Pablo
Hall of Famer
http://thefanzine.com/the-final-four-finally-the-phenom-of-george-mason-2/:
"That means UConn has the resources to court and lure a posse of McDonalds high school All-Americans, while Mason is left to recruit players who were judged not quite good enough for major programs, as well as local stars who would probably see a lot of bench time at powerhouse schools. George Mason’s selling point to these players is that they might not get a lot of SportsCenter coverage at Mason, but at least they can stay close to home and be in the starting lineup."
"There may be an imbalance in resources, but the mid-major schools have found ways to be competitive against teams from the ACC, Big East, SEC, and other power conferences.
The NCAA’s reduction of scholarships from 15 to 13 in 1994 helped spread talent across the board in college hoops. Also, the best college players are now staying in school an ever shorter amount of time before turning pro, which means the most talent-laden programs often witness a quick turnover in personnel, leaving less time to gel as a true team. Meanwhile, less highly-recruited players at a school like George Mason are more likely to expend all four years of eligibility and gain a level of playing experience that a young team, such as this year’s North Carolina Tar Heels, might lack.
As a fan, I always find myself hoping for good results from the mid-majors come tournament time. It’s not just the underdog story, but the brand of basketball that they play. With more experience, the players have had time to find their roles and learn how to fill them. "
"Also, Larranaga doesn’t coach scared. He’ll tell his team to play a zone defense against the defending national champions, even if they only recently installed the zone at practice."
"Granted, it’s easy to stay loose when expectations are low, but there’s no need to begrudge Mason’s players and coaches for it. The lack of pressure is simply an element that helps level things out between the mid-majors and schools like UConn and North Carolina during the tournament. Thankfully, the selection committee gave fans a chance to enjoy it."
"That means UConn has the resources to court and lure a posse of McDonalds high school All-Americans, while Mason is left to recruit players who were judged not quite good enough for major programs, as well as local stars who would probably see a lot of bench time at powerhouse schools. George Mason’s selling point to these players is that they might not get a lot of SportsCenter coverage at Mason, but at least they can stay close to home and be in the starting lineup."
"There may be an imbalance in resources, but the mid-major schools have found ways to be competitive against teams from the ACC, Big East, SEC, and other power conferences.
The NCAA’s reduction of scholarships from 15 to 13 in 1994 helped spread talent across the board in college hoops. Also, the best college players are now staying in school an ever shorter amount of time before turning pro, which means the most talent-laden programs often witness a quick turnover in personnel, leaving less time to gel as a true team. Meanwhile, less highly-recruited players at a school like George Mason are more likely to expend all four years of eligibility and gain a level of playing experience that a young team, such as this year’s North Carolina Tar Heels, might lack.As a fan, I always find myself hoping for good results from the mid-majors come tournament time. It’s not just the underdog story, but the brand of basketball that they play. With more experience, the players have had time to find their roles and learn how to fill them. "
"Also, Larranaga doesn’t coach scared. He’ll tell his team to play a zone defense against the defending national champions, even if they only recently installed the zone at practice."
"Granted, it’s easy to stay loose when expectations are low, but there’s no need to begrudge Mason’s players and coaches for it. The lack of pressure is simply an element that helps level things out between the mid-majors and schools like UConn and North Carolina during the tournament. Thankfully, the selection committee gave fans a chance to enjoy it."
