Tiger is now all the way back

He was supposed to be finished, his career in the dumpster as it had been derailed by his once-chiseled body having broken down as well as off-the-course misadventures that made more news than his play on it.

It wasn’t that long ago his name was just one of those in the eye-straining 6-point agate type somewhere in the middle of the pack, as opponents no longer feared the sight of him in his red shirt on Sunday and his drives landed everywhere but in the fairway. He had become, gasp, just another member of the Tour, though he still drew big crowds of adoring fans who were hoping he could somehow catch lightning in a bottle and return to the days where it was his Tour, with everybody else just bit players.

But on Sunday, after a long struggle, Tiger Woods was all the way back. And he might be around for a while.

Just when it appeared his number of career majors had been permanently cemented at 14 and Jack Nicklaus’ fans could breathe a sigh of relief as 18 seemed to be out of the question, Tiger turned back the hands of time and tactically maneuvered his way around his favorite stomping ground Augusta National. He watched challenger after challenger self-destruct as this was the classic case of sage experience triumphing over youthful exuberance. The result was a one-stroke victory in perhaps the most electric Masters Tournament ever, giving golf the shot in the arm it needs to get back in the public consciousness.

Let’s face it, golf has missed the competitive Tiger. At least the fist-pumping Tiger, the Tiger on the prowl, the Tiger who can pull off seemingly impossible shots, the Tiger who hits the most dramatic shot when he needs it most.

He is, however, more restrained with his emotion. Maybe it’s Zen or some other inner peace mechanism. When he looked around Sunday, he defeated guys who are 20 years younger than him who can fly the ball past where his drives end up. He can still pound it, for sure, but he relies more on cunning and guile, not to mention the will to never give up. His resolution was steely, his nerves never frayed.

So Jack’s 18 majors are back in play. Now when there’s a major, Tiger’s name will be on the tip of everybody’s tongue and he’ll always be the favorite. Tiger didn’t feel the comeback was complete until he won a major, which is what he focuses on. Heck, his last one in 2008 basically came on one good leg as the other was mangled, which showed his amazing talent. That’s how good he used to be, Tiger on one good leg was better than the others on two good legs.

Golf now has its storyline moving forward. Can Tiger catch Jack? What about a grand slam? Can he reach 20 majors? For the rest of the year, as long as he stays healthy, it’s going to be Tiger, Tiger and more Tiger.

Henson has come a long way since his Bullpup days

By McPherson High boys basketball standards, it was a drought like none other.

After winning state championships in 1972, 1973 and 1974, then taking second place in 1975, the Bullpups finally hit a bump in the road.

They did make the state tournament in 1976, but lost in the first round.

Then came the darkest period of Bullpup basketball since a stretch that covered nearly 10 years back in the 1950s and early 1960s.

The Bullpups didn’t make state in 1977. Or 1978. In fact, MHS went through 1983 being spectators at the state tournament.

But at the start of the 1983-84 season, longtime legendary coach Jay Frazier turned the program over to young assistant Mike Henson. Frazier had compiled an amazing 409-160 record and was a Hall of Fame coach.

But he decided it was time for a new voice. Henson had enjoyed success at then-McPherson Junior High before being an assistant to Frazier for a year.

There was much anticipation going into the ’83-84 season. The Bullpups were a senior-dominated team the year before, with Mark Wash the only returning starter for the new coach.

A lot of fervent McPherson supporters were wondering if this young coach had what it took. He had a group of untested players, one of whom was his sophomore son.

It took all of one game for Steve Henson to prove his worth to the Bullpup fans. A 29-point, 14-rebound performance will do that. To this day, those who follow MHS basketball closely will say it was his best-ever game and he threw down a thunderous dunk that made him an instant fan favorite.

The Bullpups would go on to finish that year with a 17-7 record and return to the state tournament, where they would finish fourth.

Bullpup basketball was back. And it hasn’t gone away since then.

And Steve Henson was on his way to becoming the most successful player in Bullpup history. He was eventually passed on the scoring list with the advent of freshman basketball, but those who saw him play know he could have scored hundreds of more points, except he was all about setting up his teammates.

He grew up watching Bullpup basketball as a youth, always waiting for his chance to be part of arguably the most successful program in Kansas.

“It goes all the way back to just watching games in the Roundhouse,” said Henson, who, spoke Thursday evening to a crowd of more than 200 at Central Christian College’s Greer Auditorium. “The Mac Invite, the people that came through there. Getting out of school and watching those teams come through there, the excitement that was generated from that. Running out of that tunnel with the band playing never, ever got old.”

Henson knew that many questions had to be answered when he took his place in the starting lineup. Back in those days freshmen were not part of the high school and there was a lot of pressure on this precocious youngster that many had never witnessed.

“We were just so close,” Henson said of that very first team. “Chemistry and camaraderie was terrific. There were a lot of questions surrounding the new coach, it was no longer Jay Frazier, so there were some questions about that and how we were going to handle all of it. I just know we had a good first game (a 78-70 victory over a good Winfield team) that kind of let people know that (a) Mike Henson knew what he was going and (b) that I could probably contribute a little bit as a sophomore. That was a little bit unusual at that time for sophomores to be starting I think. We kind of eliminated that right out of the gates and settled in and played some pretty good basketball.”

Word spread quickly around the state that Bullpup basketball was on its way back. Given how young the team was, it was only going to get better.

His junior year the Bullpups were 21-3 and Henson’s 30-point game propelled MHS into the state semifinals where it lost to Washburn Rural. It was then edged by Liberal for third.

In Henson’s much-anticipated senior year, the Bullpups lost their first game of the season at Hutchinson, then reeled off 19 wins in a row. But in an emotionally charged sub-state title game at Buhler, MHS lost to the host Crusaders 50-47, in a game remembered as much for a large group of fans not being able to get into the gym because it was bursting from the overflow.

Henson, though, doesn’t recall that many moments of his Bullpup career.

“Unfortunately some of those, the ones you lose, often stick with you more than anything,” said Henson, who was 57-12 as a Bullpup player. “You have high expectations and when it’s over it’s so abrupt. There’s a lot of highs, but there’s lows and the lows can be pretty painful. Your senior year is over, it’s a painful thing... some of us had been together since the fourth or fifth grade.”

Henson became Lon Kruger’s first-ever signee at Kansas State and it was the beginning of a relationship that is still stronger than strong to this day. After a tremendous four-year career, which earned him a spot in the school’s Hall of Fame, he later joined Kruger as an assistant at various stops before finally deciding the time had come to try his hand with his own program, becoming the head coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he just completed his third season and has the program on the right track.

“Those days were terrific,” Henson said of his time as a Wildcat. “I grew up a K-State fan and the opportunity go to play there was very special. Technically I was the first recruit, but we also knew that Mitch Richmond was coming and that made things look even sweeter. I went there with the plan of playing four years of basketball and run track for three years, redshirt one year, then have that fifth year to prepare for the Olympics. I thought I was going to be an Olympic decathlete and that was my dream. I was a better track athlete in high school than I was in basketball. When I got to K-State, the track career kind of leveled off... my basketball career got a little better.”

Henson’s final two years, especially, established him as one of the nation’s top guards and suddenly the NBA was in the picture. He wound up being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and later played for several other teams before going overseas to complete his professional career.

Henson followed Kruger as an assistant at college stops such as Illinois, Florida, UNLV and Oklahoma, all resulting in top-notch success. Finally, he decided it was time to break off and see what he could do on his own.

“That was a tough decision,” Henson said of leaving Oklahoma. “My life was really, really good at OU. It’s an unbelievable athletic department with great leadership. (Athletic Director) Joe Castiglione is one of the most respected guys in the business...they’re building something every year for a different sport. They expect you to win championships and they provide the facilities and things that you need. Norman was a good place to be. Part of the country we enjoyed being in, it’s not that far from here, from home. Working for coach Kruger, he’s the best. If we lose it’s his fault, he takes that approach. If we win, he gives everybody else credit. He gives you freedom to do what you think will help the team. So it was a great situation there, but there comes a point where it’s just time to do it.”

Henson had been offered numerous coaching jobs, but was waiting for what he believed to be the best situation.

“You’ve got to get it right,” he said of the choice. “You want to be a head coach and it’s hard. You can’t just take one (job) just to be taking one. That was the conversation coach Kruger and I had quite a few times when different jobs would pop up. Wanted to make sure it was a situation where we would have a chance to win or make progress and turn the corner.”

Henson has UTSA on the right track. The Roadrunners have made a meteoric rise in the Conference USA, going from last place when he took over to a tie for second this year. He says team chemistry is perhaps the most important component for a team and he has taken what he learned from Kruger and employed some of his own beliefs into making his program one the Roadrunner fans can be proud of.

He recruits a lot of players who are Henson-type players — tough, no-nonsense and all about the team. Not much different from when he was accumulating floor burns while diving on the floor for loose balls and battling taller players for rebounds. You can be assured a Henson-coached team will play harder than its opponents because he won’t accept anything less.

KU's basketball roster continues to shrink

Another day, another member of the Kansas Jayhawks leaving the men’s basketball program.

The purge of the Jayhawks’ roster continued on Wednesday when freshman starting guard Quentin Grimes announced he would be declaring for the NBA.

That brings the number of departures to four, including top scorer Dedric Lawson, his  brother K.J., Charlie Moore and now Grimes.

And a fifth no doubt soon will join the list as it’s all but certain that oft-injured big man Udoka Azubuike will declare after three years. And who knows what to make of Silvio DeSousa, whose career is in limbo as he’s been declared ineligible for next year and nobody really knows what kind of player he would be even if eligible.

I don’t think I can ever remember such an overhaul of a KU roster, one that this year failed for the first time in 15 years to win a Big 12 championship and exited the NCAA Tournament after just two games, though it did lose to eventual Final Four participant Auburn.

Bill Self will enter the most uncertain year of his Jayhawk career in 2019-20. His depleted roster, at least for now, still includes Devon Dotson, David McCormack, Marcus Garrett, Mitch Lightfoot and Ochai Agbaji, with freshmen Christian Braun (Kansas’ Mr. Basketball) and Issac McBride sure to get some playing time given the current makeup of the roster.

That group is serviceable, but lacks explosiveness and shooters. I’m sure the Jayhawks would be an upper-division team in the Big 12, but one of their least talented teams in decades.

Of course, Self still has time to reel in some prospects. Highest on the list is Matthew Hurt, a stretch-4-type of player who reportedly has KU among the top teams on his list. He would be an instant starter as he showed in the McDonald’s All-American Game he has the type of game that would make a seamless transition to KU.

Self already has missed out on Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the former Bishop Miege star who attended IMG Academy and did well enough to play in the McDonald’s game. Villanova won that battle, with KU the first loser.

What Self may look at the most is the graduate transfer list. Several schools have benefitted greatly from the rule, especially national runner-up and co-Big 12 champion Texas Tech as two of its top players were transfers.

I’m sure Self isn’t totally surprised by his upcoming rebuild. It was generally thought that Dedric Lawson would be a one-year player, especially after his brother announced recently he was going to become a grad transfer. Moore came to KU with a reputation as a shooter, but he had a miserable year and never found his form in addition of being a defensive liability.

Then you have Grimes.

He was recruited as a one-and-done player, but his production and overall struggles basically begged for a sophomore season. However, and maybe he received some bad advice, he’s going to test the waters.

You have to give him credit for having tough skin. Even though he was a lightning rod for fervent KU fans as they believed he greatly underachieved, he always gave the Jayhawks big minutes and and had flashes of being great. But he’s not very explosive or athletic, despite having an NBA body. His first year reminded me of Wayne Selden, who was a big disappointment as a freshman, but came back and developed into a pro. I wish Grimes would have given it one more year, but maybe the fans’ negative vibes pushed him into the decision.

Kansas basketball is at a crossroads. It has the longest streak of NCAA Tournament appearances, but it also has an investigation hanging over its head, perhaps one reason recruiting for Self is getting more and more difficult.

It’s hard to imagine KU not having a top national-caliber program. Self will do his best to keep the team as college basketball royalty, but he’ll have his work cut out for him.

The Masters - a tradition unlike any other

The beauty and pageantry of the annual Masters Golf Tournament will be on full display beginning Thursday with all eyes, of course, fixated on Tiger Woods.

There are two types of golf fans — the ones who are knowledgeable about most of the players on the tour and then those who live, breath and consume everything that is Tiger and everybody else is an afterthought.

The Masters is separate from all other tournaments, even the other majors. Augusta National is the cathedral of golf courses, virtually a Picasso hanging in an art gallery. The fairways are pool table-like, the greens like a roller coaster. 

The fans are "patrons." The Masters has its own separate language and the tournament drips with tradition and manners. "You Da Man" has no place at Augusta as it's like going to school and being afraid of that stern taskmaster who used to rap your knuckles when you talked too loud in class. Proper etiquette is the rule, not the exception. A trip to Augusta is almost golf's version of a trip to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen.

We'll be greeted by Jim Nantz's "Hello Friends." There will be numerous references to 1986 when Jack Nicklaus won the tournament at age 46 and "Yes Sir!" became forever engrained in our heads. The tournament will begin with the Golden Bear and Black Knight striking fierce lashes early in the morning before the dew burns off, with of course the look to the sky to say good morning to The King, Arnold Palmer.

The tournament fields have become more diverse. Instead of the handful of six or seven players who could win, the number is more like 20 now. There will be an unknown on the first day who posts a 67 and sends a buzz cannonading through the pines for 24 hours, only to never be heard from again.

In the end, we'll have many of the big names and a few surprises. Here's how I handicap the Top 10.

1. Jon Rahm — The slugging Spaniard was close last year before his lack of cool did him in. He's learned from his mistakes and he'll dominate the par-5s.

2. Francesco Molinari — Some say he doesn't hit the ball long enough to win, but he knows how to manage a golf course.

3. Tiger Woods – He's Tiger Woods. Duh.

4. Justin Rose — I always have Rosey among my top picks. He may not win it, but a given for the Top 10.

5. Paul Casey — Having a great year. Plays well in the big events.

6. Rickie Fowler — He has to win a major at some point, doesn't he? If he can avoid that big number that often befells him, that green jacket will clash with those ungodly orange pants.

7. Tommy Fleetwood — The shaggy-haired one makes birdies by the bunches and can get hotter than hot. But can he hold up?

8. Louie Oosthuizen — A short hitter, but always a contender here. Never count him out in a major.

9. Rory McIlory — If the Masters ended on Saturday, he'd be a lock. But it's like he weirds out on Sundays and can't finish.

10. Dustin Johnson — Given his length and ability to fade the ball, you can't have a Top 10 without DJ.

Championship game was better than expected

Call it vindication for Virginia.

A year after the most ignominious loss in NCAA Tournament history, the Cavaliers completed their redemption tour on Monday with an 85-77 overtime victory over Big 12 co-champion Texas Tech in a title game that few probably predicted 3 weeks ago.

For Virginia, the emotional wound of last year’s jaw-dropping loss to Maryland-Baltimore County in the first round is now totally healed. The Cavaliers had to live with that loss for a year and used it as emotional fuel.

The Cavaliers certainly lived a charmed life in the tournament. It took not one, but two, miracles for them to make the finals, having somehow escaped against Purdue in the Elite Eight, then Houdinied their way past Auburn in the semifinals when the Tigers somehow, some way let it get away. You just had a feeling after that game the Cavaliers were destined to win it all.

In the way stood a Texas Tech team that a majority of the nation was still getting to know. The Red Raiders started to make noise in last year’s tournament and while most saw them as a potential Elite Eight team, few gave them a chance to make the Final Four.

Given that Texas Tech was the top defensive team in the tournament going into Monday and Virginia was No. 3, smirks abounded that it would have a chance to be perhaps the lowest-scoring title game in the modern era. The Red Raiders certainly gave credence early, going nearly 7 minutes before registering their first field goal and found themselves down 10.

But Tech has a lot of resolve. Once the shots started to drop, we were treated to a championship game worthy of the hype.

Throughout the game, though, I felt Virginia was the better team and I didn’t think it would lose. The Big 3 of DeAndre Hunter, Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome combined for 67 points. Guy made so many big shots during the tournament, while Hunter erupted in the second half. Jerome was incredibly crafty with shots from a variety of angles.

Texas Tech was hurt by the ineffectiveness of its star Jarrett Culver. He wound up the game just 5 of 22 and took some really bad shots in overtime, allowing the extra session to get away in a hurry. Virginia closed the game out at the line by not missing a charity in the 5-minute period.

Virginia certainly wasn’t an aesthetically pleasing team as it was blue collar to the core. But it was proof you don’t have to have a roster full of blue-chippers and McDonald’s All-Americans. The Cavaliers play hard, play smart and play every possession as if it’s the last of the game with the score tied.

And it produced a championship.

Title game will be rugged affair

Tonight’s NCAA Tournament championship game will not be for the faint of heart.

The late Vince Lombardi, who often said “defense wins championships,” is in heaven smiling as defensive dynamos Virginia and Texas Tech throw down in Minneapolis in what is expected to be a no-holds-barred event.

The Cavaliers and Red Raiders could very well be the two best defensive teams in the country, which of course could lead to a lackluster game. 

After the Elite Eight’s surreal drama, the Final Four expected to have a tough act to follow.

But Virginia and Auburn gave us plenty of thrills in the first semi, punctuated by a controversial finish where it appeared the Tigers were the victim of a blown call.

The Cavaliers had frittered away all of a 10-point lead in the final 5 minutes and found themselves behind by two. It appeared the officials missed a double-dribble in the backcourt in the final seconds, then Virginia’s Kyle Guy was fouled on a 3-point attempt just before the buzzer blasted.

I didn’t have trouble with the foul, which would never have happened had the double dribble been called. The rule is clear and Guy was unquestionably hit. But the double dribble was a terrible miss, conjuring up memories of the Los Angeles Rams being the benefactor of a blatant missed call against New Orleans, which is still steaming about it.

Guy showed a lot of moxie by draining all three free throws to give the Cavaliers the win as the pressure was tremendous. All of his attempts, however, were right down the well.

You had to feel for Auburn, which had made such a tremendous rally. But I still believe Virginia to be the better team.

Texas Tech and Michigan State was a slugfest. The Red Raiders have given the Big 12 some redemption as they simply suffocated Sparty star Cassius Winston, who looked overwhelmed by Tech’s remarkable length. It was as if Texas Tech had seven players defending as Michigan State’s offense was strafed.

Unfortunately, we have a title game that probably won’t be a TV ratings hit. There are no blue bloods and college basketball’s most famous player, Zion Williamson, will be nothing but a spectator. This game should be played in Pittsburgh, as these are two steel-worker-like teams who rely on grit and physicality.

Virginia has lived the charmed life. It seemingly was done against Purdue, but won on the miracle of all miracles. And Sunday’s missed called stands on its own accord, as Auburn, in a word, was hosed.

Texas Tech doesn’t quite have the offensive operatives as Virginia. Matt Mooney is going to have to come up big again and Jarrett Culver will have to be better than he was on Saturday.

A key is how the game is going to be called. If the officials allow the rough stuff to go, we’re going to be treated to a hammer-and-tong event. Hopefully the game will be cleaned up and called accordingly.

I like Virginia 60, Texas Tech 55.

Virginia, Michigan State to advance

Only the toughest will survive.

On Saturday, that will be Virginia and Michigan State in the Final Four semifinals at Minneapolis.

It’s not the Final Four many were expecting as Virginia is the only No. 1 seed to make it through as Duke, North Carolina and Gonzaga were eliminated.

The first game Saturday matches Virginia and upstart Auburn, the team that knocked Kansas out of the running.

Virginia is on a redemption tour. The Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed in NCAA history last season to be ousted in the first round by a No. 16. They have used that disappointment as motivation. They needed a miracle against Purdue in the Elite 8, forcing overtime when all appeared to be lost.

The Cavaliers are the best defensive team in the country, but they’re better offensively than people think.

Auburn is an intriguing team. Not only is it Charles Barkley’s alma mater — which will will hear about plenty this weekend — but it plays a style unlike the other three teams remaining.

The Tigers have blinding speed and rely greatly on the 3-pointer. They are probably the most athletic team of the four, but probably have more deficiencies. They have trouble producing points in the paint and don’t rebound particularly well. If they don’t shoot the 3 well, it will be a long game.

Michigan State and Texas Tech match up in Game 2. For Sparty, it’s become a familiar trip as few coaches are better at preparing their teams for the NCAA Tournament than Tom Izzo.

Texas Tech is carrying the Big 12 banner. I was surprised it made it, but again its defense is tremendous and that seems to be the common thread of the four teams, except maybe for Auburn.

The Red Raiders are the most offensively challenged of the remaining teams and can’t afford to get in foul trouble.

I’m a big believer in big games that the team with the best player has the best chance to win. Michigan State’s Cassius Winston will be the best player on the floor and is capable of taking over a game. I also like the Spartans’ ruggedness on the inside as they should be able to keep Tech off the boards.

So look for Virginia and Michigan State to advance to Monday and if that happens, don’t be surprised if we see a championship game in the low 50s.

Bullpen has cost Royals a hot start

By all rights, the Kansas City Royals should be off to a flying 4-1 start.

Instead, they are 2-3, suffering back-to-back, punch-in-the-gut losses in being swept in a brief two-game series by division rival Minnesota.

Kansas City closed out its first homestand on Wednesday. Instead of the adrenaline rush of a start that would have it at the top of the American League Central, the Royals have their fans saying, “here we go again.”

The bullpen was an arson squad last season and even after some moves to make it better going into 2019, it appears the kerosene is still flowing freely. There’s been a stockyard stench to the unit as fans sit on the edge of their seats every time a new reliever is brought into the game.

KC has had four pitchers start and each has pitched well. Brad Keller has been exceptional in two starts, while Jorge Lopez, Jakob Junis and Homer Bailey have been acceptable. Bailey was a one-time Cincinnati star who parlayed one good year into mega-millions, but now he’s on the journeyman’s road hoping his stop in Kansas City will turn around his career. While he did give up three runs in five innings on Wednesday, he fanned eight and left with the lead.

But oh, that bullpen. Just look at these ERAs — Scott Barlow (13.50), Brad Boxberger (15.40), Wily Peralta (11.57), Kevin McCarthy (9.00) and Jake Diekman (8.10).

Peralta is the alleged closer, but he’s a converted starter. Ian Kennedy, a staple in the Royals’ rotation, also is now in the pen and blew the save on Tuesday. Tim Hill and Kyle Zimmer have been the only relievers not to be stung.

KC manager Ned Yost seemingly has no concrete game plan. He’s talked about mixing and matching as there’s no definite closer. Peralta was retained this year after finishing last season as the closer, but he can’t throw strikes. Boxberger once was the American League leader in saves, but it appears those days are in the past.

Still, I think this is going to be a fun Royals team to watch. We’re witnessing Aldaberto Mondesi become a star right before our eyes and he already has three triples this year. Jorge Soler excited Royals fans after three games with his red-hot start, but now he’s swinging at pitches well off the plate. He does have five RBIs in five games to tie Mondesi and Alex Gordon for the team lead.

For all the talk of a running game, KC has only five stolen bases in five games and Billy Hamilton, brought in for his speed, has just one. Of course you have to get on base and Hamilton has only three hits, all coming in one game.

KC will never be a power-hitting team and has only three homers so far. The big hope is that Ryan O’Hearn and Hunter Dozier can combine for 50, but Dozier is off to an awful start. The loss of Salvador Perez really hurts, but replacement Martin Maldonado has shown he can make contact as he’s off to a .316 start.

The Royals start a three-game series today in Detroit against a team of similar ilk. The Tigers, though, have surprised some with their 4-3 start.

Time for one-and-done to be abolished

It’s time for one-and-done to be done.

The NBA rule of making players attend at least one year of college is antiquated. You don’t see Major League Baseball denying high school players from going pro and I think it’s time for basketball to follow suit.

If the NBA is really going to have a rule, it should have some teeth in it. In baseball, players can be drafted out of high school and play immediately, most of them starting in the Rookie League or Class A level. Those who go to college are not eligible to be drafted until after their third year.

But the NBA rule that a player must attend college at least one year is absurd. I think the baseball model should be followed if we’re going to have rules.

If a player believes he’s good enough to play professionally out of high school, that’s his choice. When you look at the recent drafts, many of the top picks have been freshmen as the NBA front offices are all about potential. Most of the players drafted generally play two years at the most or are international players.

Duke is now the one-and-done king. It made it all the way to the Elite Eight by starting four freshmen, including the Top 3 players according to most rankings coming out of high school. Do you really think R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish wouldn’t have been among the Top 10 picks in last year’s draft? They had the games to play professionally and Williamson probably would be an All-Star. Next year, look for Duke to field an all-new starting lineup, probably influenced heavily by freshmen.

What bothers me most is that freshmen who are “forced” to attend college one year probably don’t go to class once they make their first-semester grades. They know they are going pro and I don’t think one semester of classes is going to make that much of a difference. My guess is that players like Williamson, Barrett and Reddish, as well as several others around the country, are already working out with trainers in getting ready for the draft.

The elimination of one-and-done also might clean up recruiting somewhat. There’s a fierce fight for the top players in the country and, of course, a lot of illegal activity takes place with some schools getting caught and others working around the system.

No question if the Top 15 or 20 players would bypass college and go directly to the NBA that the college game would suffer some. But I think there also would be more parity, though the good teams will still be good.

It’s time for the NBA to quit insulting everybody’s intelligence by using college basketball as nothing more than a farm system. Let ‘em go pro.

Tourney bracket wrecked in Elite Eight

The chalk went up in a cloud of dust.

What was starting out as a “chalk” tournament — where the top seeds all move on and follow form — totally went haywire in the Elite Eight as only one No. 1 seed was able to survive and advance to the Final Four.

My NCAA bracket was looking pretty good through two rounds as I had 15 of the 16 participants left.

But once the smoke cleared on Sunday, I was reduced to a goose egg. I had picked three No. 1s to advance, but only one did — the one I didn’t predict.

For two rounds the tournament was total vanilla, as there were few upsets and the No. 1s were able to get through.

But the Sweet 16 games brought out some of the tournament’s best moments and finally we had an Elite Eight that was as good as any I could remember.

All four weekend games were intense. Virginia was literally dead in the water against Purdue and the game brought up the age-old question about fouling late in a game and up 3. Purdue did just that and Virginia made a free throw, missed the second and converted after getting an offensive rebound to force overtime. You knew Purdue had no chance after letting it get away.

Texas Tech then gave the Big 12’s flagging reputation a shot in the arm by knocking off Gonzaga as the Red Raiders give the Final Four some fresh blood.

How good were the games on Sunday? Auburn came from way back to outlast Kentucky in an SEC showdown that went overtime. It appeared the Tigers had run out of fairy dust, but their speed was blinding and it makes KU’s loss to Auburn look a little better.

And, of course, the CBS folks saved the best for last with Duke and Michigan State.

Duke’s Zion Williamson is the biggest attraction in college basketball in an eternity. If not for the antiquated one-and-done rule, he would have been an All-NBA player this year as he was probably ready for the pros when he was 14.

The Dukies had slithered into the Elite Eight with narrow wins in the second round and Sweet 16. I really thought with those escapes, they would exhale and then roar their way to the title.

But Tom Izzo’s program is the most underrated in college basketball. It is truly a blue blood and has elbowed its way into the Duke, North Carolina, KU, Kentucky, Indiana and UCLA clique, though Indiana and UCLA haven’t really been factors for quite some time.

Izzo’s team reflects his intensity. Michigan State is always physical and fundamental. It needed all of that to defeat Duke and end Zion’s career. Just imagine had LeBron James played one year of college basketball and that’s what Zion was like.

Now we’re down to the Final Four. I really like Michigan State and Virginia to advance as we’re down to where toughness matters and those teams are as tough as they get.

I like Virginia to beat Michigan State, but after what happened this weekend, nothing would surprise me.