This is my favorite weekend of the year, with 48 NCAA Tournament college basketball games played between Thursday and Sunday. But while camping out in front of the big screen for this orgy of hoops viewing, that doesn't mean we should forget about literature. I've written numerous times on this site about how important sports are for seeing the literary qualities of humanity. There are always heroes and villains, conflicts and victories, and an ultimate quest journey for one special team. In honor of March Madness, here are ten literary tropes found in the tournament's glorious history.
1. The "off into the sunset" trope: Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden is widely regarding as the greatest coach in basketball history, leading his school to an amazing seven consecutive titles in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1975, he told his team before the final that this would be his last game as a coach. There was no way UCLA would let him down. They beat Kentucky for the title, sending Wooden into retirement with his tenth championship.
2. The "fight for the fallen comrade" trope: One of the most exciting teams in college basketball history was the 1990 squad from Loyola Marymount. They still hold the record as the highest scoring team ever and had two of the best players in the country, Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers. Tragically, Gathers, who suffered from an enlarged heart, passed away in the middle of a game prior to the NCAA tourney. The team voted to continue playing and went on an inspired run that almost took them to the Final Four.
3. The "sports makes a social statement" trope: In the 1960s, racial strife still dominated public discourse, and little Texas Western made the largest statement a basketball team could make by starting five black players in the 1966 championship game against the all-white Kentucky Wildcats and their fairly racist coach, Adolph Rupp. Texas Western won the game and helped usher in advancements in integration in college basketball.
4. The "something magic is in the air tonight" trope: In 1985, Georgetown University and its over-powering center, Patrick Ewing, looked to be a sure thing for the title. In the title game, however, undersized Villanova shot an incredible 78% from the floor, including an impossible 9 for 10 from the floor in the second half, to knock off the heavily favored Hoyas. Villanova is to this day the lowest-seeded team to ever win the title.
5. The "the force is strong with this one" trope: In 1982, North Carolina met Georgetown in a battle of great teams. But as the game wound down, it wasn't UNC's superstar upperclassmen who took over, but a skinny freshman who became the hero by hitting the game-winning shot in the closing seconds. He eventually became an excellent college player and a pretty good pro. His name was Michael Jordan.
6. The "destiny" trope: In 1983, North Carolina State had to beat powerhouse conference rivals UNC and Virginia just to get into the tournament. They then pulled off a miraculous string of last-second victories to advance to the title game against Houston, the most athletic team in the nation and led by future NBA hall-of-famers Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. They then won the game on a last-second accidental dunk that sent coach Jim Valvano on a wild chase for someone to hug. The team and its coach have become iconic, and when people say "Cinderella team," they mean NC State.
7. The "indispensable man" trope: There have been plenty of dominant players in tournament history, but few completely carried a team of nobodies like Danny Manning. Kansas University's 1988 squad still holds the mark for most losses during the season by a championship team (11). While the team had its struggles early in the year, power forward Manning took over when it mattered most and led the Jayhawks to an improbable title. The team eventually came to be known as "Danny and the Miracles."
8. The "when you beat the bad guy, you become the bad guy" trope. In 1991, UNLV was one of the greatest and most anti-establishment basketball teams of all time. They had pummeled Duke University the year before by 30 points in the championship game and were looking to repeat. As fate would have it, UNLV would face Duke again in the 1991 Final Four. This time, Duke prevailed in the final moments and went on to win the school's first title a few nights later. Duke would then go on to repeat the following year, led by superstar Christian Laettner, and become one of the most hated team in the country for the next three decades.
9. The "band of brothers" trope: While Duke was tearing through opponents in 1992, Kentucky was a scandal-ridden mess. After surviving sanctions, only four homegrown players remained to rebuild the program. These scrappy Kentuckians, along with coach Rick Pitino, fought their way to the regional final in Philadelphia to face dominant Duke. What ensued is considered by many (including myself) as the greatest college basketball game ever played. In fact, you should go to YouTube and watch it right now. Seriously.
10. The "we live in a different world now" trope: In 1979, Michigan State's Magic Johnson and Indiana State's Larry Bird squared off in the championship game, which is still the highest-rated televised basketball game ever. MSU's talent was just too much for Bird and the Sycamores, but a lifelong rivalry between the two legends was birthed that day, and the game ushered in the widespread excitement in the NCAA tourney that we see today. The 1979 game is perhaps the most important college basketball event ever.
Enjoy the rest of the tournament, and remember, stories are everywhere!
1. The "off into the sunset" trope: Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden is widely regarding as the greatest coach in basketball history, leading his school to an amazing seven consecutive titles in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1975, he told his team before the final that this would be his last game as a coach. There was no way UCLA would let him down. They beat Kentucky for the title, sending Wooden into retirement with his tenth championship.
2. The "fight for the fallen comrade" trope: One of the most exciting teams in college basketball history was the 1990 squad from Loyola Marymount. They still hold the record as the highest scoring team ever and had two of the best players in the country, Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers. Tragically, Gathers, who suffered from an enlarged heart, passed away in the middle of a game prior to the NCAA tourney. The team voted to continue playing and went on an inspired run that almost took them to the Final Four.
3. The "sports makes a social statement" trope: In the 1960s, racial strife still dominated public discourse, and little Texas Western made the largest statement a basketball team could make by starting five black players in the 1966 championship game against the all-white Kentucky Wildcats and their fairly racist coach, Adolph Rupp. Texas Western won the game and helped usher in advancements in integration in college basketball.
4. The "something magic is in the air tonight" trope: In 1985, Georgetown University and its over-powering center, Patrick Ewing, looked to be a sure thing for the title. In the title game, however, undersized Villanova shot an incredible 78% from the floor, including an impossible 9 for 10 from the floor in the second half, to knock off the heavily favored Hoyas. Villanova is to this day the lowest-seeded team to ever win the title.
5. The "the force is strong with this one" trope: In 1982, North Carolina met Georgetown in a battle of great teams. But as the game wound down, it wasn't UNC's superstar upperclassmen who took over, but a skinny freshman who became the hero by hitting the game-winning shot in the closing seconds. He eventually became an excellent college player and a pretty good pro. His name was Michael Jordan.
6. The "destiny" trope: In 1983, North Carolina State had to beat powerhouse conference rivals UNC and Virginia just to get into the tournament. They then pulled off a miraculous string of last-second victories to advance to the title game against Houston, the most athletic team in the nation and led by future NBA hall-of-famers Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. They then won the game on a last-second accidental dunk that sent coach Jim Valvano on a wild chase for someone to hug. The team and its coach have become iconic, and when people say "Cinderella team," they mean NC State.
7. The "indispensable man" trope: There have been plenty of dominant players in tournament history, but few completely carried a team of nobodies like Danny Manning. Kansas University's 1988 squad still holds the mark for most losses during the season by a championship team (11). While the team had its struggles early in the year, power forward Manning took over when it mattered most and led the Jayhawks to an improbable title. The team eventually came to be known as "Danny and the Miracles."
8. The "when you beat the bad guy, you become the bad guy" trope. In 1991, UNLV was one of the greatest and most anti-establishment basketball teams of all time. They had pummeled Duke University the year before by 30 points in the championship game and were looking to repeat. As fate would have it, UNLV would face Duke again in the 1991 Final Four. This time, Duke prevailed in the final moments and went on to win the school's first title a few nights later. Duke would then go on to repeat the following year, led by superstar Christian Laettner, and become one of the most hated team in the country for the next three decades.
9. The "band of brothers" trope: While Duke was tearing through opponents in 1992, Kentucky was a scandal-ridden mess. After surviving sanctions, only four homegrown players remained to rebuild the program. These scrappy Kentuckians, along with coach Rick Pitino, fought their way to the regional final in Philadelphia to face dominant Duke. What ensued is considered by many (including myself) as the greatest college basketball game ever played. In fact, you should go to YouTube and watch it right now. Seriously.
10. The "we live in a different world now" trope: In 1979, Michigan State's Magic Johnson and Indiana State's Larry Bird squared off in the championship game, which is still the highest-rated televised basketball game ever. MSU's talent was just too much for Bird and the Sycamores, but a lifelong rivalry between the two legends was birthed that day, and the game ushered in the widespread excitement in the NCAA tourney that we see today. The 1979 game is perhaps the most important college basketball event ever.
Enjoy the rest of the tournament, and remember, stories are everywhere!