The psychology of sport is often overlooked.  Sports analysts can analyze all they want, but X’s and O’s are nothing if a team’s head is not on straight.  

 ESPN brought in Bob Knight for post-season analysis, but they should have looked into taking a more Freudian approach.  Instead of all basketball analysts, they should mix it up and throw in a psychoanalyst, too.

The natural let down, after making a dramatic run through the conference tournament, has made it’s presence felt at this year’s NCAA tournament.  I present to you… the Hangover Effect.

Clemson, Pitt, Georgia, hot?  

No, tired.  If not physically, emotionally and psychologically.  The climatic journey takes its toll.

Over tired, over confident, over it.  When teams aren’t the best in the league, but make a huge run in the tourney, there seems to be a sense of accomplishment which makes teams lose their hunger.  Satisfaction is not a good motivator.  UConn apparently was satisfied after stringing together 10 straight wins late in the season as they got eliminated in their first Big East Tourney game and in the first round of the NCAA’s. 

So sometimes it happens at other times during the season, but quite often, teams fizzle after going for the gusto in their conference tournament.  

Let’s excuse the top 10 teams from the conversation (Kansas could beat Portland State with any kind of hangover), those that won their conference tourney and were seeded 14th or lower (Texas Arlington and Mississippi Valley State didn’t lose because of the hangover effect, they just weren’t good enough), and also those that wrapped up their tourney before the final weekend which had ample time to recuperate and refocus… so I give you Georgia, Temple, Kent State, and Clemson which were all given a good shot to win their opening round game by the “experts.”  All lost.  It is tough to rev up those engines again after gaining that sense of accomplishment.  

The “hottest” team and one on everybody’s “watch out for” list was Big East Champ Pitt, which shown the door in round two. Pitt was able to beat an inferior Oral Roberts team in round one, but couldn’t match the intensity of Michigan State.  After sweeping through four Big East games in four days, they couldn’t make it to the Sweet 16… the postponed yet inevitable and equally painful, delayed hangover effect.

There have been exceptions to this rule when teams have avoided slipping into neutral and continued on their magical ride, but next year when filling out your bracket, remember Sigmund, who urges you to stay away from hot teams who could be shot mentally…no matter how well they defend the three point line according to Coach Knight.

- Jesse Jones