Memphis/UCLA: basketball at its worst

[Jimmy Hendricks]

No offense to any fans of UCLA or Memphis, but that game tonight was one of the ugliest displays of basketball I have seen in a long time. Both teams couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Both teams turned it over 17 times. The winning team missed 19 free throws, shot under 33% from the field and scored 50 points. Yuck. I know..I know.. it was great defense. It wasn't that great of defense though. And I am not just picking on this game either. There have been other tourney games that have been painful to watch (even some games that had great finishes were dreadful games).

Congrats to UCLA for making it to Indy. They did what they had to do.

And even though there have been many close, down-to-the-wire games, the level of play in this tournament (and throughout the season) has been really poor. I think you really see the trickle down effect from all the young players leaving college/high school for the NBA. There just aren't that many really good players in college anymore. Thats why there is so much parity and why so many games are close. The talent is pretty even throughout the country. Hopefully starting next year (when everyone has to attend at least 1 year of college) the talent level and the level of play will improve.

If UCONN doesn't win this thing, they ought to be ashamed of themselves. If they ever decided to play for an extended period of time, they would win these games easily. Plus, their road to Indy has been one of the easiest in recent memory.

[Truth Detector]

I agree, JH.

I also think you're seeing the results of turning the game over to athletes instead of basketball players. Good, bad or indifferent its a different game than what I grew up enjoying.

[mds24]

It is one thing to choke at the FT line, like UCLA was doing

It is another thing to constantly turning the ball over or losing dribble when guarded on the outside, make extremely stupid cross court passes, and miss lay-ups or shots within 3 feet.

At one point during the game I couldn't help but say I would like to see all of the Memphis players drug tested immediately. I don't see any way to explain how badly Memphis played.

Not sure if anyone else noticed it but in the last 10 minutes of the second half there was one point where the Memphis big man missed a two-footer and the Memphis coaches were losing it on the bench. One assistant so frustrated he fell across the laps of the two coaches to his left.

UCLA has had the benefit of Gonzaga choking in the closing minutes, iirc Morrison missed his last 4 shots, and Memphis totally coming apart.

[Clefo]

Memphis played like the Howenstine High School Basketball team that I had the pleasure to be on (Go Hawks!) Course, they didn't have their excuse of their tallest person being only 6'4

[jkg]

Good posts. I didn't have any interest in the winner, but I am a huge hoop fan, and love the NCAA tournament. But, I couldn't watch that mess of a game. Early in the 2nd half, mrs. jkg and I decided on a DVD rental over that sloppy play.

TD: <<I also think you're seeing the results of turning the game over to athletes instead of basketball players.>>

This is the state of American basketball in a nutshell. The days of the high school, then college coaches drilling players in fundamentals are over.

[athos1172]

Great posts, guys.

All I can add (with apologies to Comic Book Guy):


Worst
game
ever.