This is the week we have been waiting for. March Madness descends upon us and locks us into the tractor beam like the Death Star in Star Wars. Or, using another sci-fi metaphor, it is the Borg telling us that ‘Resistance is futile.’ Office productivity is drained as every computer finds a way to have their screens angled so the boss can’t see the games on where spreadsheets should be. Meanwhile, the boss heads into his office with the same intent. It truly is Madness!
Thursday through Sunday is the source of the greatest moments in this extravaganza of players, fans, bands, cheerleaders and rampant television coverage. As is often stated, the ‘One Shining Moment’ is usually when Wofford, Montana, Omaha and other fine Division 1 men’s programs that are like Jupiter’s moons: They are out there producing great memories and seasons but are in the orbit of the Blue Bloods. (I can’t help using space imagery!)
And we have the added excitement of the women’s tournament as well. Last year’s Caitlin Clark effect has carried forward with viewership slightly exceeding 2024’s regular season record numbers. Caitlin may be gone but JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers and many other high powered stars have stepped up and into the spotlight. Women’s Madness has arrived and seems destined to be here to stay.
The great game invented by Canadian James Naismith has never been more diverse and spreads its wings in a variety of somewhat chaotic directions in today’s basketball landscape. In this case, bring on the chaos!
3 From DEEP
- I have to start with a heartfelt congratulations to the Canadian Women’s 3×3 National Team for their triumph in Bangkok this past weekend in the inaugural FIBA3x3 Champions Cup. Katherine, Paige, Kacie and Saicha went 5-0 against the very best teams in the world to win the first ever championship at this new event designed by FIBA3x3 as a prestigious kickoff to the 2025 season. The semi-finals against a very strong Australian team was won by a buzzer beating 2 pointer by sharpshooter Paige Crozon; Australia defeated the American team in the quarters. The Canadian women defeated Olympic silver medalists, Spain, in the finals. Spain had beaten the Olympic gold medal winning German team in the semi’s. The Canadian women continue to be a standard bearer for Canada on the global basketball scene! Sidenote #1: Michelle Plouffe is still recovering from a serious knee injury and was with the team in a coaching role. She contributed to the team’s success in a different manner but that is the core strength of this team: Togetherness and supporting each other to be the best they can be. Sidenote #2: The Unrivaled League just completed its first season in Miami. The 3 on 3 women’s league is not only offering a new version of the game but also making a statement for raising the compensation for women players in the WNBA. It seems like the Unrivalled League experiment was a success but time will tell if it is able to sustain the financial support and attract the viewership needed for long term success.
- March Madness is here! Alabama State gave a jumpstart to the tournament with a game winning sequence that college basketball fans look for with what really was a ‘Hail Mary’ full court pass bouncing between players resulting in a bucket at the buzzer. North Carolina has understandably been scrutinized for being the last selection for the event (West Virginia clearly should have been in by every reasonable metric) but looked tournament ready by drubbing 2023 NCAA finalist, San Diego State, in their play-in game. Duke is the favorite but everyone knows that a title will only happen if Cooper Flagg’s ankle responds to treatment. The Blue Devil ACC Tournament victory was impressive given that Flagg and one other key player was not available for most of the games. The other #1 seeds are Auburn, Houston and Florida in a field with the blend of transfer heavy rosters and low and mid level D 1 programs having their spot in the Dance.
The Women’s Madness is also not without controversy with a Western Bracket overloaded with contenders. The logic of how teams are assigned not only their seeding but their regional placement is an inexact science and always is justifiably, in many cases, scrutinized for their inexplicable placements.
- The NBA had an odd week. Cleveland won 16 in a row and now has lost 2 straight; is this fatigue setting in or did they peak at the wrong time? Or did they just lose 2 games and are actually human? OKC remains tough. Denver has injuries to Jokic and Murray but beat a hot Golden State team in the Bay arena without their stars after losing for the second time to the dismal Washington Wizards. The combination of vying for playoff positions, tanking by many teams as they head for the bottom in the Cooper Sweepstakes and the intriguing head to head battle for MVP between SGA and The Joker make the stretch run to the playoffs very interesting.
Make sure to join Ryan Reed and me every Saturday from 10am – noon for ‘The Basketball Show’ on Sports1440 and sports1440.ca. You can also hear the conversation on Spotify and all of your favorite podcast providers. Have a great week on and off the court and enjoy the Madness!
Paul Sir
@psir4540
