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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 20, 2003
TALK OF THE TOWN
Five topics suitable for inane debate on talk radio.
Stop making sense: In a season when Alabama was once ranked No. 1, when a head coach was fired for bringing a gun into the gym after an argument and an assistant coach was arrested for possession of child pornography, when one university had its players quit and another university quit on its players, when Bob Knight made a noble gesture and the coach at North Carolina got in a sideline brawl, who knows what March will bring? The last four NCAA champions have been No. 1 seeds, but this could be the season to look for upsets.
Who's on top?: Fans always are quick to jump on a conference when they sense weakness. This season, the ACC and the Big Ten have heard the cackles of critics. Maybe they are softer than usual, but don't forget those leagues have accounted for eight of the last 12 teams in the Final Four.
The untold story: All those Villanova players suspended for illegally using a phone card? They were calling a Circuit City in Athens, Ga. They heard it was the place to shop for color TVs.
Senior daze: The greatest talents inevitably leave early for the NBA but, come March, the best teams always have a senior or two leading the way. Or don't you recall Juan Dixon and Shane Battier? This is why Arizona (Jason Gardner and Luke Walton), Kentucky (Keith Bogans and Marquis Estill) and Kansas (Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich) should be feared.
If you can't beat 'em, fete 'em: Tampa Bay has been fortunate to get some high profile NCAA Tournament games in recent seasons, with the University of South Florida acting as a most congenial host. Perhaps -- and this is just a crazy idea -- the Bulls might one day consider joining the tournament as a competitor instead of a host.
Five lessons learned by Georgia coaches in the case of Tony Cole.
5. Western Union? Bad. An anonymous bag man? Good.
4. Should have talked to coaches from Cole's last high school. Or the high school before that. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. Just to, you know, get an idea of his stability.
3. Be nice to the clerks at Term Papers R Us.
2. Commit a recruit's most important stats to memory: rebounds, assists, points, sexual assault accusations.
1. Revisit that nepotism policy.
5. Forty-eight games will be played between Thursday and Sunday and every single one will mean something. As opposed to college football where they play roughly the same number of bowl games and only one really counts.
4. Someone will become part of history. It is almost guaranteed. Some quiet player from some underdog school will make the shot/block/steal that will stun a bigger school. And that player will join dozens of others in tourney lore.
3. The chance to see Duke lose.
2. Southern Illinois will win. Or Gonzaga. Or Pepperdine. Or Weber State. It happens every year. A long shot will win and the guy in the cubicle next to you will claim he predicted it.
1. Still two weeks away from being forced to listen to One Shining Moment.
5. Pass first, shoot later: The guards cannot be shot-happy. Most of Florida's losses have come when Anthony Roberson and/or Brett Nelson got too giddy from the perimeter. Florida's greatest strength is creating offensive mismatches. That does not work when the guards are letting it fly.
4. Walk softly: If Matt Bonner cannot go, the Gators will lose. It is that simple. It may not happen in the first round. Maybe not even in the second. But if the senior's sore foot slows him down, Florida is in big trouble.
3. Listen to Billy: Seriously. His success at Florida has been so stunning, it is easy to forget just how important Billy Donovan is to this program. Before Donovan arrived, the Gators had won seven NCAA games in school history. In his first six seasons, Florida won eight.
2. Be aware of your weakness: Offense comes easily to this team. Defense does not. If the Gators do not put enough effort into defense, they become a one-dimensional team. In Florida's regular season victories, opponents shot 40.5 percent from the field. Opponents shot 47.5 in Florida's losses.
1. Avoid Creighton: The Blue Jays are out there somewhere.
Hi boss! No pool here.