Great video above with the endings of the NCAA Championship Game from 2010-2018.
We forget how many of these games have come down to the last possession with future NBA stars or eventual role players or NBA busts making the plays.
From an Oklahoma City Thunder perspective three things stood out for me:
1 Jeremy Lamb in 2011 was the U Conn Huskies MVP in the tournament and a player everyone thought was a can’t miss wing player in the NBA. Let’s not kid ourselves Jeremy Lamb historically was supposed to be the most important piece Sam Presti got back in the Harden trade. Instead…I would have to describe Jeremy’s NBA career a bust considering the expectations.
2 Kyle Singler on one of the Duke championship teams seemed to be the kind of wing player who would fit the Thunder’s needs when he was one of the key pieces Presti brought back in the Reggie Jackson to Detroit deal along with DJ Augustin. Instead another bust from a blueblood championship team.
I actually met DJ’s mother that game when I was sitting with Fran and Ron Franklin after the Durant game in Norman. I was wearing an ESPN pullover myself and told her I was doing a piece for ESPN Magazine. We had a great talk. A lovely woman. I see where DJ got his his beautiful skin from.
3 Kevin Ollie the former Thunder journeyman guard who succeeded Jim Calhoun at U Conn and won another national championship team as his squad basically had to win the Big East Tournament to get in the NCAA field with Shabazz Napier as their star guard. I wonder how close if at all Kevin Ollie was to becoming the Thunder head coach?
Anyway… tomorrow the four play in games get going–then we get the tournament itself getting started on Saturday.
OU didn’t do itself any favors by dropping to an 8th seed in the same regional as Gonzaga…but by the other token if the Sooners beat Missouri they have nothing to lose in the second round and can play with no pressure. Just have fun and see if they can pull a Buster Douglas win of sorts. Throw some haymakers and see what happens against the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
Unfortunately…O State plays Liberty which is one of those teams who play like Princeton. On the positive side for Mike Boynton is that both K State and Texas Tech play a deliberate style of play so I hope the Cowboys are ready to play this type of basketball. Can’t turn the ball over too much in this game.
I’m ready for March Madness.