So with this Final Four, do people still believe the best team wins the title?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't think it's pointless or people wouldn't participate in it.  The divergence of opinions here also suggests there was no conclusion....a topic that people can't agree on.

I'm in the camp that the tournament crowns a tournament champion. I also agree with Al McGuire, Jay Bilas, etc, etc that the best team doesn't always win the title...that's also why I love the tournament because anything can happen.  In sports where a 5 or 7 game series happens, I believe you truly getting the BEST team to win the title.  Not the case here and that's just fine.

No Big Conference whining either. In fact, I don't see where that fits into it at all.  I want MORE mid majors into the tournament, not less.  The more the better.  I love that we have a tournament and can determine a tournament champion.  I hearken back to the Indiana high school tournament when there were no class championships like there are today.  Shame they got rid of it.

[Lennys Tap]

Agreed, it sounds like whining from the power conferences (or from people who's brackets are busted).  In terms of the power conferences/teams - they needed to step up and beat the "not the best teams" if they wanted to keep playing.  They didn't, end of story.

Agreed. The tournament is stacked to give the "best" teams the easiest routes. They play a cupcake in round one and are usually close to home for rounds one and two. So they have to win 2 or at most 3 "real games" to reach the final 4. Butler had to win 4 and VCU had to win 5. Pretty hard to make the case that your the "best" team when you're run over by a 5 seed (Duke) or gag big time in the spotlight against an 11 seed (Kansas). Usually when there's a true best team in college basketball that team wins the tournament (see Florida twice recently, UNC vs Illinois, all those UCLA teams, etc). Sometimes the true "best team" lose in the championship game (Gtown vs Villanova or Houston vs NC State). I can't remember a team I'd call the "best team" losing in the second or third round, maybe because that's a disqualifier. Maybe this year, like many others, won't produce a "best team". To me that's not important since it will produce a champion.

[Lennys Tap]

In sports where a 5 or 7 game series happens, I believe you truly getting the BEST team to win the title.  Not the case here and that's just fine.

Simply not true. The 1960 Yankees that lost the World Series to Pittsbugh were the vastly superior team. The Twins and Cardinals have won World Series' titles recently after barely .500+ seasons. A hot goalie can routinely power an 8 seed past a 1 in the Stanley Cup. Too many examples to mention that prove your statement false.

[Coleman]

Simply not true. The 1960 Yankees that lost the World Series to Pittsbugh were the vastly superior team. The Twins and Cardinals have won World Series' titles recently after barely .500+ seasons. A hot goalie can routinely power an 8 seed past a 1 in the Stanley Cup. Too many examples to mention that prove your statement false.

+1

2006 Cardinals is a great example. Beat the Tigers, a vastly superior team during the regular season, 4 games to 1

[ChicosBailBonds]

A lot of great stuff this weekend on this topic.  Right on target


http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/03/31/1945449/this-seasons-ncaa-champion-wont.html

http://isportsweb.com/2011/03/28/ncaa-tournament-perspective-the-best-team-doesnt-always-win/

http://sujuiceonline.com/2011/03/24/jay-bilas-espn-ncaa-tournament/

[MerrittsMustache]

UConn was not the best team all season, but they were the best team when it mattered most. In the end, that's what counts.

[Dr. Blackheart]

26-2 in points in the paint. 

It's a guard's game...and it was ugly.

[marquette99]

When I left the bradley center after they smoked us I told the people I was with they would win the title.  Obviously a gew weeks later I didn't believe that any more.  They were the best team for several stretches this year including the end, but clearly not overall this year.

[wadesworld]

When I left the bradley center after they smoked us I told the people I was with they would win the title.  Obviously a gew weeks later I didn't believe that any more.  They were the best team for several stretches this year including the end, but clearly not overall this year.

23-0 outside of the Big East for them...

[avid1010]

Hard to argue they weren't the best team.  They won their preseason tournament, won the BEAST tournament and then won the NCAA tournament.  I believe Calhoun used the season to prepare them for tournament play, took some lumps as he developed his extremely young team, and put a solid group of role players around his aircraft carrier.  That team just wasn't going to lose in a tournament setting this year.

[ATWizJr]

26-2 in points in the paint. 

It's a guard's game...and it was ugly.

Yeah, I wonder if Kellogg still thinks that Butler had a decisive edge in the frontcourt?  Inane.

[CTWarrior]

23-0 outside of the Big East for them...

Really only 17-0.  They were 15-9 vs Big East if you count postseason tournaments (5-0 BET, 1-0 NCAA)

[HouWarrior]

History records Uconn as the Champion. The champion is the best. It is unfair to a competitive sport to diminish, the on field winner by including losers on their pedastal, even in theory. The rest are engaging in a what if, losers argument serving no purpose. Whether you're the best team is an on  paper barroom discussion.
I am a huge UH Phi Slamma Jamma fan,...the "best" team, many say,  to not win the NCAA. So what.
NC State won the NCAA. The loss stings. But, I have never argued with any NC State alum...but...we were the better team. BS,...they won, we hurt....but the champion deserves all recognition.

As Packer fans would you accept this Super Bowl win, as lesser, subordinate, and inferior to that of  say the 1985 Bears....because the Bears, that year, were clearly the best.

Unlike much of life, where things arent clear, nor decided, in sports, thankfully, the champion is the best, that year.

[tower912]

I believe the hottest team won the title.   11 wins in 28 days?  Kemba?   Throw in never losing against a team outside the BEast and I am completely comfortable with UConn being called national champion. 

[Mr. Nielsen]

Funny thing was for UConn, they were a cold team heading in the Big East toury.

[Stuckin1977]

  Yeah, I wonder if Kellogg still thinks that Butler had a decisive edge in the frontcourt?  Inane.

No kidding.  It felt like every other shot Butler took was blocked by Oriakhi or Smith.

[Lennys Tap]

UCONN certainly earned the right to be called the best team in the country outside of the Big East. Their 17-0 non conference record included a road win against Big 12 runner up Texas, two neutral court wins over SEC best Kentucky, a neutral court win over PAC 10 champ Arizona and a neutral court win over (at the time) Big 10 favorite Michigan State. No other team in the coutry has a non conference record that comes close to that. Given that they redeemed their struggles from the meat grinder that is the Big East regular season by winning the conference tournament, I'd say they earned the right to be called the best.

Side note. When Bobby Knight said it would be harder to win the Big East tourney than the NCAAs a lot of people laughed. Looks like he may have been right.

[MU B2002]

... and put a solid group of role players around his aircraft carrier. 

I would argue that POY candidate Kemba Walker is a little more than a role player.

[TheDOC816]

In general I like to see the "best" teams fight it out in the final four but I think as long as you have excitement in a tournament who really cares?  I think that applies to all sports really

[Stuckin1977]

I would argue that POY candidate Kemba Walker is a little more than a role player.

Kemba is a role player, it's just a really big role!

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

The tournament is the finite end to the season that is known in advance.

So, while sometimes the "hottest" team wins, we need to keep in mind that coaches and players know that they need to play their best in March to win the title.

A young team like UCONN did start out hot, but experienced growing pains all season.

Credit to them for improving and playing their best ball in March.

[CTWarrior]

+1

2006 Cardinals is a great example. Beat the Tigers, a vastly superior team during the regular season, 4 games to 1

Baseball is a different sport.  The very worst teams still win 1/3 of their games and the very best teams lose 1/3 of their games, which isn't true in the other major sports.  I think the NBA is the one US league where the best team wins the vast majority of the time, unless Mark Cuban or someone else who has crossed David Stern owns them.

[TheDOC816]

Baseball is a different sport.  The very worst teams still win 1/3 of their games and the very best teams lose 1/3 of their games, which isn't true in the other major sports.  I think the NBA is the one US league where the best team wins the vast majority of the time, unless Mark Cuban or someone else who has crossed David Stern owns them.

I think part of that is due to the playoff system in the NBA.  7 Game series throughout really favors the better team because if given enough tries they will pull things out.  Granted hockey and baseball have 7 game series but in baseball one game isn't a fair thing because of the amount of pitchers that can affect a series.  Hockey if your goalie is having a terrible night there is not much you can do about it. But in basketball more so than in other sports on player's off night can be covered by other players.