NCAA Championship Preview: Tradition vs. Street Ball

The curtain will soon fall on yet another college basketball season.

Surprises were plentiful as both finalists from last season’s NCAA championship – Florida and Ohio State – failed to be selected in this year’s big dance. Indiana, a storied basketball powerhouse has fallen from grace amidst a recruiting scandal which cost former coach Kelvin Sampson his job, and possibly his career. And, can we not forget about Stephen Curry?

And what about the incomparable freshman class that could be the top five picks in this summer’s NBA draft: Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo.

After six months of blood, sweat and tears, there is just one game left. Two teams are left standing and in just a few hours we will be celebrating a new college basketball champion.

Kansas and Memphis have traveled different paths with diverse backgrounds. Tonight, one school will leave San Antonio as champion while the other will have to head home with their tales tucked between their legs.

Ladies and gentlemen, get comfortable because tonight's main event will be a dandy. But first, let’s meet the teams.

Kansas (36-3) needs no introduction. They are a perennial powerhouse from the Big 12. They are the third winningest program in college basketball history. They have appeared in 13 Final Fours and cut down the nets in 1952 and 1988.

But, despite all their previous success, the past is just that – the past.

The Jayhawks have played their way into tonight’s title game because of balance, balance and more balance.

Four players average double figures with Brandon Rush leading the way at 13.4 a game, but will that be enough to stop the flurrying Memphis Tigers?

Kansas also has the experience needed by today’s standards to win the championship.

Rush and Mario Chalmers – the two leading scorers for Kansas – are both juniors. Starting point guard Russell Robinson and the fourth-leading scorer Darnell Jackson are seniors. Sophomore Darrell Arthur is the lone underclassman in Kansas’s starting lineup.

A balanced ball club with experience is a deadly combination to have, which is why Kansas head coach Bill Self should feel confident heading into his first championship appearance.

They Jayhawks are the sexy pick. They are the safe pick. They are the traditional pick.

Perhaps Kansas is just too traditional.

Despite reaching the title game seven times – which would be impressive and admirable to the honest observer – they come up empty too often.

It is hard to call a program with 1,942 wins overrated, but in Kansas’ case, when it comes to “the big game,” they are tremendously overrated. Consider all of the great players that have donned the Jayhawk uniform but have nothing to show for it:

Nick Collison, Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Kirk Hinrich, Mark Randall, Wayne Simien, Drew Gooden. The list can go on and on. Even Wilt Chamberlain was unable to lead Kansas to the promise land in the late ‘50s.

Kansas has also had an impressive fraternity of legendary coaches. Roy Williams. Larry Brown. Phog Allen, whom Kansas named its basketball field house after. And, we must not forget Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball.

This is Self’s first championship game appearance. After several near-misses at Tulsa and Illinois, Self finally got over the hump and reached a Final Four, but Kansas needs and deserves more than a Final Four apperance. A win tonight and Self can begin to write his place into history and align his name with Naismith, Allen, Brown and Williams. But a loss and he might be writing his own obituary.

On the other end of the court we have Memphis (38-1) from Conference USA, who takes a street-ball mentality and attitude into tonight’s championship. Memphis is just the second school since 1998 from a non-power conference (Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, Pac-10, SEC) to play for a national championship. You have to go back 10 years when Utah from the WAC played for the national title.

Memphis’ starting five looks more like a police line-up than five student athletes preparing for the biggest night in their young lives.

Despite their appearance, Memphis is 40 minutes away from the school’s first men’s basketball championship and nobody can take that away from them.

Memphis is the poster-child for the new brand of college athlete. Derrick Rose, their star freshman point guard, will lead the Tigers into Monday’s title game having just played perhaps the greatest and most all-around game a freshman has ever played on a stage as large as the Final Four.

25 points. 9 rebounds. 4 assists. 11-12 from the free-throw line.

Remember, just a freshman, folks.

Rose, perhaps the most polished gem of this year’s freshman class, has taken his team under his wing. Yes, I said it. HIS TEAM.

Kansas has a balanced attack. Memphis has a powerful 1-2 punch.

Which is more beneficial to winning a championship?

Rose makes the dazzling moves and shakes the defenders with a killer crossover, but junior Chris Douglas-Roberts is the heart and soul of the Tigers.

Douglas-Roberts scored 28 points to lead Memphis in Saturday’s semifinal win over UCLA, and he will need another stellar performance if he hopes to cut down the nets tonight.

Memphis is years away from being considered one of college basketball’s elite teams, but them playing in tonight’s championship is justified by their resume.

Nobody can argue the Tigers play in a weak conference, but look at who they have beaten outside of their conference:

They beat up on eventual tournament participants Oklahoma, UCONN, USC, Georgetown, Arizona and Gonzaga by a combined 60 points.

And aside from a three-point victory over Mississippi State in the second round, the Tigers have cruised through the NCAA tourney virtually unscathed.

They knocked off three top-20 ranked opponents in Michigan State, Texas and UCLA by an average margin of 17 points.

And remember, they are a 4-point loss to Tennessee away from being just the 14th school to enter the tournament undefeated. Instead, they had to settle for being the 20th team to enter the tournament with one loss.

Memphis is for real.

They are new to the spotlight, but they are poised. They are tough. They are aggressive. They are fast. But most importantly, they are big. They’re three starting guards, Rose, Antonio Anderson and Douglas-Roberts are 6’3, 6’6 and 6’7, respectively. Their two starting big men, Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier, both stand 6’9. Will Kansas be able to compete with Memphis’ size and ferociousness?

Success may be new to the Memphis basketball program, but their coach John Calipari took a Marcus Camby-led UMass team to the 1996 Final Four, where they lost to eventual champion Kentucky.

So what does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. That is why they play the game.

Rush could twist his ankle in the first half. Dozier and Dorsey could be forced to the bench with early foul trouble. Somebody could get hot from behind the arc. Kansas has not forgotten their last title game appearance in 2003 when Syracuse freshman Gerry McNamara drained six 3-pointers in the first half en route to the title.

Despite all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four, everybody assumed North Carolina and UCLA would meet for the title while Memphis and Kansas would settle for the consolation prize.

UNC and UCLA exit stage right. Kansas and Memphis, the floor is yours. Enjoy it. Cherish it. Live it up because life is short so appreciate this opportunity while you can.

DFRESH PREDICTION: As mentioned before, Memphis has cruised throughout the tournament. They are high flying and playing with confidence. Their multiple double-digit victories have allowed them to relax and rest. They are peaking at the perfect time.

On the other hand, Kansas is reeling. They had to withstand an overachieving Davidson squad in the regional final and nearly blew a 28-point lead to UNC on Saturday. Kansas looked impressive early and late against UNC, but it takes a full 40 minutes of basketball to be crowned national champion.

Memphis has all the momentum flowing in their direction, and they will use their size advantage in the paint and on the perimeter until Kansas crumbles into submission.

Elvis is leaving the building…with the national championship.

Memphis 84, Kansas 70