Eight Legacies a Leapin'

Eight teams remain in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Fifty-seven others are already home, watching the tournament just like me, and wondering what went wrong. Their seasons are finished, their stories complete. The eventual winner of this tournament is only halfway home to a title: three down, three to go. For these eight remaining teams, these next three games are what will write their stories and define their legacies.

A journey to the Final Four will be a memorable legacy for all four teams that are fortunate enough to go. Missouri has never been there and now, they are forty minutes away from extending a surprising season to remember. For a ravaged fan base just three season removed from the Quin Snyder mess, a trip to the Final Four would mean so much.

Oklahoma fans surely realize the greatness they are seeing before them. Blake Griffin is a once-in-a-lifetime talent for the Sooners. They are looking to surpass the late-eighties Billy Tubbs teams and seal the deal before Griffin is the first pick of the NBA Draft.

Villanova is on the brink of the Final Four yet again. Jay Wright has taken them this far once before and has the Wildcats poised for another Big East party at the Final Four, circa 1985. A team that will never be forgotten finished that season as champions and edition has a chance to join them in history.

Michigan St is playing not only for a short trip to nearby Detroit, but for all the people of their much-maligned state. The economic turmoil that our nation is facing is as bad as it gets in the Motor City, and the Spartans have given these folks a team to rally behind. For Coach Izzo and the green-clad fan base, a title in this particular season under these circumstances would be historical.

For UCONN coach Jim Calhoun, a third title in three tries at the Final Four would elevate him into the discussion of the game's greatest coaches. It would provide a full-circle experience for AJ Price, the senior who has been through so much in his Husky career. And, of course, three more wins might quiet the allegations against one of the best programs in the country...at least for a little while.

At Louisville, a title would place the spotlight on a program that sometimes feel lost under the shadow of its big blue neighbor. What better way to stick it to Kentucky than to win a national title with their old coach in the same season the Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament and fired their coach? The Cardinals are hungry and have their best chance since Never Nervous Pervis & Co won it back in 1986.

For Pittsburgh, a Final Four appearance alone would validate the Panthers as a legitimate contender under Jamie Dixon; a title would only enhance things. This is a team that had not gotten over the hump of the Sweet 16 in years and could now make its first trip to the last dance.

And finally, for North Carolina, a championship would provide the ultimate reward for a group of players who all returned to school to hang a big banner in the Smith Center. It would also give Roy Williams a title with players he and his staff recruited. And, of course, it would be freakin' sweet.

History is before these eight teams and their fans. Someone will win three games and establish a legacy that will live forever. Today commences the remainder of the journey.

UCONN over Missouri, 78-74
Villanova over Pittsburgh, 71-61
Louisville over Michigan St, 84-67
Carolina over Oklahoma, 86-76

Rah rah...