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March madness As Pitino, Knight chase jobs, teams hope for NCAA life
Updated: Thursday March 08, 2001 9:08 AM
With March Madness upon us Sports Illustrated writer Seth Davis joined Sports Tonight's Fred Hickman and Kara Henderson to talk about everything from bubble teams to Bob Knight. Fred Hickman: It's your time of year. We know the Dukes. We know the Stanfords. We know all of the big-timers that are going to be in the NCAA tournament field. But right now let's talk about the bubble teams that are going to have to work and sweat this week. Seth Davis: Well, first of all, Villanova definitely helped its chances Wednesday, but not only by winning its game, but having Miami lose. So I think Villanova is in pretty good shape in the Big East. You've got Iowa and Penn State in the Big Ten. I think one of those teams will definitely get in maybe even both. Far be it from me to point out the Iowa athletic director is also on the selection committee. Over in the Big 12, Oklahoma State and Missouri are on the bubble. Creighton is looking good in the Missouri Valley and watch out for Southern Mississippi in Conference USA, which has very quietly assembled the best record in that league. If they have a good showing in the Conference USA tournament, I think that team will get in.
Hickman: Louisville is not going to be there since the Cardinals lost to UAB in the Conference USA tournament. So that is the end of the road for Hall of Fame head coach Denny Crum . Louisville athletic director (Tom Jurich) meets with Rick Pitino this weekend. What's going to happen there? Davis: Well, I talked to somebody who talked to the president of UNLV. I can tell you they are very surprised by what has happened and are none too pleased, I might add. So, let's all remember how unpredictable Pitino has been throughout this process. What we do know is that Louisville wants him to have the job, and it can certainly pay him the kind of money it will take to get him. Plus, Pitino has said consistently that he wants to coach next year, and he is running out of jobs. So, if he can get over the reaction of Kentucky fans, I think he will take the job. But let's wait and see what happens this weekend. Hickman What's up with Bob Knight. Where are his travels going to take him? Davis: Well, UMass is still a possibility. I think Bruiser Flint is on his way out. But watch out for Texas Tech, where James Dickey is in real trouble. If that job becomes available, I do expect Knight's name to surface in connection with that job. Kara Henderson: Let's talk a little bit more about this Pitino thing. Seth, do you think there will be any reverberations from the way he has carried out his coaching search? Davis: Well, the fact is Pitino is a huge star in his profession. I think wherever he goes he is certainly going to win. So that could overcome a lot of problems that he might bring to the fore. I think the biggest thing he will have to overcome if he wants to go to Louisville is the reverberation down the road in Lexington. Even though they don't play in the same conference, they do play once a year. And they are certainly going to be recruiting a lot of the same players. And you have to wonder about the effects of this on (Wildcats head coach) Tubby Smith, who is Pitino's former assistant. The two of them are not particularly close. Smith actually said they have only spoken once or twice since Pitino went to the Celtics. But the heat is always on whoever the head coach is at Kentucky. And it's going to be that much tougher for Smith if Pitino is down the road in Louisville. That is the one thing I think Pitino is really going to have to work through in his mind before he takes this job. Kara Henderson: UConn is having some problems this year. Does it surprise you how the balance of power has changed in the Big East, and do you think UConn has any chance of getting in the tournament? Davis: I think UConn has a very good chance of getting in. They are still a power-conference team and they would be the sixth team in the Big East. I think the Big East could actually get seven, especially if Villanova can win another game in the Big East tournament. I guess I'm not surprised. I think that's the cycles you have in sports -- your good players, your older players graduating and leaving and you bring in some younger players. Connecticut has two of the best players in the country. Certainly Caron Butler has had a terrific year up front, and Taliek Brown at the point guard spot. Maybe not ready to win right now as freshmen, but I think the future looks good for UConn. These things come in cycles and my guess is UConn is in the tournament. Hickman: You know what, Seth, people are going to start printing out their brackets and getting ready for the office pools and they are going to find 65 teams. What is the rationale for the 65th team? Davis: Well, money, Fred. I know that will be a huge shock to you. It's all about the money, unfortunately. And even worse, it's just another case of the power conferences and the power teams sticking it to the little guys. Basically, the history on this is when the WAC split into two conferences -- the WAC and the Mountain West -- they wanted each of those conference to have automatic bids.
So instead of scaling back the 34 at-large bids, which are of course dominated by the major conferences, they force this opening-round game. That to me is really unfortunate, because it's really the mid-major teams -- the Gonzagas, the Tulsas -- that always give us the best stories in the NCAA tournament. Instead of keeping a relatively level playing field so that those types of teams can get into the field of 64, we are now creating a field of 65. Of course, we all know that the 65th team is not going to be a UConn or Villanova. It's going to be one of the smaller teams that don't have a chance to change the situation.
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