A New College Hoops Thread.....

[Alro 0]

Maybe the Tide's 31-point loss to Florida will bring their fans back down to earth. That was just ugly. I'd like to think Florida will crack the Top 25 this week.

[cabbageboy 0]

Alro, remember what I was saying about Bama being bullshit? Losing by 30 to friggin FLORIDA??? The SEC is just bad, bad, bad this year. Putrid. Horrible. When one of UK's weaker teams of the past 15 years might go undefeated in the conf., that's a bad conference. UK did handle Vandy easily yesterday though, not really as close as the score indicated.

 

I think Florida is the litmus test of being a legit team. If you beat the Gators in Gainesville, you enter the discussion. If you lose by 30 to them, well, that's not good. It's funny because you just KNOW the Gators will come to Rupp on Tues. and fall flat on their asses.

 

U of L escaped with a very tough 4 pt. win over UAB last night. Jesus, UAB is one tough ass team to beat. One of the quickest teams I have ever seen, no wonder UK had fits with them in the tourney. Heh, we had to beat them for several reasons: 1. Can't have UAB winning the conf. 2. Can't have UAB holding recent wins over BOTH UK and U of L. 3. We had to do what UK couldn't, haha.

 

Now we get to put some bitchslap action all over Calipari's sorry bums on Wed.

[cabbageboy 0]

Oh, Alro one more thing about FL. They won't crack the top 25...bear in mind that they got waxed by Miss St. this week. So FL goes on to trash Bama, and then Miss St. gets trashed by Auburn. I don't get the SEC, I really don't.

[Damaramu 0]

I've decided that OU is just about the most inconsistent basketball team I've seen. God we're going to get killed in Stillwater on Monday.

But hey at least we're still going to make the tourney. Possibly make it to the Sweet 16 or even Elite 8 if we play like we did against OSU, Texas, and UConn.

[KingPK 0]

BC's still undefeated, but YET AGAIN they squeak by a poor/mediocre team, this one being Seton Hall 60-52. If Hall could actually SHOOT (shot 35%), they would have won that game.

 

Even if they DO stay undefeated, they should stay at #5, because the other 4 teams above them would probably smoke them any night.

[cabbageboy 0]

Oh, pretty much anyone in the top 10 would smoke BC I think. The irony is that BC if they keep doing this might well get a 1 seed in the tourney. If so then it's either them or Kansas (maybe both) as the 1 seeds destined to lose the 2nd round, haha.

 

Incidentally I'm getting worried. There are way too many TV analysts predicting U of L for the Final Four. I mean we just beat UAB by 4 people, let's not get carried away here just yet. When it comes to U of L, when people think we'll do something we suck, and when people think we suck we'll do something.

[iggymcfly 0]

People act like Boston College is a mid-major or something. They are playing in the Big East, and they keep winning games against teams that are pretty good. They beat the Villanova team that knocked Kansas's socks off by 20+, and they beat UCLA, UConn, and WV on the road fairly handily.

 

Just because they don't blow out all the shitty teams on their schedule, people think they're not for real. I'm not saying they'll get any further than maybe the Elite 8 in the tourney, but the idea that they'd get blown out by Louisville or Michigan State (both top ten teams) is absurd.

[Alro 0]

Oh, Alro one more thing about FL. They won't crack the top 25...bear in mind that they got waxed by Miss St. this week. So FL goes on to trash Bama, and then Miss St. gets trashed by Auburn. I don't get the SEC, I really don't.

Shit, I forgot about that. You're probably right, then. So how far will a 30-point loss drop Alabama? I would expect a big fall after that.

[Alro 0]

The answer to my question is six spots. UK and Alabama are still the only SEC teams in the Top 25.

 

I'm a Kentucky fan and I will, for the most part, blindly praise the team, but there is no way in hell they are the fifth best team in the country. They are definitely not better than Wake Forest. This looks to be a repeat of last season where Kentucky just plays consistently enough through the end of the season through a (sadly) average conference while the other top teams pick up a loss or two and UK somehow ends up with a 1 seed. They are in no way the fifth best team.

[cabbageboy 0]

BC may well be this year's version of St. Joes. As in they beat a bunch of sorta ok teams that aren't amazing, but lack the really big wins. Earlier I wasn't thinking of Michigan St. even BEING a top 10 caliber team (which they aren't). I do think U of L on a good night would just whoop up on BC though.

[Mik 0]

Just a reminder that Duke v. UNC 1 takes place in about 48 hours.

 

I really would love to punch JJ Redick right in the face. I hope we destroy them in Cameron so all of those idiots will be deathly silent. That would make my night complete.

[Damaramu 0]

OU goes to Stillwater tonight to get throttled. At least I'm pretty sure that's what is going to happen. At least I'm a realistic fan with the b-ball team.

[iggymcfly 0]

People act like Boston College is a mid-major or something. They are playing in the Big East, and they keep winning games against teams that are pretty good.

 

BC may well be this year's version of St. Joes. As in they beat a bunch of sorta ok teams that aren't amazing, but lack the really big wins. Earlier I wasn't thinking of Michigan St. even BEING a top 10 caliber team (which they aren't). I do think U of L on a good night would just whoop up on BC though.

 

See, this is exactly what I was talking about. Saint Joseph's was and is a mid-major school. They play in the Atlantic 10. Occasionally, someone like Xavier or Dayton will be fairly good, but they are not an upper-level conference.

 

Meanwhile, Boston College has been playing in the Big East which is probably the fourth best conference in the country. They haven't faced Syracuse yet, but Connecticut and Villanova should both be top 20 teams right now.

 

If anyone should be getting the paper tiger treatment, it's Louisville. The only top 30 team they've beaten is Cincinnatti, and Cincy hasn't beaten anyone either. I'd take Boston College over Louisville on a neutral court any day.

[iggymcfly 0]

Oh, and just because you all know you need it, here's my new Top 25.

 

1. Illinois 23-0

2. Kansas 18-1

3. North Carolina 19-2

4. Boston College 20-0

5. Wake Forest 19-3

6. Duke 17-2

7. Kentucky 17-2

8. Oklahoma State 17-3

9. Syracuse 21-2

10. Washington 19-3

11. Louisville 20-3

12. Michigan State 15-4

13. Oklahoma 17-4

14. Gonzaga 17-4

15. Villanova 13-5

16. Wisconsin 15-5

17. Connecticut 14-5

18. Arizona 19-4

19. Cincinnatti 17-5

20. Texas 15-6

21. Alabama 17-4

22. Minnesota 16-6

23. Texas A&M 15-5

24. Georgia Tech 13-7

25. Vermont 17-3

[Damaramu 0]

Well Bedlam is a little bit more competitive than I thought it would be but OSU is known for pulling away in the second half.

 

God dammit watch OU win. Everytime I don't pick them they win. Everytime I do they lose!

[cabbageboy 0]

Ah well, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Winning at OSU is very difficult.

 

In terms of BC I was being NICE to them by saying they are this year's St. Joes. Hell at least they made the Elite 8. I'm more inclined to think style wise BC is like Stanford and destined to be ousted 2nd round by someone quicker than them. I mean hell BC beat Nova by 1, so it's not like it was a resounding win or anything. Too many jobbers not being beaten by enough. Hell BC barely beat a few scrubs, so stop acting like they could beat U of L with no trouble.

 

I just looked at BC's schedule. They beat Holy Cross by 3, Yale by 2, Kent St. by 3, Boston U by 6. Honestly, a legit top 5 type team would trash those teams by 25 a game.

[iggymcfly 0]

Almost every top team has letdowns when they play teams that aren't on their level. North Carolina lost to Santa Clara and Wake Forest lost to Florida St., but no one's trying to say that they're not legit.

 

Boston College has blown out plenty of teams. The thing is that even though I only have them ranked fourth, I really don't believe that anyone in the country outside of Illlinois would be undefeated right now playing their schedule. All the ACC teams have at least one bad loss, and Kansas got blown out by a team that BC beat.

 

If you go further down the list, a team like OK State or Louisville just isn't good enough to win on the road at Connecticut. I can still see there being a good chance that BC only makes it to the Elite 8, and I'd probably be a little surprised if they made it all the way to the NCAAs undefeated, but the way they get derided as not being worthy of a Top 5 or Top 10 ranking is completely unfair.

[cabbageboy 0]

Oh come on, UConn isn't that hot this year. Both OK St. and U of L could most certainly beat UConn either home, away, or neutral site. Until UConn beat Cuse last night I thought they might be a bubble team to even make the tourney.

 

Mind you, I'm not deriding BC or saying that they shouldn't be in the top 10 (anyone from a remotely competent league that's unbeaten should be top 5 or 10). They kinda remind me of Auburn circa 1999, who was unbeaten for a long ass time but you knew come tourney time they wouldn't really do shit. I'm thinking the following pattern for BC: 1st round they'll trash a 16, 2nd round the 8/9 team will give them a fit but they'll win by like 5, then in the Sweet 16 a 4/5 takes them out.

[Damaramu 0]

Well I was right. OSU's trademark "Suck in the first half and blow you out in the second half" came through again.

 

Ok this is what I don't like about the Bedlam series. You play one in Norman and OU wins. You play one in Stillwater and OSU wins. Ok well now they're tied 1-1. Obviously OSU is better but if you want to nitpick they should play one on a neutral site to truly see who's better. And I think OSU would still blow them away at a neutral site. OSU has changed a lot since that OU loss.

[C Dubya 04 0]

Well I was right. OSU's trademark "Suck in the first half and blow you out in the second half" came through again.

 

Ok this is what I don't like about the Bedlam series. You play one in Norman and OU wins. You play one in Stillwater and OSU wins. Ok well now they're tied 1-1. Obviously OSU is better but if you want to nitpick they should play one on a neutral site to truly see who's better. And I think OSU would still blow them away at a neutral site. OSU has changed a lot since that OU loss.

Well, I think that with the majority of conference home and homes, the teams will split. You can't just add another game for all of them on a neutral court.

 

Maybe you'll get your wish and they'll meet in a tourny game down the road though.

[Damaramu 0]

Well I was right. OSU's trademark "Suck in the first half and blow you out in the second half" came through again.

 

Ok this is what I don't like about the Bedlam series. You play one in Norman and OU wins. You play one in Stillwater and OSU wins. Ok well now they're tied 1-1. Obviously OSU is better but if you want to nitpick they should play one on a neutral site to truly see who's better. And I think OSU would still blow them away at a neutral site. OSU has changed a lot since that OU loss.

Well, I think that with the majority of conference home and homes, the teams will split. You can't just add another game for all of them on a neutral court.

 

Maybe you'll get your wish and they'll meet in a tourny game down the road though.

Yeah I know it's that way in every conference. But damn it's frustrating sometimes. I think with the way OSU has been playing lately though that they will probably win the Big XII tourney.

[cabbageboy 0]

I agree, OSU will end up the best team in the Big 12. OU is a bit up and down (and can't shoot for shit some nights), Texas has too many guys hurt or thrown off the team, Kansas will inevitably choke as they usually do. Hell I think Texas Tech might be a sleeper in that conf. Knight has his guys balling.

[KingPK 0]

Boston College's inability to win games by 3 or 4 finally bit them in the ass as they lose to Notre Dame tonight. It was bound to happen.

[iggymcfly 0]

Yeah, I didn't even think it was realistic for them to go undefeated the rest of the way, and Notre Dame's a pretty good team. The real test is how they do against Syracuse, Villanova, and in the Big East tourney.

 

If they go through the rest of that stretch with only one more loss, then they're legit and they should at least be able to get to the Elite 8. If they pick up something like three or four losses the rest of the way though, they're probably the lucky non-threat that people have been trying to make them out to be.

[Damaramu 0]

I agree, OSU will end up the best team in the Big 12. OU is a bit up and down (and can't shoot for shit some nights), Texas has too many guys hurt or thrown off the team, Kansas will inevitably choke as they usually do. Hell I think Texas Tech might be a sleeper in that conf. Knight has his guys balling.

OU may end up the #3 team in the conference.

Knight's a good coach but I don't think he has the talent to do it right now. And I'm suprised he didn't do more with Andre Emmitt at his disposal when he had him.

 

OSU has won all of their games by double figures. I thought that was an interesting stat. I think it was all by double figures....I can't be sure on the Syracuse win though.

[Guest Ether]

Schizophrenic Pitt beat St. John's 55-44 in an ugly game that probably set college basketball back about 15 years.

 

Which is the real Pitt team: The team that overcame 17 point deficits to beat UConn and Syracuse, or the team that blew leads in losing to Bucknell, Georgetown, St. Johns, and WVU? With Notre Dame (twice), BC, Syracuse, UConn, and Villanova on the upcoming schedule, I guess we'll find out.

[CanadianChris 0]

I agree, OSU will end up the best team in the Big 12. OU is a bit up and down (and can't shoot for shit some nights), Texas has too many guys hurt or thrown off the team, Kansas will inevitably choke as they usually do. Hell I think Texas Tech might be a sleeper in that conf. Knight has his guys balling.

No way is OSU going to Lawrence and beating the Jayhawks. They lost to Texas and OU (both ranked) on the road already this year, and neither game was particularly close...they're not bucking that trend.

[cabbageboy 0]

It was hilarious watching UK and FL last night, god Billy Boy just can't buy a win vs. the Cats, particularly at Rupp.

 

Will the Wed. pattern continue tonight? A U of L win at 7, followed by a Duke job at 9?

[therealworldschampion 0]

How long will it take for Vitale to start blowing Duke and Krzyzewski tonight?

[Damaramu 0]

I agree, OSU will end up the best team in the Big 12.  OU is a bit up and down (and can't shoot for shit some nights), Texas has too many guys hurt or thrown off the team, Kansas will inevitably choke as they usually do.  Hell I think Texas Tech might be a sleeper in that conf.  Knight has his guys balling.

No way is OSU going to Lawrence and beating the Jayhawks. They lost to Texas and OU (both ranked) on the road already this year, and neither game was particularly close...they're not bucking that trend.

Well that OU loss was like a wake up for them b/c they've appeared to be a different team since then. Plus with Jameson Curry now in the starting lineup they've been doing much better. And Kansas can be so inconsistent that I think they still have a shot.