Close, but you're way off

That’s pretty much how I’d describe things in hind sight. A couple weeks ago I wrote about March Madness and the importance of momentum vs. rest. In particular I related the Big East to UNC/UCLA. I was right in that comparison in that none of them are being repped tonight in San Antone. All along, the talking heads said that Memphis and Kansas were the weaker of the number one seeds. Everyone seemed to be poised for the historical match up tonight with UNC vs. UCLA. Would we be celebrating Roy Williams for his new dynasty? Would the rebirth of UCLA basketball as a powerhouse (3 straight Final Fours) be the dominant theme? As it turns out, the theme is Memphis and their ‘long’ guards’ ability to wreak havoc and Kansas ability to get up and down the floor at will on a supposedly superior foe in the Tar Heels. Memphis FT woes have been nowhere in sight and a lanky peckerwoods from Minnesota was last seen doing work on NoCar. Can Kansas handle Joey D down low? Can they find a cure for Memphis’ perimeter D? Can Memphis dominate Rush, Chalmers, Robinson & Collins with seemingly so little depth in the back court? Will FTs creep up to haunt the Tigers on the last night of the season? And remember what I said toward the end of that original posting. What it’ll come down to is the ability to make shots, play D and, most importantly, rebound. Kansas jumped out to that 40-12 lead because of the Heels’ inability to make shots. Memphis held on because the Bruins were chucking and Kevin Love couldn’t get a board to save his life. Neither of these two is averse to getting up and down the floor so pacing shouldn’t be an issue. But come crunch time, who’s going to keep Joe D off the boards?