Mr. B offers a last look at the Big Dance

I wanted to offer a few thoughts about the 2019 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament before the event fades from view. I know I'm a bit late in doing this, but it is April 14 and snow is falling outside my window. I think I can still write about college basketball, under the circumstances. Besides, this won't take long.

1. My brackets held up pretty well during this year's tournament. My picks for the Final Four, included Gonzaga, Kentucky, Michigan State and Virginia. I picked Gonzaga and Virginia to meet in the championship, with Virginia winning the title. Virginia and Michigan State made it to the Final Four, and Virginia, of course, won the national champion, defeating Texas Tech, 87-77 in overtime.

2. Purdue - Was a favorite of mine entering the tournament and fought its way to the Elite Eight, where the Boilermakers fell to Virginia. I was raised on Big Ten football and basketball, and Purdue is a sentimental favorite to me. I thought the Boilermakers played well in the regular season, but performed poorly in the conference tournament. I think Purdue redeemed itself in the NCAA tournament. 

3. Six teams -- Wofford (a 7-seed), Liberty (a 12-seed), UC-Irvine (a 13-seed), Iowa (a 10-seed), Murray State (a 12-seed), and Buffalo (a 6-seed) -- were all pleasant surprises to me as each advanced to the second round. Sadly, that was as deep as each team went in the tournament, but it was entertaining while it lasted. 

4. Bruce Pearl and Auburn University received a lot of criticism throughout the tournament (some of it legitimate), but I give credit where credit is due. Auburn played exceptionally well.

5. I was pleased to see Texas Tech and Virginia in the final game. I enjoy college basketball, but I don't consider myself an expert or even knowledgeable about the game. I follow the season, but in a casual way. That said, I was happy to see new teams in the championship round. I did not miss Duke, North Carolina, or any of the other familiar faces from the Top 25.  And for that reason alone I thought this year's event was memorable. 


-- Thank you for reading. Feel free to comment. Send email to kbotterman@gmail.com.