Tuesday, March 16, 2004
The Quick Contrarian: Two that won't win
NBCSports' John Allen went up with his ten teams that can win the NCAA Tournament.Not a bad lot, on the whole.
But neither Texas nor North Carolina are Championship-bound.
Allen's affirmative case for North Carolina rests on a single premise:
With Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and Sean May, anything is possible.
Not quite a ringing endorsement. The truth is that UNC is too young to make a run in the tournament. The Heels play more as individuals than as a team and their best moments are a product of their athleticism rather than solid fundamentals.
His argument for Texas is a little stronger:
The cupboard was still well stocked after [T.J.] Ford left and the returning veterans have performed as returning veterans should. Brandon Mouton and Royal Ivey form a nifty nucleus in the backcourt. James Thomas, in his 11th season — or is it his 12th? — is back down on the low block, active as ever, bouncing, hopping, preening and sporting that cool, knee-high tube sock look. Brian Boddicker, Brad Buckman and Jason Klotz lend additional support in the frontcourt, just as they did last season. Plus, with freshman forward P.J. Tucker added to the repertoire, Barnes still has all sorts of options.
Yet the caveat should send chills down your spine.
Ultimately, to reach the Final Four, the Longhorns would have to face Duke. Improving on the earlier 28-point loss to Blue Devils would be wise. Nothing big, just something like a 29-point improvement.
Texas didn't win its big games during non-conference and conference play. Why start now?
