Flash Facts: Onto Detroit

This past week of two NCAAs was really two separate story lines and Flash Facts. The Sweet 16 games were nearly pure chalk and a Big East Dance. Of the elite half came from the Big East. All of the number 1 seeds advanced and half of the #2 seeds made it. However the Road to the Final 4 finally produced much needed madness as the story lines of one conference being the best ever seemed to be put to bed as did pure chalk.

1) UConn over Mizzou - An outstanding game from start to finish (well save for the beginning of the 2nd half were nobody could buy a basket with a government bailout) UConn was able to handle the son of 40 minutes of Hell (that's Nolan Richard's Arkansas teams for those too young to remember) through outstanding PG ala AJ Price. Sometimes its hard to believe he's only one year removed from a devastating knee injury. Budding Freshman star in Walker also kept the Tigers at Bay

2) Michigan State over Louisville - Of all the elite 8 games this was probably the biggest shocker. Not necessarily just that MSU won but how they won. They simply dominated Louisville. Instead of being the namely big white guy Zuton played with skill and poise. Lucas, the Big 10 player of the year, showed that quality basketball is still played in the Heartland.

3) UNC over Oklahoma - Its always nice to rub it a Dookies face so UNC got the added joy of taken down a Capel coached squad. Blake Griffin appears to have an NBA ready body and will be coming to a rookie of a year near you next year. However in college basketball great teams can beat outstanding individuals as Danny Green , Lawson and Ed Davis were the main cogs in the Tar Heel steamroller.

4) Villanova over Pittsburgh - Villanova has somehow flown under the radar. Perhaps because Louisville, UConn and Pitt hogged the glory. Perhaps its been a long time since their escapades against G-Town. Who knows. But they matched if not exceeded Pittsburgh's physical style play which shocked me (I also learned "physicality" is now the most over-used word in basketball supplanting "length") . It came down to one of the most exciting, bizarre, and other cliche phrases 10 seconds I have ever seen. 3s, turnovers, fouls, and full court drivers all condensed into 10 seconds. Fantabulous.

Onto to Detroit....