3 weeks of unequalled interest and excitement is the best way I can sum up this year’s March Madness. The reason I focus on this year is that this version of March
Madness had several nuances that distinguished it from previous years. I will do my level best to share observations on what I see changing in this week’s 3 + 1:
1) MM 2026 demonstrated the evolution of NCAA basketball that added new dimensions to a structure that, for this year anyway, remained mostly intact:
a. NCAA rules remain the defining characteristic of how the tournament is played. The 30-second clock, narrow key, 2 – 20 minute halves, bonus rules on fouls and timeouts being able to be called by coaches at any time during an offensive possession are all different from FIBA’s international game, which makes college
basketball unique. That said, changes are most likely on the horizon.
- For example, Women’s NCAA rules allow for the ball to be advanced to half court in the last 2 minutes of the game after a timeout (Would Duke have lost to UConn if this rule were in place is a stark example of this change’s potential impact on game outcomes. Playing the ball on the rim on both offense and defense would allow for put-back dunks while the ball is in the cylinder, as well as defenders being able to knock the ball off the rim while it decides on whether it is going in or not. 4 quarters seem like a sensible adjustment, as well, with 2 free throws after 5 fouls in the quarter
b. The Transfer Portal and NIL impacts were huge factors in the tournament. Michigan is the first team to win the championship with 5 first year transfers as starters. It is impressive that the team was able to gel as it did to have such a dominant season and outcome, but what happens next? Usually, success is copied, and we can expect even more transfer recruitment to follow to try to duplicate the Wolverine model.
- Is there a downside to this? Realistically, yes, there is. How long can schools keep paying for mercenaries to jump from program to program? Major programs are running substantial deficits in their athletic departments to keep up with the recruiting pressures to build and maintain winning programs. Ohio State lost tens of millions of dollars this past season, which is one example. Rutgers, since joining the Big 10, has run huge deficits every year. Every program has a breaking point where changes will have to be made.
c. Having taken a peek under the covers of what might be going wrong with the present system, the glorious watchability of the tournament for both men and women was tremendous. Michigan ended up being clearly the best team, but many others had their shining moments, and there were just enough upsets and dramatic moments to get us excited for next year.
2) Let’s jump over to the Women’s Final 4:
- ‘I picked UCLA, hoping they put it all together and find a way. I am in the minority.’ This was my hoped-for outcome last week, and it turned out that the Bruins ran the table by dominating everyone to win their first title. Seniors winning championships was on full display; all 5 starters may be drafted by the WNBA.
- We witnessed the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of coaching behaviour. The Good – Coach Cori Close from UCLA. 15 years as the head coach, working hard to be both a kind, caring mentor and effective coach with her team. She spoke reverently of the greatest college coach of all time, John Wooden, and his influence on her, validating that you could accomplish both and be successful. The Bad is Dawn Staley from South Carolina. Not a bad coach on the court; she has won 2 championships and did a phenomenal job this year to get her team to the Finals, especially by beating the undefeated UConn Huskies in the semi-finals. Where she is bad is that she is both gracious and condescending in her actions, and too often she gets a pass for her negative remarks and demeanor. The Ugly is the childish outburst by Geno Auriemma from UConn after the loss to South Carolina. His remarks were ridiculous and embarrassing. The good thing is that he apologized in the right way by accepting full responsibility for his out-of-line behaviour. I coached for a long time, and I know from my own experience how easy it is to be a good sport when you are winning and the exact opposite when you lose to an opponent you expected to beat. Dawn and Geno mean a lot to women’s basketball, and hopefully, there are better days ahead!
3) Oh, and there is also the NBA! Our attention will now shift to a very interesting last stretch of the regular season:
- The Lakers looked like they were rounding into shape to be perhaps not a contender but at least a threat in the playoffs to compete. That looks like that is not going to happen because of Luka’s injured hamstring. He was playing at a serious near-MVP level for the past month, but now it looks doubtful for the playoffs. *A spotlight needs to be shone on the performances of LeBron and Cooper in their recent matchup, ending with a rare Dallas victory. 41-year-old Lebron goes for 30, 13, and 14 while 19-year-old Flagg drops 45, 9, and 8 (on the heels of a 51-point outburst the game before). Age vs. Youth at its very best!
- On top of their game are the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets in the West, and the Pistons, Celtics, and Hornets
- In the middle are the Rockets, Lakers, Blazers, and the Knicks, Cavs, and Hawks
- Stumbling forward are the Wolves, Suns, and Warriors versus the Magic, Raptors, and Heat
- We know who will be in the playoffs, but there are still several teams that need wins to solidify their playoff matchups
+1) Awards Watch:
- MVP: It looks like it will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokić in that order. The 65-game requirement will likely take Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham out of the running.
- Rookie of the Year: Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg should share the award. It happened in 2000, 1995, and 1971, and it should happen again. How you can choose one over the other is beyond me—they have both been incredible. Knueppel has been startlingly consistent, and leading the NBA in three-point shots made as a rookie is amazing. Flagg scoring 51 and 45 in consecutive games, while being effective night in and night out on a very bad team, is equally impressive. Either being selected is understandable, but both being selected would be the right outcome.
“Hoop City with Paul Sir” will be guest-hosted by Josh Fenwick this week. The show is available live on Sports 1440 in the Edmonton region, nationally on sports1440.ca, and internationally on YouTube from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
All episodes are also available on your favorite podcast platforms, as well as on YouTube. We’ll have great guests discussing college basketball, the NBA, the WNBA, and all things basketball.
Ben Golliver joins me for the Deep Dive, and we’ll be adding more great guests as the week progresses.
Thanks for spending some time with us today. Share your thoughts and comments at paulsir3x3@gmail.com.
Have a great week.
Yours in basketball,
Paul
