UCLA loses
title, barely survives Noah’s flood
Patrick Hodgson
I was wrong. Wrong in the sense that I picked the UCLA Bruins to win the national
championship over the Florida Gators. Never in my mind did I expect Noah’s
great flood to hit Indianapolis and wipe out any chances of merriment for the
UCLA Bruins and their fans cheering back home in Westwood. Well not that Noah,
Joakim Noah.
The sophomore forward for Florida ruled the middle of the paint as a lion would
in a jungle intimidating the opposition by scoring at will and blocking any thing
that came his way. And when it was all said and done and the NCAA Tournament
had come to its finale, Noah deployed a highly impressive stat line with 16 points,
nine rebounds, and a record six blocks earning him Most Outstanding player of
the Final Four and leading his team to a 73-57 route.
Probably the most unanticipated thing of the night was the fact that the game
was more lopsided than Microsoft’s control in the computer industry. For
40 minutes Noah and his teammates dominated every phase of the game whether it
was rebounding, defending or scratching nail by nail for every loose ball. The
game was all Noah’s and the rest of the men wearing blue and orange.
So as Vince Young had to do after an impressive’performance in college
football’s biggest game, Noah must have to contemplate whether to take
his talents to the next level. Do I think the 6-foot-11 monster should jettison
himself from the collegiate hardwood? The answer is absolutely not.
Sure the money will be there and in my best Isaac Hayes impersonation, you’re
damn right he will be a lottery pick, however there are skills needed to be a
factor in the National Basketball Association. Noah has heard the flattering
remarks by legendary coach John Thompson who knows a thing or two about big men
and legends, such as Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The possible destinations
he could end up at if he leaves could be the Knicks (19-53), the Bobcats (20-54),
Blazers (20-53), Hawks (22-50), and Raptors (26-47).
Well
the first issue is how much playing time
will you get with these franchises? Four
out of five of these teams already have
solid big men with the exception of the
Hawks. The Knicks have Eddy Curry, the
Bobcats have Emeka Okafor, the Blazers
have Zach Randolph and the Raptors have
Chris Bosh.
Last time I checked, if you can’t have real time game experience, how
can you branch off’and become a competent player in the NBA?
If Noah returns to the familiar situation of fans cheering in Gainesville,
he will not only be the front runner for College Player of the Year, but his
team will have a chance of capturing a second consecutive championship.
One thing for sure is no matter what path Noah decides to take, no one will
ever forget the great flood that gave Florida its first national title.
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