Friday, March 21, 2008

Here we go again...

From the Commercial Appeal today, in case you don't read it I will summarize for you...
-everyone hates Memphis
-everyone picked against Memphis
-some website that nobody has even heard of insulted Memphis
-the Tigers' resume offers the least indication of an early exit from this tournament
-the Tigers like being in the position of nobody picking them

The Tigers played the 107th ranked schedule in the nation according to the Sagarin ratings. I can't believe that people would be more skeptical about them than the other #1's! How could analysts not have had everything proven to them by playing the non-conference games! Come on, Memphis plays in Conference USA and so it is harder to judge them because you have less of a pool of games to construct an opinion of them. It is not their fault, but they played less top 50 teams than any of the 1 seeds and they played most of the big games at home. Memphis did not play one good team in a true road game this season. Again, not their fault but it is the truth. The point is that there is less to draw from when you look at Memphis. I can take a lot more from watching North Carolina play Maryland than from watching Memphis play Tulane because at least the level of athlete is comparable.

This disrespect crap is so tired. Everything today in the paper reads as an indictment of anyone that has not picked Memphis to go to the Final Four. Are the national analysts misinformed? I suppose we will find out very soon. I watched every game this season and have Pittsburgh beating Memphis in the Sweet 16 game. Memphis will prove one way or another if anyone that has doubted them (including me) is right or wrong.