The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 13

With the season upon us and Gardner Webbmania in full force, it’s only natural to ask what is leading to the rash of upsets and near misses we’ve seen in the exhibition and preseason tournament games played to this point. Here are 6 factors I think are driving this phenomenon:

1. Motivation. No coach goes into a game without wanting to win. However, big time schools are using exhibitions to experiment. Their lower division opponents, on the other hand, are treating these games like their own personal Final Four.

2. Population. This one’s simple. America’s gotten larger over the years. That means more good basketball players to go around.

3. Fear. The worst feeling in the world for a team is to look up at the scoreboard with 10 minutes to go and realize they’re in a dogfight with a supposedly inferior opponent. Kentucky was visably shaken coming down the stretch against Gardner-Webb.

4. Coaching. The quality of coaching across college basketball is constantly improving. Guys who used to turn to Wall Street or the legal profession are now pursuing coaching, due to the explosion in salaries. More good coaches=More teams capable of pulling an upset.

5. Youth. The common thread through the three main upsets, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Kentucky, is that each team is working multiple freshmen into their rotation. That leads to sloppy play, which helps keep the less athletically talented teams in these games.

6. The 3 Point Shot. The great equalizer. Every time Kentucky appeared poised to make a move, G-W seemed to hit a three or get a backdoor layup because UK was overplaying the arc. The 3 gives teams with less size and athleticism a weapon to combat the points they give up on offensive rebounds.

One reminder to all those burying the Wildcats, Buckeyes, and Spartans. In 1980-81, Indiana lost to Texas-Pan American. The Hoosiers were so destroyed by that loss that they went on to win the NCAA Tournament. UK, OSU, and MSU will all be in the tournament field come March.

Until next week, stay classy, Volnation.