NCAA Basketball Tournament Thread

[smh810 0]

It's funny, I have been saying it all year (not on this board, to friends) but it stands to reason that if you base your game on three point shots sooner or later you are going to lose because of it. Down the stretch Illinois shot themselves out of the game. People have posted that Weber called some good plays to get people open, and while yes, people were open, I contend that he should have recognized that the threes were not falling and that they should have tried to get some closer shots. Ingram was doing a good job scoring, and Deron Williams got some nice looks with dribble penetration. I think that Weber outcoached himself and that's why Illinois lost.

 

By the way, I really hope that I don't have to listen to people talk about how great a coach Roy Williams is. Yay, you won the championship with 4 future NBA players on your roster. Great coaching there buddy. Oh, I know!! Lets try giving the ball to Sean "Unstoppable" May down the stretch. Wait.. did Williams even recruit these guys? I can't remember off the top of my head how long he's been there? Same thing goes for Weber, those guys are all Bill Self guys, let's see how these two do next year. I know UNC will be good, recruiting there is like UofM football, the school's name alone gets you in the door.

 

Anyway, I'm not really this bitter, I'm actually proud of MSU and the job Izzo has done, it would be nice for him/them to get a bit more recognition for a great season. I can't wait for next year as, as long as Ager/Brown both come back I think that MSU will actually be better. Marquise Grey redshirted this year, and he is supposed to be a stud, Davis will be back, Neitzel will have had a year of experience, and there are a couple of big bodies on the bench that both redshirted in Goran Suton (local boy, not sure how/if he will contribute) and Idong Ibok (or is it Ibok Idong? a guy who is 6'11 with a ridiculous wingspan but not much basketball experience). The best part? No more Chris "Choker" Hill stinking up the court. No more Tim "Useless" Bograkos getting minutes that should go to someone with actual basketball skills.

 

The whole notion of "winning with someone else's team" (I know you didnt say that verbatim but I'm just stating the theory as a whole) bothers me. Yes, Matt Doherty and Bill Self did recruit these guys, no doubt about it but they only got so far with these players (and in Doherty's case screamed his way into a coaching disaster) and couldnt get over the hump. However, it was Williams and Weber that coached these guys up to get where they're at. They ran their systems not Doherty's and Self's, so I think the coaches do deserve the credit for getting there and in Roy's case winning. As far as the future for these programs like you said UNC will continue to recruit well because theyre UNC. While I think Bruce Weber is a very good coach, his recruiting prowess is yet to be seen, we'll find out in the coming years

 

Where I agree completely with you is the state of Mich.State basketball. Tom Izzo has now become the new Denny Crum a coach that no matter how their teams do in the regular season you simply do not want to run into in March. I expect next year to be no different with them.

[nogoodnick 0]

It's funny, I have been saying it all year (not on this board, to friends) but it stands to reason that if you base your game on three point shots sooner or later you are going to lose because of it.

I totally agree with you. Too many teams live and die by the jumpshot. Illinois just didn't have the post presence to match May.

 

Yay, you won the championship with 4 future NBA players on your roster. Great coaching there buddy. Oh, I know!! Lets try giving the ball to Sean "Unstoppable" May down the stretch. Wait.. did Williams even recruit these guys?

 

Actually I think its about 6 NBA players on the roster. And what did he do that is any different from what Phil Jackson accomplished with the Lakers? A ready made team with an unstoppable big man winning a championsip. Willams arguably couldve won with a very talented Kansas team that he recruited on his own. Actually he was one shot away from winning with them in 03. Its beside the point that he didnt recruit the majority of players on his team because Matt Doherety couldnt have produced a title with the same talent. Williams is a great coach and a master recruiter.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Of course that "great coach" got a gift to even get into the final four with that phantom travelling call against 'Nova.

[nogoodnick 0]

Every team got a "gift" at some point during the tournament.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Every team did? Name me 65 gifts then.

[nogoodnick 0]

What about Illinois: Masters of the illegal screen.

 

All im saying is bad calls occur often and for everyone.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

And I'm not talking about bad calls, I'm talking about one specifically horrendous call that directly decided a game. There was no travel. The guy got fouled. Yet the call went the way of media-loved UNC that put them into the Final Four. That's a gift.

[nogoodnick 0]

Yeah I guess I am gonna have to agree with you on this one. It was a terrible call.

[AboveAverage484 0]

And I'm not talking about bad calls, I'm talking about one specifically horrendous call that directly decided a game. There was no travel. The guy got fouled. Yet the call went the way of media-loved UNC that put them into the Final Four. That's a gift.

You're just pissed that UNC beat Michigan State in the Final Four.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Nah, UNC was clearly the better team.

[Slayer 0]

I just realized way back at the beginning when my g/f was filling out her work pool bracket that I told her not to even put UNC going to the FF because I was sure that Roy was going to be same ol' Roy

 

She wouldn't have won anyway (mistakes elsewhere on her bracket), but I have the feeling she'll eventually bring it up today

[Damaramu 0]

I just realized way back at the beginning when my g/f was filling out her work pool bracket that I told her not to even put UNC going to the FF because I was sure that Roy was going to be same ol' Roy

 

She wouldn't have won anyway (mistakes elsewhere on her bracket), but I have the feeling she'll eventually bring it up today

Hmmm....is she the kind of girlfriend to hold something like this against you?

[cabbageboy 0]

Well, Roy could GET to the FF in the past, but his guys would choke at some point or just get beat by a better team.

 

By the way I'm glad someone mentions the Illinois illegal screens. I noticed throughout the U of L game that the Illini were bumping the hell out of our guys but nothing was ever called. Garcia in particular had trouble with this.

 

Not getting illegal screen calls? SEND IN THE GOON, BABY~!

[bob_barron 0]

Not getting illegal screen calls? SEND IN THE GOON, BABY~!

 

Hell yes!

[AboveAverage484 0]

Nah, UNC was clearly the better team.

Wow, okay.

 

I thought that you were gonna flame away after I said that

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Nah, it's true UNC was definitely the better team. No reason to flame over the obvious.

 

I'll also agree to the illegal screens set by Illinois all year long. Cheap bastards.

[cabbageboy 0]

Problem is, U of L doesn't really have a total thug goon to put in against Illinois. I guess there was Otis George but he was playing like crap. Still, Otis DID waste that dude from Washington with one of the best LEGAL screens you'll ever see.