NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)

[crazy canuck]

Supposedly he likes to schedule tougher than normal non-conference games.  If that's true it could be that the seeding system doesn't give enough weight to the extra measure of difficulty involved.

That could be it, but then one needs to assume that the tournament organizing committee consistently fails to give sufficient weight to that program vs all other programs.

[Berkut]

If that is the case CC, then presumably MSU teams would perform better in February than they do in December and January, right?

I don't think so.  In my experience the sort of improvement we are talking about is not linear or evenly distributed over time. 

But it is linear and evenly distributed enough to consistently result in better play in March, just not in February?

Sounds like special pleading to me.

[grumbler]

I think Izzo is a marvelous motivator who just can't maintain the level of effort needed to motivate his teams throughout the season.  Not a knock on him; I just don't think it is possible for anyone to maintain a high energy level all the time.

Plus, he is a great Xs and Os coach when the crunch comes.  He relies more on the Xs and Os than the Jimmies and Joes.

[crazy canuck]

If that is the case CC, then presumably MSU teams would perform better in February than they do in December and January, right?

I don't think so.  In my experience the sort of improvement we are talking about is not linear or evenly distributed over time. 

But it is linear and evenly distributed enough to consistently result in better play in March, just not in February?

Sounds like special pleading to me.

I am not sure what you mean.  It would be pretty amazing if a coach could get a team to consistently improve in equal amounts month to month.  You play too many computer games. 

[Berkut]

If that is the case CC, then presumably MSU teams would perform better in February than they do in December and January, right?

I don't think so.  In my experience the sort of improvement we are talking about is not linear or evenly distributed over time. 

But it is linear and evenly distributed enough to consistently result in better play in March, just not in February?

Sounds like special pleading to me.

I am not sure what you mean.  It would be pretty amazing if a coach could get a team to consistently improve in equal amounts month to month.  You play too many computer games. 

The claim is (as I understand it) that Izzo exceptional results in the tourney compared to the regula season that informs tourney seedings are not really about the tourney per se, but that Izzo's is such a master teaching coach that his teams just get better over time (moreso than others) and hence they get better results in the tourney because the tourney is the latest time that teams play.

That is a pretty good explanation, but that would suggest that his teams are better month to month as well. It seems unlikely that there is something magical about the month of March in particular that makes this improvement always wait until then to manifest itself.

What would be amazing would be a coach that could get his team to consistently improve all at once, every year, without that improvement happening gradually over time, the way one would expect improvement, overall, to actually happen.

This has nothing to do with computer games, but you probably know more about that than I do...

[crazy canuck]

If that is the case CC, then presumably MSU teams would perform better in February than they do in December and January, right?

I don't think so.  In my experience the sort of improvement we are talking about is not linear or evenly distributed over time. 

But it is linear and evenly distributed enough to consistently result in better play in March, just not in February?

Sounds like special pleading to me.

I am not sure what you mean.  It would be pretty amazing if a coach could get a team to consistently improve in equal amounts month to month.  You play too many computer games. 

The claim is (as I understand it) that Izzo exceptional results in the tourney compared to the regula season that informs tourney seedings are not really about the tourney per se, but that Izzo's is such a master teaching coach that his teams just get better over time (moreso than others) and hence they get better results in the tourney because the tourney is the latest time that teams play.

That is a pretty good explanation, but that would suggest that his teams are better month to month as well. It seems unlikely that there is something magical about the month of March in particular that makes this improvement always wait until then to manifest itself.

What would be amazing would be a coach that could get his team to consistently improve all at once, every year, without that improvement happening gradually over time, the way one would expect improvement, overall, to actually happen.

This has nothing to do with computer games, but you probably know more about that than I do...

But that is, in my experience what happens with good teaching coaches.  Throughout the year they are developing their talent and adjusting the play style of the team to match that talent (especially as it progresses).  And as they improve more complex sets and systems can be introduced.

The results of all that work are not linear.  There are often setbacks as new plays, combinations of players and defenses are introduced.  The goal of the whole enterprise is to be ready for the tournament and so it is not surprising that Izzo gets everything to come together at this time of year.  I think a lot of coaches try to do that but, as I said, it takes a special kind of coach to have those kinds of teaching skills and to also be an exceptional game situation coach which I think he is also.

I have never seen an Izzo practice -although I would love to do that - but one thing I hear consistently about him is he is a great student and teacher of the game.

[sbr]

If that is the case CC, then presumably MSU teams would perform better in February than they do in December and January, right?

I don't think so.  In my experience the sort of improvement we are talking about is not linear or evenly distributed over time. 

But it is linear and evenly distributed enough to consistently result in better play in March, just not in February?

Sounds like special pleading to me.

I am not sure what you mean.  It would be pretty amazing if a coach could get a team to consistently improve in equal amounts month to month.  You play too many computer games. 

The claim is (as I understand it) that Izzo exceptional results in the tourney compared to the regula season that informs tourney seedings are not really about the tourney per se, but that Izzo's is such a master teaching coach that his teams just get better over time (moreso than others) and hence they get better results in the tourney because the tourney is the latest time that teams play.

That is a pretty good explanation, but that would suggest that his teams are better month to month as well. It seems unlikely that there is something magical about the month of March in particular that makes this improvement always wait until then to manifest itself.

What would be amazing would be a coach that could get his team to consistently improve all at once, every year, without that improvement happening gradually over time, the way one would expect improvement, overall, to actually happen.

This has nothing to do with computer games, but you probably know more about that than I do...

But that is, in my experience what happens with good teaching coaches.  Throughout the year they are developing their talent and adjusting the play style of the team to match that talent (especially as it progresses).  And as they improve more complex sets and systems can be introduced.

The results of all that work are not linear.  There are often setbacks as new plays, combinations of players and defenses are introduced.  The goal of the whole enterprise is to be ready for the tournament and so it is not surprising that Izzo gets everything to come together at this time of year.  I think a lot of coaches try to do that but, as I said, it takes a special kind of coach to have those kinds of teaching skills and to also be an exceptional game situation coach which I think he is also.

I have never seen an Izzo practice -although I would love to do that - but one thing I hear consistently about him is he is a great student and teacher of the game.

This is what I have heard of Izzo but I can't speak first hand as even if I wanted to watch a bunch of Michigan State games out here, it would be very hard to do so.

I heard something on Mike and Mike this week about some kid who is a key part of what MSU is doing right now, but he didn't even play in December (or something like that, don't remember exactly).  He is willing to take a loss or two in January if it will help him in March.

[alfred russel]

ND is in the elite 8 after winning the ACC. On the one hand this is exciting and highlights the relevance of ND athletics. 

On the other hand this may mean I have to start watching college basketball games for the first time in years. 

[Valmy]

Wait you like ND AND Miami? :boggle:

So...was that a fumble in 1988? 

[alfred russel]

Wait you like ND AND Miami? :boggle:

So...was that a fumble in 1988? 

I grew up a Miami fan, and hated ND, and can clearly say that was not in any way a fumble in 1988 (my grandparents actually drove from Miami to South Bend to watch that crap).

But then I ended up getting a degree from ND (while I was banned from here), so here we are.

[jimmy olsen]

What a beat down by Kentucky!

[alfred russel]

What a beat down by Kentucky!

Big 12 goes out with a bang.

[Valmy]

Big 12 goes out with a bang.

No....there is another.

[alfred russel]

Big 12 goes out with a bang.

No....there is another.

Oh yeah, I forgot they were still around. I guess you are excited to still have your conference alive, right? 

[Valmy]

Oh yeah, I forgot they were still around. I guess you are excited to still have your conference alive, right? 

My only hope is that OU does so well that UT's AD is forced to fire Rick Barnes in shame. Since getting bullied by Butler when UT had a lottery pick was not humiliating enough.