Right now, the only college sport most people want to talk about is football. Whether it's the three-headed mess of who belongs in the title game or a celebration of Utah's crashing of the BCS party, the last thing on many minds is college basketball. Basically, people are saying, "Wake me up when we get to February," because nothing of significance truly happens in November.
So, why even bother typing an article about the hardwood? Things might not always be what they seem.
In this era of scholarship limitations, teams that were meant to be fodder are now capable of playing with the big dogs. Case in point, this past Friday night in California. The UNC Tar Heels, a national championship contender, stepped into the Oakland Arena to face Santa Clara.
The Broncos, a West Coast Conference member, amassed a 16-16 record last season. That wasn't even good enough to make it to NIT. Yet by halftime, the mid-major school held a three-point lead. That only continued to balloon throughout the second half. SCU led by as many as 19 points before settling on an 11-point victory and stunning the basketball hierarchy.
"It feels like they're more athletic at every position," said Bronco Doron Perkins.
"I don't think I'm very good, I just play hard," said Perkins' teammate, Travis Niesen.
What?! Guys that talk this way pulled off an upset of an ACC powerhouse? You better believe it.
By this time, you're saying that this happens every year, to basically every team. This won't have any affect on March. But even if fans don't see significance now, there are a group of eyes that do. They come from all corners of the country and will be ready to meet in about four months time at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis.
Although the tournament is a nice, tidy way to solve the issue of a national champion, getting 65 teams into a bracket is a little trickier. Sure, the selection committee will focus on the end of the college basketball season to check out who's on fire or putting out a cold shoulder. But not all good wins (or bad losses) come in mid-February.
For the victors, the game is not only a confidence-builder for them, but in the eyes of committee members. Being in a smaller conference, the Broncos won't get much tourney help from WCC games. However, a win of this magnitude puts Santa Clara on the map again (no postseason appearances since '95-'96). Of course, there are other statement games they can use to build a resume (Stanford, BYU, Arizona State). But for now, mission accomplished in terms of impression.
UNC, on the other hand, hopes that either they or Santa Clara can run the table. Don't expect the Tar Heels to miss the Big Dance, but don't count on any style points for this game, either. In the event that a No. 1 seeding, or even a tournament spot, is on the line, you wouldn't want your season-opening upset to keep you out of the Madness.
For those out there who are still bored to tears, you have a point. This surprise will more than likely get washed away in the span of 25-30 games over the season. However, you shouldn't think that few significant contests are played this early. Every basketball game is important to somebody, if not everybody.
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