Sunshine-
I guess I should clarify my comments. You are right-in many ways, the situation has never been bleaker for white players. However, I think that is offset on the whole by the massive influx of European talent, although much of that talent is imported directly into the NBA and thus doesn't affect the college game. This was the first year in quite some time that I watched a lot of tournament games, and it just seemed like there were more white players than I remembered seeing when I last really followed the tournament (problably mid-1980s). Maybe I'm just overreacting to the success of West Virginia and Vermont, but Michigan State had a few white contributors (and that wasn't the case when they won their two championships) and there was even a white point guard on Kentucky. Tuibby Smith playing a white player is almost as amazing as John Thompson playing one (of course, he never did in all his years at Georgetown).
One thing that was even more clear to me, after watching the tournament games, is just how hard it is for any white player to compete these days. The referees are absolutely, 100% prejudiced against every one of them when they attempt to play defense. Any white player within shouting range of any black player-especially any black star-will be called for a foul whenever that black player drives near him to the basket. Period. Yet all blacks are allowed to play hands-on, bump and grind, super aggressive defense whenever they want, and not have to worry about the refs calling fouls. The Louisville-West Virginia game provided a perfect example of this. Had that game been officiated even semi-legitimately, every Louisville player would have fouled out before halftime.