NCAA Tournament Final Four: Cinderella Reigns on Root-ability Rankings

Here’s how the Final Four teams stack in terms of root-ability:(1) Florida Atlantic Owls

 

I’ll leave it to the true real ones of college basketball to debate whether Florida Atlantic is a Cinderella. Their run is not fluky, as this team hasn’t played above their heads to reach the Final Four.

If you like a great story, how are you not all in on FAU? We’re talking about a program that before this season had made one NCAA Tournament appearance (over 20 years ago), won a single regular-season conference title (Sun Belt in 2011), won one conference tournament (Atlantic Sun in 2002), and was still searching for their first-ever NCAA win.

The school didn’t even have a basketball team until 1988 and joined Division I in 1993. Dusty May’s team is talented, deep, and mentally tough. Regardless of the score, they’re never flustered, and they play every possession like they expect to win. And win they have. 

The Owls are Conference USA regular season and tournament champs; they earned a 9-seed, entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 25th in both polls, and their 35 wins lead Division I…but if the slipper fits…

(2) San Diego State Aztecs

Like, FAU, San Diego State isn’t your classic Cinderella. They have 31 wins, won the regular season and Mountain West conference tournament championships–a four-bid league, by the way–and finished ranked 18th in both polls.

Despite all that, the Aztecs at least feel Cinderella-ish to most fans by virtue of being a mid-major not named Houston or Gonzaga. 

Most of their players are relatively unknown, despite years of experience. Matt Bradley is the only player on the team averaging double-digits in points! Sure, Darrion Trammell is at 9.9 PPG, but that’s their second-leading scorer! On a Final Four team.

Trammell was playing for Seattle last season. How many know they are in the WAC or that their nickname is the Sonics in honor of the former NBA team? It’s not; they’re the Redhawks, but how many of you knew that? Micah Parrish played for Oakland last season. It’s great they have the national stage of the Final Four! Isn’t that what college is supposed to be all about?

For those that love the old-school stick-to-it-ness, I give you Nathan Mensah, Adam Seiko, and Aguek Arop, a troika of fifth-year seniors who stuck it out at San Diego State despite being role players. They’re as physically strong and tough as any basketball team I’ve seen.

Root against them at your own risk.

(3) Miami Hurricanes

Recent success, and by recent, I mean last season, notwithstanding, Miami is one of the least likely ACC programs to find this level of achievement on the hardwood.

The â€˜Canes make it three new Final Four teams for the first time since 1970. Similar to FAU and SD State, who broke through this March, before last season, The U had never gone beyond the Sweet 16.

Even as a Power 6 school, Miami basketball feels more like the two mid-major teams than Connecticut. The three have combined for four Elite Eight and nine Sweet 16 appearances. In many years, the Hurricanes would be the Cinderella-ish team that stood out among the traditional powers. 

You need more?

How about 73-year Jim Larañaga coaching like he’s at the peak of his abilities? After a decade coaching Bowling Green of the MAC and 14 seasons at George Mason, the Bronx native finally got his chance to coach in a Power 6 conference at the age of 61.

Even after a stunning Final Four run with the Patriots in 2006, an unquestioned Cinderella, Larañaga had to wait five more years before Miami came calling. He’s among the most likable future Hall of Fame coaches (725 career wins) in college hoops. 

Plus, the up-tempo guard-centric’ Canes play a fun style of basketball.

(4) Connecticut Huskies

As a St. John’s alum who grew up a Syracuse fan, there’s no love lost between myself and the Huskies program. I won’t hide that. 

But putting my personal biases aside, who roots for the favorite? The Huskies are a basketball powerhouse, as accomplished as any program over the past 25 years: four National Titles, six Final Fours, eight Elite Eights, and nine Sweet 16s.

This isn’t meant to hate on success, OK, maybe a little, but it does make them a little less rootable than the other three teams in Houston.

Someone has to be fourth on this list, and UConn is the lone Goliath.

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