Given his bluster, you might expect CBS analyst Billy Packer to rant and rave about how players jumping from high school to the NBA or leaving school early are killing college basketball, now that Phil Martelli and his boys have been banished.
You might expect him to lament the change in today's game, where parity is creeping up and the Alabama-Birminghams become national title contenders, or for him to slam the game for producing watered-down NCAA Tournaments and killing dynasties.
But Packer doesn't believe any of that, at least to the degree where it stains his appreciation of this year's bracket-busting tournament. He thinks college basketball, as it steams toward this weekend's Final Four and Monday's championship game, is in pretty good shape.
"This is the finest tournament I've ever attended," Packer said on a conference call Thursday. "Every game has been competitive. The difference between what used to be a superpower and teams that were mid level, or mid major, has been drastically reduced."
And that, he says, has turned out to be a good thing. Whatever the reason - kids leaving earlier or skipping college altogether, the reduction in scholarships, etc. - "it has made the game a lot healthier."
Packer's comments could easily be construed as self-serving. It is his network that covers the tournament and would benefit by as much positive spin as possible.
But the success of unsung teams such as UAB, Nevada and Georgia Tech have energized this year's field, as have nontraditional higher seeds like Saint Joseph's. Though ratings are only slightly ahead of last year's war-interrupted coverage, the tournament has had no problem creating its usual buzz.
Years ago that would have hardly been possible, with the Kentuckys and Dukes and North Carolinas running over everyone. But now there is a competitive balance that compensates for the lack of superstars.
Packer said he is reminded of former Richmond coach Dick Tarrant, who told him years ago that he thought there were 10-15 mid-major schools that had a chance to reach the Sweet 16, forget the Final Four.
"Now we're in a situation where 70 teams have the potential to get to the Elite Eight or Final Four," Packer said.
Packer's disgust at the changing game lies with the NBA (which he says has become nothing more than a babysitting service since the flood of underclassmen to its ranks) and high school basketball.
He said he watched the McDonald's All-American game Wednesday night and was revolted by the "disastrous" effect the NBA has had on prep basketball.
"Anyone who saw the McDonald's game can see those kids no longer even relate to what the game is," Packer said. For those who wish to see basketball as it should be, in Packer's opinion, see this weekend's national semifinals and championship game, look at the tournament as a whole and remember that March Madness is still the best thing going.
