What’s Trending: Championship Week 2018
Posted by Matt Eisenberg on March 12th, 2018What’s Trending is a column examining the week that was in college basketball social media. Matthew Eisenberg (@matteise) is your weekly host.
The week began with CBS Sports and Turner Sports announcing a new format for revealing the NCAA Tournament. The new Selection Show process included having all 68 teams being revealed as automatic or at-large qualifiers prior to learning where they fit in the bracket.
On Selection Sunday, CBS/Turner say they will reveal all 68 teams ‘followed’ by the brackets pic.twitter.com/3IaSVI3IJG
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 6, 2018
How did people take the news of the new Selection Show format? Well, let’s just say the NCAA came up well short in terms of public opinion…
I wish we could get leaked brackets because there's a 100% guarantee I could put on a better show than this CBS disaster that is planned
— BarstoolReags (@BarstoolReags) March 6, 2018
"In 2019, CBS will first release the list of teams that didn't make the tournament. Then we'll place the teams in 100 different brackets, but only one bracket will be correct. One clue will be revealed every hour. When all the clues have been solved, the blood ritual will begin." https://t.co/8lZIphAwQP
— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) March 6, 2018
The fundamental failure by Turner Sports is not realizing that the bracket is the star of the selection show. That’s all anyone cares about. It’s literally impossible to eff this up unless you really try.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 6, 2018
Championship Week began with a memorable moment at the end of Fairfield vs. Iona in the MAAC Conference Tournament…
This is what it's all about.
As he checks out, Fairfield's all-time leading scorer Tyler Nelson shared an emotional moment with his head coach Sydney Johnson. pic.twitter.com/O6nCOuUv4P
— ESPN (@espn) March 6, 2018
Death, taxes, Gonzaga winning the West Coast Conference Tournament…
WCC tourney champs since 1999:
'99: Zags
'00: Zags
'01: Zags
'02: Zags
'03: San Diego
'04: Zags
'05: Zags
'06: Zags
'07: Zags
'08: San Diego
'09: Zags
'10: SMC
'11: Zags
'12: SMC
'13: Zags
'14: Zags
'15: Zags
'16: Zags
'17: Zags
'18: Zags— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 7, 2018
Charleston needed a late rally to force overtime in the CAA championship game. This three sent the crowd into a frenzy, a crowd that included none other than Bill Murray…
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/971213748018008064
Alabama entered the SEC Tournament almost certainly needing a win or two to make the NCAA Tournament. After falling behind late against Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide’s chances seemed bleak until Collin Sexton got his hands on the ball…
Colin Sexton AT THE BUZZER. pic.twitter.com/5NX3WsmvVs
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) March 8, 2018
New @AlabamaMBB offensive gameplan: if you have the ball, pass it to Collin Sexton. If you do not have the ball, set a pick for Collin Sexton.
Guys it just might work.
— /r/CollegeBasketball (@redditCBB) March 9, 2018
Consistency in the ACC continues…
The streak continues. For the 22nd consecutive year, the ACC tournament final will include either Duke or UNC. Last time it didn't happen was 1996, when Wake beat Georgia Tech. This also continues: Only one ACC final hasn't included a Big Four team: 1990 (UVa-GT)
— Stephen Wiseman (@stevewisemanNC) March 9, 2018
Championship Week 2018, where dunks of the year happen…
https://twitter.com/unco_mbb/status/972313055223689217
This week also welcomed back Duke’s Grayson Allen and controversial plays…
Grayson Allen gets a flagrant-one for tripping a player with his butt.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 10, 2018
TRIPPING GRAYSON ALLEN IS BACK pic.twitter.com/BuT03udbdF
— Barstool Pack (@BarstoolPack) March 10, 2018
Sunday began with a bid thief in Davidson winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They celebrated with an ode to Baker Mayfield by planting a flag on the court…
Davidson planting the flag like Baker Mayfield, kinda. pic.twitter.com/qd2EfHhLCx
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) March 11, 2018
Now it’s on to the NCAA Tournament…
