C Dubya 04 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 I also think Duke's loss opens the door for Gonzaga to get a #1 seed. I don't think that Gonzaga will get a #1 seed unless Duke loses again & it would need to be early in the ACC. The selection group hasn't given Gonzaga a good seed in any of the past few years and seems to knock them down a couple of spots for no good reason. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 True, but Gonzaga has a few things going for it this year that they haven't in recent years: - Perfect conference schedule. - Ranked fourth in the country -- and will probably slide up to third next week. - Only two losses -- and neither of those teams has lost at all this season. - The committee is made up of mostly basketball people this time around. I think this is the year the committee says "I'm sorry" for the 2002 debacle. They'll get a #1 seed and play Liberty or some such school in the first round. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 4, 2004 That's true, dub, but to a certain extent, I think they thrive on all that, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind, so long as they aren't fucked over like 2 years ago. But if Duke is upset again, they've gotta take the Zag's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 Gonzaga really has almost no shot at a #1 seed as they don't have a win over a team currently in the Top 25 in the RPI. Duke is still very secure with their #1 seed. Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Pittsburgh all have better shots the final #1 seed than Gonzaga. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 Gonzaga really has almost no shot at a #1 seed as they don't have a win over a team currently in the Top 25 in the RPI. Duke is still very secure with their #1 seed. Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Pittsburgh all have better shots the final #1 seed than Gonzaga. I don't think a team should be penalized for good teams ducking them. Gonzaga only got to PLAY two games against the RPI top 25 this season, and those two teams both happen to be undefeated. Besides, Mississippi State only has one such win. Heck, St. Joe's has only one such win. Plus, the non-conference schedules for those teams (except Kentucky) absolutely sucked when placed next to Gonzaga. The Zags played the SEVENTH toughest non-conference schedule in the nation. Kentucky was 14th; Mississippi State and Pitt were both near 200. And Kentucky's not even the best team in its conference. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C Dubya 04 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 I thought that Pitt had a tough out of conference schedule, but I could be mistaken. I agree that Gonzaga deserves a 1 at this point, but I don't think that they'll get it. How close was their game with Stanford btw? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 I thought that Pitt had a tough out of conference schedule, but I could be mistaken. I agree that Gonzaga deserves a 1 at this point, but I don't think that they'll get it. How close was their game with Stanford btw? 87-80 at Stanford. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 4, 2004 It was pretty close as a recall...like 88-80 or something along those lines. They certainly weren't blown out if that's what you're wondering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 4, 2004 Okay, I just looked at Gonzaga's schedule and it's actually pretty good, just they were unlucky. They beat Mizzou when they were #4, Maryland @ #25, George Washington (who should make the tourney as a the 3rd team from the A-10). Had Mizzou done better this year, people would be raving about that win. Also, they UMD and GW wins were in Washington, D.C.-- THEIR homecourts, more or less (it wa spart of the BB&T tourney). You can't deny the Terp's strength, despite their ACC record, and GW is pretty good...not thaaaaaaaat good, but good nonetheless. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2004 Gonzaga really has almost no shot at a #1 seed as they don't have a win over a team currently in the Top 25 in the RPI. Duke is still very secure with their #1 seed. Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Pittsburgh all have better shots the final #1 seed than Gonzaga. I don't think a team should be penalized for good teams ducking them. Gonzaga only got to PLAY two games against the RPI top 25 this season, and those two teams both happen to be undefeated. I'm not necessarily disagreeing I'm just telling it like it is. The committee does not care if teams were ducking you. They don't care where you rank in the voter polls. Gonzaga is only #12 in the RPI through yesterday and I doubt any #1 seed has ever had an RPI that low. In fact they might get a #3 seed believe it or not but I think they'll get a #2 seed simply because their two losses were to the two undefeated teams as you can't really fault them for losing to either. If Kentucky or Missisippi State win the SEC tournament that team will get the final #1 seed, I can almost guarentee it. 87-80 at Stanford. It was actually in Oakland although kinda splitting hairs. Stanford was still without Josh Childress at that point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted March 5, 2004 G'Town goes down again, getting blown out by Notre Dame. I think they now have to beat Virginia Tech on the road just to get into the Big East tournament. The Hoyas made like 7 of their first 30 shots, and Craig Esherick still says their strength is shooting. And for some reason, all of the announcers (the ones at the game AND the guys in the studio) kept saying Esherick is a good coach and they just don't know why G'Town isn't any good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cabbageboy 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2004 Here's news for you guys: Gonzaga in no way will get a 1 or even a 2 seed. Their RPI is only 16th or so, which actually places them behind U of L if you can imagine it. I think they'll get a 3 seed and play in Seattle, and should cruise through the first 2 rounds. Holy shit, Washington St. is about ready to upset Stanford!!! 60-56 with 25 seconds left. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2004 UNBELIEVABLE...Stanford does it again!!!!!!!! In all seriousness that was easily their worst game all season. Tons of unforced errors, tons of second chances for Washington State, yet they pull out another miracle win out. Wazzu deserved to win but they flat out choked at the end. Wow, something magical might be happening at Palo Alto. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted March 5, 2004 For those of you not from the Northwest, let me tell you about what we call "Cougin' It." For years, the WSU Cougars have time after time blown big games. This is in both football and basketball, but mostly football, since their b-ball team has basically sucked forever. Now, sometimes Cougin' It means losing a big lead in the second half. Sometimes it's shooting yourself in the foot with turnovers. Sometimes it means losing a game you were heavily favored to win. To make an analogy, what the Cubs did in the Bartman Game was a textbook example of Cougin' It. Or when Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas. Tonight against Stanford, WSU brought Cougin' It to a whole new level. And in other news... "I believe that this season's men's basketball team and our new class of recruits holds a great deal of promise. I have confidence that Craig Esherick, who helped to build our tradition of excellence in men's basketball, is the right person to strengthen and lead our program." -- Georgetown University president John J. DeGioia. Yay. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2004 That shit was unreal, fortunately we got it as bonus coverage instead of that exciting finish of UCLA-Oregon State. WTF was Stanford doing fouling with 1:40 left and only down by four?! Crazy game and unbeliveable ending. Stanford is losing next week in LA, and if I'm wrong 6 teams from C-USA will go to the NCAA tourney.............. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cabbageboy 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2004 I think Stanford might lose at Washington to close the season, then lose again in the Pac 10 tourney since they don't care about it. Seriously, that was almost U of L like in its utter choking. I've seen U of L do stupid shit like that before (last year vs. St. Louis, 1998 vs. Marquette) but it boggles my mind when you foul a 3 pt. shooter and then also fail to get the ball inbounds. Stanford is like the Ohio St. of basketball, just lucky bastards who keep finding miraculous ways to win. Thing is, you can't keep doing that over a 35 game basketball season, whereas you might in a 13 game football season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 5, 2004 "I believe that this season's men's basketball team and our new class of recruits holds a great deal of promise. I have confidence that Craig Esherick, who helped to build our tradition of excellence in men's basketball, is the right person to strengthen and lead our program." -- Georgetown University president John J. DeGioia. Yay. Are you fucking kidding me... "I believe that this season's men's basketball team and our new class of recruits holds a great deal of promise." - Sure it does, chief, now let's go through what we've seen this season. 1. Some of the worst shooting, by any team, any year, EVER. I don't care what they might think of the team, they have quite possibley the worst offensive team in Big East history. HOW CAN THAT GO UNPUNISHED~!?!?!?! 2. "I have confidence that Craig Esherick, who helped to build our tradition of excellence in men's basketball," No, no, and more NO. Craig Esherick was and still is a piss on. Let's see what he did for the great Hoya teams of the past... Recruit? No, Pat Ewing came for Thompson (the guy is a heckuva big man coach, if it wasn't already evident. He would have been a starter in the NBA if he wasn't BILL RUSSEL'S backup...not to mention everythign he learned from Mr. Russell....). Sweetney? Nope, Thompson had been working on him for a long time and got him to sign as a junior, right before the big man left the Hoyas. Iverson? Wrong again, that man was a juvenile delingquent whose parents only trusted Thompson with...which is probably good, he could have gone elsewhere and probably would have never made it out of there... Okay, it must have been the X's and O's that Esh is so great for, right? No, sorry, try again, he might have been involved in it, but Thompson's ideas of pressure defense that was held strong by a big man really had little to do with him. Esherick was hired because he had been ther a long time. He was in teh same position as Johnny Dawkins at Duke is right now-- he's prctically been given the next job there unless he leaves. Of course, Dawkins is good, and Esh isn't, but whatever...btw, I'll cream my shorts of Dawkins somehow came to G'town as everyone keeps mentioning him for the job. finally.... "is the right person to strengthen and lead our program." Right person? No need to comment on that, I think we all know the answer... Strengthen and lead? Yeah, attaboy Craig, strengthen the program by killing it! Do you know part of the reason why G'town is unwillingly to fire Craig Esherick? Because he somehow conned them into giving him a huge contract, which they won;t be able to get out of easily because they have little money. And why is there little money? Because htey rent out the MCI center, but don't get more than a 1/3 of it full, unless they want to be murdered by Duke. They couldn't even fill the place against Syracuse! SYRACUSE IS THEIR FUCKING ARCH NEMESIS! Ther ewre 15,00 in attentdance, and htey were all in Orange! He's killing the support of the school (don't even get me strarted on the "student section"), alumni, and city. Nothing will change untill the coach is changed. Plain and simple. I believe I mentioned earlier the mess they will have next year will amazingly be even bigger than this year's. God this disgusts me... Anyway, about Stanford. What a game, eh? They are so damn lucky...I am praying for a St. Joe's/Stanford or Stanford/Duke title game this year...that would rock the casbah like nothing other. I wouldn't be suprised if they drop a game her ein the Pac-10 tourney, or get upset in the dance...but their luck is unbelievable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cabbageboy 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2004 I actually think that Stanford vs. St. Joes would be a big money draw, but let's get real here.....it ain't happening. Basketball is WWE like in its refusal to push new talent. UK and Duke baby, the continual push. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted March 6, 2004 More Hoya goodness, coming from the Washington Times... "Something's got to be done," said John Gantt, a senior in Georgetown's School of Foreign Service. "And the problems don't end with Esherick. I mean, last year our athletic director [Joe Lang] said it was unreasonable for us to expect to routinely make the NCAA tournament. Where's the pursuit of excellence that's supposedly a hallmark of this university in that comment?" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted March 6, 2004 Wow. "If I'm evaluated as a college basketball coach and I'm evaluated as a professional basketball coach, I think that 99 percent of the people that would evaluate me and understand what a college basketball coach is supposed to do and understand what I'm supposed to do here at Georgetown, 99 percent of those people would say, 'Craig has done a heck of a job over the last five years, and Georgetown is lucky to have him.' " Yes, that's Craig Esherick talking, the same guy who has turned G'Town into -- as Andy Katz said -- an "irrelevant" program in college basketball. The entire article can be found here: http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20040306-120154-8759r.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 6, 2004 That's a bunch of horseshit. G'Town is NOT Penn or Princeton or Holly cross or Lafayette or any of the more academically challenging schools from the Ivy/Patriot leagues where they aren't playing for national championships. This is a big time college basketball program. Do you think that Wake, Duke, UNC, or NC State's coaches don't care about basketball? I think not. Those schools have terrific academic programs and I can assure you, Coach K hasn't, doesn't or will never, compromise the academics of his players for as long as he coaches, and yet, he still is able to put out very good teams every year. I'm not saying that Esh must be like Coach K every year, but it is certainly possible to put out a good athletic and academic team each year and for him to have the attitude that the winning is sort of a nice reward and that the only that matters is that these bums gets through college, while they suck up nearly a million a year on scholorship from a school that needs money, is absurd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gert T 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2004 If both teams go undefeated that would be great if they met in the finals. That way everybody can take another shot at the BCS! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2004 Things aren't looking good for Stanford right now. 13 minutes in and they literally haven't made an outside shot but they keep taking them even though the majority of their points have been easy buckets inside. Also Josh Childress picked up two weak fouls in the first three minutes. Edit: Down 10 at the half, still haven't made a jump shot. Childress hasn't even hit the rim and has three fouls. Washington is playing great defense on the perimiter but Stanford just seems lost out there. 13 turnovers already when they average 14 a game. They desperately need to just go inside the entire second half as they have NOTHING outside right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2004 Unless Stanford has another comeback in them, their streak's gonna end today Bored has to be shitting himself right now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2004 What a game... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2004 It's all over. The terrible first half doomed them as they played okay in the second half but there was no way they could comeback with the way Washington is playing right now. Washington might STILL have to win the Pac-10 tournament though because they were only #93 in the RPI coming into today's game and the lowest ranking ever to get an at-large bid is #74. Stanford I think has to win the Pac-10 tournament now to remain a #1 seed. They were only #5 in the RPI coming into today so they will likely drop two or three spots with a loss since Washington isn't a good team in the RPI. They at least have to reach the conference final or without a doubt the #1 seed is gone. Although as long as they stay in the West region, which is safe to assume, it probably doesn't matter too much in the great scheme of things but it's still a tough pill to swallow to go from undefeated, #1 team in the country to a #2 seed in the span of a week. Today (and Thursday for that matter) proved though once again why no one might ever go undefeated in the Pac-10. It is just a pain in the ass to win on the road in the Pac-10 no matter how bad the conference is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 7, 2004 Stanford I think has to win the Pac-10 tournament now to remain a #1 seed. They were only #5 in the RPI coming into today so they will likely drop two or three spots with a loss since Washington isn't a good team in the RPI. They at least have to reach the conference final or without a doubt the #1 seed is gone. Although as long as they stay in the West region, which is safe to assume, it probably doesn't matter too much in the great scheme of things but it's still a tough pill to swallow to go from undefeated, #1 team in the country to a #2 seed in the span of a week. Bah, they should be a #1 seed because, despite the loss, they are still one of, if not, THE best team in the country and to take them donw because htey lost a Pac-10 game on the road, after winning 27 freaking games straight would just be silly. Any houghts on the UNC/Duke game tonight at Cameron INdoor? I think Duke will come out with the win, but it IS UNC/Duke, and these games are always crazy... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2004 I know the polls in b-ball aren't as big as they are in football, but Who's #1 now? You'd think St. Joes, obviously, but I could see the polls pulling out the SoS argument to justify moving Duke back to the top Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jimbo Report post Posted March 7, 2004 Eh, after losing to Ga Tech this week @ Cameron, I couldn't accept that. Had they won impressively and beaten Carolina tonight, you've got yourself a damn good arguement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted March 7, 2004 Dammit, after the Super Bowl-ish 85-hour pregame show, this Duke-UNC game had better be the best game ever in the history of sports. EDIT: And all is right in the Vitale household, as Duke gets a 70-65 win. Good game, but by no means the classic ESPN pretty much promised. An evening at the Vitale home: Dick Vitale Jr: "Dad, I got accepted to Wake Forest." Dicky V: "What about Duke, son?" DVJ: "I don't want to go to Duke, Dad." (long pause) DV: "Dad? I have no son. Get out of this house right now." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
