat, platooned at many positions, that played fundamental baseball, under manager Gil Hodges.
They bid for the division title the next season and with many of the same players went to the seventh game of the 1973 World Series, before losing to an Oakland Athletics’ team, that won the middle/second of three straight World Series crowns.
Tomorrow, a look at a truly great, but perhaps slightly underachieving, Baltimore Orioles team (s).
After catcher Jerry Grote, Ed Charles, who died yesterday at the age of 84, was the next player to reach and celebrate the incredible New York Mets’ 1969 “miracle” title with winning pitcher, Jerry Koosman.
That title, that long shot, that time, a year of Woodstock and a man on the moon, (not Andy Kaufman), was of course, a seminal moment for so many, not just Mets’ fans.
Add Charles and all he went through: a long minor league career often facing segregation and worse, thus there is glory and good that the man called “The Glider,” was an integral part of that title team.
I met the affable Mr. Charles on more than one occasion and am glad he cherished that team and its accomplishments.
Ed scored the winning run in game 2 of the World Series as he, Grote and then Al Weis delivered hits in the top of the ninth inning of a (1-1) game a day after the favored and great Orioles won game 1. He also hit a home run in the division clincher “that championship season.”
Ed Charles about to join #36 pitcher Jerry Koosman and #15 Jerry Grote in celebration of the incredible 1969 Mets’ title.
Surely, renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking, who overcame exponential adversity to achieve so much, knew/knows things, most can not conceive.
Mr. Hawking died yesterday, off, perhaps, to a great beyond, which will accept his input regarding the universe, maybe manifesting in the desperate need for help on insignificant to the vast universe, but, our earth.
The first good sign: On the day Mr. Hawking “departed,” he was a Jeopardy answer, answered correctly in the form of a question by the first contestant that responded.
Yes questions, big and small! Thank you Mr. Hawking for your bravery and insight and have a “big contributions ball.”
The dynamism, wit and depth of the great actor, Nick Nolte were all on display this week, when he was interviewed by Annette Ingsdorf, as part of the “Reel Pieces” series at 92 Y.
Mr. Nolte thoroughly entertained and I believe moved (certainly he did me, with insights into his craft and life) the audience with great stories and details about his work.
Certainly his new book, “Rebel: My Life Outside The Lines,” is one I must read, after hearing Nolte speak about such outstanding work as “Rich Man, Poor Man,” and “Affliction” while also regaling us with stories, concerning such stars as Robert Mitchum and Barbra Streisand.
There was so much more, many tidbits, not gossip, that made me dizzy in a great way, trying to remember.
Clips were shown at three different points as Ms. Ingsdorf kept the proceedings going in an effective way, “clearing out” for Nolte’s passion and brilliance, doing so with her own added information.
On a personal note, Nick after a long day, was gracious in talking to me about a mutual friend, the superb author, Pete Gent, who wrote one of Nolte’s early fine films, “North Dallas Forty.”
His sensitivity and passion as displayed by his character in that film and in real life, for such injured football players such as Jim Otto, define the man. His courtesy to me will be remembered fondly as I continue to watch his work past, present and future.
Click below for information as how to purchase “Rebel” My Life Outside The Lines”
Rebel – Nick Nolte – Hardcover – HarperCollins US
Nick Nolte, pictured above.
Kentucky and Kansas won their respective S.E.C. and Big 12 (once the Big Eight) Conference tournaments, which means little.
However, the “8” year reminder is that in six of the seven, “8” years, in which there was an NCAA Tournament, either Kentucky or Kansas took home the crown.
Four times in the tournament that began in 1939, Kentucky won it all (1948, 1958, 1978 and 1998).
Kansas led by Danny Manning took the title in 1988 and again 20 years later in 2008.
Each has a viable shot at the crown in the tournament’s eighth, “8” ending season in 2018.
Andy B Sports 