Requiem for Wichita State (And Other March Madness thoughts)

Wichita State finally lost their first game of the year, as most expected.  There have been some voices who feel vindicated because WSU didn't survive the first weekend. I'll politely say that those folks are idiots who want to feel smart because this plucky mid-major didn't deserve the attention they got.

So Wichita State didn't play a tough schedule. Do folks realize how hard it is for teams to win every single game? Only two teams in my lifetime have gone perfect through the regular season (1991 UNLV, 2004 St Joseph's before the conference tournament).

2008 Memphis - maybe the best team I've witnessed since 1999 Duke - lost one game prior to the national title game. 2012 Kentucky lost one before they lost again in the SEC title game. I don't care who you are, to win every game is not easy regardless of schedule. One bad game and that's a wrap.

I compare it to watching the No. 1 high school team in California this weekend. Mater Dei is 34-0 and heading to their fourth straight state final appearance. They've played through a tough nonleague schedule, a league that included a fellow state finalist in St. John Bosco and one of the toughest playoff roads in the nation.

Andrew Wiggins: Hype and Patience

The story of college basketball this year? A kid who has yet to play his first game. The latest in the line of freshmen blessed to have the spotlight on him and given all the praise. Andrew Wiggins. The Golden Child who makes his debut tonight for Kansas.

He's also set up to be the latest in the Hype Machine. You know that machine right? Where 24/7 media can amplify the noise and shape the conversation whether it's fair or not. Where legend transcends fact and facts become enhanced like plastic surgery. Where patience is sacrificed for the right now.

I knew about Wiggins last year but you know who I knew about more? Jabari Parker. In case you forgot, Parker was the SI cover boy about 18 months ago as the clear cut best basketball player in his class. He was the latest Chicago product following the line of greats like Derrick Rose, Nick Anderson, Ronnie Fields, Ben Wilson and others.

All a sudden, he became an afterthought due to him getting hurt his senior year. But to me, he's every bit as good as Wiggins. I've also spoken to colleagues who also say Julius Randle, the best freshman in Kentucky's new stable, is just as good as both too. And don't sleep on Arizona's Aaron Gordon either, who I've seen tear up Cali since he was a sophomore. Case in point, we have a very good freshman class where Wiggins is the star.