Fans of the Longhorns were primed to invade the Alamodome - 75 miles south of Austin - in droves to watch a rematch of Texas’ impressive win at UCLA in early December, and such strong support might have pushed UT to its first national championship game.
As for Davidson, who wasn’t captivated by the George Mason-like run of sharpshooting scoring machine Stephen Curry and the feisty Wildcats? Plus, Davidson would have gotten another shot at North Carolina after a four-point loss to the Tar Heels in November.
However, Texas was completely outplayed by Memphis in the South Regional final in Houston, and 10th-seeded Davidson fell just short against Kansas in the Midwest Regional’s title game.
So with the absences of a home-state favorite and a Cinderella, San Antonio will just have to settle for hosting Memphis, UCLA, Kansas and North Carolina in the first Final Four featuring four No. 1 seeds. The Tigers have lost only one game all season, while the Bruins, Jayhawks and Tar Heels rank among college basketball’s best five programs.
These Final Four teams have a staggering combined record of 143-9, with Kansas and UCLA tying for the worst mark in the field - 35-3!
Either 37-1 Memphis or 36-2 North Carolina would break the single-season record for victories by winning the national championship, while Kansas and UCLA can equal the wins mark.
For further perspective, consider that the Tigers have won almost twice as many games as the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, the Tar Heels have eight more wins than the Charlotte Bobcats, and the Bruins own 13 more victories than the Los Angeles Clippers.
It’s certainly difficult to determine who should be favored in this Final Four, because each team has so many strengths.
Memphis features exceptional height and athletic ability at all positions. John Calipari’s Tigers are paced by All-America swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts and fast, strong freshman Derrick Rose, who dominated his matchup with All-America point guard D.J. Augustin of Texas.
UCLA possesses the experience of making its third consecutive trek to the Final Four. Ben Howland’s Bruins play tough defense and have perhaps the country’s most versatile performer in All-America freshman center Kevin Love.
Kansas presents problems with its balance and depth both in the interior and on the perimeter, and the Jayhawks’ defensive skill was displayed when Curry couldn’t get a shot off on Davidson’s last-gasp possession.
And North Carolina has what most observers consider the nation’s best player in relentless forward Tyler Hansbrough. The high-scoring Heels also have stellar complementary parts and a very experienced Final Four coach in Roy Williams.
These teams’ weaknesses aren’t many, but they do exist. For example, no Kansas or Memphis player has competed in a Final Four, and only a backup point guard has for Carolina.
The Tigers are one of the country’s worst free-throw shooting teams and come from the weakest conference among the qualifiers; the Bruins have struggled to put away some lesser teams and can have difficulty scoring; the Jayhawks looked a little shaky against Davidson, and who’s their leader at crunch time?; and the Tar Heels might be doomed if Hansbrough gets into foul trouble or simply has an off night, plus their defense can be too lenient.
It’s tough to go against Memphis or North Carolina in Saturday’s national semifinals after how well they played in the regional finals. But I’ll stick with my pre-tournament pick of Kansas and UCLA advancing to the championship game, with Bill Self’s club edging ex-Jayhawks boss Williams and the Tar Heels and the Bruins frustrating the Tigers.
I like Kansas’ blend of balance, depth, defense and experience, and the Jayhawks will use their superior scoring ability to move past UCLA for their first national title in 20 years.
And although only one of these four great teams will emerge as the champion, the star-studded field ensures that San Antonio will be a big winner - yes, even without in-state favorite Texas and feel-good story Davidson.
gwille@temple-telegram.com
