A Catholic Lapse

There was a time, not too long ago, when Catholic colleges and universities dominated college basketball. However, as the Quad, the New York Times college sports blog, points out, Catholic basketball programs haven't found much success in recent tournaments. Since 1985, the year Villanova won it all, Seton Hall is the only Catholic school to play in a national championship game. That was in 1989, when I was 10, two years removed from my First Communion, and four years after Georgetown, St. John's and Villanova all reached the Final Four.

That was not considered especially noteworthy at the time, as Catholic colleges regularly made it to the season’s last weekend through the 1980s. Of the 40 teams in the Final Four that decade, seven were from Catholic colleges — Georgetown three times, St. John’s, Villanova, Providence and Seton Hall.

But in the 20 years since then, only three achieved the feat — Marquette in 2003, Georgetown in 2007 and now Villanova in 2009.

My faith calls for me to pull for Villanova, but my bracket demands Michigan State. Tom Izzo's father is Catholic: does that count?

When Pitt Really Lost

Don't get me wrong: Scottie Reynolds' runner was impressive, and one of the most exciting moments of this year's tournament. Still, you'd have to go back to just about three minutes to see when Pitt really lost the game. Up four, with just under three minutes to play, Pitt's Levance Fields passed the ball to teammate Jermaine Dixon to avoid Villanova's heavy--and, at this late point in the game, desperate--full-court press. Dixon then dribbled across the half-court line, into two 'Nova players, before inexplicably picking up his dribble. With nowhere to go, Dixon, of course, turned it over. As if this weren't bad enough, Dixon then compounded his mistake with a boneheaded foul against Dwayne Anderson, who easily converted the bucket and free throw to pull 'Nova within one point, changing the complexity of the game. Dixon's two poor decision's opened the door for 'Nova's charge and, more damningly, Reynolds' late-game heroics.  

Like Attracts Like

Tonight's game between the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils and the third-seeded Villanova Wildcats should be a good one. Maybe even a classic. The two teams love to run, and aren't afraid to throw up a three when the spirit moves them. Duke and 'Nova are also mirror images of one another defensively, playing a tough brand of man-to-man, allowing only 90.9 and 90.8 points per 100 possessions, respectively. The two teams are so much alike, some people have even gone so far to call Villanova the "Catholic Duke," which is taking things a little too far, and an insult to James II, the real Catholic Duke, maybe the greatest of them all. But I digress. Here are three reasons to like the Blue Devils, followed by two solid reasons to get behind the Cats, Duke's doppelganger of the hardwood. 

1. Gerald Henderson: Is there a more impressive athlete in the tournament? You'd be hard-pressed to find one. In fact, fuck it, I'm going to say it, if you'll pardon the hyperbole: Henderson, who almost went to Villanova, is the best pure talent to play at Duke since Grant Hill. Seriously. The 6-4 guard scored 24 points against the Texas Longhorns in the round of 32, and is a threat to take over a game at any given moment. He's going to make 'Nova's backcourt earn their money tonight. 
2. Elliot Williams: A lot of people are pointing to Kyle Singler as the key to a Duke victory. I, however, think the play of Williams, particularly his perimeter defense, will play a significant part in whether the Blue Devils advance or go home. Since he joined the starting five, Duke is 10-1, their only loss coming at the hands of North Carolina. He might not be the star of the team, but he does make them better when he's on the court. What else can you ask?
3. Coach K:  Love him or hate him, Mike Krzyzewski can coach. Although he's gone a bit sour in recent years, he seems to have been rejuvenated from the experience of coaching Team USA to an Olympic gold medal. Like any good coach, he's getting the most out of his team, which always come to play, and the recent ACC championship has put the swagger back in his and his team's game. 

Meanwhile, 'Nova fans have almost as many reasons to be excited:

1. Jay Wright: The Villanova head coach has a recording of "One Shinning Moment," the NCAA tournament's official theme song, rigged to the door of his office so it plays every time a visitor opens the door, according to Sports Illustrated. The man wants a national championship like Hillary Clinton wanted the White House (h/t N.T.). His defensive schemes, in-game adjustments and unadulterated desire to win rival those of Coach K. 
   
2. Dante Cunningham: Villanova's best chances of winning, I think, rest in the long arms of Cunningham, one of the nation's top interior players. This season, he led the Wildcats with 16 points and 7 rebounds a game. I figure most of tonight's game will take place on the perimeter, but the difference might just come down to Cunningham's ability to score points in the paint and, conversely, stop Kyle Singler from getting his. 

God, this is going to be a good one. I'm pulling for 'Nova, but I have no idea how it's going to turn out. 

Fresh Meat

Sports Illustrated writer Kevin Armstrong takes a look at the best (so far) of this year’s NCAA basketball recruiting class. Per usual, Roy Williams is off to a good start. As is Jay Wright and Rick Barnes. I’ve come to expect such things from the likes of UNC, Villanova and Texas.

More surprising, though, is the early success of Indiana University's Tom Crean, who resurrected the Hoosiers' moribund program last April in the wake of the Kelvin Sampson debacle. Crean is off to a great start, landing six solid recruits, including Birmingham Shades Valley standout Christian Watford, according to Armstrong.

Here’s the SI scribe’s take:

The program's anchor is still securely lodged in the Midwest, but that didn't stop reconstructionist Tom Crean from reaching out to the south for Watford -- a 6-8, 215-pound swingman from Birmingham, Ala. A slasher with body control he should be Crean's cornerstone in trying times and play well off [fellow recruits Maurice] Creek and [Bawa] Muniru.

Good for Crean. He built a tremendous program at Marquette and, by all accounts, has an unrivaled eye for talent (See: Wade, Dwyane). This, in addition to a killer living room speech, should put Indiana back near the top of college basketball in no time.

Also of note, Memphis’ John Calipari landed Xavier Henry, the younger brother of C.J. Henry, who the Yankees drafted out of high school in 2005, before trading him a year later to the Phillies as part of the deal that brought Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle to the Bronx. Although Henry recently resigned with the Yankees after the Phillies released him, he’s currently riding Calipari’s bench in downtown Memphis. It remains to be seen whether C.J. plans on returning to the diamond any time soon, or if he'd rather stick around to play ball with his younger brother. Either way, the Tigers already look pretty stacked for next season.