Wahoo Wire

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VCU & Head Coach Shaka Smart

Who could possibly be hotter than the VCU and head coach Shaka Smart right now? Smart has guided the Rams on an incredibly improbable run from the play-in round all the way to the Final Four. They have defeated teams from 5 different power conferences: USC (Pac-10), Georgetown (Big East), Purdue (Big 10), Florida State (ACC) and #1 seed Kansas (Big 12).  At the start of the tournament, ESPN analysts cried foul that VCU got in, citing power schools like Colorado and Virginia Tech with better resumes. Therein lies the beauty of March Madness, as VCU has willfully played the role of Cinderella and shown the country that pedigree and recruiting future NBA players doesn’t always matter. It’s tough not to root for VCU as they head to Houston this coming weekend, hoping that their magical run can continue one more round.

Derrick Williams, PF Arizona

Williams’ Arizona Wildcats may have lost to UConn in the Elite 8, however Williams’ stellar play throughout the tournament has him shooting up many NBA Draft boards. Williams was an absolute monster in the ‘Cats Sweet 16 victory over Duke, posting 32 points and 13 boards. This tournament, Williams has really showcased the versatility of his game, from stroking 3’s to poster-worthy dunks. Look for Williams to be a top-3 pick in this year’s NBA draft.

Stock Down

The Jimmer

BYU star guard Jimmer Fredette’s stock is down this week, after his lackluster performance in BYU’s Sweet 16 loss to the Florida Gators. Jimmer scored a game-high 32 points, but was 11-29 from the field and 3-15 from downtown. Fredette was forced into a number of bad shots in the overtime period and was visibly bothered by the Gators’ stifling and physical defense. Perhaps the expectations on Jimmer were unfair, as he did score 30 of BYU’s last 42 points, demonstrating the ability to put the team on his shoulders. However, scouts will remember most his inability to produce in overtime, when it most mattered.

Chalk

In this year’s tourney, the vast majority of people went chalk with their brackets, including President Obama. For those of you unsure of what chalk is, it simply means choosing all the favorites, thus having all #1 seeds advance to the Final Four. Pitt was the first to go, after one of the most idiotic late-game fouls that essentially handed Butler a victory on a silver platter. Ohio State fell to an upstart Kentucky team in the Sweet 16, as did Duke to Arizona. Kansas was the only one to advance to the Elite 8, where they were trounced by VCU. Once the Final Four was set, there were a lot of tears and busted brackets, as no #1 or #2 seeds were able to advance. Parity is back in college basketball, much to the chagrin of the average Joe’s trying to win their office pool.