Players, not the coach, should make the difference
Published: 3/21/2009 3:10 PM
Last Modified: 3/21/2009 3:10 PM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It's halftime of the first game here at the Sprint Center, and Memphis is destroying Maryland, 53-33. Brings to mind a question a wise friend of mine asked in the media workroom Friday:
"Who would you rather have in this tournament, the coach or the players?"
His point being that for all of the talk made of Xs and Os, talent wins out, especially when teams have just two days to prepare for an opponent like they do between first and second rounds.
Gary Williams is a terrific coach. He should be lauded for getting average-looking Maryland this far. But he can't do anything to stop Memphis players who are simply much better than his.
The situation going into the Oklahoma-Michigan game is similar. Observers expect Wolverines coach John Beilein to make things hard on Blake Griffin and the Sooners. As Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg points out: "His teams are 7-4 (all-time in the tournament)v despite usually being low seeds. Michigan is what coaches call 'a tough prep' -- tough to prepare for on short notice."
Still, OU has superior talent. If Griffin and Willie Warren come out and play well and play hard, it shouldn't matter what Beilein schemes.
Memphis' first 20 minutes should be proof that the Sooners control their own destiny later this afternoon.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
