The Sixth Man (7/14/10)
College basketball brought to you by the first man off the bench.
The NCAA has expanded the tournament. Not to 96 teams like was once discussed…thankfully. By three teams to be exact. But they did so in a most interesting way. Instead of just pitting eight teams against one another fighting for the four #16 seeds, the NCAA decided that the eight playing to get in will include four at-large teams and four automatic qualifiers. The four automatic qualifiers will play each other to determine two of the #16 seeds like the play-in game we are all used to and tend to ignore in most of the brackets we fill out. But the at-large teams will be treated slightly differently. Teams with similar resumes will be matched and will be playing each other for either a #10, #11, or #12 seed. The two games could be played for different seeds, but odds are they’ll stay within those three spots. This definitely creates an interesting twist to the play-in games and gives those #5, #6, and #7 seeds something to possibly worry about. Interesting expansion move.
Tennessee has added a player with plenty of experience that they hope will be eligible to play right away. Forward Josh Fields will join the Vols after completing his undergraduate degree from UNC-Wilmington. Fields started his career at ECU, so when all is said and done, he’ll have quite the college jersey collection. Coming in at the grad school level, Fields should be able to play immediately. The NCAA has to approve it, but they typically do in situations like this. A good rebounder, Fields will have one year with Tennessee and hopes to help them advance deep into the NCAA tournament. Hopefully he’s a character guy that leaves a good impression on the program. Okay not hopefully. After all, I’m a Florida fan, but Fields should be a good addition to the Vols both on and off the court.
Frank Haith is a little overconfident about the impact LeBron James and the new look Miami Heat will have on his Miami basketball program. While the new and improved Heat are good for the city, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good for the Hurricanes. Take a look at some of the last few national champions – Duke, UNC, Kansas, Florida. All schools from towns without NBA powers. The superstar status of the Heat is something that brings an intrigue to Miami, but not enough to suddenly sway the balance in the ACC. With kids looking for the best springboard to the NBA, they will continue to look to the programs that put quality players in the league. Having James and company in the same city doesn’t hurt Haith and the Canes, but it doesn’t help them as much as the coach thinks it does either.
John Henson’s stay in Tampa was short. He came to Sickles and then quickly made his way to UNC. After averaging 16 minutes a game as a freshman with the Tar Heels, Henson is looking to make a big impact as a sophomore. The 6’10” forward needs to bulk up. Since arriving at UNC, Henson has put on 27 pounds, but hopes there’s more where that comes from. Henson still has a small frame that can get him pushed around by larger big men. He hopes the added bulk will only improve his game and allow him to become one of the better forwards in the ACC. The plus is all he gets to eat. Henson eating six or seven meals a day. Something some of us dream of.