The Chat House with Michael Wilbon: Tiger Woods, The Sweet 16, Gilbert Returns and More

Welcome to another edition of The Chat House, where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, March 30 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions about the opening rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, the latest chapter in the legend of Tiger Woods, the return to the court of Gilbert Arenas, the latest sports news and his recent columns.

Match your Sweet 16 picks against Michael's.

Discussion Archive * Column Archive * Talking Points Videos

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washingtonpost.com: Michael will begin answering questions at 1:45 ET and stay until 2:45 ET.

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When will I ever learn?: Mike, I didn't pay any attention to the PGA event this weekend, even with Tiger "on the comeback trail," because obviously he would need a little more time to get his game back to the level where he can win...

Man, am I smart or what?

Just how deep is he buried into the psyche of the other players? To them, he must be like Jordan or Montana with the ball in their hands, or Gretzky with his puck on his stick and the game on the line. "It's over."

Michael Wilbon: H everybody...Just got back to D.C. last night from 12 days in Philly (NCAAs), NYC, Bristol, Phoenix/Glendale (NBA and NCAAs), Bristol again...So, I'm in a total basketball state of mind EXCEPT that Tiger Woods is ridiculous. Seriously, who else could steal the day during the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament? Only Tiger. It's not just that he's in his opponents' heads, which he is. But the critical thing is he's just better than the others. He's better than anybody. His skills are more evolved and superior, his psyche is superior, he's physically superior...He's just better. And what he did yesterday, coming from five down in the final round to make a birdie putt on 18...just utterly amazing...I was telling somebody last night, I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived at a time where I could see Muhammad Ali in his prime, Michael Jordan from mostly a front-row seat, and now the entirety of Tiger Woods' career...I guess if you'd have to be in your 80s to add Babe Ruth and Joe Louis to that list...I mean, there are a ton of great, great Hall of Fame athletes. I would love to have seen Ted Williams play...a young Jim Brown...But Ruth, Ali, Jordan, Tiger...Maybe Mays and Wilt have to be on such a list...but I know every time Tiger tees it up I'm excited like a teenager. It's not just must-see TV, it's a cultural happening. I can't wait for The Masters. How great is it to have this guy back...

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Tiger!: Yesterday marked the return of perfect Sundays. I got to watch Tiger make a comeback win while I kept the TV on mute and read a book. Didn't turn the sound back on until the 18th hole. Perfect.

(I felt bad for Sean O'Hair though. Would have liked to see him win against anyone else.)

Michael Wilbon: What, no NCAA games? They weren't the most exciting things in the world, but they were worth watching, right?

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New York, NY: Hey Michael, what did you think of the Villanova/Pitt game? To me it had the highest quality basketball of any game I've seen. I had no rooting interest (my Terps are out :-) but I was massively impressed by the effort on defense, and the hustle after every loose ball. And TWO plays in the last 10 seconds that shows tremendous poise under pressure, one by each team.

Michael Wilbon: I agree with everything you said except about the ending. The ending of that dramatic, intensely contested game was marred by some of the most bonehead basketball ever seen in such a circumstance. The baseball pass Villanova threw was insane. The foul Villanova committed committed on Fields to put him on the line for the tying foul shots was insane. INSANE! And then, the biggest thing of all, how does Jamie Dixon have the player with the best hands in college hoops, DeJuan Blair, 84 FEET FROM THE BASKET when you have .5 seconds left in the game and you have to have a catch-and-flip move to stay alive...84 feet from the basket? Why? There was the equivalent of a timeout because the refs looked at the TV replay to figure out how much time was left and the coaches got to meet with their players during a short break...Look, the game was just great. Not good, great...But the ending, dramatic as it was, was so, so flawed...

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Arlington, Va.: So what do you think of the Michigan State - UConn matchup ? Do you see any factors playing out, such as the matchups, bench, etc ?

Michael Wilbon: I like UCONN, but perhaps I've underrated Michigan State, who I didn't like a lot when the tourney began...I wouldn't underrate Tom Izzo; I know that. I don't know all the matchups yet, but I just think UCONN is the most talented team in the field, other than North Carolina. I love the way UCONN plays and I think Jim Calhoun, right now, is at the top of the heap, along with Roy Williams...and Izzo is something like 14-2 in the second weekend of the tournament...Impressive, huh?

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McLean, Va.: Hi, Mike, man, I look forward to these every Monday.

Okay, you have one game to win in the NCAA tournament, who do you take: Izzo or Pitino? Before yesterday, I would have laughed and said, Pitino. Now... not so sure.

Michael Wilbon: That's a toss-up for me. I'd take either. Pitino should have taken his third school to the Final Four (Providence and Kentucky)...They're both great. I might lean toward Pitino, but I love Izzo. They're two of the 10 best coaches in the country...The others? Let's see...Calhoun, Krzyzewski, Pitino, Izzo, Roy Williams, Bill Self, Calipari, Billy Donovan..Okay, that's eight. Then up for consideration for those last two spots would be, for me, Boeheim, Rick Barnes, Ben Howlane (3 straight Final Fours), Jay Wright...I've got another guy, too, who's sneaking up on that group: Mike Anderson at Mizzou...

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Frederick, Md.: Hi Mike Any comments about the Lady Terps and their roll to the Final Four?

Michael Wilbon: Yes sir. How about Marissa Coleman and that 42-point effort? I am hoping Maryland beats Louisville tonight, and wins in the Final Four to meet UCONN for the championship game. Look, UCONN is a BEAST. They're not the best team in women's hoops ever, but they've put more distance between themselves and the rest of the field than any team in 20 years. It's amazing how good UCONN is, compared to the rest of the field. That said, I think there are two schools that could...could...beat UCONN if everything broke their way: Maryland and Oklahoma. Those are the only two...So, if Maryland is able to get to that game, I've got to get a seat in St. Louis a week from tomorrow, because I'd like to see that one up close and personal.

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New Orleans: Would you still put the Lakers and Celtics ahead of the Cavs as the teams to beat despite the fact that the Cavs have the best record?

Michael Wilbon: Here's my order today: Lakers, Cavs, Celtics, Magic...The Celtics have to recover from these injuries, and that cannot simply be presumed. The Lakers need Bynum to win it all...Maybe I should have the Cavs first, but I think what the Lakers went through last year benefits them going into the playoffs.

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Reminder: Michael, In an article about how Eric Devendorf is the most hated person in the NCAA tourney, Pat Forde over at ESPN mentioned that the majority of the most hated players in college basketball are white. This trend appears to go back a little ways, to at least JJ Redick, if not further. Any opinion on why this continues to be a trend?

Michael Wilbon: This will be a great place to start...but we've got to get into this next week when I have more time..

Michael Wilbon: Okay...Truth is, I've been fascinated by this topic for awhile. I've talked to white players for years about simply being white and playing basketball, including my friends Chris Mullin and Tim Legler...It's a fascinating topic. While there is clearly the desire among a whole lot of folks to have a great white hope in basketball, there is plenty of backlash against white players, most of it coming from white fans/media, from the conversations I've had over the years. It's incredible, really. Mullin and Legler, among others, have told me about going to black neighborhoods and playgrounds to play, and being received warily at first, but then being accepted based on the way they play that day...And it's never a problem once guys see they can play. BUT, they'd go to a restaurant or bar or somewhere later, and it would be, 80 percent of the time, a white person would say something to the effect of, "Yo, you're a white dude; what, you think you can actually play with the brothers?" It's alarming how white players describe the scene and how similar their stories are about who accepts them, ultimately, and who won't. Now, I know there are white players who have been unpopular with blacks (Larry Bird, initially and J.J. Reddick)there are white players who are wildly popular with blacks (Jason "White Chocolate" Williams and Mullin and Legler)...But these surveys and polls and stuff, talking about who's the most hated...my bet is they're not driven by black bloggers or black fans...I think with Bird and Reddick, we're talking about them playing for two schools a great many black fans don't root for (the old Celtics and Duke)...But believe me, a lot of white people discounted Larry Bird before they saw him play for years. It's a fascinating topic...there's probably a book in it for somebody. Hmmmm.

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Durham, NC: I'm as big of a Duke fan as there can be and I can't believe you left Gary Williams off that list. Rick Barnes? Please. Please give credit where credit is due.

Michael Wilbon: I don't know that I'm going to have Gary in the top 10...Not right now. There are years I would have had him there, but not now, not having been in the Sweet 16 in several years. In fact, they haven't been there since 2003...And not only am I not a Gary Williams basher; I go a little nuts at people who don't appreciate him for what he's done at Maryland, which is considerable. There are some other guys who are beating on the door though of the top 10, guys like Anthony Grant at VCU and Jeff Capel at Oklahoma.

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Fairfax, Va.: Who has the best chance to beat Tiger in the Masters? Phil or Paddy Harrington? Phil has looked pretty good recently as well, and Paddy has won the last two majors (Tigerless though).

Michael Wilbon: Tony says Phil. But Paddy Harrington has won two straight majors...Hmmm, Phil has won The Masters twice. Great question. I think I'm going to say Phil...but I'm hedging my bet on that one. Paddy is going to be totally underrated here because he's European.

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Reston, VA: I'm sorry, if you've answered this on previous chat houses and I just don't remember, but what do you think about the Ovechkin celebration a few weeks back? I'm not a hockey purest, but it seems to me that he brings excitement into the game and gets people like me to watch. It strikes me that hockey needs that sort of thing.

As a native Washingtonian I'm so excited to see the city rally around a non-Redskin athlete. I'm a HUGE Redskins fan, but I still think it would be nice to see the other local teams supported.

Thanks!

Michael Wilbon: I loved Ovechkin's celebration. Loved it. And I, too, think he's great for the game and for bringing in people who aren't hockey purists. Now, Ovechkin's going to be judged unltimately, and fairly, on what he does in the post-season. That's what decided your status in professional sports. And Ovechkin has to produce there, starting now. I hope he will...The three things I want for local teams are :Maryland women to make it to the championship game against UCONN, Ovechkin to lead the Caps on a run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the Wizards to win the lottery and draft Blake Griffin...How exciting would that be?

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DC: So MW, how does your bracket look? Can't be better than Obama's, right?

Michael Wilbon: I'm better than he is this year...I've got Villanova and North Carolina in the Final Four...So, I've got two teams...But Memphis and Louisville are out...So, I had a mixed bag....

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Harrisburg, Pa: Mike, Just have to say, the next 3 weeks may be the best in sports: NCAA Final Four, Opening Days in MLB, and then the Masters. Fire up the grill and fire up the TV!

Michael Wilbon: Amen...It is indeed a great run of sports on TV that's coming up, and Tiger's victory yesterday makes The Masters even that much bigger.

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Washington, D.C.: Ty Lawson won his region's most outstanding player - I almost spit out my breakfast laughing. How much of an utter animal is Blake Griffin? How much will his lack of height, shooting, and post skill hold him back in the NBA? How good can he be? What past or current player can we compare him to?

Michael Wilbon: Tony just gave me a rant on how he doesn't think Blake Griffin will be that good a pro. I do. What, he can't develop a 12-foot jump shot. Carlos Boozer did. Karl Malone did, and then pushed it out to 20 feet as time went on. I'd love to see Blake Griffin in a Wiz uniform...By the way, Ty Lawson, most outstanding player in that region...I know, he didn't play in the first game but he was by far the difference in the game yesterday. He dominated the second half of the game.

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Arlington, VA: Mike, I can tell you why I hate Devendorf and it has nothing to do with being white. He was suspended from the team for beating his girlfriend. But it seemed he got a slap on the wrist and was soon back playing with almost no ramifications. I would not like him as a player no matter what his color.

Michael Wilbon: Great point, and thanks for making it. But do you think people hate him because of that, or because of his demeanor on the court, which is often surly.

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Washington, D.C.: 12 shot attempts (plus 8 FTs) in 29 minutes is no joke, but then, neither is 10 assists - and perhaps more importantly, a good job controlling the tempo and involving teammates. Is Gilbert using his comeback from injury to remake his game (and image) as more of a team-first, "true" point guard?

Michael Wilbon: I can't see Gilbert becoming that kind of player if he gets back his explosion and physicality...I just can't see it. Now, Gil has always been capable of passing the ball and piling up assists, but I look for him, once the rust is off, to be the same shoot-first Gil...

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Fairfax, Va.: Mike,

Love your stuff, but how can you write a Sunday column about all the Cinderellas of March Madness past (and the lack of same this year) without mentioning the biggest Cinderella of all - George Mason and its run to the Final Four in 2006?

washingtonpost.com: Few Upsets, and Plenty Upset About March Madness

Michael Wilbon: I listed teams that were #1 or #2 seeds that were beaten. The column wasn't about Cinderella. You can write one about that if you want...The column Sunday was about the top seeds and how they now seem (I wrote the day before Louisville lost) invulnerable...That's six who've made it to the Final Four the last two tournaments.

Okay, I gotta run, gang...Gotta prepare for PTI and our guest today, Tom Izzo...See you next week...MW

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