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March Madness
By Neil Abt
Wondering how popular the NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments have become? I found out the hard way when I tried to order tickets to the men’s Final Four in Indianapolis and women’s Final Four in Philadelphia. Not only were my ticket applications returned, but I was startled to discover more than 100,000 people sent away for men’s tickets. Only 10,000 orders were filled. So, my wish to experience March Madness firsthand will have to wait at least one more year. Luckily, I can still get closer to the action than ever before from my computer. FinalFour.net continues to be a great starting place for both men’s and women’s college basketball news. All season, the official web site of the NCAA basketball championships was updated daily with news and results. Scores are easy to find, and audio and video highlights of recent games and last year’s Final Fours are a click away. If you plan on attending any of the games, there is city and venue information
for all host sites. The official Final Four store can be found here too.
Another site worth checking for men’s tournament news is “The Road to
Indianapolis.” Created by the Indianapolis Star-News, there are pages for
most major conferences, and a listing of the important dates leading up
to the Final Four. The newspaper links along the right column take you
to the local papers covering the early rounds of the tournament.
Basketball is the most popular sport in Indiana, and the Star-News has
a special package that includes stories on all levels of local basketball.
From the NBA to high schools, “Indiana’s Game” is quite impressive.
Only three coaches have more career NCAA tournament victories than Indiana Coach Bob Knight. Though he’s been to five Final Fours, and won three titles, recent struggles and questionable personal conduct has left people questioning his ability. However, the 1999-2000 Hoosiers have spent the entire year in the Top 15, and temporarily quieted critics. Coach Knight’s official web site highlights positive points of his own
career and the Indiana basketball program. You can also ask Knight a question
through the site, take a basketball quiz, download a screen saver or read
about his basketball camps.
However, not everyone is a fan of the controversial coach. “The Dark
Side of Bobby Knight” is a site with a comprehensive list of his run-ins
with coaches, players and the law dating back to 1975. There’s even a video
clip of Knight’s infamous chair-throwing incident.
Regardless of your own opinion of Knight, there is no denying he’s one
of a handful of coaches that help make the NCAA tournament so special.
A new — and still growing —site has been created to track how coaches have
performed in the NCAA tournament. The list of active coaches is updated
by year, and you can also browse all-time records by coach or school.
Curious as to how the NCAA basketball committee selects the 64 teams?
The official instructions are listed on the NCAA Championships site. Besides
realizing just how hard it is to select the final at-large teams, you can
also learn about the “S-Curve.”
These rules are long and can be confusing, but CollegeRPI.com can help make sense of the process. The site’s main focus is analyzing the Ratings Percentage Index, but the FAQ section also includes “Bracketology,” which accurately breaks down how teams are picked, and how they are seeded properly. Computer rankings of all 318 Division I men’s basketball teams are continually
updated, and the “Gory Details” link provides so many statistics and rankings,
it would be nearly impossible not to understand why one team was selected
instead of another.
Although most of the sites listed above provide more men’s basketball
information, there’s no shortage of women’s sites on the web. The women’s
Final Four has become more than just a tournament — it’s a week-long celebration
of the sport. The Philadelphia Women’s Basketball 2000 site has both a
fan guide of the events and a press kit for the media. The “Hoop City”
link explains many of the interactive exhibits people will find at the
festival held in conjunction with the Final Four.
The local Philadelphia newspapers have a special Final Four section
that highlights matchups, and has feature stories on local and national
players. There’s also an article on the history of women’s basketball in
the city. Nearly every college basketball fan knows that Tennessee has one of
the best women’s teams every year. But how many people know who won the
first Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women tournament in 1969?
Neil Abt is a Washington-based sportswriter who may be reached at neilabt@aol.com. |
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