Both of the participating teamss in Monday night’s national championship game have a story. In each case, it’s a pretty neat one, albeit for different reasons. Both have been chronicled a bit, but now that we’re here, we should appreciate it.
For Virginia, this is perhaps an overdue event, as the Cavaliers have had four No. 1 seeds in the past six NCAA Tournaments and were a No. 2 in another. In other words, under Tony Bennett, they have been pretty good. They are 33-3 in ACC regular season play the past two seasons, which is amazing considering how strong the ACC has been both seasons.
Though they have been to the Elite Eight in 2016, more often than not, they have exited sooner than expected. Twice they were bounced in the second round, and last year still sticks out as they were the No. 1 overall seed and unquestioned best team in the country heading into the NCAA Tournament, then became the first No. 1 to lose to a No. 16 seed, and not in a close game.
After that, many began questioning Bennett’s coaching style and if Virginia could win big with it. One story said he turned down most interview requests last off-season, though he has not run away from it with his team and his players have not forgotten. While they have enough motivation by simply being competitors, that has undoubtedly been one more driving force to this point. With all the question surrounding whether or not they could win, here they are playing for a national championship – and they also don’t have a single scholarship senior, though you have to think they won’t have everyone return next season.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, has a very different team than last season’s Elite Eight team. They lost five seniors off that team, led by Keenan Evans, and watched Zhaire Smith become a one-and-done instead of be a key piece to this team after a solid freshman campaign. Three other players transferred. In all, they lost five of their top six scorers and their top rebounder. All they have done is share the Big 12 regular season title with Kansas State and now make this run to play for a national championship.
Chris Beard is rightly getting a lot of credit for his coaching. He’s developed Jarrett Culver from a relative unknown into a future first round draft pick in the NBA, and he and his staff picked up the right pieces among transfers, like Tariq Owens and Matt Mooney, to blend in with holdovers like Culver, Davide Moretti and big man Norense Odiase. Their defense has allowed them to have a chance many times and win a lot of games.
Most figured Texas Tech would be no better than a borderline NCAA Tournament team with all those personnel losses. Beard and his staff had other ideas, doing even more. This can be a blessing and a curse to coaches all across the county – a blessing because it shows that you can transform seemingly overnight (there is a saying that every “overnight success” story is ten years in the making), but a curse because at some point, athletic directors may come to expect this and fire a coach who does not replicate it.
Monday night is a matchup of a program that has overcome serious adversity and a program that has retooled with a vastly different roster. It is a matchup of two teams that make their mark on defense. It is also a matchup of two teams run by top-notch coaches. It is also a matchup of two programs who have never done this before. It should be a matchup well worth watching.
Side Dishes
Be sure to check out our final edition of College Basketball Tonight for this season, with a pair of special guests who share their insights into the games past and present along with much more.
The women had their national championship game on Sunday night, and it was a thriller. Baylor blew a 17-point lead and watched star Lauren Cox suffer a scary knee injury near the end of the third quarter, but got a layup in the final seconds from Chloe Jackson and then held on to beat Louisville 82-81.
One thing to keep an eye on for the game on Monday night is the health of Texas Tech big man Tariq Owens, who sprained his right ankle on Saturday night and was seen in a walking boot on Sunday. Reports indicate he expects to play, and we’ll have to see if he is limited at all.
An early entrant to the NBA Draft that is not surprising is Purdue guard Carsen Edwards announcing that he will forego his senior season and sign with an agent. While Edwards is largely viewed as more of an undersized shooting guard, his stock might never be higher than after his great NCAA Tournament run and especially in what many consider a weak draft.
Coaching news came fast and furious on Sunday, with a couple of big schools included. Virginia Tech has hired long-time Wofford head coach Mike Young to succeed Buzz Williams. Young is a Virginia native who spent 13 seasons as an assistant at Wofford before being promoted to the top spot in 2002. Since then, he has led the program to five NCAA Tournament appearances.
Also making a hire on the day is Arkansas, who has hired Eric Musselman away from Nevada after he led the Wolfpack to three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years. Nevada is set to lose a lot of seniors, although Musselman has had them reload quite well, while the SEC is on a real upswing and offers a great opportunity. Arkansas didn’t make the NCAA Tournament this season and will watch Daniel Gafford leave for the NBA Draft, but they had younger guards after starting two seniors in the backcourt a year earlier. You can follow these and more at our Coaching Changes page here on Hoopville.
The UCLA job remains open, but one coach who hasn’t been in the mix is Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger, who felt compelled to put out a brief statement saying that he has not interviewed for the job or been contacted by anyone at UCLA about it. Additionally, ESPN reported late Sunday night that Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is in the mix there, and the interest may be mutual. Stadium insider Jeff Goodman cited a source and reported similarly.
One other coach not going anywhere for the moment is Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino, who will get a two-year extension through the 2023-24 season. What is always a key with coaches’ contracts is the buyout, and Pitino’s is more than manageable if another school wants him badly enough – $2 million after next season and dropping by $250,000 each year the following two years, at a time when some coaches have eight-figure buyouts.
Tonight’s Menu
The national championship game tips at about 9:20 p.m. Eastern tonight, with Virginia battling Texas Tech in Minneapolis.
