Here we go. The Finals. Let's play some ball. But first, some brief words about the semis.
I've never seen anything like the KU-Marquette game. Most 1-16 games are not half that one-sided. The walk-ons played for the last 8 minutes, for Christ's sake. The 33 point win is misleading--it could have been 20 points worse if Kansas had played its starters. Incredible. I hope we haven't shot our proverbial wad.
While it was awesome to see Kansas roll like that, simultaneously it was less satisfying--hanging in for tough wins, a la Duke and Arizona, is so much more thrilling.
I didn't see the other game--it was too late. But the highlights told me what I needed to know about Carmelo Anthony--namely that he's good. And Syracuse can win without the zone working at all; or perhaps it worked, but I don't know how a 2-3 zone allow nearly 90 points unless it's not working. I thought Texas was overrated coming into this thing, and they hadn't played anyone higher than a 5 seed until Syracuse. Nevertheless, give Syracuse credit--they've bean Okla. State, Oklahoma, and Texas so far--that's the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place teams in the Big 12 this season. Tonight's their chance to run the table.
Tonight's game.
The vast majority of the pundits I've read are picking KU--everyone at ESPN excluding Fran Frischilla. I believe that Syracuse can win, but I don't get how they can possibly be favored by anyone to win. Anyone know the odds? Consider:
--The 2-3 will be a virtual non-factor. Why? Because if KU's transition game is working half as well as it did against Marquette, Syracuse won't get back in time to set up the zone for much of the game. If KU's transition game ISN'T working, then they're in trouble anyway, and the zone isn't the cause. It's true that in the latter case the zone will hurt KU's ability to win a half-court game, but since they'll do everything in their power to prevent that type of game at all, the question of beating the zone is really peripheral. Everything Kansas wants to do happens before the zone.
--KU's game in the semis has to be objectively considered one of the most stunning performances in the Final Four in memory. This is not soft-minded Kansas teams of yore--this team is absolutely tearing it up. That's not a recipe for victory, but with the ruthlessness factor, I don't get how they can be picked by anyone to lose.
--Syracuse has evidently really suffered this season against solid big men (a true stat according to ESPN, though I confess I don't understand how it could be true with the 2-3). They have no answer for Collison.
--Experience/senior leadership--again, not lock-solid factors, and can be overstated, but certainly not non-factors.
Before someone writes a comment explaining how Syracuse can win this game, I'll preemptively say that they can DEFINITELY win this game. But I don't know how anyone can say the odds are in their favor.
Carmelo could have a big game. But I thought Wade would have a big game, and it wasn't terrible, but Kansas just denied him the ball. We'll see. Should be good. It will either be very close or a Kansas blowout.
A word about CBS Sportsline. Generally, the Sportsline is OK during tournament time, I think. But their "The Edge" column today is baffling at best--if you've seen it, they give "The Edge" to teams in backcourt play, frontcourt play, center, coaching, intangibles, and overall. For this game, they gave no edge to anyone in any category except frontcourt play, where they gave the edge to Kansas--a close call, but consider that Anthony plays in the front court for Syracuse, but CBS still gives the edge to Kansas. How they can not give Kansas the edge in the backcourt is truly baffling, as Syracuse's freshman guard, while solid, is not in Hinrich's division. But anyway, they give Syracuse the edge overall. How? What I wrote above notwithstanding, what is the point of the categories? Idiots.
Still need to decide if I'm going to sleep before the game, after the game, or try both. 2:30 AM is absolutely the worst possible time on a weeknight.
Hyperbole will be again open and active during the game. See you there.
1:59:26 PM 
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