Post CBB Season Recap

You may not like to watch college basketball, but as a fan of basketball, it is imperative that you admire the amount of upsets in this past season. This past season had countless upsets, and there was no dull moment to it. The season was comprised of all of the components of a theoretical reality show, which is what I am going to explain in this article.

1. Buddy Hield

First, let's talk about Buddy Heild. Buddy became an overnight sensation around the nation for his ability to shoot. No one expected Buddy to become the superstar player that he has become, though. Buddy was always a solid player at Oklahoma, but this year was different. It seemed like Buddy wanted to leave his program with a national championship, which Oklahoma has never won. Buddy certainly delivered in his last season, and brought his team to a midseason #1 ranking and eventually to become a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Much of Oklahoma's success is a result of the fantastic play by Hield, who had a historic season in points per game and 3 point percentage. Hield was truly an elite player this year, who originally came from nothing. In fact, he was born into poverty in the Bahamas. Buddy was forced to build his own basketball hoops out of wood crates. He didn't actually come to the US until he was recruited by a prep school in Kansas, which is where he truly blossomed into the a polished player and where he started to get recruited. With a story like that, how could someone not admire Buddy?

2. Ben Simmons

Secondly, I want to talk about the rise and demise of Ben Simmons. He came out of high school as one of the most highly recruited prospects in the country. Some even wondered if Adam Silver should have changed the rules and allowed for high schoolers to enter the NBA draft just to allow for Simmons to go straight to the NBA. Ben Simmons is a truly special player, and it was a complete surprise to everyone when he chose to attend LSU and join their struggling basketball team. As the season came, Simmons proved that he was going to be the #1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Ben Simmons carried his team on his shoulders every game, as LSU did not have very much depth or talent built around Simmons. Off the court, though, Ben struggled with academic issues. He was eventually suspended for one game as a result of these issues and he was disqualified from Wooden Award contention. The press was constantly surrounding the anomaly of Ben Simmons, and this led to a plethora of stories about his personal life, experience on the team, and the cold hard facts about his play. Much of the drama this season has been centered around Ben Simmons and it has been ridiculously fun to watch. To no surprise of anyone, Ben Simmons recently decided to declare for the NBA draft, and he is seen to be the perennial #1 pick. Ben Simmons is a perplexing person to me, though. He could have had the opportunity to be something truly great, and one of the best college basketball players in history, but he chose to leave LSU for the draft to the surprise of no one. College may not have been the best place for him, but he could have revitalized the LSU basketball program. Simmons made his decision and he will most likely make a great career in the NBA.

3. The Upsets

The countless upsets this season has made the entire season so much fun to watch. I read a statistic that stated that there has been the most #1 seed changes in this past season than in the entire history of the AP poll. That statistic alone does not do justice to the constant excitement displayed throughout the season. It all started when unranked UCLA defeated #1 Kentucky early in the season. That game was a gem, but it was nothing compared to the close games and upsets later in the season. Kansas vs. Oklahoma, Oregon vs. Utah, North Carolina vs. Virgina, are just a few of the most exciting matchups that we saw this past season. This all culminated perfectly during the tournament, which was one of the most exciting in recent history. 

4. The Tournament

There were countless amazing moments during this tournament, but my personal favorite was the Texas A&M vs. Northern Iowa game. That game went into triple overtime and eventually became an instant classic. It was full of excitement, ejections, and everything in between. TAMU eventually came out with the win, and I can honestly say that it was one of the best basketball games that I have ever seen. Additionally, there were so many other games like this which were prevalent throughout the tournament. There was the 10 seed Syracuse and their upset over the 1 seed Virginia to propel them into the final four. Then there was the historic upset of Villanova over Oklahoma in the final four, and eventually the amazing national championship game between Villanova and North Carolina. That game ended with 3 buzzer beaters; one from Villanova, then another from Marcus Paige on North Carolina with four seconds left in the game, and then one final buzzer beater from the center on Villanova. That last shot was done in the most fantastic fashion. It was a 3 pointer, which went in beautifully. That ending finally did justice for the upsets and craziness throughout this past CBB season.

The tournament, the players, and the upsets all made this year of college basketball one of my favorites. It was thrilling to follow and there was always something new to be learned about teams, seeding, and the players. Instead of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, it was more like Keeping Up With Coach K and Co. with the final episode ending with a win by Villanova.