College Hoops 2/14/06 - 2/26/06

[SilverPhoenix 0]

Monday ended with a shakeup in the Big East as Villanova defeated the number 1 Team in the Nation, to take sole possession of 1st Place in the Leauge. Also Bucknell has cracked the Top 25 in the first time in history. While all of this is happeneing, we have now reached a weeked that is more important than it has been in the past 3 editions.

 

It is time for the Bracket Buster weekend.

 

Everyone's favoriite Mid Major Love Fest comes back better than ever. This Year the Bracketbuster emcompasses 50 Out of conference Games, with 11 of them being shown on the ESPN family of networks. These matches carry even more signifance this year due to the weak Bubble Scene, and many of these games are now "make and break" ones for many of these teams hopes, escpecially for those lucky enough to get on television.

 

I will be previewing all of the Television Games this week, and listing all 50 Bracket Buster Matchups.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Maryland sucks. They are about to lose to Clemson. 25 turnovers so far.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

That's rough for them. Takes them to 5-6 in the ACC. At this point, teams like Miami, FSU, Maryland, and UVA are going to need 9-7 in conference +1 in the ACC tournament if they're going to make it in on the bubble. With away games at FSU, UNC, and UVA, UMD is looking more like an 8-8 team right now.

 

Alabama lost to South Carolina, too. Their chances are similarly slipping away.

[iggymcfly 0]

Well, I missed a whole week and then didn't get them out by Monday morning this week, but I finally have some new rankings up. These are good through Tuesday's games.

 

Iggy's Rankings for February 15, 2006

(previous ranking in parenthesis)

1. Duke 24-1 (1)
2. Memphis 23-2 (2)
3. Connecticut 22-2 (3)
4. Texas 22-3 (5)
5. Villanova 20-2 (7)
6. Tennessee 18-3 (9)
7. Ohio State 18-3 (15)
8. Gonzaga 21-3 (6)
9. Illinois 20-4 (4)
10. Pittsburgh 19-3 (8)
11. George Washington 20-1 (13)
12. West Virginia 18-6 (14)
13. Georgetown 17-5 (16)
14. Iowa 20-6 (18)
15. Florida 21-3 (10)
16. Michigan State 18-7 (12)
17. NC State 19-5 (19)
18. UCLA 20-5 (17)
19. Michigan 16-6 (11)
20. LSU 16-7 (21)
21. Oklahoma 16-5 (NR)
22. Boston College 20-5 (25)
23. Washington 18-5 (22)
24. Wisconsin 17-7 (20)
25. Bucknell 20-3 (NR)

[SilverPhoenix 0]

That's rough for them. Takes them to 5-6 in the ACC. At this point, teams like Miami, FSU, Maryland, and UVA are going to need 9-7 in conference +1 in the ACC tournament if they're going to make it in on the bubble. With away games at FSU, UNC, and UVA, UMD is looking more like an 8-8 team right now.

 

Alabama lost to South Carolina, too. Their chances are similarly slipping away.

 

8-8 is being optimistic at this point. This is there 4th Straight loss to one of the worst Major Basketball Programs on the Planet. Maryland has no fire at all, and UNC is going to run rings around them. I don't even think they'll beat Virginia at this point either, as Virginia REALLY wants to make the Tournament.

 

As for Alabamba....they're done. Ranking them at the beginning of the season was a big joke.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

That's rough for them. Takes them to 5-6 in the ACC. At this point, teams like Miami, FSU, Maryland, and UVA are going to need 9-7 in conference +1 in the ACC tournament if they're going to make it in on the bubble. With away games at FSU, UNC, and UVA, UMD is looking more like an 8-8 team right now.

 

Alabama lost to South Carolina, too. Their chances are similarly slipping away.

 

8-8 is being optimistic at this point. This is there 4th Straight loss to one of the worst Major Basketball Programs on the Planet. Maryland has no fire at all, and UNC is going to run rings around them. I don't even think they'll beat Virginia at this point either, as Virginia REALLY wants to make the Tournament.

 

As for Alabamba....they're done. Ranking them at the beginning of the season was a big joke.

UNC's got them, no question in my mind, but I could see them holding at home against Miami and GT, and then stealing the FSU game. The Clemson losses do always seem to take the wind out of their sails, though. I agree on Virginia--UMD is also the last game of the season and the last game at U-Hall before they open up the big new stadium next year. Virginia will have TJ Bannister back by that point, which is going to give them a tremendous three-guard rotation. Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds being in foul trouble with no viable alternatives was the main reason they let the game at Maryland slip away. I love Coach Leitao. Seriously, he's turned a program that none of us UVA kids have cared about at all for three years into the hottest thing in town.

 

I only see the ACC getting 5 teams this year, unless one of the four bubble teams goes on a big, big run in the conference tournament. Or a few more of the SEC and Big 10's bubble teams start choking down the homestretch.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Mike Davis has reportedly resigned from Indiana but will finish out the season.

[Guest]

Eddie Sutton's in an alcoholic treatment facility.

[Mik 0]

Tyler Hansbrough set the Smith Center and ACC freshman record with 40 points against Georgia Tech last night. Pretty impressive - especially since he didn't shoot any 3s.

[iggymcfly 0]

Tyler Hansbrough set the Smith Center and ACC freshman record with 40 points against Georgia Tech last night. Pretty impressive - especially since he didn't shoot any 3s.

 

Actually, that just means that Georgia Tech played the worst defense ever. I watched almost the entire game, and they just let him get layup after layup. I don't know if he made a jumper the whole game.

[therealworldschampion 0]

I wonder who Indiana will go after as their next coach. Tons of people are saying it's going to be Steve Alford, but I'm not sure that he's that good of a coach considering how up and down Iowa has been since he started coaching there, though they would definitely would rebound recruiting in the state of Indiana if he came to coach there.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

Tennessee 105, Auburn 89. Another 100+ point game for the Vols, but we gave up SIXTY FOUR to Auburn in the second half playing mostly experimental half-court defense with a huge lead(That they almost let dwindle away). This is bad news for Tennessee and good news for teams that are able to slow the game down versus the Vols.

[Gert T 0]

IU fans will have to get used to lower expectations. 64 teams in the NCAA's and the three point line are reasons why that their next coach won't be matching Knight's 3 titles. Hell, Davis' record wasn't that much different than Knight's last six years.

[Hawk 34 0]

I wonder who Indiana will go after as their next coach. Tons of people are saying it's going to be Steve Alford, but I'm not sure that he's that good of a coach considering how up and down Iowa has been since he started coaching there, though they would definitely would rebound recruiting in the state of Indiana if he came to coach there.

 

Getting Alford is basically a PR move. While Alford isn't a horrible coach and has had modest success @ Iowa, he isn't the kind of name that I think could recover IU's program to the status they want to get back to.

 

I heard on some radio show this morning that IU may consider former UC head coach, Bob Huggins. While Huggins has a great record as a coach and can win, he would bring the program some negative baggage and that's something IU doesn't need more of.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Why doesn't IU try getting Knight back. Myles Brand is gone, so it's possible.

[therealworldschampion 0]

I've heard Thad Matta from Ohio State may be a possibility if the NCAA puts heavy sanctions on the OSU basketball program from their violations under Jim O'Brien, which would probably scare away next year's top ranked class, including Greg Oden.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Northern Iowa BUSTS A BRACKET over Bucknell, in double OT. Sloppy shots a-go-go.

[Damaramu 0]

Wow I think ESPN just tried to justify the Michigan player shoving the fan to the floor.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Minnesota upset Iowa at home today, which still leaves the Big Ten title picture somewhat muddled.

 

Arkansas beat Florida today to keep their tournament bid hopes alive. Alabama beat Tennessee, which helps Alabama in the at-large process and hurt Tennessee's chances of a #2 seed in the tournament.

 

Marquette upset Pittsburgh at home tonight, U of L's NCAA hopes got hurt even more with the loss to Syracuse, and UConn escaped Morgantown with a win over WVU.

[cabbageboy 0]

What is this shit with fucking Marquette? Of the CUSA teams coming to the Big East, they were one I thought would end up as utter shit. They lost Diener (finally) and I figured at long last they would go something like 4-12 in conf. Now here they are at 8-5 after beating G'Town and Pitt this week. And no, I wouldn't call either of those upsets since both were at Quette.

 

Perhaps I'm just venting since I am so frustrated with U of L's season. Another loss tonight, this one to Cuse. It seems like we can't win on the road, and the games at home are all against Nova, Pitt, UConn....doesn't leave many winnable games.

[Guest]

Regarding Marquette, I think it's coaching. They aren't as talented as their record would seem to indicate.

[Guest Princess Leena]

The "bracket buster" thing really hurt the MVC, IMO.

 

NIU and Missouri St. got the bigger TV wins... but the Salukis lose at home to LaTech. A very underrated George Mason wins in Wichita. And most of the lower teams lost their non-conference matchups. This was really "MVC shows they aren't a mid-major any longer" day... and they didn't show it.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Nova beat Georgetown today. Next 2 games are going to be a bit rough, a Cincinnatti, who needs a win to really clinch an at-large berth, and next Sunday at UConn, who'll want to get revenge for last Monday. If Nova wins these two and wins two games in the Big East tourney, they should be able to lock up a #1 seed.

 

Nova could also very well luck out in the regional they get placed in like Illinois did last year if the get placed as the #1 seed in the Washington D.C. regional, since they'll get to play their first and second round games in Philadelphia because one of the other Big Five schools is counted as the "host" of those games, then its maybe a 2-3 hour drive to D.C. for the regionals.

[cabbageboy 0]

The MVC wasn't hurt THAT much. UNI got past Bucknell, which was the big one there for the day. I have to admit the SIU loss to La Tech was really bizarre though.

 

Let's be honest though...the MVC is a JTTS type league.

[Damaramu 0]

Texas lost in Stillwater today to the worst team in the Big XII. And after all the talk about how Kansas is young and have dropped off they are now tied for first in the Big XII.

[iggymcfly 0]

Texas lost in Stillwater today to the worst team in the Big XII. And after all the talk about how Kansas is young and have dropped off they are now tied for first in the Big XII.

 

Baylor says hello. If you say that they hardly seem like a real Big XII team this year, I can kinda see it considering they didn't even play a full schedule, but Missouri's worse than OSU as well.

[Damaramu 0]

Well based off of their record and the fact they were below Baylor recently in the conference basement I declared them the worst. They no longer are but for a time there they were.

[Guest]

USC beat UCLA today, likely costing them the conference. I'm happy about that one.

[cabbageboy 0]

Dear God, are you telling me CAL might actually win the Pac 10 now? Or that utterly putrid Stanford team that lost to UC Davis? Surely UCLA will somehow end up winning it. Or maybe Washington can sneak in the back door.

 

That said, UCLA has to go high on my list of teams to be upset early in the tourney. Somehow they just have it written all over them.

[Guest]

If Cal wins their last 4, they win the conference. Simple as that. It's either them or UCLA.

 

UCLA won't be upset, but they'll lose to a lesser team. If USC beats both Oregon teams when they make their trip to LA next week, I think they're on the bubble. They'd need to beat Cal or Stanford too, which is within reason, and get a win or 2 in the Pac-10 tourney to get in. They aren't nearly as bad as I thought they'd be. Floyd's doing a great coaching job.

 

SC would probably fall a win or two earlier in the season short, but this is a hell of a lot better than what I've seen the past few years. I only expected 10 wins.