The more things change, the more they stay the same

List of NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions from 1999-2001:

- UConn (Rip Hamilton, Khalid El-Amin)

- Michigan State (Mateen Cleaves, Jason Richardson, Mat Ishbia)

- Duke (C’mon….Shane Battier, Jay Will, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, c’mon now)

‘99-2001 were some FORMATIVE YEARS for a younger KMARK. College Hoops just meant more. To see these three franchises playing in the same regional on the same night is really tuggin the heartstrings. This is where it all began for me. Heck even the 1999 St John’s team made the Elite Eight. Led by Ron Artest, the Red Storm ran it back in 2000 only to lose in the second round to….Gonzaga.

In Mark Few’s first year, the Zags knocked out future Meta World Peace. When I say "this is where it all began”, I’m ain’t messin around. The dawn of the new century cemented the next two (maybe three) decades of college basketball. Take a look at the 2002 Final Four, who do we meet for the first time? Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma). We’re 24 years removed from that moment. Sampson’s been to multiple stops in-between (including the NBA). He’s been effectively barred from the sport, but returned. He never lost the magic touch and had Houston in a Sweet Sixteen more than two decades after bringing a Sooner team to the National semi-finals.

Need more? 2003 was the first (and only) Final Four appearance for…Rick Barnes (Texas). Hot damn that Texas club cooked. Barnes rode TJ Ford and Royal Ivey to within a game of the championship before ultimately falling to Carmelo. If Rick can secure two more wins this weekend, he’ll cut the nets down for the first time in 23 years.