College Basketball 06/07

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Lovely. The Trojans get Texas in Round Two. I was hoping for Sweet 16, but oh well. As much as I respect Tim Floyd, no strategy can stop Kevin Durant with our personnel.

 

My Final Four:

 

Ohio State, Georgetown, UCLA, Oregon

[Guest]

Akron probably didn't want an NIT bid. After that loss, it makes some sense.

[iggymcfly 0]

My Final Four is: Georgia, West Virginia, Clemson, and Bradley with Bradley beating Georgia in the title game.

 

As for the NCAA tournament? I'm not quite sure yet.

[snuffbox 0]

Wisco/UCLA/OSU/Texas.

 

I might change my mind tomorrow, though.

[cabbageboy 0]

I have to say I'm quite pleased with the draw U of L got, but I am slightly worried about what playing at Rupp actually means. As in will it be a very, very good thing or will it backfire playing in the home of the enemy? I'm hoping good. After all, IU's awesome 2002 run came out of being cheered like crazy at Rupp.

 

Fuck it, I went ahead and put U of L in my FF. Of course I'm completely biased and possibly insane, but I think whoever wins that U of L vs. TX A & M game is headed to Atlanta. A & M, if they advance past U of L, would get the next 2 rounds in San Antonio and I like their chances. The logic of my obvious homer pick goes like this:

 

--U of L has essentially 2 home games against Stanford and likely A & M.

--I refuse to put Memphis over U of L in a bracket on moral grounds. And Memphis is complete bullshit anyway.

--I have Tennessee upsetting OSU in the Sweet 16. Recall that the Vols damn near beat OSU in Columbus but lost by 2 points. They will win a rematch on a neutral site.

--U of L flat out owns Tennessee over the past 5 years.

 

My FF is Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, and U of L. Then I've got FL maiming UCLA again, then having another tough one vs. the Hoyas for the title. G'Town simply can't score enough points to win a title however.

 

Here are my upsets and non upsets:

 

--Davidson over Maryland. If the Terps can tank against Miami, they can tank here too.

--GT over UNLV. Not a big upset really, but I am so not sold on UNLV being that good this year.

--Illinois over VT. Illinois is boring as hell, but usually dependable. The way I've trashed VT on here all year do you honestly think I'd pick them to do anything?

--Holy Cross over S. Illinois. Mainly to avoid the nightmare of all time, SIU vs. Illinois. That would be 40-38. Ralph Willard's team usually scares people, this time they can get it done.

--Arkansas over USC. I don't believe in the Pac 10, though I do have UCLA in the FF and Oregon in Elite 8. The rest of them are all bleh to me. Arkansas is actually higher in the RPI than USC to boot.

--Oral Roberts over Washington St. WASU is tanking right now, and ORU did beat Kansas this year. I had to have one 3/14 upset.

 

That's pretty much it as far as upsets go. Here are some non upsets:

 

--Butler over ODU. I like Butler and have all year. I'm not about to give up on them due to Wright St. having their number. Butler can befuddle teams that don't know them.

--Notre Dame over Winthrop. ND got a crappy draw and won't make it out of Spokane, but they are way too good of a shooting team to lose this one. Winthrop is almost being overhyped as a mid major darling.

--Duke over VCU. I know Duke kinda sucks this year, but for some reason I can't see this. And besides, I still hate VCU from the old school Metro days, so fuck em.

--Vandy over GW. I don't much care for Vandy, but I do like their draw and have them in the Sweet 16.

--Tennessee over Long Beach St. Tennessee is a dubious tourney team, but I think they straighten up in time to play well.

--Nevada over Creighton. Creighton hasn't impressed me much this year, though admittedly Nevada hasn't either. Still, I know a guy in Reno who is constantly pimping Fazekas, so I'll take his word for it.

[LooseCannon25 0]

I can't wait for the tourney to start.

 

NIT looks pretty solid also. Some very good teams in their field.

[bob_barron 0]

Me and cabbageboy both know that U of L v. Memphis would be an insane matchup.

 

With the Tigers winning of course! :-)

[cabbageboy 0]

Bob, after the 2005 C-USA finals you have to admit that the Memphis Tigers are U of L's bitches. I think that matchup has to happen for several reasons. I mean, it certainly beats some heatless A & M vs. Creighton matchup. Anyway somehow I just knew they'd put U of L and Memphis in the same region. It's like fate or something.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Being on the UK Rivals board is funny, it seems like they're more up in arms about U of L having 2 games in Rupp than anything else. I can't imagine what the reaction Pitino will get in Rupp next weekend.

 

Cabbageboy, I'm suprised you didn't comment on that possible UCLA-Pitt anti-classic that could happen. Howland/Dixon, who can put the TV audiences to sleep faster?

 

I kinda like Nevada as a sleeper in the South bracket, I think they can beat Memphis and likely give Louisville/A&M a run for their money.

[Guest]

Pitt-Indiana would be WAY worse. A matchup like that could drive a person to tears.

[Hawk 34 0]

For those who haven't seen the times for the games and are wondering about classes/work, here are the times for the games according to Yahoo

 

Thursday

Louisville Vs Stanford (12:40)

Boston College Vs Texas Tech (12:25)

Maryland Vs Davidson (12:20) *Marvin will probably miss the game in HDTV and wreck himself for it*

 

Washington State Vs Oral Roberts(2:40)

Georgetown Vs Belmont (2:55)

Texas A&M Vs Penn (3:10)

Butler Vs Old Dominion (2:50)

 

Vaderbilt Vs GW (5:10)

Ohio State Vs Central Conn (7:10)

Duke Vs VCU (7:10)

UCLA Vs Weber State (7:25)

Marquette Vs Michigan St (7:20)

 

 

BYU Vs Xavier (9:40)

Pittsburgh Vs Wright State (9:40)

Indiana Vs Gonzaga (9:55)

UNC Vs EKU (9:50)

 

Friday

Virginia Vs Albany (12:15)

Memphis Vs North Texas (12:30)

UNLV Vs GT (12:25)

 

Tennessee Vs Long Beach St (2:45)

Nevada Vs Creighton (3:00)

Notre Dame Vs Winthrop (2:35)

Wisconsin Vs Texas A&M-CC (2:55)

 

Oregon Vs Miami (5:05) *A national viewing of a massacre given to my school!*

VT Vs Illinois (7:10)

Kansas Vs Niagara/FAMU (7:10)

Arizona Vs Purdue (7:20)

Texas Vs New Mexico State (7:25)

 

 

Villanova Vs Kentucky (9:40)

Southern Illinois Vs Holy Cross (9:40)

Florida Vs Jackson State (9:50)

USC Vs Arkansas (9:55)

[Vern Gagne 0]

NIT field is smaller this year.

 

Games I'll probably see in my market.

 

Boston College vs Texas Tech

 

Butler vs Old Dominion

 

Marquette vs Michigan St.

 

Indiana vs Gonzaga

 

UNLV vs Georgia Tech

 

Wisconsin vs Texas A&M-CC

 

Arizona vs Purdue

 

Villanova vs Kentucky

[Guest]

Thursday

Louisville vs Stanford (12:40)

 

Wazoo vs Oral Roberts

 

UCLA vs Weber State (7:25)

 

Indiana vs Gonzaga (9:55)

 

UNLV vs GT (12:25)

 

Tennessee vs Long Beach St (2:45)

 

Arizona vs Purdue (7:20)

 

USC vs Arkansas (9:55)

 

I hope we get these. They always show the Arizona faggots, and Gonzaga.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Games Philly market will probably get, Nova and Penn games will get aired since they're local teams.

 

Louisville vs. Stanford

 

Texas A&M vs. Penn

 

Duke vs. VCU

 

Pitt vs. Wright State

 

Virginia vs. Albany

 

Notre Dame vs. Winthrop

 

Kansas vs. Niagra/FAMU

 

Villanova vs. Kentucky

[Vern Gagne 0]

The second set off games on Thursday is pretty one sided seed wise.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

I absolutely LOVE the Vols placement and they can certainly make a big run, but, as someone said earlier, they are a dubious tourney team especially in the early rounds. They play down to their competition to the same degree they play up to their competition.

 

However, they couldn't have gotten a better draw. Virginia doesn't impress me and we obliterated the #2 Memphis Tigers when we played them(last team to beat them in fact) and SHOULD have beaten OSU in Columbus if not for a missed FT by Lofton(90% shooter) and a last-second 3-pointer by Ivan Harris. I'd personally put us right behind A&M and the Buckeyes as the favorites in, quite frankly, a weak Region.

[Vern Gagne 0]

What 1 seed gets the first half scare, only to pull away and win by 20+ points.

[iggymcfly 0]

I'm not convinced that OSU is such a good matchup for Tennessee. The Vols have very little size on the interior and have no way to contain Oden. The first time they played, Oden was one-armed, and he still had 24 points and 15 rebounds. At 100%, he could do much more. The only way that I could see the Vols advancing is to just get ridiculously hot from the 3-point line and try to turn the game into a track meet, but I think OSU wins that game at least 3 times out of 4.

 

In fact with how much OSU's improved over the course of the season (remember Oden's not the only freshman starter, Cook and Conley are fresh out of HS as well), not only do I think they'll get by Tennessee and Louisville to reach the Final Four, I also have them beating Georgetown and Florida to become national champions.

[smh810 0]

Wow, this is the only time I ever post here anymore but anyway here are my thoughts. I know some people want to see the UofL-Memphis sweet 16 matchup but I just dont see it happening. For one thing A&M is GOOD, very good and I cannot see Louisville getting past them. In fact, I have A&M going to the Final Four. Gillispie is a damn good coach and he'll find a way not only to get past the Cardinal but to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes who are vulnerable in the later rounds if/when the shooters go cold. Overall, I really think the team to beat is Georgetown. They have the total package and they are the one team who have the personeel that can beat the Florida Gators. Every other teamfalls short in one area or another but Georgetown has the length, the athleticism, and the personeel to win it all.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Yeah, I don't think it's a good draw for Tennessee at all. They have trouble when they face capable big men, and Oden's gotten more and more capable as the year's gone on. In fact, it's a pretty ugly draw for whoever hits OSU in the Sweet Sixteen (presuming OSU gets there); Tennessee, Virginia, Albany, and Long Beach State all appear to be very perimeter/guard-centric teams upon whom Oden can feast at will.

 

Ultimately though, I think I like A&M out of that region.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

What 1 seed gets the first half scare, only to pull away and win by 20+ points.

I'll be a homer and go with Niagara vs. Kansas. They feel extremely disrespected that they're in the play-in game and are even coming out and saying FAMU is no challenge for them. And Kansas is the weakest top seed.

 

Can't blame them, especially when the committee gives such sterling reasoning for their seeding as "The MAAC was weak this year" and can't uh say uh anything else about it.

[bob_barron 0]

Oh God- Memphis on at 12:30? I'm so going to get fired watching that game at work

[Guest Queen Leelee]

Luckily, we'll have a group of people watching the games at work Thu & Fri.

 

But, I still must be allowed to watch the games online. Because we're definitely gonna get stuck with horrible games like BC/Texas Tech.

[CanadianChris 0]

I wasn't able to get both days off, but I will be home Friday. First time in four years I'll get to watch some of the daytime games.

[bob_barron 0]

We don't have a TV in the office, so I signed up for MMOD- though I have doubts on it working. I just can't believe I have to watch the Tigers at my workplace

[Guest Queen Leelee]

MMOD surprisingly worked extremely well last year. Ran smooth as butter on our rather weak connection, and a very clear picture.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

MIDWEST: Florida, Purdue, Butler, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia Tech, and Wisconsin advance.

 

-- Surprises: Purdue (a better team than Arizona, but ranked lower) and Georgia Tech

 

WEST: Kansas, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Holy Cross, Duke, Pitt, Gonzaga, UCLA advance.

 

-- Surprises: Villanova (Kentucky BLOWS), Holy Cross (ALWAYS a dangerous team, it's time) and Gonzaga

 

EAST: North Carolina, Marquette, Arkansas, Texas, Vanderbilt, Washington State, Texas Tech, Georgetown

 

-- Surprises: Arkansas wins a shocker, Texas Tech knocks out an occassionally sleepy Boston College team. Both teams get squashed in round 2.

 

SOUTH (aka the Jobber Bracket): Ohio State, Xavier, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisville, Texas A & M, Nevada, Memphis

 

Surprises: NONE. The low seeds in this region are laughable.

[cabbageboy 0]

The West region is the joke in my book. A top seed that's a perennial choker. #2 seed that is tanking and that I have in my FF by default. Pitt sucks and may well lose to this DUKE team, in fact I have that in my bracket. SIU is a boring slowdown team that can't score 60 points. VT is crap. Honestly, how can either Kansas or UCLA lose before meeting each other?

 

I think Pitino will be massively cheered at Rupp. It's not like there's this huge UK group of fans that will be there....why the hell would they spend 150.00 when their team isn't in the region? Just to boo Pitino? Who cares? It's going to be 80% U of L fans, 15% OSU fans, maybe some from Xavier that came down from Cincy, and the others just token groups. Gotta feel sorry for Stanford in a way. Not only do they get U of L at Rupp Arena, but it'd also be at 9:40 AM Pacific Time!

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

The South is the biggest bunch of crap I've seen in one region, OSU aside, since I've watched the tournaments. That'd be since 1994, I'd say. The West is awful, too. But the low seeds in the South are SO BAD. Long Beach State? THE FUCK?

[Guest]

I swear to you guys that Long Beach State is beating Tennesee.