2017 Gallery

I try to do a gallery every year, but sometimes just don't have time. You'll see more than pictures, because I like to look at them years later to refresh myself of what happened. So this is insight now, and a walk down memory lane later.

Without further ado, I give to you, the 2017 gallery...

A Year of Firsts ... A Year to Remember
Northwestern earns 1st trip - A long time coming...

What a monumental season for the Northwestern Wildcats. They finished 6th in the Big 10 at 10-8 and an overall record of 23-11. They'd beat Texas, played Butler and the Irish close, and won all the games they needed to. To finish January, they did a job on Indiana, but then got thumped by Purdue - bad. It was so bad, everyone started talking like they may not dance. No real signature wins to that point. Then - not even a couple weeks later - they beat 7th ranked Wisconsin. Their win over Rutgers put them at 20 wins, but it was the Michigan game on March 1st that really got people talking, saying they're in - that was their 21st win and it was a full court pass and a last-second layup by Dererk Pardon that won the game for them. If they weren't already considered an at-large team before that moment, I think that very well could have propelled them into the tournament, because it felt like March Madness. It was an unbelievable moment. All the kids and fans were celebrating like they'd just won a championship and there was a buzz in the air.

When Selection Sunday rolled around, there wasn't much of a surprise when their name was called; it was mass jubilation. If you were watching, you had to have been cheering or crying for them, because it was one of the best moments in the history of NCAA basketball.

I only wish they'd left the cell phones at home...

ZAGS REACH FIRST FINAL - A long time coming...
IF there's a bigger story than NU earning their 1st-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament, it has to be Gonzaga getting that chip off their shoulder.

Every year the Zags have reached the NCAA tournament under Head Coach Mark Few - dating back to 1999. Gonzaga is who they are because of him. That said, nearly every year, Gonzaga gets over-rated because of a favorable win-loss record in an inferior conference, and they never make it all that far. In fact, until this year, they'd never reached the Final 4, let alone the Finals. So this is a huge story. Had they gone all the way, would you say it's bigger than NU getting their first ever bid? Yeah, I'd say so. And this may be a bigger story to you, but I still think something 78 years in the making is bigger.

So what was different this year? The talent and experience. Remember when Memphis made it to the championship with Dorsey and Rose. If you didn't pay attention to what studs they were, you would have thought Memphis was just over-rated garbage ... like every year.

This year was a good year to be on board with the 's.

First off they got the big man in the post Karnowski. He's got a nice touch, and some think he's NBA bound. I think with his size he should be, but he could rest his big ass on the pines if he can't increase his 2 inch vertical. He was a liability at times for the Zags, which is why they were playing Collins a lot. Collins is a 7-foot Freshman and the first McDonald's All-American recruited by Few. That's part of why the Zags are always early exits, because the talent isn't as good as the record typically indicates, but this year they also had transfers from Washington (Williams-Goss) and California (Mathews). They also have a very agile forward in 6-9 Williams. Probably their best attribute was their experience. Karnowski is like a 13-year senior because of his redshirts. I exaggerate, but 6 year senior? Goss and Williams juniors, Mathews senior. People have to be saying the monkey is off their back after getting to the Finals and almost winning.

South Carolina reaches 1st-ever Final 4!
Back in the 70s, South Carolina was in the ACC, and had their best success during that era with Frank McGuire at the helm - reaching the Sweet-16 three years in a row. They joined the SEC in 1992 and have since won the East division twice, that's it.

They've now been in the NCAA Tournament 4 times since joining the SEC. In their 3 previous attempts, they lost in the first round to Coppin St., Richmond, and Memphis.

Frank Martin became South Carolina's coach back in 2012, coming over from Kansas State. They reached the NIT last year. When the Gamecocks beat Marquette in the first round this year, it was their first tournament victory since 1973! And when Frank got his boys to the Final 4, it was the first time in the history of the program. USC knocked off 2-seeded Duke, 3-Baylor, 4-Florida, and 10-Marquette, which in my opinion is the best run of any team in the 2017 tournament. Frank Martin also had success at K-State, having 5 straight winning seasons and reaching the Elite-8 once; he's now seen USC improve every year since 2012. If the trend continues, in 2018 they'll have to win the SEC or reach the NCAA tournament finals.

GAME BREAKER

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers

At 360 pounds before 8th grade, he lost over 100 lbs in high school. Now - a Sophomore at Purdue and former McDonalds All-American - he's up for National Player of the Year honors and could be a 1st round pick if he decides to go pro.

At 6-9 and 250 pounds, Caleb is not your typical 19 year-old. He's had an addiction to sugar, and saw his father pass away at 500 pounds. Caleb has worked hard to get to where he's at, and watching him play he looks like a man in a boys world. He's such an imposing presence. His wingspan is over 7-foot-3, so he looks and plays taller than he is. He was a McDonald's All-American and Mr. Basketball in the State of Indiana. He initially committed to Michigan State before going to Purdue. He's had 28 double-doubles, which leads the nation, and he's also #2 in the nation in rebounding at 12.6 per contest. He's surpassed 20 rebounds 3 times, posted 25/14 against MSU, 28/22 against Minnesota, and 32/20 against Norfolk State. He's one of the finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award, and single-handedly got Purdue into the Sweet 16 after posting 20 points, 12 boards, and 7 assists against Iowa State. Purdue's run ended in their next game vs Kansas. They were trounced.

Quack Report

1st Final 4 in 78 years!

What makes the Ducks great is Dillon Brooks, but Dorsey is a great shooter, and Pritchard was the High School Player of the Year in Oregon last year. Ennis is strong, smart, experienced (he transferred from Villanova). I saw Jordan Bell in an interview in which he talked about attending the LeBron James basketball camp. He said most guys go there wanting to be the next LeBron, but he said he's accepted his role and wants to help his team. Bell has really matured in his time with Oregon. I think Dana Altman needs to get under a long-term contract before some other program swoops in, because he's done a tremendous job developing players and getting the right players in that will listen to him. Jordan Bell is a great example. Dana's shown him the way, and he is a major reason for the Ducks' success. He's minimized the bone-headed plays, kept himself in games by not committing stupid fouls, he's a great shot blocker, and with Boucher out, he's been asked to do even more. There's a lot of pressure on him, and he hasn't wavered, constantly matched up against bigger guys in the post, he's more than held his own. And while the Ducks miss Boucher's shot-blocking ability, people need to know that Jordan Bell is the Ducks all-time shot blocker, a record he set as a Soph. He's a Junior now, so I really hope he returns next year.

After beating Rhode Island and Michigan, the Jordan Bell had 11 points, 13 boards (7 offensive) and 8 blocked shots in the Duck's victory over the 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks. Did anyone truly see this coming? I mean, WOW.

GO DUCKS!

The Journey

Highlights of 2017:

Lowest seeds to sneak into the Elite-8:

Lowest seeds to advance into the Sweet-16:

Top seeds bounced before the Sweet-16:

Other stuff:

Gonzaga is really the only mid-major in the Sweet 16
Every 4-seed made it to the Sweet 16:
Butler, West Virginia, Florida, and Purdue
Only Florida (over Wisc) advanced to E8
No 5-seed made it to the Sweet 16
Irish, Virginia, Iowa St., Minnesota
Every 6-seed was ousted before the Sweet 16
That's SMU, Maryland, Creighton, Cincy

The South got 1-2-3-4 seeds in the Sweet 16
MW 1-3-4-7 (2-Louisville beat by 7-Michigan)
East 3-4-7-8 (8-Wisc over 1-Nova, 7-SC over 2-Duke) - what a mess
West 1-2-4-11 (3-FSU lost to Xavier)


Elite 8:
1 Zags vs 11 X
1 UNC vs 2 UK
4 UF vs 7 SC
1 KU vs 3 OR

Final 4:
1-seed Gonzaga vs 7-seed South Carolina
3-seed Oregon vs 1-seed North Carolina

THE UPSETS...


Based on seeds, there have been 13 upsets.

9-Mich St. over 8-Miami
10-Wich St. over 7-Dayton
11-Rhode Island over 6-Creighton
11-USC (play-in team) over 6-SMU
11-SMU over 6-Maryland
12-Mid Tenn St. beat 5-Minnesota


Wisconsin over Villanova
... since Villanova was the first 1-seed to fall
This was a 2nd round game. 8-Wisconsin
lost to 4-Florida in their next game.

South Carolina over Duke
Grayson Allen looking a little dejected after SC beat em.
Then SC beat 4-Florida in the E8.

Michigan over Louisville
The Ducks shut Wagner's big mouth, holding him to 7 points on 3 of 10 shooting.
O-fer from downtown. Only 5 boards. Jordan Bell owned his ass.

Xavier over FSU
11-seed Xavier has been the cinderella story of 2017.

Xavier over Zona
#5 Trevon Bluiett

Oregon knocked out 1-seed Kansas
Jordan Bell had 8 blocks. His sweetest depicted here was on a fast break. #5.

Jubilation of March...


7-seed South Carolina reaches first Final 4
Players celebrate with Frank Martin after knocking out 2-seed Duke in the 2nd round.
After that they took down 3-Baylor and 4-Florida
to reach their first-ever Final 4!


Gonzaga reaches first Final 4
Mark Few celebrates with players after reaching their first-ever F4.


Michigan State hammered Miami


Mid Tennessee St. upset Minnesota
Jacory Williams flexes his steroid-induced biceps during Mid Tenn State's upset of Minnesota.
This was the biggest upset in the first round as the 12-seed knocked out a 5.


USC Trojans celebrate
USC beat Providence in a play-in game, then upset 6-seed SMU.


Rhode Island over Creighton
11 over 6


10-Wichita State upset 7-Dayton



...and the dejection


Duke ousted in 2nd round (by South Carolina)


Knocked out by Xavier


Also eliminated by Xavier


Cardinals taken down by Wolverines


1st 1-seed to fall


Frustrated by Ducks. 2nd 1-seed ousted



Big Shots


Zak & Chris
On the left, Zak Showalter makes a game-tying 3 at the end of regulation.
On the right, Chris Chiozza wins the game for Florida in OT.
I believe this was the first OT game. The only one.


Zak Showalter: Discount Double-Check
After Zak made the shot, he turned to Aaron Rodgers in the stands and
gave him the Discount Double Check. Kinda funny.


Luke Maye 3, 2, 1...
After Kentucky tied up the game on a 3 with 7 seconds left, UNC streaked down court, Pinson passed to Maye.
With only a few seconds on the clock, he let it fly. splat. UNC marches on.



Studs


Frank Mason, Kansas
Senior. Player of the Year.


Josh Jackson, Kansas
Freshman. Not regarded as POY candidate, but more of an NBA prospect than Frank Mason. Hasn't declared yet.


Josh Hart, Villanova
Senior guard. Villanova pimp and POY nominee.


Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Freshman can-do guard whose already declared for NBA draft. Possibly the top pick.


Markelle Fultz, Washington
If Ball isn't top pick, he could be.


Jonathan Isaac, Florida State
Freshman declared. Should be top-10 pick.


Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Sophomore featured at the top. Flirted with the NBA last year.
I figure if he were a 7-footer, he'd be the top overall pick.


Brooks24, Dorsey5, Bell1
All undergrads. Brooks and Dorsey have declared and hired agents.
Bell hasn't told anyone his decision yet.


Jayson Tatum
Freshman 1-and-done, projected top-10 pick.


Ivan Rabb
California 6-11 Soph leaving for the NBA. Averaged a double-double this past season.




Coaches...


A great year for coaches. Few, Altman, and Frank are looking like elite coaches after reaching the Final 4 this year. These coaches depicted are all in the final 4. Larranaga, Calipari, Painter, Hurley, and more to come.


Dana Altman, Oregon
Dana came to Oregon by way of Creighton. He's a master strategist with a fiery spirit, and shown a great ability
to reload the roster after studs have departed. Oregon has not had the type of success under Altman
that they've had since the 1930s. And this is a guy (local beat writer) John Canzano had said
should have been fired for some allegations that were never found to be true .


Mark Few, Gonzaga
18-year head coach of the Zagnuts, Few has made the Gonzaga program what it is today.
Many schools in larger conferences have tried to pry him, but he's stayed put,
showing loyalty to the school and his players. He's a total class act
and it's more than deserving that his team finally reaches
their 1st Final 4. Update: Make that Finals!


Frank Martin, South Carolina
He previously coached Kansas State and got them as far as the Elite 8 in 2010. He's been at South Carolina for 5 years
and this is their first time dancing. More importantly, this is the first time the gamecocks have EVER been to the Final 4.
Always a hothead, Frank cries on camera to make us feel like he has a heart.
Maybe he does, but he's a bit like the grinch


Roy Williams, North Carolina
Coached 15 years at Kansas, but previously was an asst to Dean Smith (at UNC).
He's now been head coach at North Carolina for 14 years.
Only missed NCAA tourney twice and won it all (now) 3 times.
He's a legend and already in the Hall of Fame.


Bill Self, Kansas
He's been at Kansas as long as Roy Williams has been at North Carolina, because he took over for him when he left. Fans continually criticize Bill, because he only has 1 title in 14 years at KU and his teams always seem to under-achieve, and again this year he couldn't a team with elite talent beyond the Elite-8, where the Ducks had roasted Jayhawk for dinner. But seriously, get past that if you can. The Jayhawks have won the Big 12 title 12 years in a row and teams Self's coached have reached the NCAA tournament 19 years in a row. He has 9 Elite-8 appearances, been to the finals twice, and won it all back in 2008 with Chalmers and company. Atop that, he's coached numerous players who've gone onto the NBA. Bill is one of the best and most successful coaches in college basketball.


John Calipari, Kentucky
Calipari is the inventor of the motion offense, and continually recruits the top players in the nation. He's considered one of the best coaches in basketball, but he was fired from the 76ers and has only 1 NCAA championship. Still, he turned UMass and Memphis into contenders. Back in 1996 he coached a Marcus Camby-led UMass team to a Final 4 and was named coach of the year that year. After that is when he was hired by the 76ers and eventually fired. He coached at Memphis for 10 years. He was there when Dorsey and Rose lost to Bill Self's Jayhawks in the 2008 championship. Small world huh? Calipari has been at UK since 2009 and won it all when Anthony Davis was there back in 2012. They were undefeated in the SEC that year and had 2 losses all year. In 2015 they were undefeated all year until they lost in the Final 4. Calipari's main problem at Kentucky is that many of his recruits go pro after 1 year, so they're typically young teams.


You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
There are so many angry coaches. I feel bad because they're running on the court, yelling at players. Even when a team is up 16 with 30 seconds to go, they're still barking orders. Sometimes I wish someone would just say, "Coach, it's fine. Sit down".


The End!