College Basketball Parity
In general, college basketball is a lot of David’s vs Goliath’s and this year it seems that the smaller schools are stepping up and causing some problems already. For example, Kentucky lost their home opener to Gardner-Webb and it wasn’t even that close. Gardner-Webb started the game scoring the first 15 points and ended up winning by 16. They beat Kentucky by running right at them and forcing the tempo and the control. Not the way that Billy Gilespie wanted to start out there. The Kentucky fans are the most passionate fans in college basketball and Gilespie won’t have a long stay is this continues. They won’t put up with losing the way Notre Dame is in football.
Then USC, ranked in the top 20, got pounded by Mercer. Mercer. Yes, USC is missing some players but that shouldn’t matter. Oj Mayo got his career started off with a 32 point 8 turnover game and did I mention the game was in LA. Mercer.
What it shows is that anything can happen in college sports on any given day or night and it is getting more and more so each season. I think it has a lot to do with sports being year round now. Basketball players play all summer and more and more kids are playing than ever. By the time they get to college they have already played against and with most of the kids they are playing. It makes a difference.
Let me end my blog for the day with my greatest case in point….Illinois football. This team had won 8 games the previous 4 years combined and they went into Columbus and beat top ranked Ohio St. on Saturday. I’m a die hard Illini fan and it was one of the best sports moments of my life. When Ron Zook talks about Illini Nation and making them feel good he is talking about people like me. I have felt better for 3 days now and I don’t want it to go away. I imagine that Gardner-Webb players will have this same feeling for the rest of their lives. When they are faced with self doubt and issues in their way they can always draw back on the time they beat Kentucky at Kentucky and nothing can take that away.
Don’t you love college sports!!!
