March Madness Recap: Sweet 16 Set, Cal Wins the Breakup, and Tom Izzo's Dominance
We’ve just survived four straight days of staring at quadruple-box screens and eating our weight in delivery, and the Sweet 16 is officially set. While the "March Madness is dead" crowd was out in full force because of a lack of double-digit seeds advancing, Big Cat and PFT are tuning out the noise. The games were still high-level, and the reality is that the gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening for a reason that has nothing to do with NIL.
The lack of Cinderellas in the tournament isn't due to NIL but because big teams are more efficient and physical
Todd Golden had a very good point... part of the reason why there's less upsets is teams are just getting way more efficient in scoring at the rim and becoming almost like raising their floor and becoming upset proof in the fact that you get really big dudes... and absolutely hammer the boards. And when you do that against smaller schools, you're not gonna like, how do big schools lose the small schools is like three point variance.
One of the biggest stories of the first weekend wasn't an upset, but a coaching vibe check. Kevin Willard made headlines for joking about firing his staff after Villanova's early exit, and the internet did what the internet does by taking it completely literally. Big Cat wasn't having it, pointing out that coaches are just psychos whose humor doesn't always translate to the blue-check mark brigade.
Kevin Willard's joke about firing his staff was funny and shouldn't have been taken seriously
It was such a clear joke and people, I couldn't believe... There were people who actually thought he was being serious. I thought it was a funny joke. And then we had the people trying to cover for themselves being like, well, even if it was a joke, that's not a joke you make. Imagine if you're an assistant and you hear your boss say that.
The Big Ten and the Immortality of Tom Izzo
Speaking of coaches, Tom Izzo is back in the Sweet 16 for the 17th time. It’s reached a point where we almost take it for granted, but the guys made sure to give the Spartan legend his flowers. In an era where everyone is obsessed with how many rings a guy has, Izzo’s ability to consistently be a threat in the second weekend is becoming legendary.
Tom Izzo is underrated because modern ring culture ignores how hard it is to consistently reach the Sweet 16
I know we're very ring culture oriented and he's only won one. This tournament is so fucking hard. Every single year they have at least a chance. It's crazy. Like they just go to Sweet Sixteens and then the tournament kind of starts for Izzo... 17 of them is insane. Tom Izzo is somehow underrated I think because the whole entire world has changed.
Michigan State’s dominance is even more impressive when you consider Zac’s deep-dive research into the team's social media habits. Apparently, the Spartans are focusing strictly on the scouting report rather than the "it" girls of the moment.
Every major college coaching opening should start by calling Brad Stevens and making him say no
You gotta make him say no. You gotta call Brad Stevens and make him say no. I will personally never stop saying that. He probably wakes up every morning and says no. Voicemail just says, 'Thank you so much for the consideration, but it's gonna be a no.' It would be shocking if he ever took another college job.
As we look ahead to the Sweet 16 in Houston, the Cougars might be the one seed, but they shouldn't expect a friendly atmosphere. Big Cat is convinced that the red-clad fans of Nebraska and Iowa are going to turn that arena into a Big Ten home game.
The Sweet 16 in Houston won't be a home game for the Cougars because Iowa and Nebraska fans travel too well
Illinois, Nebraska and Iowa have some pretty big fan bases that are all gonna wanna travel, especially Nebraska... I don't think it's gonna be like they're gonna take over the place, but I don't think it's gonna be 80% Houston at this game.
Calipari’s Revenge and the Coaching Carousel
If you're a Kentucky fan, this weekend was a nightmare. While Mark Pope and the Wildcats are home early, John Calipari is dancing into the Sweet 16 with Arkansas. The
