John Clay's Sidelines

Daily randoms for a Wednesday:

You had to feel for Shelvin Mack on Monday night. The former Bryan Stations star said all the right things up at the podium after Butler’s loss to Duke, but as Butler coach Brad Stevens said, “These guys are crushed.”

But Mack’s play this year brings me to Elisha Justice, who should be commended for sticking with Louisville, just as Mack stuck with Butler. It wasn’t until Mack was offered by Butler, that Kentucky and Billy Gillispie and Louisville and Rick Pitino became interested in the Defender. Gillispie seemed to think he could just swoop in with the UK name and cherry-pick Mack at the last minute. Didn’t work that way. And Mack’s original choice was the best choice. He’s blossomed to the point where NBA scouts are starting to make Chauncy Billups comparisons. Mack wanted to play, to show his skills, and he correctly saw that would have a better chance of happening at a place that wanted him all along. Maybe the same will hold true for Justice. I know, Pitino didn’t offer Elisha a scholarship, but you can’t blame Justice for wondering about the revolving-door nature of the Kentucky program.

Check out my Twitter poll, where you can rate Rupp, Wooden, Knight and Coach K 1-4.

On the drive back from Indianapolis, heard ESPN’s Ryan Russillo on the Scott Van Pelt Show, bringing the Daniel Orton Facebook controversy to a national audience. I actually like Russillo. He has a good presence on the radio, with solid opinions and a good sense of humor. Speaking of Facebook, saw his pic there. It didn’t match his voice. But then that’s always the case.

Caught Butler coach Brad Stevens on Letterman last night. Stevens did actually look like he was 15 years old. The All-American boy. Even with a raspy voice, Letterman did his best to bait him into saying something controversial. (Dave called the Duke players “goons”.) Stevens wasn’t having any of it. He’s so polite and humble it’s ridiculous. Sure hope he doesn’t try to parlay Butler’s tournament run into some big-ticket job at one of the cash-cow schools. It would take much of the charm out of the Bulldogs’ ride.

Of all the stuff written on the championship game, I think I liked Joe Posnanski’s piece for SI.com best.

In a completely different light, stats-man John Gasaway gets out his slide rule at Basketball Prospectus and breaks down Duke’s win over Butler. An excerpt:

I’ve just written an entire recap of the national championship game without once referencing a certain movie, and that was deliberate. Butler should be seen ex nihilo, not as conforming to a cherished tale but as a needed burst of mayhem amidst the settled orderliness of our expectations. Between the time the final horn sounded and the instant Hayward’s shot rimmed out, much of the world outside of Durham, NC, was living life the way mid-majors have always lived it, with a peculiar mix of morbid realism, determination, anticipation, and hope. And that’s no movie.

E-mail from Len, a huge UK fan, who writes, “Anyway, for a couple of nights,basketball seemed to return to its enjoyable roots. Maybe , in a perfect world,a terrific one-and-done each year surrounded by veterans, would be better for all.”

BTW, which do you hate most: NCAA expanding the tournament to 96 teams, or CBS messing around with “One Shining Moment,” bringing in Jennifer Hudson and messing with past success? Some people just can’t leave well enough alone. Rob Dauster has some ugly details over at msnbc.com.

A total of 27 schools have now made at least one Final Four trip since UK’s last visit in 1999. Nine schools have made multiple trips. The list:

• Arizona 2001
• Butler 2010
• Connecticut 1999-2004-2009
• Duke 1999-2001-2004-2010
• Florida 2000-2006-2007
• George Mason 2006
• Georgetown 2007
• Georgia Tech 2004
• Illinois 2005
• Indiana 2002
• Kansas 2002-2003-2008
• Louisville 2005
• LSU-2006
• Marquette 2003
• Maryland 2001-2002
• Memphis 2008
• Michigan State 1999-2000-2001-2005-2009-2010
• North Carolina 2000-2005-2008-2009
• Ohio State 1999-2007
• Oklahoma 2002
• Oklahoma St 2004
• Syracuse 2003
• Texas 2003
• UCLA 2006-2007-2008
• Villanova 2009
• West Virginia 2010
• Wisconsin 2000

Watched the second half of the women’s title game, only after my flipping through the dial revealed that Stanford had a 20-12 lead on UConn. The Lady Huskies rallied, of course. They always do. But the chance of an upset reminded me of rooting against UCLA back in the 1970s, just because it was so rare to see the Bruins lose. In fact, I can remember being on the Eastern Kentucky University campus for a speech/debate tournament when David Thompson and North Carolina State beat Bill Walton and Company in 1974. Remember watching the game on a TV in a packed student lounge, with everyone there cheering for the Wolfpack.

With the Blue Grass Stakes set for Saturday, time to switch to Derby mode. Hear this Todd Pletcher fellow has at least one good horse this year. That’s what I’m hearing, anyway. (wink)

Looks like Modern Family is a repeat tonight, so guess I’ll check out Reds-Cards.