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NCAA Final Four

NCAA Final Four: Michigan vs. Arizona

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INDIANAPOLIS — On the weekend the Fab Five is reunited and Michigan celebrates the anniversary of its only men’s basketball national title in 1989, Dusty May can’t help but feel momentum moving the Wolverines closer to tipoff in the Final Four.

The former Indiana University manager for Bob Knight has Michigan (35-3) hitting a peak at the right time with only Arizona (36-2) between the Wolverines and their eighth national championship game appearance.

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“It’s really cool just to be back here in a full-circle moment,” May said Friday, roughly 36 hours before Michigan takes the court at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Wolverines waltzed through the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region in Chicago, taking the regional final from Tennessee in a landslide, 95-62. Michigan’s trail of victims all allowed 90-plus points, 25-plus field goals, 19-plus assists and 10-plus 3-pointers with Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg (21.0 points per game) leading six Wolverines averaging double figures during the NCAA Tournament.

“He’s obviously an elite talent,” Lloyd said of Lendeborg. “You put the skill with those physical tools, and looks like to me he’s got that alpha dog in him. Dusty has done an incredible job just putting him in positions to utilize all his skills. There’s probably not one way to guard him. … I’m sure that guy, that’s going to be a household name in basketball for a long time.”

Lloyd said Friday he plans to be a household name in Tucson for a long time. He signed a contract extension through 2031 in the wake of interest from another college basketball powerhouse — this time North Carolina, last year Villanova — with a coaching vacancy.

Arizona set a single-season program record with 36 wins. The Wildcats won the Big 12 and, like Big Ten regular-season champ Michigan, haven’t had to sweat much in the NCAA Tournament with an average margin of victory of 20.5. This is the first matchup since the NCAA Tournament became a 64-team field in 1985 in which Final Four opponents won four prior games by at least 10 points.

“I feel like we’ve been tested,” Arizona senior point guard Jaden Bradley said. “Big 12 play, Big 12 tournament. I think it’s going to go down to the wire. It’s definitely going to be a full 40 (minutes).”

Illinois, Arizona and Michigan have been in the top six in offensive efficiency rating all season.

The Wildcats are making their fifth Final Four appearance — their first since 2001 — and are back near the site of their 1997 national title celebration at the RCA Dome.

Freshman forward Koa Peat was named West Region Most Outstanding Player, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds 2.5 assists in wins over Arkansas and Purdue last week. In a Final Four dominated by transfers and international talent searches, Peat is an anomaly Lloyd applauds.

“Koa is special,” Lloyd said. “And I know you guys hear it, but you got to hear it again. Four state championships at the same high school. Didn’t go to a prep school. Four gold medals with USA Basketball. No one in FIBA history has ever done that. And helped lead Arizona to a Final Four.”

Classmate Brayden Burries scored 23 points against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, the second-most points scored by an Arizona freshman in an NCAA Tournament game. The pair combined for 1,105 points this season.

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The player most responsible for carrying the Arizona flag on the roster is Bradley, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year. He was a third-team All-American and a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Bradley’s matchup with Michigan’s backcourt brings intrigue in a game where most of the Xs and Os are fixed on big men. He’ll likely get plenty of time against Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau, who has three consecutive games with seven-plus assists and overcame an allergic reaction and late departure from Ann Arbor to practice Friday.

But Arizona takes pride in its team defense.

“I think their physicality stands out and the way that they play and they sustain physicality for 40 minutes,” Michigan freshman guard Trey McKenney said of Arizona.

The Wildcats are not the typical college offense, a point made by Michigan’s 7-foot-4 center Aday Mara this week.

They typically are aiming to shoot a higher volume of free throws, not 3-pointers. The Wildcats have attempted only 53 total 3-pointers in four NCAA Tournament games and shot 43.4%; Arizona made an average of 19.7 free throws per game this season. Michigan made 27 free throws in the Midwest Region final win.

Arizona’s defense gave Big 12 foes fits all season with 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas roaming between the blocks. But Lloyd views Lendeborg as a unicorn. Not because of just his scoring, but because of his unselfish play.

“It took him a while,” May said of Lendeborg reaching his current comfort zone. “And I think our guys have constantly reminded him. He’s so unselfish. He’s so — I don’t know how to say it. He wants to be one of the guys. They’ve encouraged him to be more aggressive, to shoot more, to hunt some more individual accolades all year, and he simply refused because he didn’t care about any of those things.

“It’s allowed us to have a real selfless group, and it’s improved our environment because he’s been so unselfish but he still has no idea how good he is.”

A grad student who had 150 career games under his belt before joining the Wolverines, Lendeborg spent two seasons at Arizona Western College and two at UAB. He’s also a unique talent because of range — 10 3-pointers in the past three games — and length (7-foot-4 wingspan).

If the Wildcats control the lane and force Michigan to launch from deep, they expect positive results. Opponents are shooting 27.9% from 3-point range against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament.

-Field Level Media

NCAA Tournament to Go to 76

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Wire Service Report) – NCAA’s leadership and basketball committees are expected to finalize expansion of the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments to 76 teams shortly after the conclusion of this year’s tournament, multiple media outlets reported on Friday.

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Per the report, the new format would see 52 teams earn berths directly into what is currently the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while the remaining 24 — 12 lower-seeded automatic qualifiers and the final 12 at-large teams — would play 12 opening-round games Tuesday and Wednesday. They would be held in the longtime First Four home of Dayton, Ohio, and at an additional site to determine which teams would advance to Thursday and Friday’s first round.

However, these details could also reportedly change as the NCAA continues to talk with its men’s tournament TV partners in Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS, which have broadcasting rights through the 2031 tournament.

The report didn’t indicate how quickly expansion could be added, but it could theoretically come as soon as the 2027 NCAA Tournaments. But expansion “will happen” barring something unforeseen in the next few days.

It would mark the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.

The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the leading voices behind tournament expansion, according to reports. However, it’s also something that NCAA president Charlie Baker has said he’s in favor of doing.

–Field Level Media

FINAL FLAW: DUKE IMPLODES

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Miracle UConn Comeback Sends Huskies to Final Four

WASHINGTON DC  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – UConn’s Braylon Mullins missed his first four 3-point attempts on Sunday. On his fifth, the freshman sank one of the all-time great shots in NCAA Tournament history.

Mullins nailed a 35-footer with 0.4 seconds remaining, and No. 2 seed UConn completed a miraculous 19-point comeback to defeat No. 1 Duke 73-72 and reach its third Final Four in four years.

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“Yeah, still a loss of words. Still processing all of what just happened,” Mullins said. “Man, I’m just happy that was the one that went down tonight.”

Mullins’ heave marked the only time UConn (33-5) led in the East Region final since 2-0. It came after opting not to foul on a Duke inbound play with 10 seconds remaining.

The Blue Devils (35-3) neared halfcourt before Silas Demary Jr. deflected Cayden Boozer’s pass and Alex Karaban fed Mullins, who squared his feet and let fly.

Now Mullins is returning to Indiana for a Final Four, a year after he earned McDonald’s All-America honors there with Greenfield-Central High School.

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“When I saw him release it, I was like, ‘That really might go in’,” Karaban said. “It went in, and the Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis.”

Tarris Reed Jr. scored 26 points and finished a rebound shy of his third tournament double-double to keep the Huskies in it while they struggled from beyond the arc.

UConn finished 5 of 23 there (21.7%) after hitting just 1 of their first 18, yet still snapped the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 games.

“What the hell did you just say, 1 for 18?” UConn coach Dan Hurley responded in the postgame press conference, covering his face in disbelief. “I knew it was bad. I kept asking the assistant coaches, and no one would tell me what it was.”

Demary finished with 11 points, and Solo Ball and Mullins each had 10 as UConn remained alive for a third national title under Hurley and seventh overall.

“It’s been a season where we’ve been dealt with injuries to key players at critical points of the year that we’ve had to overcome, and we’ve had to show a lot of fortitude and resilience and just kind of claw our way through the season,” Hurley said. “Thought just the game was a microcosm of that. We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made.

“And one of the most brilliant shooters you’ll ever see shoot a basketball made an incredible, legendary March shot.”

The Huskies will face No. 3 seed Illinois, which eliminated No. 9 Iowa 71-59 on Saturday in the South Region final, in Saturday’s early game.

Cameron Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds in what is likely his final collegiate game, with the Naismith Award favorite likely to be an NBA draft lottery selection in June.

“I’m just super thankful for it all,” Boozer said. “I’m hurting right now. We’re all hurting. I wish I could have gave more for those guys.”

His freshman twin Cayden finished with 15 points and six assists before committing the fatal turnover — one of eight after halftime — and Dame Sarr had 10 points.

Coach Jon Scheyer finished a game shy of back-to-back Final Four appearances in his fourth season as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor.

“We just gave them easy baskets,” Scheyer said. “We just had to secure the ball better, and that’s a recipe to put yourself in that position.”

Karaban keyed a game-winning 8-2 stretch by sinking his only 3 of the contest — after averaging 22 points in his first three tournament games – with 50 seconds left for a 70-69 deficit.

Cameron Boozer pushed Duke up 72-69 on a basket, then Demary sank one of two free throws when Duke fouled intentionally with 10 seconds remaining.

Sarr inbounded from the baseline to Cameron Boozer, who returned the pass, then found Cayden Boozer on the left, who dribbled forward and then tried to pass over a trap.

Demary deflected it, Mullins reached it and fed Karaban on the wing. Cameron Boozer closed on Karaban, who returned the ball to Mullins.

“I think we were all just trying to get the ball out of whoever had the ball in their hands and trying to make a play on the ball,” Mullins said. “Silas made an incredible, incredible play, and everything else just happened as it is.”

The Huskies tackled their deficit in pieces, first cutting an early 19-point deficit to 15 by halftime, then using an 8-1 run to get within seven.

After Duke restored its lead to double figures, another 10-2 UConn run closed it to within 67-65 when Solo Ball took advantage of Isaiah Evans’ turnover, raced up the court and completed a three-point play with 3:42 left.

–Ian Quillen, Field Level Media

Houston Shocks Duke at Final Four

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SAN ANTONIO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The University of Houston’s LJ Cryer ignited a 14-point comeback in the final 8:02, and teammate J’Wan Roberts made the go-ahead free throws and Houston stunned Duke 70-67 in a memorable Final Four clash between No. 1 seeds on Saturday night at the Alamo Dome.

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Cryer shot 6-of-9 from 3-point range and led the Cougars with 26 points, while Roberts had 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Emanuel Sharp made massive plays down the stretch and finished with 16 points for Houston (35-4), which will face Florida in the national championship game on Monday night.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg had 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks (35-4) but was whistled for a foul with 19 seconds left that allowed Houston to move in front after the Blue Devils led most of the game.

Houston out-rebounded Duke 42-31 to make up for 37.7 percent shooting from the floor. Duke made just 39.4 percent of its shots after hitting at least 50 percent in each of its first four NCAA Tournament games.

Duke appeared safe when Houston’s Joseph Tugler made contact with the ball when the Blue Devils were attempting an inbound with 1:14 to go. Duke received one technical foul shot and possession.

Kon Knueppel (16 points) made the foul shot for a 67-61 lead, but Houston got a stop on Tugler’s block and Sharp made a major 3-pointer to cut it to 67-64.

James’ inbound pass was stolen by Mylik Wilson, and Houston clawed within one on Tugler’s putback dunk with 25 seconds left. The Cougars then fouled Duke, Tyrese Proctor missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Roberts drew a foul from Flagg on the rebound.

Roberts’ free throws gave Houston its first lead since 6-5. Flagg’s midrange floater with eight seconds left hit the front of the rim and Houston got the rebound. Cryer hit two free throws for the final margin.

Flagg hit a jumper at the 10:31 mark of the second half and Proctor added one free throw for a 59-45 lead, but the Blue Devils missed their next six field-goal attempts.

Cryer had a six-point possession thanks to a flagrant-1 foul call on Mason Gillis under the basket when Cryer made a three. Houston got one foul shot and possession, and Cryer hit a jumper to cut it to 59-51 with 7:43 to play.

Houston pulled within 59-55 before Proctor hit two free throws to end a 4:33 Duke scoring drought. Then, Maliq Brown kicked the ball to Flagg in the right corner for a 3-pointer with 3:03 left.

–Field Level Media

Final Four: Duke vs. Houston

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SAN ANTONIO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – As Duke and Houston prepare to battle Saturday night in San Antonio, the story of the Final Four matchup between these No. 1 seeds is a contrast of two basketball powers at different stages of evolution.

The Blue Devils (35-3), appearing in their 18th Final Four and seeking their sixth national title, are the blue blood du jour. They’re the ones with the presumptive No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft, and the team many believe is the best in the sport.

The Cougars (34-4) have made their seventh national semifinal, on par with the likes of Villanova and UConn. But the program most associated with “Phi Slama Jama” has yet to win its first national championship, and this season Houston has not enjoyed the same attention as Duke or the Southeastern Conference despite winning 17 games in a row.

J’Wan Roberts, in his fifth season at Houston, said this week that being overlooked suits the gritty Cougars just fine.

“We’re probably not the big-name school or whatever. We’re just Houston, in Third Ward,” Roberts said. “We probably don’t get the respect that we need, but I think that’s something that puts a fire under us and us keeping a chip on our shoulder.”

Roberts was a freshman on the Houston team that made the 2021 Final Four. He’s blossomed into the Cougars’ top rebounder (6.3 per game) and vocal leader. The forward is one of four Cougars scoring in double figures (10.7 ppg), behind L.J. Cryer (15.4), Emanuel Sharp (12.7) and Milos Uzan (11.6).

The main X’s and O’s question of this Final Four matchup is how Houston’s No. 1 KenPom defense will counter Duke’s No. 1 KenPom offense — and how Duke phenom Cooper Flagg will fare against the Cougars’ man-to-man.

Duke has shot 56.2 percent from the floor and 47.3 percent from 3-point range this tournament, averaging 91.8 points per game. Houston has allowed just 37.6 percent shooting and 24.0 percent on 3-pointers in four games, allowing only one opponent to exceed 60 points.

“You talk about five guys moving together on defense, they’re the best at it,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “They’re the best at it no matter what you do. You really have to take advantage of that window of opportunity, and then you have to go north-south. You can’t be going east-west against these guys.”

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Flagg (18.9 ppg) can score in bunches, but Houston’s lengthy frontcourt of Roberts, Ja’Vier Francis and Joseph Tugler may prioritize neutralizing him and lob threat Khaman Maluach.

Then the Cougars must deal with a Duke backcourt of Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor and Sion James, all of whom are 40 percent 3-point shooters or better.

Scheyer has reached his first Final Four in his third year since succeeding Mike Krzyzewski. But he’s no stranger to the weekend, having made it with Duke as a player (2010) and an assistant (2015, 2022).

“Walking out there (Thursday) for practice, I was just soaking it in like when I was 22 years old walking out for the first time,” Scheyer said.

“… At the same time, I feel we belong here. I feel this is what we’ve worked for. So there’s that combination of amazing pride, wanting to soak it in, but then the incredible hunger and understanding what a challenge this game is going to be on Saturday.”

Scheyer and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson both expressed high respect for one another and revealed that they played a closed-door preseason scrimmage in 2022.

Sampson dubbed Proctor (12.5 ppg) a “professional role player” and complimented James (8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds), Duke’s less-heralded fifth starter.

“The brilliance of Jon is how he insulated those (freshmen) with veteran guys, and they don’t get talked about enough,” Sampson said. “Sion James when he was at Tulane — smart, tough, winner. For them to identify him, evaluate him and say, ‘That’s what we need with these three.’”

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 2nd

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – There are two days on our calendar that bring hope and optimism wrapped-up in a ball. First is New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day which comes with a ball that falls so gradually in Times Square as hundreds of thousands, maybe millions count down the final ten seconds of the year. Resolutions are made, but rarely kept as the New Year rolls in. Couples kiss and wish each other “Happy New Year” with hopes for a great year ahead. It’s a wonderful day.

Then, there’s Opening Day in Major League Baseball. Nothing brings hope like the first crack of the bat, the sound of the umpire or some promo winner screaming, “Play Ball,” or the sights and smells of the ballpark, the beautiful green grass of Fenway Park and 29 other ballparks across the USA and Toronto, Canada – all the envy of any homeowner and weekend gardener.

We experienced Opening Day at Fenway this week, complete with pregame ceremonies with F-16 jet fighter fly-over, a giant-sized American flags, a roster full of brand new Red Sox players along with a pitching crew that needs to make some resolutions of their own.

While Opening Day for the Red Sox resulted in the Big “L” there was excitement in the chilly New England air as the game went right down to the last at bat. The second game of the season brought on sheer joy of loyal fandom for the Sox faithful who hung-on to witness a game-winning home run by OF Adam Duvall, lined right into the first row of the Green Monster seats. It came after oft-injured SP Chris Sale spotted the Baltimore Orioles a 7-1 lead after three innings, so the hope of MLB’s Opening Day can go only so far in New England. Sox fans will have to judge their team on one and only one criteria this season: They won’t give up.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The topic of gender equality and the lack thereof surfaced during last year’s NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments for Men and Women. It is a topic that new NCAA President and former Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker must address in much deeper and efficiency than his predecessors. This week sports commentator Bomani Jones nailed it with his op-ed video that best explains the situation. It’s provided here for your viewing and 2023 education via HBO’s YouTube: CLICK HERE.

This season, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have made as big a statement as possible in the women’s Final Four. They’ll take on LSU at 3:30pm (ET) on ABC Sports and ESPN+ with Iowa favored by 3.5 points. Tune in for a treat.

PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2023 MLB SEASON: It’s only two games into the 2023 Baseball season and my sample size is personally witnessing two games between the visiting Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox at our downtown bandbox known as Fenway Park.

Opening Day saw the Orioles defeat Boston, 10-9, and Game 2 – Saturday, April 1 – saw Boston come back from that disastrous Sale start (allowed seven runs in three innings, including three Home Runs) but the Sox won the game in grand fashion as described above, an entertaining 9-8 victory.

The 18-18 runs produced/allowed ratio is a quick snapshot, but it might be revealing for what might come in the early month(s) of the season.

It seems the new MLB “Pitch Clock” might have a side effect – call it a severe reaction if you’d like. The lack of time for a pitcher – with runners on base – to:

  • Receive the ball
  • Step to the pitching mound/rubber
  • Make eye contact with the catcher
  • Adjust his grip on the baseball
  • Check the runner on base
  • Re-establish his pitching stance and prepare to throw a pitch (giving or getting a sign)
  • Get into his wind-up before a clock violation

All of the mechanics for each pitch give the pitcher little time to truly focus on the business at hand: Eye and aim for the desired location of his upcoming pitch. The time restraints force the pitcher – at times – to simply hurl the ball much more quickly than he would’ve done a year ago.

This should result in much higher scoring games.

That said, athletes are very quick to adjust and Major League pitchers will gradually adjust to the new rules, maybe in another two weeks – maybe two months – of regular season, so there’s no cause for alarm or panic for those who call themselves traditionalists or like to bet the “under.”

Here’s a quick and personal look at what the MLB Standings might look like, come October 1, 2023:

AL EAST

Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland Guardians
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Detroit Tigers

AL WEST

Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
LA Angels
Oakland A’s

NL EAST

Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Markins
Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL

St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies

World Series: The Houston Astros to defend their title with a 4-games-to-2 series win over the San Diego Padres.

STRAT-O-MATIC: When the folks at the Strat-O-Matic game company on Long Island crunched their numbers and played out their own games, they came up with some 2023 Baseball Predictions they promoted as their own.

Strat’s simulation tabbed the Cleveland Indians with an MLB-best 111 wins to earn the AL No. 1 seed, with the NY Yankees at No. 2 and Houston (with 101 wins each).

In the NL, the San Diego Padres’ 100 wins led the circuit, with the Atlanta Braves (96) and St. Louis (94) as the other NL division winners.

The Strat-O-Matic Postseason ended with the New York Yankees topping the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-games-to-2 to win the MLB title.

Other predictions included:

  • NY Yankees Aaron Judge to earn AL MVP honors with 52 home runs, 132 RBI and .313 batting average.
  • The American League Cy Young Award winner was predicted to be Shane Bieber of Cleveland (20-6, 2.80 ERA, 228K).
  • St. Louis’ Nolan Arenado was promised to excel with a .293 average, 46 home runs and 116 RBI to earn the National League MVP honor.
  • Strat Says Yu Darvish of San Diego might claim the NL Cy Young Award with his predicted total of a 17-4 record, 2.55 ERA and 221 strikeouts

Strat-O-Matic has an interesting back story as the company and its games were invented by then-11-year-old Hal Richman in his bedroom in Great Neck, N.Y. in 1948 as a result of his frustration with the statistical randomness of other baseball board games. He discovered that the statistical predictability of dice would give his game the realism he craved. Over the next decade, he perfected the game at summer camp and then as a student at Bucknell University. After producing All-Star sets in 1961 and ‘62, he parlayed a $5,000 loan from his father (and made a deal that if it didn’t work out he would work for his father’s insurance company) into the original 1962 Strat-O-Matic Baseball season game. Needless to say, Hal never had to take a job with his father.

The Company publishes baseball, football, basketball and hockey games to play both on and off-line and they’re capable of going low to the mobile screen. “Strat-O” games are known throughout the sports community for their statistical realism and accuracy.

YouTube player

 

SHINING MOMENTS FOR 37+ YEARS: Why does the (basketball only) retirement of a guy the vast majority of the general public doesn’t know and hasn’t met strike such an emotional chord? Simply stated, it’s the time well spent. The time CBS Sportscaster Jim Nantz has dedicated to the game of college basketball. The time we – the viewers – have enjoyed spending with him. The time that flies by and adds up to make us all count the years and face our own mortality. The time shared. The time we’re amazed by the efforts of Nantz and the players he covers. Nantz is the face of a thousand people working behind the scenes and directly alongside and behind him who create every broadcast.

It’s not easy doing live remote sports television. It’s impossible to explain why. It’s difficult to explain because the networks producing the major sports in North America make it look so damn easy. It’s not. It’s hard and the games – the EVENTS – are unpredictable and move quickly.

Some look at the most visible signs of the broadcast. The announce table – with the Final Four, it’s been Nantz anchoring for the rsolid former Dukie turned USA Basketball guru Grant Hill and the irreplaceable and greatest of ‘em all, Bill Raftery, the former Seton Hall coach turned broadcaster who remains one of the few, great characters of the sporting world. As Raft ages, we age with him, but he does so and somehow remains “cooler” than anyone in the building. The secret is that Nantz knows exactly how to cue Raft up and exactly when to stay the hell out of the way.

Nantz knows when to praise the game winning shot, often with a single word. He knows when to stay silent and let the work of those thousand people – all behind the lenses of 60 cameras (16 used to be the norm). The great people at Sports Video Group (MUST READ) can give you the “inside stuff” on what goes on behind the scenes. But, the human element is the key to a good broadcast morphing into greatness. Actor-director and so many of us default to calling it – STORY TELLING – but I contend that it is much, much more.

It’s research. It’s knowledge and perspective. It’s relationships and knowing who to speak with and when to drop in a tidbit of information from that source right into the broadcast at the perfect time, a tidbit to be heard by 20+ million people. In that case, the factoid better be accurate. Nantz perfects it by way of building such solid relationships – culled over those 37+ years so his sources are impeccable. Nantz delivers.

For those of us who’ve had the pleasure of working with Jim Nantz over many, many years, he’s been the consummate professional. When Nantz would oversee a Basketball Hall of Fame press conference, it would flow like the Danube River – strong and steady. Just hearing his voice made it a big time event or announcement.

The good news? We’ll still have Nantz visiting our living/TV rooms come this week at The Masters golf tournament- A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER, his patented catch phrase first uttered in 1986 when Nantz was 26 years old and shooting promos and vignettes for CBS’ legendary golf producer Frank Chirkinian.

What’s a TL Sunday Sports Notebook without a story from an insider’s view to close it out for the week?

Knowing Jim Nantz as a local sports television guy who covered the Utah Jazz for KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, this observer was quite surprised when bumping into Nantz and then-CBS Sports Executive Producer Ted Shaker as they entered a 52nd Street restaurant back in 1985.

Together with colleague Brian McIntyre, our eyes were wide open but we kept our mouths shut at the sign that Nantz was being courted to join CBS and then – over time – be groomed to be the replacement for the face of CBS Sports in the ‘80s, Brent Musburger.

It wasn’t an immediate changeover, as Musburger remained as the lead anchor for CBS Sports until the 1990 Final Four. Nantz told the story in a 2015 conference call for sports television reporters:

Nantz said at the time, “Musburger was CBS Sports.”

“He called the NBA Finals, he hosted the Masters, he was hosting the NFL Today and did play-by-play on both college football and basketball,” Nantz said. “It was shocking. For people who weren’t around at that time, it was just unimaginable. It was front-page news in every newspaper in America.”

“The semifinal games were on March 31 that year and we had our broadcast and then there was an obligation for CBS Sports that Brent, Billy [Packer] and I had to attend after the doubleheader,” Nantz said. “It was at the Petroleum Club in Denver and we talked about what we had just seen and what we expected on Monday night. We went to that and then the three of us went out to dinner.

“We walked back to the hotel and Brent’s assistant met him at the door and said he needed to talk to him right away. We all said good night and we said we’d see each other on Sunday.

“At about 8 o’clock Sunday morning, I got a call from Ted Shaker, our executive producer, and he told me what had come down overnight. Brent had walked in and was told that CBS wasn’t going to renew his contract. My first thought was that this was April 1st, and this was some really dumb April Fool’s joke. And that’s what a lot of people thought.”

Nantz said at the time that CBS wanted him to do a short, live commentary after that Monday night championship game – a 103-73 UNLV win over Duke.

“They wanted me to deliver a commentary to express appreciation to Brent for his remarkable career at CBS,” Nantz said. “And at the time, it was a very difficult thing for me. I looked up to Brent and still do and had such deep respect for him and I had to sum up his career in about a minute-and-a-half commentary and then go back to Brent, standing on the court, for his last word.

“It was very difficult to do and there was a very empty feeling leaving the arena that night for all of us.”

That one moment was the transition for Jim Nantz to do the Final Four until tomorrow – Monday, April 3, 2023. There will be a shining moment for the NCAA Men’s Final Four, but this year, it will come as tears well in our eyes.

TL

 

 

Final Four: A Game for the Ages

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FINAL FOUR SATURDAY – Here’s the way it went down:

5:00pm – It was time to tune-in to the Final Four pre-game show on TBS and the production crew from CBS/Turner queued-up a tear-jerker of a sit down with Duke’s retiring Coach Mike Krzyzewski. It was an interesting setting as Coach K, call him Mike, was seated in an empty Cameron Indoor Center watching tape of memorable games, highlights intertwined with comments from past players and his immediate family.

It was quite moving to see the coaching life of Coach K flash before his eyes, misty with tears for all the right reasons.

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This Coach K tribute piece is special 🙏 (via @MarchMadnessMBB)

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April 2nd 2022

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5:39pm – The greatest 30 minutes in sports begins at The Superdome in New Orleans as the students and alum of all four schools ALL believe they can win the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The excitement in the building is like none-other in American sports. Charles Barkley led the cheers and inducted a few students to his new institution of higher learning, CHUCK U.

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Chuck 😂 (via @ShotByLu)

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April 3rd 2022

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5:59pm – It was a classy idea to pay tribute to Carolina, Duke, Kansas and Villanova with one student athlete representing each of the competing schools to start the night off, but it resulted in a non-memorable rendition of the USA National Anthem. Next.

6:00pm – Commercials, commercials, commercials.

6:09pm – The ball is tipped.

8:30pm – The Kansas Jayhawks complete a wire-to-wire victory over the Villanova Wildcats, 81-65. Villanova cut the lead to six points (64-58 with 6:10 left) after trailing by as many as 19 points. Villanova sorely missed its 6-0 senior guard Justin Moore who tore his Achilles’ in the team’s elite eight game against Houston.

8:49pm – The second game of NCAA Final Four Saturday tips-off as one of the most anticipated college basketball games of all-time. Amazingly, never before have Tobacco Road rivals Duke and North Carolina met in the NCAA Tournament.

9:43pm – Halftime of the Duke vs Carolina game with the Blue Devils leading, 37-34, over the Tar Heels. Paulo Banchero led Duke with 10 points and six rebounds while Carolina’s R.J. Davis scored 14 points with four rebounds and two assists. Carolina led by four points during the first half while Duke’s largest lead was six.

10:01pm – Halftime concludes as the usual deadline of 10:00pm is staring the TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook/While We’re Young Ideas column dead-on. The decision is made to file a full running column of Game 2 of Final Four Saturday.

10:04pm – The combinations of Ernie Johnson Jr., Clark Kellogg, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley make up the best studio/pre-game and post-game crew in college sports. If only they could add Jay Bilas to the mix. … On the game coverage, Jim Nantz, Grant Hill and former coach Bill Rafteryworked their magic all tournament long and it was no different on Saturday.

Remember, Nantz will head-off to Augusta after Monday night’s game in one of the “tougher” stretches of sports reporting, going from a monumental Final Four in New Orleans to a quick skip over to Augusta, Georgia and The Masters.

10:08pm – Carolina goes out to an 11-0 run to force Duke’s Coach K to call a time-out with the score 45-41 with 16:21 remaining in regulation. Carolina’s Caleb Love scored eight of the 11 points during the run, including two 3-point FGs.

10:12pm – Jim Nantz points out that a Kansas vs Carolina final on Monday would be an “All Roy Williams” match-up, noting Williams coached Kansas before he concluded his illustrious, Hall-of-Fame college coaching career at UNC.

10:14pm – Commercials, commercials, commercials when an automatic TV time-out stops the action with 14:53 remaining and the score 47-44, UNC.

10:21pm – Duke strikes back and goes on a 10-2 run and the intensity of the national semifinal hits a new level. The teams traded six consecutive possessions where fGs were made, including two Carolina three-balls. Duke took a time-out with the score 55-all. Duke would run out of time-outs down the stretch and it would hurt.

10:45pm – Carolina’s Armando Bacot injures his ankle and limps off court with the assistance of the team trainer. He departed the game with 10 points and 19 rebounds, then miraculously returned only a minute later and immediately upped his totals to 11 points and 21 rebounds, eight of them off the offensive boards.

An official TV timeout was taken with the score 67-67 with 3:32 remaining.

10:54pm – A Duke time-out with 1:18 remaining in regulation comes after a clutch Wendall Moore, Jr. three-pointer to put the Blue Devils ahead by one, and make the score, 74-73, Duke. It marked the 17th lead change of the game.

10:57pm – Armando Bacot fouled out with 11 points and 21 rebounds, but 3-for-10 FG shooting.

10:59pm – Carolina’s Caleb Love drills a clutch 3-pointer with :28 seconds remaining immediately after Duke’s Mark Williams missed a pair of free throws. The three made the score 78-74 and put Carolina in control.

11:00pm – Duke’s Trevor Keels split a pair of free throws, making the score 79-77 UNC. Duke finished the game and their season going 12-for-20 from the line.

Duke was forced to foul and Carolina’s Caleb Love made two free throws to give his team an 81-77 lead with only :08 seconds left. Love finished with 28 points to lead the Tar Heels.

11:05pm – Duke’s Keels missed an off-balance three-pointer with :05 seconds remaining and UNC’s R.J. Davis grabbed the game-ending rebound to secure an 81-77 victory and a date to meet Kansas for the National Championship this Monday night.

Without a doubt, this game lived-up to the hype and expectations for a Duke vs North Carolina Final Four match-up.

The UNC victory ended Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career much the same way the Tar Heels spoiled Coach K’s final game at Cameron Indoor Center.

BIG EAST: Villanova Reppin’ Again

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SAN ANTONIO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – For the third time since 2016, Villanova will play in the Final Four. The Wildcats became the NCAA South Region champions after a 50-44 victory over Houston this past Saturday in Texas. Villanova forward Jermaine Samuels was named the South Region Most Outstanding Player. Coach Jay Wright’s second-seeded team defeated Michigan 63-55 in the regional semifinals.

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Villanova will meet Kansas in the national semifinals this Saturday. On their way to the NCAA crown in 2018, the Wildcats beat the Jayhawks 95-79 in the same round. Villanova got off to a 22-4 start en route to the victory. Back in 2016, Villanova beat Kansas 64-59 in the South Region final.

Overall, BIG EAST teams own a 12-6 record in national semifinal contests not including when a BIG EAST team faced another league squad in 1985 and 1987. Villanova is 3-1, winning in 1985, 2016 and 2018 while losing in 2009.

Villanova will be without All-Big East guard Justin Moore in their Final Four lineup. Moore fell to the floor with a non-contact leg injury late in Saturday’s Elite Eight win over Houston. On Sunday, he was diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon. Villanova announced that he’s scheduled for surgery this week and will be sidelined indefinitely.