Tennessee Stud

The Lady Volunteers won the national women's basketball championship on Tuesday.  I thought this story was from...always.  Don't they always win?  Women's basketball stinks.  And no, this isn't some sexist rant about the shortcomings of the women's game (everyone is SO below the rim, coaches have sexual relations with their players and so on).  The women's game hasn't caught up to the men's game.  The difference is, there are more good men's players than there are women's.

I don't mean that Michael Beasley could beat any girl 1 on 1.  I mean that the top talent is vastly superior to the next level down in the women's game.  This isn't as true with the men's game anymore.  Despite all the problems with AAU, more kids are getting a chance to play more basketball.  You see more of these 'Mid-Majors' every year getting respect in the rankings and having success at the highest levels of basketball.  From George Mason, to Davidson, to Drake, to all the other little upstart schools that can compete with the blue bloods, there is simply more talent in the men's game.

The women's game isn't there yet.  The rundown goes like this:

There are around 5 great players entering college every year.  The best 3 choose between Tennessee and UConn.  Whoever gets more, wins that year.  The other 2 choose one of the other schools around the country (LSU, Notre Dame, Stanford).  The 'non UT/UConn teams' just hope that the 2 party system is full so that a star player trickles down to them.

The other schools are just hoping to compete via coaching, leadership, chemistry and a breakdown of 1 of the 2 parties.  It happens every so often.  Sometimes, UT's star turns sour and is pouty.  They underachieve by only making the Final 8.  Someone else gets a chance to face UConn in the finals!  Jim Rome said this best in 1999:

"Tennessee and UConn should play a game in February to decide the championship.  That should be the women's college basketball season."

If I run the NCAA, I try to dig up (or make up) some dirt about UT and UConn so that they will fall back down to the rest of the pack.  Monopolies are not good for sports.  Just look at Major League Baseball; the years of high fan disdain coincided with the Yankees return to dominance.  They start losing in the playoffs, we set attendance records.  I guess what I'm saying is, I hate women's basketball as much as I hate Jim Leyritz.