NCAA Basketball Tournament Sweet 16/Elite 8 Thread

[snuffbox 0]

I dont get this 'OSU was lucky' stuff. Their last loss was Wisco at the beginning of the season and since that they've beaten Tennesse, Badgers twice, other teams I can't seem to remember, and 4 tournament games (including Tennesse, again). They only lost to 3 top level teams on the road. And huge comebacks shouldn't be more of a detraction for 'luck' than as a positive for simply winning the games. No team is that lucky, they're pretty good.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

OSU was lucky to beat Xavier. If XU grabs some OSU player during the last possession, not allowing them to shoot, they win.

[AboveAverage484 0]

OSU was lucky to beat Xavier. If XU grabs some OSU player during the last possession, not allowing them to shoot, they win.

 

Shit like this happens at least once a tourney to every championship team, so I don't see why people continually bring it up to bash to OSU (not saying you did).

[iggymcfly 0]

All this, "OSU played close games so they were lucky to make the Final Four" is BS. They were unlucky in that they faced two teams that matched up perfectly with them (Xavier and Tennessee were both pure perimeter teams which is about the only offense that can score consistently with Oden in the middle. They were unlucky that both of those teams played amazing and shot the lights out against them. They advanced because they're probably the best team in the country right now.

 

If you want lucky, how about UCLA going up against historically bad shooting performances from both Pitt and Indiana. And don't give me the "it's their defense" crap. I watched large portions of both games and Pitt especially missed a ton of wide open looks, many of them from inside 10 feet. How about the Bruins getting virtual home games in the regional semis and regional finals despite only being a #2 seed.

 

My pick before the tourney was OSU over Florida and I'm sticking with that, although if anything's wrong, it's probably the actual championship game. Florida's going to definitely have some home advantage in Atlanta and they actually matchup pretty well with the Buckeyes as they have perimeter scorers in Green and Humphrey, but still have the size inside to neutralize Oden on the other end of the floor. I just can't stand the idea of ugly-ass Noah leading the Gators to the first back-to-back NCAA titles in 16 years.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

No worries. The Hoyas will get revenge for last year's defeat.

 

But, before that, Hibbert will squash Oden. Although, Oden will likely play only like 20 minutes after the Hoyas constantly slash and attack right at the big sloth.

 

So, OSU's luck improves since they won't face some lucky shooting team. They'll get the ball stuffed right down their throat and can't do a fucking thing about it.

 

The end.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

North Carolina. I hate you. You cost me about $600 with your loss today. Nice overtime, CHOKERS. I knew I was making a dirty mistake by cheering for you after you eliminated my Fab Five and Nova Wildcats in different decades.

 

YOU LOST TO A BIG EAST TEAM!!!!

 

A BIG EAST TEAM ON A BAD YEAR!!! THE BIG EAST IS ALWAYS OVERRATED AND YOU LOSE TO THEM ON A "DOWN" YEAR?!?!?

 

March Madness is over for me now.

 

Florida, Ohio State, and UCLA are total boring, one-trick pony teams that play inconsistent ball, with UCLA being the best of the bunch for playing some defense and not making the game a fucking layup competition until the refs give them the game, ala Florida, UNC, OSU, and all the other NCAA favorites.

 

Georgetown I'm indifferent to and hope they win it all.

 

GO HOYAS. BIG EAST, BABY!

[Fökai 0]

C'mon now, you should be used to inconsistent teams by now.

 

But anyway, perfect Final Four, but the best I can do in my office pool is second.

[Richard 0]

I'll stick with Florida vs. Georgetown in the final, with Florida repeating.

If this happens, I will actually win one of the pools I'm in. I'm so excited. I'd be even more excited if there was money involved.

[Hawk 34 0]

I got the news this morning that there was a scoring mishap in the one bracket I thought I had locked up and was ready to collect $850 on but instead it'll come down to the Florida/UCLA game. I feel secure that Florida won't screw me.

[AboveAverage484 0]

Florida's been lazy, but I feel confident they can get by UCLA.

[cabbageboy 0]

Florida beat the fatal shit out of OSU earlier in the season. It was that game in particular that made it 100% impossible for me to take OSU seriously. If that ends up being the title game, it'll be over by the half. And OSU ain't coming back from 20 down against the Gators.

 

I'll tell you why OSU is considered lucky. They just don't seem any good when you watch them. Does that make sense? Whenever I see them they get down in games to a mediocre team like Xavier or Michigan, whoever. Then they pull some bullshit out of their ass at the end, the other team screws up and misses a dunk, they hit some impossible 3, etc. It's like the combined nightmare of watching the Fab 5 and OSU's 2002 football team. I don't buy this theory of "Every title team needs that scary game." That's crap. Maybe one tough game a la UNLV vs. Ball St. in 1990, but otherwise it should be pure assbeating. OSU has had two games they literally should have lost, and say what you will but that sort of luck runs out.

 

UCLA vs. either OSU/G'Town would be a turd. That's just how UCLA is. For the sake of every viewer's sanity outside of S. CA, pray that Florida wins.

 

FL vs. G'Town is the only matchup that would be worth a damn.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Tony said today on PTI that a UCLA-OSU title game could set basketball back about 30 years. I'm kinda tending to agree.

[iggymcfly 0]

I'll tell you why OSU is considered lucky. They just don't seem any good when you watch them. Does that make sense? Whenever I see them they get down in games to a mediocre team like Xavier or Michigan, whoever. Then they pull some bullshit out of their ass at the end, the other team screws up and misses a dunk, they hit some impossible 3, etc. It's like the combined nightmare of watching the Fab 5 and OSU's 2002 football team. I don't buy this theory of "Every title team needs that scary game." That's crap. Maybe one tough game a la UNLV vs. Ball St. in 1990, but otherwise it should be pure assbeating. OSU has had two games they literally should have lost, and say what you will but that sort of luck runs out.

 

Not really. That's the feeling I've gotten watching just about every team but OSU in the tournament this year. The Xavier game was the best played game of the tournament thus far, Xavier had an absolutely ridiculous shooting day, played their best game of the tournamnet, and OSU still managed to step up their game one notch higher and get the win. Ohio State made very play they could be expected to at the end of the game and then a couple more (like that ridiculous pick-pocket after the inbounds pass.

 

Contrast that to the two UCLA games I watched (vs. Indiana and vs. Pitt). Terrible basketball. It wasn't just an "ugly style", it wasn't just good defense, it was terrible basketball. In the Pitt game, I'd watch one player get an open 15-footer miss it, then no one would box out, it would go right to another offensive player who would have an open 5-footer, miss that and then the ball would go the other way. The Indiana game, the Hoosiers shot 17/52 from the field and 10/21 from the free-throw line, had 13 points at the half and still only lost by 5. Either UCLA was playing some great free-throw defense or that was just a terrible game.

 

As far as teams only getting one close game, there's not a team that can say that in the Final Four. Georgetown only got by Vanderbilt (who should have been about an 11 seed) after making a terrible ugly bank shot with 2 seconds left that was widely considered a travel. UCLA beat Indiana by 6 in the worst 2nd round game ever played and followed it up with a single-digit victory in the worst 3rd round game ever played vs. Pitt. Florida hasn't won a game by double digits since they played Jackson State in the opener and would probably be eliminated without 15 BS foul calls going against Oregon. Basically, it seems to me like Ohio State faced a couple hot-shooting teams that were playing well and then played even better whereas the other 3 schools just put up some crappy performances against mediocre teams and got lucky enough to get away with it.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

I'm still trying to figure out how Xavier had a hot shooting day. 42% FG, 8-23 from 3, 68% at the line.

 

That should-have-been 57th seed Vanderbilt shot just about as well vs. GT.

[iggymcfly 0]

Wow, really surprised it was that low. To be honest, I only watched the second half of the game and during the second half, they were drilling a ton of contested threes despite Ohio State playing good defense throughout. If they were laying bricks all through the first half though, then maybe the OSU detractors have more of a point.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

If you ever have the chance to catch the HBO documentary on the UCLA dynasty please do so. It was fantastic, must watch for any basketball fan.

 

If you missed it last night, HBO's documentary about the Wooden Dynasty was absolutely terrific. I loved it. Couldn't recommend it any more highly.

 

-Bill Simmons