Now that the mayhem that is March Madness has officially come to a close, college basketball fans can take a moment to reflect on one of the most intriguing seasons in recent memory. From the memorable run made by Jameer Nelson and the St. Joseph’s Hawks to Will Bynum’s unforgettable lay-up against Oklahoma State in the Final Four, 2003-04 was truly a year to remember.

While a number of captivating storylines and topics of debate unfolded over the course of the season, the three most compelling and thought-provoking issues of the year, in my opinion, are as follows:

 

East Coast bias has merit

As I sat in the media room of Indianapolis’ Conseco Fieldhouse, huddled around a television set watching CBS’s March 14 coverage of Selection Sunday, a general consensus seemed to be reached between everyone in the room: the Badgers got the shaft, the ACC is overrated and there really is an East Coast bias.

But for all the grumbling that took place following the “travesty” committed by Bob Bowlsby and this year’s selection committee, the six ACC teams represented in this year’s field of 65 all advanced to at least the second round. Add Duke and Georgia Tech’s Final Four appearances and the Yellow Jackets’ victory over Oklahoma State to this feat, and the committee’s respect for the ACC suddenly doesn’t look so foolish.

Did the Badgers deserve better than a six seed? Sure. Despite getting to play in Milwaukee, should they have had to play the best three-seed in the tournament after playing just one game? No. But for as badly as Wisconsin got hosed, the ACC and a supposed East Coast bias are not why the Badgers were slighted.

Of the four teams that received better seeds than UW (Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland and North Carolina State), the only team Badger fans could raise a legitimate beef over is Maryland. But the Terrapins won their conference tournament and beat Wisconsin earlier in the year, so one can see the reasoning behind Bowlsby and friends’ decision. Also, the Big Ten Tournament Championship, which the Badgers won, was never even factored into the committee’s decision.

So, when looking for a scapegoat for Wisconsin’s snubbing, don’t blame the ACC. Blame Florida, Cincinnati and the other obvious “bracket busters.”

 

Early entry good for college basketball

The runs made by Xavier and St. Joseph’s and the strong showings made by Richmond and Dayton in this year’s Big Dance turned the tournament into a showcase for the legitimacy of A-10 basketball. The Musketeers and Hawks both fell just one victory short of the Final Four, and the Spiders and Flyers each gave their first-round foes a run for their money.

It’s the stories and upsets like these that are at the heart of college basketball. Bryce Drew’s heave at the buzzer to drop Mississippi in 1998, Wisconsin’s improbable run to the Final Four in 2000 and UAB downing Kentucky in this year’s tourney are a huge part of what makes March Madness so entertaining.

But had LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh been sporting college uniforms this season, would the four aforementioned A-10 representatives or teams like UAB or Nevada had similar success? Maybe. But the likelihood of these squads making the same amount of noise would be drastically reduced.

Parity is a great thing, and it makes match-ups more intriguing. While the runs made by some of the legendary Kentucky teams and John Wooden’s UCLA squads are ridiculously impressive, giving up dynasties is worth gaining competitive balance.

David versus Goliath clashes are only interesting when Goliath goes down, and the likelihood of dropping a Goliath by the name of Josh Childress or Lawrence Roberts is far greater than defeating one by the name of Kobe, KG or LeBron.

 

Connecticut joins elite company

With their 82-73 victory over Georgia Tech, UConn captured their second national title in the past six seasons. Boasting one of the most solid defensive squads in the country and the best frontline in recent memory, the Huskies finished the regular season as Big East Tournament Champions and capped off the Big Dance with arguably the most coveted prize in all of sports.

With the title, however, so too should come respectability as being one of the nation’s top programs. Over the course of Jim Calhoun’s 18-year tenure as UConn’s head coach, the Huskies have had five 30-win seasons, have amassed 431 victories and have produced a number of solid NBA athletes — most recently, Detroit’s Richard Hamilton.

While Calhoun was cutting down the nets at the Alamodome Monday night, Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewki and Roy Williams were merely idle bystanders, likely reminiscing about their days in the sun.

Calhoun has raised the bar at UConn and has subsequently earned the right to be mentioned in the same breath as these legendary coaches.

His 1999-title team beat a seemingly untouchable Duke squad, which featured the likes of William Avery, Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Shane Battier and Trajan Langdon — which still stands as the best college basketball team I’ve ever seen assembled.

Take that for what it’s worth, but the fact that Connecticut should now be mentioned in the same breath as the Dukes, UCLAs, Kansases and Kentuckys remains.

Just ask Vermont, DePaul, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Duke, Georgia Tech or any team residing in the Big East. They’ll likely tell you the same.