The reality of College Basketball

Listening to the John DiTullio Show this morning and the truth was aired. DiTullio was interviewing Cornell's men's basketball coach Steve Donahue, talking about the teams tight first half against Memphis. However, the topic turned away from the game, rather to recruiting.

Recruiting is vital to a teams program, everybody knows that. It's the very reason teams like UCLA, Duke, UNC, even Syracuse survive in NCAA basketball. Donahue laid it all out for teams like Cornell, like Davidson, like George Mason. They have no chance of winning the NCAA title. No chance, for most of these teams, getting as far as you can, how deep in the tourney you can go is the goal. It's realistic, it's not an overly optimistic goal, but it's recruiting.

You're a blue chip recruit at a Rochester school. You play power forward/center, 6'9'', you dominate the glass, have a decent shot, you block shots, have great court vision. To top it off you are a B+/A student. Three schools from the area are hard on you. Canisius, Cornell and Syracuse.

Being rather smart and perceptive to your situation as a NCAA basketball recruit, you automatically throw out the material from Canisius. That school is not going to take you anywhere. When the hell have they been in tourney? Heck Niagara was in a few years ago courtesy of a last day win.

Then it comes to Cornell. Granted your a B+/A student, you're not an A+ student, because Cornell is a great institution. It is the easiest Ivy to get into but even at 24% acceptance rate it's a little tricky. But then again, maybe you think you have a future in the Association. Ivy Leagues hardly make a dent in the tournament where a lot of kids get discovered or lost. Guy like Jameer Nelson benefited from taking a small school deep in the tournament and having a high profile team all year.

Finally we get to Syracuse. Jimmy B shows up, the man has hundreds of wins. He got John Wallace, remember him. You probably played against his high school. You know they won the 2003 NCAA title. You are surrounded by Cuse fans. You've gone to the Dome, maybe played there. Many guys have gone from Cuse to the Association; Wallace, Rony Seikaly, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens. You have a proven program, alumni who have succeeded to the next level, a great coach with a legacy of winning.

We would love to believe that any team could win, we want that Hoosiers story. While it is always possible, we need to always consider that sometimes the better team on paper will always win the biggest game.


ROC SPORTS NET 2009