{"id":74583,"date":"2023-03-31T19:48:43","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T19:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/articles.runyourpool.com\/?p=74583"},"modified":"2023-03-31T19:49:12","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T19:49:12","slug":"why-is-this-mens-final-four-so-weird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runyourpool.com\/articles\/2023\/03\/31\/why-is-this-mens-final-four-so-weird\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is This Men\u2019s Final Four So Weird?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We used to pray for times like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/articles.runyourpool.com\/2023\/03\/09\/can-uconn-win-the-national-championship\/\">UConn<\/a>, Miami, San Diego State, and Florida Atlantic \u2013 three first-timers, two mid-majors, and zero top-three seeds. The best part? No blue bloods!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, we were forced to endure Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, and Villanova. That\u2019s three of the bluest bloods around plus the Wildcats, who had won two of the five previous tournaments. Carolina was a No. 8 seed, so we got to pretend it was a Cinderella. Yay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year, college basketball fans are feasting on one of the most unique tournaments ever, which has aptly delivered a masterfully memorable Final Four cast. It\u2019s the sort of national semifinals that would make you roll your eyes when a video game generates it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Three teams will make their men&#39;s Final Four debuts.<br><br>That hasn&#39;t happened in a single year since 1970 ? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pil0pfUhxq\">pic.twitter.com\/pil0pfUhxq<\/a><\/p>&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/espn\/status\/1640355792518889473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 27, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, you can point out that Connecticut has won four national championships since 1999 and is probably on a level right below the blue bloods, and you\u2019d have a point. But at least the Huskies are a No. 4 seed, have not been around this time of year for a decade, and are known as an agent of anarchy. Besides, beggars can\u2019t be choosers \u2013 realistically, it\u2019s not getting any better than this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our awe of the extraordinary, we\u2019d be remiss not to revel in perhaps the greatest unintended consequence of this Final Four, which won\u2019t be felt by laypeople: sad TV executives!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither Texas nor Kentucky is walking through those doors. The suits have to live with two teams in conferences they\u2019ve probably never heard of, a football school, and a cow college in a 15,000-person town. I mean these descriptions with zero malice. Remember, I\u2019m loving this; it\u2019s the execs who aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I write about this sort of thing for a living and i don&#39;t understand why anybody other than a CBS executive should care if the Final Four gets good ratings or not<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Xl3bh7sHbR\">https:\/\/t.co\/Xl3bh7sHbR<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MattBrownEP\/status\/1640413463406157831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 27, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what does it mean? Why is this happening? Are we freed from the chains of champions past, no longer under the boot of the blue-blood oligarchy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No, definitely not. Drink this in, because it\u2019s not something that will happen again. The stars have aligned, but they won\u2019t put the status quo six feet deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re witnessing the culmination of Covid eligibility waivers, the transfer portal, and barely-regulated NIL all jumbled up together to create this insane warp that won\u2019t exist forever. The most adaptive will always thrive best, and programs that maximized these opportunities have reaped the rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These abnormalities are felt in each Final Four side this season. To varying degrees, all schools are getting in on NIL, but Miami in particular<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportingnews.com\/us\/ncaa-basketball\/news\/miami-nil-recruitment-nijel-pack-isaiah-wong-norchad-omier\/o7ac30reiefjqbki57rhmgnk\"> stood out as a big spender last offseason<\/a>, and transfers from other Division I programs and fifth-year players are rampant in each roster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Billionaire John Ruiz invested millions of dollars in both Miami (FL) men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball teams. <br><br>Handed out massive NIL deals to the Cavinder twins, Nijel Pack, Isaiah Wong, etc. Now both programs are in the Elite 8. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#MarchMadness<\/a> <br><br>Truly a new era of college sports. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/edIfTwn7Ht\">pic.twitter.com\/edIfTwn7Ht<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TonyLiebert\/status\/1639438322249375746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 25, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are the players whom you\u2019ll see this Saturday, all because of these conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>San Diego State<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Transfers:<\/strong> Matt Bradley (California, 2021), Darrion Trammell (Seattle, 2022), Jaedon LeDee (TCU, 2022), Micah Parrish (Oakland, 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fifth-Year Players:<\/strong> Matt Bradley, Nathan Mensah, Adam Seiko, Aguek Arop<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Darrion Trammell got a call from his father congratulating him on getting most outstanding player \u2764\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#MarchMadness<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WWpePx9vPn\">pic.twitter.com\/WWpePx9vPn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarchMadnessMBB\/status\/1640104738443124739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 26, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Florida Atlantic<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Transfers:<\/strong> Vlad Goldin (Texas Tech, 2021), Bryan Greenlee (Minnesota, 2020), Jalen Gaffney (UConn, 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fifth-Year Players:<\/strong> Michael Forrest<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Miami<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Transfers:<\/strong> Jordan Miller (George Mason, 2021), Nijel Pack (Kansas State, 2022), Norchad Omier (Arkansas State, 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fifth-Year Players:<\/strong> Jordan Miller<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y3vTsyHhJ5s\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>UConn<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Transfers:<\/strong> Tristen Newton (East Carolina, 2022), Joey Calcaterra (San Diego, 2022), Naheim Alleyne (Virginia Tech, 2022), Hassan Diarra (Texas A&amp;M, 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fifth-Year Players:<\/strong> Joey Calcaterra<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Final Four does not look like this if not for the environment everyone is undergoing right now. There is no substitute for experience. Miami wouldn\u2019t have the guards it does, UConn would lack depth, Florida Atlantic wouldn\u2019t be as good on the glass, and San Diego State would be fielding a lot of freshmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will end, though. At some point, NIL will become more regulated. The transfer portal seems likely to stay, but the granting of extra eligibility for surviving the pandemic will stop. There will be more certainty, which means less chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mid-major is guaranteed to play in the national championship, and only one of these Final Four participants has ever been here before. Florida Atlantic had never even won a tournament game before this March. We might get an all-south Florida final. We\u2019re in the midst of something truly special, and it\u2019s on us to appreciate the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t worry, CBS and Turner executives, we\u2019ll be back to the usual suspects in no time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Where have all the blue bloods gone? This Final Four is weird, to say the least. What got us to this point?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":74584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[797,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-ncaa-mens-basketball"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Is This Men\u2019s Final Four So Weird? | The Poolside Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Where have all the blue bloods gone? This Final Four is weird, to say the least. 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