This is a thank-you note. On behalf of basketball fans everywhere, thank you, Missouri, for a brilliant run and a tough, impressive effort against Connecticut in the regional final. You gave us a great game to watch, and you really made the Huskies earn their way into the Final Four. And everybody should have to earn their way into the Final Four.
The way this thing started, it looked like a rout. UConn raced to that huge early lead, and you figured, "Oh well. Mismatch."
But then a funny thing happened. Missouri didn't go away.
They didn't roll over. They came back with a ferocity that caught the favored Huskies off guard and made them tighten up their own game. Connecticut played a better all-around game as a result of the "aha" moment they had in the middle of the first half when they realized the Tigers were bent on making every aspect of their on-court lives miserable until the last whistle blew.
In the end, Connecticut was just too much. They have too many good players, too many places they can turn when Plan A doesn't work. Hasheem Thabeet is rattled, maybe a bit off his game? Stanley Robinson blocks the shots. Jerome Dyson is on the bench in a suit? Kemba Walker plays the game of his life.
Walker is a symbol of what's so incredible about this UConn team. He's a quick little freshman with a whole pile of game. Early in the year, he was the first guard off the bench -- the shot-of-energy guy they'd bring in to spell Dyson or A.J. Price for a few minutes. Then, when Dyson got hurt, Walker moved into a starting role -- a role with which he struggled at the beginning. But today, there was nobody more comfortable or composed on that court than Walker was, and he was the difference in the game. Composure is paramount when you play a team like Missouri -- a team whose game is rooted in the concept of annoying every single play you run and making sure no pass, no shot, no dribble is easy.
NCAA Tournament Action
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Garrett Temple #14 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Garrett Temple
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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: A Washington Huskies cheerleader performs during a break in the action against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Manny Harris #3 of the Michigan Wolverines jumps to the basket for a lay up against Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Harris
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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Zack Novan #0 and Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for the loose ball with Blake Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Gibson;Zack Novak;Blake Griffin
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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Willie Warren #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes contact as he goes to the basket with Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first hafl during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Willie Warren
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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for the short jump shot against DeShawn Sims #34 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Griffin;DeShawn Sims
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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a shot over Jon Brockman #40 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** JaJuan Johnson;Jon Brockman
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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Zack Novak #0 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for position to the loose ball in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Novak;Taylor Griffin
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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Head Coach Jeff Capel of the Michigan Wolverines yells from the sideline during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Capel
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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: Lewis Jackson #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a layup as Quincy Pondexter #20 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lewis Jackson;Quincy Pondexter
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There's no shame in this loss for Missouri. Saying UConn was the better team is no slight against the Tigers. There's a reasonable chance that the second-best team in the country, whoever that is, doesn't have enough in terms of talent and depth of personnel to match up with Connecticut, Dyson or no Dyson. One of the preview breakdowns I read on this game listed UConn with a heavy matchup in "coaching," but having watched this game it's hard to agree. UConn's coach is a great coach -- an unconscionably arrogant bully and possibly a cheater, but a great, successful coach. But this Missouri team...you don't play the way they play unless your coach knows what he's doing. Big-time hat-tip to Mike Anderson, a man we expect to see here again.
Connecticut just made sure the Big East would grab at least half of the spots in this year's Final Four. As of right now, there's no reason not to consider them the favorite to be the Final One.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-28-2009 @ 7:55PM
patterson5 said...
This is one example of what's wrong with people who have access to posting things on the internet. Whomever authored this piece should somehow have worked the final score of the game into the story. That's what happens when business majors try and become journalists.
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3-28-2009 @ 8:11PM
RACENDIRT said...
Coach Calhoun is not arrogant, a bully or cheater. In fact, he's well respected. UConn has a great team and Missouri gave them a ride. I thought it was a very good game from both sides. Coach Calhoun has worked hard to keep the sport clean and I can't accept Dan's assessment.
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