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| | Wednesday, February 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After uncovering the ESPN.com supercomputers from the deluge of Cinderella Watch email, we've skimmed off the best responses for your enjoyment and edification.
A couple reminders, however. First, North Carolina will never, ever be a Cinderella story. One user (you know who you are) nominated the Heels for slipper status. Hello? Are we talking about the same baby blue-clad boys from Chapel Hill? North Carolina should be more concerned with getting to the NCAA Tournament in the first place, and not its image once it gets there. Second, if you don't put your name, city and state, we won't print your response no matter how persuasive and well-written. A response from E. Hemingway from Springfield (Massachusetts? Illinois? Missouri? Oregon? Ohio?) will meet the recycle bin just as quickly as GoDons from San Francisco. With that being said, on to the masses!
What more of a Cinderella team could there be than what Matt Doherty has done for the moribund Fighting Irish? Notre Dame basketball has been so bad I doubt if in the '90s it could have contended for a spot in the NJCAA tourney or the NAIA.
Terry O'Keefe
Although perennial powers like Stanford, Arizona, and UCLA get their share of press, West Coast teams are consistently overlooked by the national media. Newspapers in the East and Midwest frequently report West Coast scores as "late game" but have no follow-up the next day when they clearly have access to the information. This lack of focus on the national scene is what allows teams that are known to be good on the West Coast to be Cinderellas when the tournament rolls around. In early voting for the first week of the Cinderella watch the three West Coast teams totaled a cumulative 12.3 percent while the five other teams garnered the remaining 87.7 percent of the votes. As long as people don't pay attention to what goes on in the West there will be West Coast Cinderellas that catch the "experts" off guard.
Andrew Hanson How can USC not be considered as a Cinderella team? Nobody predicted the Trojans to do anything in the Pac-10 but they are in the driver's seat. They have already beaten UCLA and Arizona pretty handily and are definitely going to be in the tournament.
David Wang
Saint Bonaventure...as the story goes, a Cinderella team is one that you would never ever expect to even be where they are. Where were the Bonnies predicted to finish? I (and many others) think that they are the St. Louis Rams of the NCAA.
John Hartwick
I love Cinderellas in the tournament. Usually, I start the year off with a Cinderella. This year you can't overlook Samford. The Bulldogs should be in the Watch every week as we all know they'll be in the tournament.
Travis Samulski
Vandy players deserve the ranking, but Kevin Stallings deserves the recognition. Keep an eye on his old stomping grounds, the MVC, to produce a few more Cinderella stories. Tom Houlihan Nashville, Tenn.
I can't really argue with your selections (except Vandy -- keep the major conferences off the list!), but there is one team that I think is missing: Cleveland State. They're off to their best conference start in years, have beat Dayton and played Temple and St. Bonaventure tough, and have recovered strongly from a 1-5 start. There's some solid talent on the team, and the Vikings are coached by the man who authored the best Cinderella story in NCAA history: Rollie Massimino, for Villanova in 1985.
Steve Kornacki
How in the world did BYU get left off that list? They have gone from one win two seasons ago, to a record of 14-3, with victories over UNLV at UNLV, Arizona State, Weber State, Colorado State and Wyoming. They have played every game tough and beat many quality teams. They easily deserve to be mentioned as one of the Cinderella teams.
Josh Child
Why do you guys hate USC so much? They are in first place in the Pac-10, defeated the No. 2 team in the country (at the time) and they still don't make your Top 25. Then they are not even good enough to make your Cinderella Watch? Oh wait, sorry, you did mention that Long Beach State beat them.
Michael Fauver
Thank you so much for giving the University of Dayton some much due respect. After knocking off New Mexico at The Pit and then beating Kentucky, I was beginning to wondering if anyone remembered who the Flyers are. With any luck we'll see the Flyers move off this list and into the middle of the contenders. Thank you!
Delaware, Ohio
Is it because that the talented Cyclone men are in the middle of the country or are the tremendous Cyclone women too overshadowing? For some reason no one seems to realize that Iowa State has a very talented squad. They have played to a 16-3 record with one of those losses coming to Cincinnati, whom they were with until the end, and the other coming at the hands of a very good Oklahoma team -- in double overtime in Norman! Admittedly, the schedule has not been as potent as it will become later this season, but even with that being said, their current RPI is 23. I would hope that if they can handle a hot Texas A&M team and get a win against Kansas, you guys would forget about the fact that they do not play in front of large television audiences and consider them a serious team. The thousands that pack Hilton Coliseum think this team is for real and I think the guys that make up this deserve some credit.
Matt Van Horn
I have to wonder why BYU was stood up by the editors who compiled your list of teams on their way up to the big dance. True, BYU (1-26 two seasons ago) has still a ways to go to reach its glory day of yesteryear, but the Cougars are turning a lot of heads. One writer gave them a preseason ranking of 200th in the nation. Well, unfortunately for that writer, the young and undersized Cougars are currently 14-3 and are tied (with New Mexico) for second place in the Mountain West. They have recorded big wins at UNLV and at Arizona St. (yes, the fabled game when Eddie House went 0-fer thanks in large part to BYU's D). BYU's RPI ranking is currently 20th, easily the highest in the conference. And through the first half of the season, BYU has seen two legitimate, if unheralded stars emerge in Terrel Lyday and Mekely Wesely. So, if only for the credibility of your list, I hope the Cougars find themselves on it soon.
Peter Gardner Are the voters just not conscious of the legitimate talent that the Dayton Flyers possess? I look at them and I see a definite top 25 team right now. Maybe they will struggle down the stretch, but at this moment I cannot believe that they are not in the top 25. Brooks Hall is the most underrated freshman I have ever seen. His play, along with the quickness at guard, athleticism at forward, and intelligent leadership at center, make for a formidable opponent for anyone come tournament time.
Scott Blankenship
The list isn't bad, but some of them would be difficult to describe as "Cinderella" teams considering their conferences and traditions. One school in the subject category might very well be the University of Delaware. While not having its starting five together yet all season, Delaware still recently managed to beat Alabama and only lost to Arizona on its home court by 12 despite two starters out. They are a senior- and junior-laden team that plays good defense. Watch out for the Hens.
John Cawley
Are you watching UVA? You will be in March.
Carol Hosbeck
These people have no idea what they are voting for. I've seen Vanderbilt play five times this year; they are a very good basketball team. They are not a Cinderella. St. Bonaventure is a Cinderella. How many of you even know what state St. Bonaventure is in?
Jerry McAfee
If St. Bonaventure is somehow seeded in the East regional, playing the first two rounds in Buffalo, Don't be surprised if the make the Final Four. Buffalo, a mere hour-and-a-half away, would be a home game (and not outlawed by the NCAA bracket rules). And Syracuse, the site of the East regional final, is four hours away. The Bonnies wouldn't have to leave their home state until Indy. The students -- much like Grateful Dead fans -- will follow this team anywhere. The place will be rockin' with a chorus of "Let's Go Bona's" during the other teams' games, and most likely, before the National Anthem.
Jack Schmacky
Watch BYU these next two weeks -- that will determine how good the Cougars really are. They play at Utah and New Mexico among their four road games. If they can win at least three, it will be a success and should gain them more national respect, maybe a spot on the Cinderella list.
Jared Jensen
Hey your viewers are showing that East Coast bias again. The WCC and Big West have solid leaders but are relegated to the bottom of your poll. Hey viewers, basketball exists past the Mississippi River!
Patrick McDevitt
The Cinderella Watch gave crazy props to the Golden Flashes last year and it's good to see you starting off where you finished. Don't let a loss to Akron fool you, they had an extremely off day. This team woulda coulda shoulda beat Michigan in Ann Arbor and handled St. Bonaventure on the road, too. They should keep sailing right into the tourney for the second straight year. P.S. -- Don't underrate the MAC.
Mark Hovencamp
The Cinderella Watch is nice, but a little early. If you started two weeks later then maybe some of the dust would settle and we would see the true colors of teams like Dayton and the Bonnies.
Thomas Rice
I have two words for you, SMU. Or is that three words? Wait, those aren't words at all. Go Mustangs!
D. Wilson
Hey, how about a mention for Bowling Green. You talk about how strong the MAC is (it just doesn't get the media attention) -- well, how about Bowling Green.With a win tonight over Kent, the Falcons will distance themselves from the pack. Not to mention that they are second in the nation in field goal percentage. They deserve to be considered a definite Cinderella team!
Brian Seevers
I will never watch ESPN or surf this site again if Akron ever gets on this list. Jami Bosley is a thug, and I hope he enjoyed watching Ohio State in the Final Four last year. I'll be sure to lock up my car when the Zips come to town on Feb 19.
Zach Fraatz | ALSO SEE Cinderella Watch: Week 1  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
