Sunday, March 27, 2011

03/28 (VCU!) Quickie

Want a classic Quickie superlative? How about this:

VCU has pulled off the single-greatest run to the Final Four in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

(More than Butler in this very same Tournament? More than George Mason in 2006? More than LSU in 1986?

Yes, yes and yes. And here's why:

Because it was in the "First Four," VCU had to win FIVE games to make this Final Four, rather than the typical four.

It's hard to express what that 5th game means, except to say that every additional game you have to win adds geometric complexity, difficulty and chance for failure to the route.

Then layer in that they had to cap the run by beating 1-seed Kansas -- not just the best team left in the Tournament but one of two teams that the majority of fans gave any chance of winning a title.

George Mason's run was incredible -- the standard-setter. Butler's run to the title game last year was inspiring (but let's remember they were a 5-seed -- hardly an afterthought).

But the unprecedented quality of VCU's run qualifies it as earning the greatest run to the Final Four in the history of college basketball.

And, if they play like they have the past two weeks, the run isn't over yet.

-- D.S.

1 comment:

Brian in Oxford said...

Some USC fans are probably reaping VCU's wins in their brackets.