By Staff
Just when it looked like we could have all four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament reach the Final Four, fate stepped in and washed three of them away.
In one quick flurry, Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma were flushed from the tournament field.
Texas, the so-called "weakest" of the No. 1 seeds according to the experts, remains.
As usual there were some fantastic finishes and some great games in the NCAA tournament.
The tournament has once again lived up to its billing as the most exciting three weeks in sports.
If only the NCAA could figure out a way to field a football tournament. I wonder if it would be as exciting?
I think that the NCAA purposely holds out a deserving team or two to create controversy at the beginning of the tournament.
I know I look forward to bantering about who is in and who got left out.
Auburn and Alabama both were considered "wrong" selections by the tournament committee at the beginning of the tournament.
Auburn knocked off No. 2 seed Wake Forest before being eliminated by Final Four participant Syracuse.
The Butler Bulldogs proved that they probably deserved a spot in last year's field by winning a pair of games in this year's tourney.
Butler surprised everyone by defeating Louisville before being knocked out by No. 1 seed Oklahoma.
Gonzaga was considered one of those teams that didn't deserve to be in the field this season.
Once again, Gonzaga proved it probably belongs every year by winning its first round game and then taking No. 1 seed Arizona to the wire in the second round.
The Final Four teams make for an intriguing final weekend of competition.
If there is a sentimental favorite it would have to be Marquette.
The Eagles haven't been to the Final Four since they won it all as the Warriors in 1977.
I think a lot of people, just because of the memory of Al McGuire, would like to see Marquette win it all.
If there is a team I do not want to see win it all, it would have to be Texas.
I am tired of listening to their coach complain about playing second fiddle to the Longhorn football team.
Win as much as the football team and the fans will flock to your games too.
I like Roy Williams, so if Kansas wins the National Championship, I would have no problem with that.
He is one of the nice guys in this sport and really doesn't need a title to prove he is a winner in my book.
However, if he doesn't win a championship, he will be labeled as one of those coaches who couldn't win the "big game."
I don't like Jim Boeheim, so a Syracuse victory is something I would not enjoy.
Monday night cannot get here fast enough.
There is nothing more exciting than watching the championship game and then waiting until they do the highlights of the tournament at its conclusion.
Scott Novak is sports editor of the Dowagiac Daily News. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com