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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: PDH on November 02, 2014, 10:14:32 PM

Title: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on November 02, 2014, 10:14:32 PM
Wyoming is back and is going to...be better than last year.  The pundits have W.Y.O. as anywhere from 2nd to 6th place in the Mountain West, but frankly I am ready to see what happens.

I already vote Larry Nance, Jr. as the national player of the year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on November 02, 2014, 11:17:40 PM
Last year was supposed to be a disaster but turned out to be glorious.  This year is supposed to be glorious so...

The only thing I know for certain is Rick Barnes offense will be as horrible as ever.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on November 03, 2014, 08:16:22 PM
Quote from: Valmy on November 02, 2014, 11:17:40 PM
Last year was supposed to be a disaster but turned out to be glorious.  This year is supposed to be glorious so...

The only thing I know for certain is Rick Barnes offense will be as horrible as ever.

Wyoming's coach was a Barnes assistant back in the day.  Wyoming doesn't do offense that well either.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on November 03, 2014, 08:20:35 PM
UDub is middle of road pac-12 team this year, and folks are looking at highly regarded recruiting class they have signed for next season.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on November 03, 2014, 08:58:54 PM
Quote from: PDH on November 03, 2014, 08:16:22 PM
Quote from: Valmy on November 02, 2014, 11:17:40 PM
Last year was supposed to be a disaster but turned out to be glorious.  This year is supposed to be glorious so...

The only thing I know for certain is Rick Barnes offense will be as horrible as ever.

Wyoming's coach was a Barnes assistant back in the day.  Wyoming doesn't do offense that well either.

I used to prefer defensive roundball.  John Beilein has cured me of that.  Dunno if Michigan can reload a third time, though.  The team could be great, but could be meh.  For the third straight year, it is younger than the team before it.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on November 16, 2014, 06:43:55 PM
Wyoming starts off the season with a win against mighty Northern Colorado 78-70.  If they keep this up and score more points than their opponents then Wyoming will win out the rest of the season.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on November 16, 2014, 06:50:21 PM
Quote from: grumbler on November 03, 2014, 08:58:54 PM
Quote from: PDH on November 03, 2014, 08:16:22 PM
Quote from: Valmy on November 02, 2014, 11:17:40 PM
Last year was supposed to be a disaster but turned out to be glorious.  This year is supposed to be glorious so...

The only thing I know for certain is Rick Barnes offense will be as horrible as ever.

Wyoming's coach was a Barnes assistant back in the day.  Wyoming doesn't do offense that well either.

I used to prefer defensive roundball.  John Beilein has cured me of that.  Dunno if Michigan can reload a third time, though.  The team could be great, but could be meh.  For the third straight year, it is younger than the team before it.

I still prefer good defence that turns into great transition offence.  But I have to admit watching Michigan play has been a fun ride the last few years.  Looking forward to seeing how they look this year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on November 16, 2014, 08:00:24 PM
Wright state starts off 2-0. They'll blow the Horizon league though.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on November 19, 2014, 09:40:05 AM
UK has a pretty good team.  They might be able to put together a respectable season this year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on November 20, 2014, 02:49:40 AM
http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/11/19/7251979/arizona-coach-is-open-pass-him-the-ball

:lol:

#1 Sean Miller is off the bench all the way out to the 3 point line, where an official has to see him.

#2 it is 4-0 and less than 3 minutes into a game against UC Irvine

What a douche
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on November 20, 2014, 10:04:50 AM
Miller is a bit of a spaz at times. And I bet the official did NOT see him, in fact. Why would the center official be looking there - there aren't any players there, and he has an active matchup in the post.

Did you see Hollis-Jefferson dunk over their 7'6" center?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on November 20, 2014, 10:08:08 AM
Quote from: Berkut on November 20, 2014, 10:04:50 AM
Miller is a bit of a spaz at times. And I bet the official did NOT see him, in fact. Why would the center official be looking there - there aren't any players there, and he has an active matchup in the post.

Did you see Hollis-Jefferson dunk over their 7'6" center?

Unless his peripheral vision wasn't working, he had to notice a dude in a suit to his left.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on November 20, 2014, 10:32:29 AM
Quote from: derspiess on November 20, 2014, 10:08:08 AM
Quote from: Berkut on November 20, 2014, 10:04:50 AM
Miller is a bit of a spaz at times. And I bet the official did NOT see him, in fact. Why would the center official be looking there - there aren't any players there, and he has an active matchup in the post.

Did you see Hollis-Jefferson dunk over their 7'6" center?

Unless his peripheral vision wasn't working, he had to notice a dude in a suit to his left.

Not really. He has the ball in his area of the court, and the active match up is in his primary coverage area. And there aren't any players out there, so you pretty much are focused on what is happening right there.

Miller is on and off the court rather quickly. I am rather certain the official didn't see him, in fact. His head never moves.

The opposite side official might have seen him looking through the play.

But this is one of those weird things that should never happen, hence the mechanics don't have any means of catching it - the entire point of mechanics is to try to ensure that the officials are NOT looking at parts of the court that don't matter.

He might have seen something out of his peripheral, but he isn't going to take his eyes of the play.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on November 20, 2014, 10:32:36 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsKuXYwbyhs&feature=youtu.be
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on November 20, 2014, 11:42:49 AM
Not shown, Sean Miller setting a pick to free the guy.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on November 20, 2014, 04:39:13 PM
It's an impressive dunk, though the goon center barely seemed to even try to defend it.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on November 20, 2014, 04:44:42 PM
Quote from: Berkut on November 20, 2014, 10:32:29 AM
But this is one of those weird things that should never happen, hence the mechanics don't have any means of catching it - the entire point of mechanics is to try to ensure that the officials are NOT looking at parts of the court that don't matter.

He might have seen something out of his peripheral, but he isn't going to take his eyes of the play.

:yes:

I would much rather have the ref's full concentration on the stuff he is supposed to notice.

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on November 22, 2014, 10:19:48 PM
Wyoming beat a good Colorado team 56-33 (yes, Colorado only scored 33...9 in the second half).  It was an impressive win and right now Wyoming looks darn good on defense and capable on offense.

I don't know if this will be a great year, but it could well be a darn good year for the Cowboys.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on November 24, 2014, 01:47:19 PM
WVU dominated UCONN last night to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship last night.  Kind of nice seeing them ranked for the first time in ages.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: CountDeMoney on November 24, 2014, 05:42:40 PM
Baby Terps have their first real test against ASU tonight.  So much young talent came in this years' recruiting class, but their biggest impact player is sitting on the bench, losing a year of eligibility in transferring from GT.

They have no real man-child beast at center, and nobody with enough skills or experience to run the game a la Steve Blake.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on November 24, 2014, 06:02:40 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 24, 2014, 05:42:40 PM
Baby Terps have their first real test against ASU tonight.  So much young talent came in this years' recruiting class, but their biggest impact player is sitting on the bench, losing a year of eligibility in transferring from GT.

They have no real man-child beast at center, and nobody with enough skills or experience to run the game a la Steve Blake.

Did you see 34 year old Steve Blake give the youngster the old Shake-and-Blake last night?

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgiant.gfycat.com%2FSkeletalSnivelingCatfish.gif&hash=2cb0d1ca43e60786b5788a9554a01f9ef5d2e45b)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on November 24, 2014, 08:39:10 PM
I just realized Texas is going to Kentucky on Dec 5th.  That should be fun.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on November 25, 2014, 07:45:42 AM
Michigan had a decent win against a good, but very younger (even younger than Michigan) Oregon squad in the Legends classic in Brooklyn.  Oregon committed entirely to stopping the three, so Michigan only shot from behind the line 13 times.  However, Oregon left themselves open to the slashing attack on the hoop that is Michigan's preferred attack, and Michigan ended up with 23 of their 70 points on free-throw shooting.

Next up is a likely "good loss" to #12 Villanova tonight.  'Nova is too balanced for Michigan to hide its freshmen, and whoever on Michigan is having a bad night will get exploited.  Michigan doesn't have the depth yet to cover for someone having a bad night.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on November 30, 2014, 10:13:04 AM
Wyoming is now 6-0 with a couple of decent wins over teams that went to the NCAAs last year.

So far the plan to win all the games this season is progressing at a good pace.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on December 02, 2014, 05:51:32 PM
Quote from: PDH on November 30, 2014, 10:13:04 AM
Wyoming is now 6-0 with a couple of decent wins over teams that went to the NCAAs last year.

So far the plan to win all the games this season is progressing at a good pace.
yeah UDub is 6-0 as well, though The toughest teams they have faced are Long Beach St and UTEP.
But have meetings with SDSU and Oklahoma coming up in non conference play.

Have excellent Point Guard in Williams-Goss, transfer from Fresno St. a 7-0 is breaking records for blocks for team already and Sean Kemp JR.  is playing more and more like his daddy.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 03, 2014, 12:55:39 AM
Texas is 7-0.  They brutally beat down Texas-Arlington tonight in a typical Rick Barnes grinding mauling.  The final was 63-53.  I think Barnes was upset his team had to score so much to win, he dreams of a 1-0 game.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on December 03, 2014, 08:54:58 PM
Wyoming won last night - they are now 7-0.  They beat Denver, run by former Princeton coach Joe Scott.  It was a slow game, but the 'Pokes won 68-42.

The Wyoming coach, a protege of Barnes, was mad that Wyoming had to score 68 points.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on December 03, 2014, 09:53:42 PM
Arizona won last night, but I am not going to post that every time they win. Just assume they did until you hear differently.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on December 03, 2014, 10:46:51 PM
Arizona State is cooler.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on December 07, 2014, 11:45:04 PM
Quote from: katmai on December 02, 2014, 05:51:32 PM
But have meetings with SDSU and Oklahoma coming up in non conference play.

They held SDSU #13 in nation to lowest ever point total for them in DIV-I tonight in a 49-36 win bringing them to 7-0.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on December 07, 2014, 11:53:07 PM
Quote from: Valmy on December 03, 2014, 12:55:39 AM
I think Barnes was upset his team had to score so much to win, he dreams of a 1-0 game.

He doesn't bother to have his teams work on their free throw shooting in his dreams either?  :P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 07, 2014, 11:57:19 PM
Got a rare chance to see WVU play a few minutes from my house at NKU. WVU shot terribly early in the game but their defense was scary good through. We hung out courtside after the game because... no one was stopping us. Tommy got to be in the presence of the almighty Huggins, and my nephew had his picture taken with most of WVU's players. My brother talked to a few of their recruits because he actually follows that crap.  But the highlight of the evening was Tommy getting to meet The Big O, Oscar Robertson.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 07, 2014, 11:59:31 PM
Oscar Robertson had ten triple doubles in College.  That's nuts.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 08, 2014, 12:05:13 AM
As I posted on Facebook, I'll have to remind Tommy later that it's something he'll want to tell his grandkids about.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on December 08, 2014, 12:09:27 AM
Quote from: derspiess on December 07, 2014, 11:57:19 PM
But the highlight of the evening was Tommy getting to meet The Big O, Oscar Robertson.

Nice. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on December 08, 2014, 12:28:13 AM
I didn't know he was still alive.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on December 08, 2014, 01:18:26 AM
Very cool. Oscar is my favorite ball player.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 08, 2014, 11:58:51 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on December 08, 2014, 12:28:13 AM
I didn't know he was still alive.

Still kickin'.  He's a couple years older than my dad, but looks a bit younger.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 08, 2014, 12:00:38 PM
Anyway for the second straight year the Big 12 won the Big 12-SEC Challenge :punk:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on December 09, 2014, 10:02:01 AM
Quote from: derspiess on December 08, 2014, 12:00:38 PM
Anyway for the second straight year the Big 12 won the Big 12-SEC Challenge :punk:
Unless it is football or baseball, that's not that impressive.

The Big Ten won the Big Ten-ACC challenge for the second (maybe third) year in a row.  That's more worth crowing about.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 09, 2014, 10:13:36 AM
Quote from: grumbler on December 09, 2014, 10:02:01 AM
Quote from: derspiess on December 08, 2014, 12:00:38 PM
Anyway for the second straight year the Big 12 won the Big 12-SEC Challenge :punk:
Unless it is football or baseball, that's not that impressive.

The Big Ten won the Big Ten-ACC challenge for the second (maybe third) year in a row.  That's more worth crowing about.

SEC HAS UK AND STUFF
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 09, 2014, 10:15:10 AM
Also, you might want to keep your head down on this thread, g.  I'm not gonna gloat over it because I like Beilein, but Michigan basketball just had its Appy State moment.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on December 09, 2014, 10:24:59 AM
Quote from: derspiess on December 09, 2014, 10:15:10 AM
Also, you might want to keep your head down on this thread, g.  I'm not gonna gloat over it because I like Beilein, but Michigan basketball just had its Appy State moment.

At least it wasn't a Stanford or James Madison or a Pittsburg moment, it was just an Appy State moment.  When a young team faces a team that decides that that night is the night it will shoot out of its mind, young teams (even when they are talented) have trouble adjusting.  This only happens every year to somebody.  It is disappointing, but not significant. 

I'm certainly not going to "keep my head down" for fear of the disdain of a Mountaineer fan!  :P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 09, 2014, 10:31:30 AM
Not my disdain.  Like I said, I like Beilein (and Michigan as well).  But I remember the back & forth that went on over months if not years between you & others here re: the Appy State game.  Hell, I think someone brought it up again this year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on December 09, 2014, 01:55:07 PM
Quote from: derspiess on December 09, 2014, 10:31:30 AM
Not my disdain.  Like I said, I like Beilein (and Michigan as well).  But I remember the back & forth that went on over months if not years between you & others here re: the Appy State game.  Hell, I think someone brought it up again this year.

Timmay and the Timmay-wannabes try every so often to float that App State game as the "greatest upset of all time," or whatever, but I don't think any non-Timmay really thinks that (especially when Stanford defeated an unbeaten USC as a 50-point underdog later that very season).  It doesn't bother me when the Timmays bring up that actual game, or when they make phony comparisons between that game and stuff like basketball games. Feces facit.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: CountDeMoney on December 09, 2014, 02:10:47 PM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn3.sbnation.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_image%2Fimage%2F11202567%2Fadcheer.0_standard_709.0.gif&hash=020545f624f1caf3d0e00cb3b8b41d0c4218f401)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on December 09, 2014, 02:14:03 PM
QuoteFeces facit

Keep my bowel movements out of this
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on December 09, 2014, 08:18:05 PM
Wyoming at 8-1 plays California tomorrow.  The only other time the Cowboys ventured away from Laramie and the comfort of the arena at 7220 feet they lost in a not so good way.

I fear that Berkeley with its temptations and its riots du jour will be the undoing of my beloved Cowboys.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 10, 2014, 09:37:32 AM
This morning Mike & Mike made the Appy State analogy when talking about the Michigan loss to NJIT.

Also this: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2014/12/09/njit-shirts-hot-sellers-ohio-indiana-michigan/20142497/
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on December 10, 2014, 11:40:55 AM
Nice to see Michigan was able to use the embarrassing loss to NJIT as motivation and kept it close against Eastern Michigan.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on December 11, 2014, 07:36:36 PM
Ha!  UIW beat Nebraska

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on December 11, 2014, 10:03:01 PM
Quote from: sbr on December 10, 2014, 11:40:55 AM
Nice to see Michigan was able to use the embarrassing loss to NJIT as motivation and kept it close against Eastern Michigan.
Meh, just tells us that Michigan isn't very good yet.  Ice-cold shooting.  Beilein will figure it out.  That'll definitely sting when it comes to tournament time, though.

It does put the NJIT loss inperspective, though, much as the loss to Oregon put the ASU loss in perspective.  Neither of those upsets was nearly as big an upset as the emos thought at the time.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on December 13, 2014, 10:47:52 PM
Wow, Michigan just looked terrible today. I mean, no defense at all.

That didn't look like a Big-10 basketball team.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 16, 2014, 12:22:41 PM
WVU beat Marshall 69-66 Sunday.  Marshall's coach said after the game that WVU would be afraid to play them again and further suggested playing a ridiculous two games per season.

Huggins was not amused.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/16/west-virginias-bob-huggins-torches-marshall-after-coach-calls-huggs-afraid/

QuoteHuggins: Do you want to get into it? Let's be honest. I have all the RPIs of all the people we've played this year. Going into the game Marshall was 270 in the RPI. After playing us they jumped all the way up to 237. Now, you know what that would do for us if we happen not to win? We were 36 I think it was coming into the game.

You try not to play anybody below 200, you know that. And now they want to play twice in a year? Are you kidding me? It's like I said: Why don't we do what's best for West Virginia University and the state of West Virginia. I don't think it's my job to support them. I don't think that's part of my contract.

He can say I'm afraid all he wants to say I'm afraid. I've probably coached 1,116 more games than he has. It's ridiculous to say something like that. We're afraid. Yeah, we're really afraid. It's crazy, we've beaten Duke. Mike's a pretty good coach. Was I afraid? I don't think I was afraid playing Duke. Played Boeheim. Used to play him every year. He's a pretty good coach, I wasn't afraid. Why would I be afraid?
[...]
VMI's RPI is better than Marshall's. Come on. It doesn't help us. From a pure basketball standpoint of where we want to go it does not help us. Now it helps them. I understand his point, it helps them. Oh, to get us to come in, fill their place with 7,000 people? That's a big thing for them. It's not my job to do that. That's his job.

Tony: Will you make any move not to play them in the future?

Huggins: I think if this kind of thing continues, why would we? Why we want to sit here and hear we're afraid? Go find somebody else to play.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 16, 2014, 12:25:49 PM
Huggins should say he is fine with it so long as Marshall also agrees to play Kansas twice a year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 16, 2014, 12:29:03 PM
I finished what was hopefully my last final exam ever yesterday so now I can check to see who Rick Barnes beat 40-39 while I wasn't able to pay attention.

LOL I said that, and went to check the scores, and saw that in the game I missed they beat Texas State 59-27  :lol:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 16, 2014, 12:31:15 PM
Quote from: Valmy on December 16, 2014, 12:29:03 PM
I finished what was hopefully my last final exam ever yesterday so now I can check to see who Rick Barnes beat 40-39 while I wasn't able to pay attention.

LOL I said that, and went to check the scores, and saw that in the game I missed they beat Texas State 59-27  :lol:

I saw that score at halftime.  Texas State had 9 points :D

Now you had better stay focused on Lipscomb tonight.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 16, 2014, 12:39:37 PM
Meh they are just padding their record until conference play begins.

Texas fans are well trained now, everybody understands it is all fun and games until conference season starts then we really see if the team is any good.  Especially this year, so many great teams in the Big 12, Texas could easily finish 4th or 5th.

Well ok there is a game against Stanford coming up.  That should be fun.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 16, 2014, 12:41:47 PM
Man even the team most of us just pencil in as the worst team, TCU, is freaking 10-0.  Maybe they can improve on their 2-34 conference record.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 16, 2014, 12:52:51 PM
Quote from: Valmy on December 16, 2014, 12:41:47 PM
Man even the team most of us just pencil in as the worst team, TCU, is freaking 10-0.  Maybe they can improve on their 2-34 conference record.

They haven't really played anyone yet.  But 10-0 is a good confidence booster, I'm sure.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on December 16, 2014, 01:09:36 PM
Apparently Gary Payton's kid plays at Oregon State.  He had a triple double last night, only the second one ever at OSU and the first since ... his dad in '88.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on December 24, 2014, 12:31:38 AM
UDub is up to #13 in polls and 11-0 and after tonight is only Pac-12 team still undefeated.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on December 24, 2014, 10:33:29 AM
Arizona goes down to UNLV at UNLV.

Freshman will be freshman at times. Not a bad loss, to be sure, and as I told my son last night, this game will matter little in the long run - more important that Arizona keeps going out and playing tough opponents in hostile environments in the pre-Pac12 season. And as long as you are willing to do that, you are going to lose some of those games.

UNLV just caught on fire late in the second half. No matter what Arizona did, no matter how solid the defense, they just managed to hit shots. Contested three? Count it. Drive the lane through a double team? Count it.

Missed a shot finally....rebound and score.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on December 24, 2014, 10:33:52 AM
Quote from: katmai on December 24, 2014, 12:31:38 AM
UDub is up to #13 in polls and 11-0 and after tonight is only Pac-12 team still undefeated.

The only Pac-12 team who is going to challenge for the conference title with Arizona, I suspect.


Although Stanford looked pretty good knocking off Texas...
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on December 24, 2014, 12:01:59 PM
Yeah doesn't hurt that only get Arizona once and it is at home.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on December 24, 2014, 12:15:18 PM
Quote from: Berkut on December 24, 2014, 10:33:52 AM

Although Stanford looked pretty good knocking off Texas...

It was against Rick Barnes' dignity to try to score more than 60 points.  Once Stanford surpassed that, they just lost their will to fight on.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on December 24, 2014, 12:27:24 PM
Wyoming won last night against the mighty Montana State Bobcats (3-9 on the season), 61-51.  When you play top 250 teams like that you expect a fight, and it was.

Still, Larry Nance, jr. scored 31 points and looks to be fully back from his ACL tear last year.  I sense an NIT bid this year!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on December 26, 2014, 03:37:48 AM
https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/87FBA101331145267468634603520_14160272132d497a5ba8.0033.mp4?versionId=5YE4el5guhMdPNKfOj.8c6qaO3MnjILj

I have no idea when in 2014 this happened.  I have been watching it for at least 3 minutes straight now.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on December 30, 2014, 05:33:58 PM
WVU is now 3-0 against ACC teams :cool:  but 0-1 against the SEC :mellow:

Conference play begins this Saturday at TCU, which is still undefeated by bad teams.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on December 30, 2014, 07:15:25 PM
I don't want to talk about UDub's last non-con game. :x
Will see how they fare starting off on road at tough Cal team.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on December 30, 2014, 09:43:06 PM
Quote from: derspiess on December 30, 2014, 05:33:58 PM
WVU is now 3-0 against ACC teams :cool:  but 0-1 against the SEC :mellow:

Conference play begins this Saturday at TCU, which is still undefeated by bad teams.

Do they have anyone on their bench who can assault the other teams players? They should try that approach.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on December 31, 2014, 11:08:01 PM
Wyoming beats UNLV 76-71.  Since UNLV had beaten Arizona that makes the Pokes destined for the NCAAs.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: CountDeMoney on December 31, 2014, 11:28:16 PM
QuoteProfessor fired in UNC scandal
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina's flagship public university is trying to fire a senior professor, accepted the resignation of another faculty member and dismissed an academic counselor for athletes for their roles in the fraud scandal that rocked the school, campus officials said Wednesday.

Steps to terminate University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill philosophy professor and former faculty leader Jeanette Boxill started on Oct. 22, the same day that a scathing report into the cheating scandal was released, campus Chancellor Carol Folt said in a statement. Boxill is appealing Folt's decision, information that was released after a lawsuit by The Associated Press and nine other media organizations.

North Carolina's public records law requires state agencies, including public universities, to make employee records available. That includes records regarding their dismissal, suspension, or demotion.

UNC-Chapel Hill officials had said the disclosure wasn't required until after an employee has finished appealing the decision, a process that could take years.

The report by former U.S. Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein found a pattern of fake classes, which allowed 3,100 athletes and other students to earn artificially high grades from 1993 to 2011.

While the sham courses were solely in the African studies department, multiple people around campus knew of them or suspected something but said nothing, the report said. Folt said she was naming Boxill "in light of the extraordinary circumstances underlying the longstanding and intolerable academic irregularities described in the Wainstein Report, as well as her role as chair of the faculty council during a period of time covered by the report."

Campus lawyer David Parker also disclosed that Timothy McMillan resigned after 17 years at the school. He was a senior lecturer in the Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies, the renamed department where a retired administrator orchestrated and a retired chairman allowed the pattern of no-show classes and generous grades.

Boxill and McMillan did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Parker also said academic counselor Jaimie Lee was terminated, which was previously reported. The conduct of six other campus employees is being reviewed for possible disciplinary action, Parker said. Any who are disciplined will be identified, Parker said.

Boxill directed women's basketball players she advised into the fake courses, at least twice sought to influence the grades given to students, and acknowledged sometimes editing student papers, the report said.

McMillan "effectively knew what was happening (with the fake classes), even if he was careful not to learn all of the details," the report said. Folt said in October that four campus employees were fired and five others disciplined for their roles in an academic fraud scheme.

Tom Ross, president of the 16-campus state university system, added that he was taking "action involving an individual formerly employed on this campus, now employed at another UNC campus."

Beth Bridger, one of the football counselors named in the report as steering players toward the bogus classes, lost her job at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington the day the report was published.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 02:01:21 PM
I like Texas and all and but man they looked terrible last night at home.  Or Oklahoma is just that good. 

Also WVU's RPI is up to 9.  May be their high water mark of the season since their next three games are against ranked Big12 opponents.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on January 06, 2015, 02:06:19 PM
Hoyas squeaked into the top 25.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 02:18:11 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on January 06, 2015, 02:06:19 PM
Hoyas squeaked into the top 25.

Then they squeaked back out this week after their loss to Xavier.  Hoyas will be fine this year.  Xavier however needs to find their identity.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: CountDeMoney on January 06, 2015, 02:19:19 PM
Maryland wasn't supposed to be this good.  :unsure: 

A slew of transfers last year from a lot of blue-chippers that couldn't hack it, center by committee with no Big Man, no real point guard, best impact player sitting out a year of eligibility.  And yet they're beating the teams they're supposed to beat, they're 2-0 in the Big Ten, and Dez Wells doesn't have to do it all on his own.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 02:26:09 PM
Twerps ought to end up running the tables on the Big 10.  Who's gonna stop them?  Ohio State?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on January 06, 2015, 02:33:44 PM
Wisconsin is supposed to be good. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 03:46:12 PM
Argh, forgot about Wisconsin. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on January 06, 2015, 03:49:39 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 02:01:21 PM
I like Texas and all and but man they looked terrible last night at home.

Rick Barnes' offense is even more inept when Texas plays teams who face them twice a year.  The conference season is brutal to his teams.  Though the Big 12 is pretty brutal to anybody not named 'Kansas'.  It will not be the last time Texas gets held to under 50 points.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 04:06:11 PM
Quote from: Valmy on January 06, 2015, 03:49:39 PM
Rick Barnes' offense is even more inept when Texas plays teams who face them twice a year. 

Same goes for most of the rest of the conference.  Big12 is like the old Big East was-- lots of good teams from top to bottom that beat up on each other.

The Texas-WVU game a week from Saturday should be good.  WVU will miss a shot, Texas will rebound, WVU will steal-- rinse, lather, repeat.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on January 06, 2015, 04:10:10 PM
I just hope Isaiah Taylor is closer to being 100% when that game happens.  His easing back into the game was a big problem against OU.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 10:47:30 PM
Minnesota is giving Ed's number 1 super all time favorite basketball Buckeyes a run for the money.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on January 06, 2015, 10:56:18 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 10:47:30 PM
Minnesota is giving Ed's number 1 super all time favorite basketball Buckeyes a run for the money.

Hey, how many times have I told you fuckfaces that I never cared for Buckeye basketball?

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 10:57:19 PM
You fall for it every time  :menace:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 11:22:02 PM
Ohio State wins in OT.  Ed's Thad Matta shrine must have worked tonight.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on January 06, 2015, 11:30:45 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on January 06, 2015, 10:56:18 PM
Quote from: derspiess on January 06, 2015, 10:47:30 PM
Minnesota is giving Ed's number 1 super all time favorite basketball Buckeyes a run for the money.

Hey, how many times have I told you fuckfaces that I never cared for Buckeye basketball?

Don't worry Ed.  Ohio State Baseball is almost here

(https://www.nmnathletics.com/pics31/640/LY/LYEFESOBJHKHCRJ.20100923201543.jpg)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on January 06, 2015, 11:31:36 PM
I hope Nick Swisher cornholes you.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on January 06, 2015, 11:35:51 PM
I don't know why I'm taking shit from Marshall and A&M faggots anyways.

Screw you all.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on January 10, 2015, 09:38:53 PM
Wyoming is now 15-2 and first place in the Mountain West.  This means that the team will implode, someone will lose a leg, or a bar fight will lead to the entire starting team getting kicked out of the university.

Wyoming fans know how to deal with success, they wait for it to evaporate.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on January 12, 2015, 08:29:32 PM
Another sign that the team will fall apart - Wyoming is ranked number 25 in the AP poll.

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 15, 2015, 12:49:40 PM
So the big WVU-Texas matchup is this Saturday.  WVU lost a tough one to Iowa State but rebounded to beat Oklahoma.  Texas lost its last two games, so with the way Big 12 teams like to beat up on each other, they are probably due to win this one.


Ed's probably still a little hungover from celebrating Buckeyes' win over Michigan a couple nights ago. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on January 15, 2015, 07:46:45 PM
You was saying something, Marshall?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on January 18, 2015, 10:50:10 PM
Well, Wyoming when ranked went 1-1, losing at home to San Diego St (I tell myself not that bad of a loss), and winning at Fresno St.

Goodbye to #25 in the polls, but the Cowboys did better than I expected.  Now 16-3 with three road wins in conference, I can maybe...maybe hope for more than a CBI appearance this year in the post season.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 20, 2015, 12:38:34 PM
Thanks to Valmy for not gloating over Texas's rout of WVU this past weekend.  I don't see how Texas lost to Oklahoma given their surplus of height and ability to play suffocating defense.  I know some teams just match up well/poorly against other teams, but shit.  Turrble, just turrble.

Anywho, WVU gets a week off to prepare for TCU and a couple other teams before they have to run the gauntlet in the middle of their conference schedule.  If they end up with a 10-8 conference record I'll be happy.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on January 20, 2015, 01:00:36 PM
Quote from: PDH on January 18, 2015, 10:50:10 PM
Well, Wyoming when ranked went 1-1, losing at home to San Diego St (I tell myself not that bad of a loss), and winning at Fresno St.

Goodbye to #25 in the polls, but the Cowboys did better than I expected.  Now 16-3 with three road wins in conference, I can maybe...maybe hope for more than a CBI appearance this year in the post season.

Latest ESPN Bracketology has WVU facing Wyoming in the first round of the tourney.  ITS ON!!!!

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology/_/iteration/203
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 03, 2015, 05:12:24 PM
So Texas stopped the bleeding last night with a win over Baylor.  They appear NIT-bound but with a nice run in the Big 12 tourney, who knows.  Would be nice to get 7 teams into the NCAA tourney.

WVU will probably be without a couple top players tonight, so Kansas will probably get some easy revenge on them :(
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 03, 2015, 06:21:39 PM
I hope Kentucky loses its first game in the tournament. To some scrub team.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 03, 2015, 07:53:49 PM
I am so done with Rick Barnes.  His teams are so painful to watch, even in victory I would rather watch a Full House marathon.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 03, 2015, 07:57:28 PM
Watching Texas is like watching Canadian TV. Awful.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 03, 2015, 07:57:58 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 03, 2015, 05:12:24 PM
So Texas stopped the bleeding last night with a win over Baylor.

Bleeding implies there is still life in something.

I just cannot believe you take last years team, add Myles Turner, and get this shit show.  This season makes the 2009-2010 disaster look like Glory Road.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 03, 2015, 09:17:36 PM
If the Rams beat Saint Joseph's they will get into the quarterfinals at next week's Atlantic 10 Tournament. :)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 09:36:15 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 03, 2015, 07:57:58 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 03, 2015, 05:12:24 PM
So Texas stopped the bleeding last night with a win over Baylor.

Bleeding implies there is still life in something.

I just cannot believe you take last years team, add Myles Turner, and get this shit show.  This season makes the 2009-2010 disaster look like Glory Road.

Texas needs to win their first game in the Big 12 tourney and they should be in.  WVU is looking at a 5 seed at the moment and I'm hoping they can improve on that by winning one or two conference tournament games.  7 out of 10 Big 12 teams in the tourney would be respectable.

The three main local teams here (Cincinnati, Xavier & Dayton) all look to be in but for some reason only Dayton fans seem to be excited.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 09, 2015, 09:37:42 AM
I think Texas needs to win 2.  And hope there are not too many upsets in the mid major tournaments.

So Barnes may pull it off and I will have to have to hold my nose and cheer this team on.  They got back to hammering the hell out of people in the past two games which I guess has a certain MMA fan appeal.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 09:53:11 AM
Forgot to mention I watched Wisconsin decimate Ed's Buckeyes yesterday evening.  Sorry, Ed.  Lundardi is giving your boys no respect in his latest Bracketology with an 8 seed.

Also, there is a Groupon for the "first four" tournament play-in games in Dayton.  I'll look for you if I decide to go.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 09, 2015, 09:56:10 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 09:53:11 AM
Forgot to mention I watched Wisconsin decimate Ed's Buckeyes yesterday evening.  Sorry, Ed.  Lundardi is giving your boys no respect in his latest Bracketology with an 8 seed.

Also, there is a Groupon for the "first four" tournament play-in games in Dayton.  I'll look for you if I decide to go.

I am sure Ed is hanging on every inbound.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 09, 2015, 09:57:25 AM
Arizona won the Pac-12 again. Looks to have a #2 locked up, I don't even know that they move to a #1 even if they win the Pac-12 tournament title. The four #1s right now look to be pretty solid - Kentucky, Virginia, Villanova, and Duke.

And there is no way Arizona slides to a three, even if they lose in the first round of the tournament, I suspect.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 09, 2015, 09:59:07 AM
The Big 12 failed to stop Kansas for the 11th straight year.  Bill Self does it again.  Seriously, this is getting embarrassing.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 09, 2015, 10:21:11 AM
Michigan's end-of-game lineup against Rutgers featured Austin Hatch (the freshman who survived two plane crashes), a freshman walk-on, a junior walk-on, and two guys who were student-managers at the start of the season but got assigned to the practice squad when all the injuries hit.

Michigan will finish 9th in the Big Ten, but that's not all that bad considering that they lost five guys to the NBA in the last two years, lost their two best players to injury in the first third of the season, and then lost both of their experienced big men by the time the Big Ten season started.  Since then it's been band-aids and bailing wire holding things together.  And, truth be told, its been a fun team to watch.  Some lineups play strictly zone defense because, awful as they are at zone, they are worse at man-to-man.  The kids are playing just fr pride, and I think that there were only about two of the ten Big ten losses that upset me because I thought they should win.  And, of course, beating the Buckeyes made up for those losses.

On to the NIT!  Maybe we'll play Texas there.  That'd be fun.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 10:33:28 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 09, 2015, 09:59:07 AM
The Big 12 failed to stop Kansas for the 11th straight year.  Bill Self does it again.  Seriously, this is getting embarrassing.

WVU came within a non-called foul at the end of regulation of sweeping them this year.  Man, was that a painful game to watch.  I knew they were going to blow that 18-point lead, but to lose the game the way they did was just plain shitty.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 12:50:51 PM
Apparently a SWAC women's game ended in a bench-clearing brawl and resulted in a double-forfeit.  Can't find any video anywhere, damnit.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 09, 2015, 01:02:15 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 12:50:51 PM
Apparently a SWAC women's game ended in a bench-clearing brawl and resulted in a double-forfeit.  Can't find any video anywhere, damnit.

That must have been one hell of a brawl.  I don't think I have ever heard of a double-forfeit before.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 09, 2015, 03:56:09 PM
And there's video!  http://bcove.me/g82k4bdk

SHUT UP SEEDY
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 09, 2015, 05:31:13 PM
I'll withhold any jokes.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: dps on March 09, 2015, 05:35:59 PM
Well, it's no Malice in the Palace.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 09, 2015, 09:21:31 PM
If I could ever be surprised by the NCAA anymore I would be pretty shocked that they found lying about an off-campus BBQ a worse offense than a decade and a half of academic fraud, intentional failure to follow the school's own drug testing policy and and lack of control by both the athletic department and the head coach.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 10, 2015, 12:04:37 AM
Rhode Island plays in the A10 tournament quaterfinals this year, but they probably have to win it to make the tournament and I  don't see that happening. Nevertheless, good progress has been made this year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 10, 2015, 06:25:32 AM
Quote from: sbr on March 09, 2015, 09:21:31 PM
If I could ever be surprised by the NCAA anymore I would be pretty shocked that they found lying about an off-campus BBQ a worse offense than a decade and a half of academic fraud, intentional failure to follow the school's own drug testing policy and and lack of control by both the athletic department and the head coach.

Wow!  that comparison became a meme really quickly!  It is simplistic and wrong, but it does make for good clickbait, doesn't it?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 10, 2015, 07:22:30 AM
A month ago Wyoming was in 1st in the Mountain West, riding high and looking good.  Then came the good ole Cowboy Curse (tm), and the pre-season conference Player of the Year and the 1st backup both got mononucleosis.  Oh well, the team did get 22 wins and finished in the top half of the conference.

Still, this is why every Cowboy fan is always waiting for the next disaster.  This team should...and I say that with fingers crossed...make the NIT this year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 11, 2015, 08:38:45 AM
I went to the Kentucky Region 9 high school championship last night.  Hell of a game.  Classic matchup between a gritty inner-city type team (Holmes HS) and the privileged white boy team (Covington Catholic).  So naturally I was rooting heavily for Holmes.  Not only did they have Beetle Bolden, who will play at WVU next season, but Cov Cath reminded me very heavily of Duke, down to the uniform colors and obnoxious (but impressive) student section.  Holmes led through the third quarter but fell apart in the 4th.  Pretty entertaining game, anyway.  People in Kentucky sure do take high school basketball seriously.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 11, 2015, 08:41:44 AM
Man does it always have to come down to race with you Derracist? :P

Just kidding.  Glad you had a good time.

And yes it is impressive how seriously those Basketball first states take their High School Basketball.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 11, 2015, 09:55:09 AM
I hope WVU doesn't fall to a 6th seed from their projected 5th seed, but if they do there's a good chance they'll be playing in a fairly close venue (Louisville, Columbus, or Pittsburgh).
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 12, 2015, 09:36:26 AM
I think Texas is in now.  Latest Bracketology has them as an 11 seed & having to play in a play-in game.  If that happens I may go see them in Dayton.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 12, 2015, 09:47:00 AM
Texas? Only steers and queers go to Texas.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 12, 2015, 09:48:23 AM
Still think they have to win one more game.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 12, 2015, 03:19:38 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 11, 2015, 08:41:44 AM
And yes it is impressive how seriously those Basketball first states take their High School Basketball.

Here's a three minute video on the student section I was talking about: https://vimeo.com/89886355

Their team won the Kentucky state championship last year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 12, 2015, 03:27:12 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 12, 2015, 09:48:23 AM
Still think they have to win one more game.

Nah, they're in.  It would be pretty shitty for them to have to beat Iowa State to get in.  Their resume is sold enough already. 

WVU lost to the refs Baylor and Lunardi already dropped them down to a 6 seed.  It will be refreshing not to have to play a Big 12 team.  Their relentless press is way more effective against teams that haven't had to deal with it yet.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 12, 2015, 03:39:24 PM
I think every Big 12 team feels that way.  That was a grinding conference season.  Everybody is beat up and tired.  That will probably bone us in the tournament.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 12, 2015, 07:44:12 PM
Wyoming won their first round game in the MW tournament - almost gave up a 7 point lead with 1:30 left...

Two more wins against the top two teams in the conference is all we fans want!  Will Wyoming prove clutch when needed, or is this the same old curse that has haunted the team for years?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 12, 2015, 08:00:25 PM
That was a very "Rick Barnes" final 5 minutes there.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 12, 2015, 11:16:56 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 12, 2015, 03:39:24 PM
I think every Big 12 team feels that way.  That was a grinding conference season.  Everybody is beat up and tired.  That will probably bone us in the tournament.

Silver lining to losing early in the conference tourney. Extra days' rest.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on March 13, 2015, 12:42:53 AM
The UDub season that started 11-0 is thankfully, mercifully over as they went 5-15 in last twenty games. Only reason coach Romar is still around is he is projected to have top fifteen class of six recruits coming in.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 13, 2015, 07:33:38 AM
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on March 12, 2015, 08:00:25 PM
That was a very "Rick Barnes" final 5 minutes there.

That is it.  I think Texas is NIT bound now and that probably cost Barnes his job.  The only way Texas gets in is if everybody who wins their conference tournament was already a lock.

Leaving Prince Ibeh and Myles Turner on the bench with everything on the line?  So tired of this.  Barnes gave that game away.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 08:57:40 AM
You know, you've made me check my alma mater and Columbia has a losing record in 9 out of 10 NCAA sports it competes in. Go Lions.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 13, 2015, 08:58:34 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 08:57:40 AM
You know, you've made me check my alma mater and Columbia has a losing record in 9 out of 10 NCAA sports it competes in. Go Lions.

Columbia?  Impressive.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 09:08:15 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 13, 2015, 08:58:34 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 08:57:40 AM
You know, you've made me check my alma mater and Columbia has a losing record in 9 out of 10 NCAA sports it competes in. Go Lions.

Columbia?  Impressive.

Well, it's business as usual for them; they were quite crap within the Ivy League when I was over there.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 13, 2015, 09:10:48 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 09:08:15 AM
Well, it's business as usual for them; they were quite crap within the Ivy League when I was over there.

I meant that was an impressive school to have attended. 

I imagine it is hard to have an elite sports program when you are stuck in the middle of NYC.  Harvard probably has a 5,000 Sq foot weight room.  But this is the Ivy League.  They train the future leaders of business and politics, not the NFL and NBA.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 09:17:41 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 13, 2015, 09:10:48 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 09:08:15 AM
Well, it's business as usual for them; they were quite crap within the Ivy League when I was over there.

I meant that was an impressive school to have attended. 

I imagine it is hard to have an elite sports program when you are stuck in the middle of NYC.  Harvard probably has a 5,000 Sq foot weight room.  But this is the Ivy League.  They train the future leaders of business and politics, not the NFL and NBA.

Yeah, of course. I didn't expect them to win the NCAA or anything, just not to be so pitiful against the other Ivy League schools. They do have good sports facilities north of town, although I can't compare them to other schools'. Columbia is sandwiched inside Manhattan but it owns *lots* of land.

And yeah, it was great to get accepted there. The guys in charge of the Film Program liked to have foreigners in the program, so there were more foreigners in there than in other comparable programs at other unis. It was a great learning experience and I owe much of what I'm doing to having been there.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 13, 2015, 09:25:06 AM
My alma mater went 10-20 this year.  They made the NCAA tourney last year but that seems so long ago.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 13, 2015, 09:26:36 AM
A lot of the Ivies take their sports really seriously.  Why? I have no idea.  I guess they have money to blow.

If they really want to be the Stanford of the East they are not going to do it staying in the Ivy League.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 09:27:48 AM
Columbia was 13-15 in the Ivy League. They haven't made the tournament since the 1960s.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 13, 2015, 10:18:23 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 13, 2015, 09:27:48 AM
Columbia was 13-15 in the Ivy League. They haven't made the tournament since the 1960s.
They played 28 league games?  That's astonishing.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 14, 2015, 08:19:17 AM
Wyoming won it's semi-final game last night against top-ranked Boise St.  Today the Pokes play for the automatic bid.  Too often in the past Wyoming sports have had teams of destiny, that is they are destined to find a way to lose.  I wonder if somehow the magical gods of basketball have that other sort of destiny in store for my Cowboys just this once.

Oh, right, they play San Diego State who beat Wyoming twice this year...oh well.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 14, 2015, 09:24:07 PM
And Wyoming wins...they go to the Big Dance...wow...
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 14, 2015, 09:27:12 PM
I enjoyed that game.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 14, 2015, 10:20:37 PM
Quote from: PDH on March 14, 2015, 09:24:07 PM
And Wyoming wins...they go to the Big Dance...wow...

Congrats man.  I was really happy for you when I heard that.

I wonder if Wyoming just bounced Texas.  UConn might if they somehow beat SMU.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 14, 2015, 10:48:05 PM
Fear not, fellow Horns fan!  We might be privileged to watch them Rick Barnes it up in the NIT for the first time in a while!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 15, 2015, 12:19:26 AM
Rhode Island loses to Dayton by 4 in the semifinal. <_<
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 15, 2015, 12:58:22 AM
I'm a little weirded out by the fact that this was the first time Arizona won the PAC conference tourney since 2003. 

Also that was a great win by Iowa State.  Kansas can suck it.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 15, 2015, 12:59:05 AM
That seems to be what this Iowa State team does.  It gets behind by double digits and then turns it on and wins. That is the fifth straight game they have done this.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 15, 2015, 05:10:01 PM
Indiana number 10? Wichita st. number 7? :huh:

Edit : Dayton a play in at home? UCLA? WTF?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 15, 2015, 06:28:00 PM
So Texas made it in.  You were right Spicey.

Butler sans Brad Stevens in the first round.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 15, 2015, 06:37:59 PM
Hoyas got a 4 seed??  Have I completely missed a good season?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 15, 2015, 06:45:09 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 15, 2015, 06:28:00 PM
So Texas made it in.  You were right Spicey.

Butler sans Brad Stevens in the first round.

Go Texas. Can't stand Butler.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: citizen k on March 15, 2015, 06:51:27 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 15, 2015, 06:37:59 PM
Hoyas got a 4 seed??  Have I completely missed a good season?

They are playing EWU which is nearby, as well as Gonzaga. Spokane is just a big basketball town, they also host the country's largest 3 on 3 tournament in the country
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 15, 2015, 10:22:58 PM
Wyoming is a number 12 seed - they play 5 Northern Iowa in Seattle, the natural place for an East Regional Game.  Northern Iowa plays like Wyoming (slow down, move the ball, great defense), but way better.  My only hope now is that the 12-5 jinx continues and Wyoming wins the upset.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 08:55:13 AM
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on March 15, 2015, 12:58:22 AM
I'm a little weirded out by the fact that this was the first time Arizona won the PAC conference tourney since 2003. 


Only the second time Arizona has ever won it, and the first time was the inaugural year.

I don't know if that is because there is a kind of "thing" at Arizona where nobody gives a shit about the Pac-12 title. I would not really think so, since the guys playing, at the time they are playing, would presumably care about the game at least.

But mostly the attitude at Arizona is that the conference title is what actually matters. The Pac-12 champion is whoever comes out of the season, and the Pac-12 tournament is just a way of generating some cash for the conference, and maybe get another team in the dance now and then.

So Miller has won half the conference championships since he arrived, and I think this is his first Pac-12 tournament title.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 08:57:27 AM
Arizona gets a 2 seed, but I don't think it matters at all.

They will go as far as they go in their bracket, and had they been a 1 seed and Wisconsin the 2 seed, I don't think it would matter. In fact, I would probably rather have them a 2 in the West than a 1 somewhere else, so that is fine.

Would love to see a re-match with Wisconsin...but there are some good teams before they ever get their, and three losses to RPI 100ish teams this year make it clear that Arizona cannot make any assumptions about any games.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 09:02:33 AM
I am sure this breaks your heart PDH: http://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/csu/mens-basketball/2015/03/15/colorado-state-misses-ncaa-tournament/24820397/

QuoteThe news brought a locker room full of grown men to tears and outraged CSU fans across the country.

The winningest Colorado State University men's basketball team ever wasn't good enough to make the NCAA tournament.

At least not in the eyes of the 10-member selection committee, which left the Rams, who had a 27-6 record, out of the 68-team field Sunday.

Coach Larry Eustachy declined to take questions or make players available at his 2-minute news conference, saying he had to get back to the locker room to console his team. But he clearly was disappointed, if not stunned by the news.

"I don't want to say something that I'm going to regret," he said. "They're devastated, and they should be, because they're certainly an NCAA tournament team," he said.

Players took to Twitter and other social media to express their disappointment, although some posts were quickly removed.

"I don't understand ... what did we do wrong," junior forward Tiel Daniels tweeted.

Where did you go wrong?  Here: http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400784933

Whiners.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 09:05:12 AM
Well, I dunno - 27 wins is a fucking lot of wins.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 09:10:15 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 09:05:12 AM
Well, I dunno - 27 wins is a fucking lot of wins.

Their non-conference schedule was pretty putrid. Always a risk when you do that.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:48:54 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 15, 2015, 05:10:01 PM
Indiana number 10?

ROR NUMBAH TEN
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:50:10 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 08:57:27 AM
Arizona gets a 2 seed, but I don't think it matters at all.

They will go as far as they go in their bracket, and had they been a 1 seed and Wisconsin the 2 seed, I don't think it would matter. In fact, I would probably rather have them a 2 in the West than a 1 somewhere else, so that is fine.

I have them going all the way in one of my brackets :thumbsup:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 09:52:13 AM
Speaking of brackets are we going to do another Languish one? I need to get my homerific all-Big 12 Final Four in.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:56:29 AM
So everyone's favorite projected 12 vs. 5 upset is Buffalo over WVU.  OMG BOBBY HURLEY IS THEIR COACH

And Jay Bilas can go eat a back of dicks.

In my Bengals pool given the large number of YEWW KAYY fans I'm guessing 90-95% of the pool will have them winning.  So it makes sense to go with a different team to have a shorter list of people to compete against, should UK lose.  So I'm putting my money and hopes on The Fighting Berkuts.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 09:57:45 AM
Well good for Hurley but it was kind of bizarre to see hype around him getting a mid-major to the tournament. Is he being hyped up to be Coach K's replacement at Duke or something?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:58:51 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 09:52:13 AM
Speaking of brackets are we going to do another Languish one? I need to get my homerific all-Big 12 Final Four in.

We need to.  Who's the commish or whatever?  I'm trying to anti-homer my brackets because the surest way for me to screw Big 12 teams is to pick them.  But I have Iowa State going pretty far in most of mine. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 10:00:01 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:50:10 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 08:57:27 AM
Arizona gets a 2 seed, but I don't think it matters at all.

They will go as far as they go in their bracket, and had they been a 1 seed and Wisconsin the 2 seed, I don't think it would matter. In fact, I would probably rather have them a 2 in the West than a 1 somewhere else, so that is fine.

I have them going all the way in one of my brackets :thumbsup:

If they play to their potential they can beat anyone regardless how well the other team is playing. Except for maybe Kentucky playing to their potential.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:00:18 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 09:05:12 AM
Well, I dunno - 27 wins is a fucking lot of wins.

1) It's CSU - they suck
2) They played the RPI game, lots of home games, but no good games on the road, only one top 100 road win.
3) They are CSU - they suck
4) They spent the entire week before the MWC Tourney saying they were in no matter what - this was in a down year when pundits were saying the conference was at most a 3 bid league.
5) They didn't play their big player in the MWC Tournament because they wanted him "ready for the NCAA Tournament."

In short, they were arrogant idiots who tried to play games - Wyoming Swept them, the split with both the Co-regular season champs of the MWC, making them 2-4 against the three other good teams.  That is not a recipe for greatness.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:03:14 AM
Quote from: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:00:18 AM
5) They didn't play their big player in the MWC Tournament because they wanted him "ready for the NCAA Tournament."

Ok you are making that up. Not even Kentucky did that.

Was he injured or something?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:13:17 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:03:14 AM
Quote from: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:00:18 AM
5) They didn't play their big player in the MWC Tournament because they wanted him "ready for the NCAA Tournament."

Ok you are making that up. Not even Kentucky did that.

Was he injured or something?

Twisted his ankle at the end of the season.  The Fort Collins newspaper had an article on Friday or Saturday (after their 2nd round loss to SDSU) that Avila could have played but was held out because they wanted him ready for the NCAAs.

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:56:29 AM
In my Bengals pool given the large number of YEWW KAYY fans I'm guessing 90-95% of the pool will have them winning.  So it makes sense to go with a different team to have a shorter list of people to compete against, should UK lose.  So I'm putting my money and hopes on The Fighting Berkuts.

Big mistake IMO.  Everyone is really playing for 2nd place.  KU is untouchable this year.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:18:57 AM
Quote from: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:13:17 AM
The Fort Collins newspaper had an article on Friday or Saturday (after their 2nd round loss to SDSU) that Avila could have played but was held out because they wanted him ready for the NCAAs.

Wow. Well at least he is rested for the NIT run.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:22:25 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Big mistake IMO.  Everyone is really playing for 2nd place.  KU is untouchable this year.

Yeah and it was 'UNLV and the other three' at the 1991 Final Four as well.

We will see.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 10:24:19 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:56:29 AM
In my Bengals pool given the large number of YEWW KAYY fans I'm guessing 90-95% of the pool will have them winning.  So it makes sense to go with a different team to have a shorter list of people to compete against, should UK lose.  So I'm putting my money and hopes on The Fighting Berkuts.

Big mistake IMO.  Everyone is really playing for 2nd place.  KU is untouchable this year.

I tend to agree. They are ridiculous.

However, every team has an off night, or bad matchups, or whatever. Ketucky wins 7/10 games against any of the rest of the current top ten, I suspect. But they only get one chance...

Plus, Kentucky has karma working against them. If there is a god and he cares at all about college basketball, Kentucky should lose in the first round.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:24:35 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:18:57 AM
Quote from: PDH on March 16, 2015, 10:13:17 AM
The Fort Collins newspaper had an article on Friday or Saturday (after their 2nd round loss to SDSU) that Avila could have played but was held out because they wanted him ready for the NCAAs.

Wow. Well at least he is rested for the NIT run.

Eustachy played the RPI game - the schedule was a great display of how to have a top 30 RPI with a weak schedule and no real away games, but as the NCAA committee pointed out this might not mean so much anymore.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:35:02 AM
I'll lay 2-1 KU wins the whole shebang if anyone wants to make it interesting.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 10:38:43 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:35:02 AM
I'll lay 2-1 KU wins the whole shebang if anyone wants to make it interesting.

Vegas is calling Kentucky an even odds to win it all.

That is...insane.


Of course, going undefeated in the regular season is pretty insane as well.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:40:39 AM
I think if they run this tournament 100 times, Kentucky wins it 90 times. But maybe this time will be one of those 10 times. But I am not putting any money on that.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:42:01 AM
I think the only way to beat KU is close your eyes, hoist it from midcourt and hope every shot drops.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 10:42:55 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Big mistake IMO.  Everyone is really playing for 2nd place.  KU is untouchable this year.

You're a more experienced wagerer than I am, but my rationale is that the pool will be heavily skewed (I said 90-95% which may be an exaggeration but only slight) towards a team that has a 50% chance (based on them having even odds) of winning it all. That basically means if I win that coin flip (i.e., UK loses at some point) then I have a much easier pool to compete against. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:43:32 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:42:01 AM
I think the only way to beat KU is close your eyes, hoist it from midcourt and hope every shot drops.

Well lets not go too crazy. The SEC sucks ass at basketball so it may not be an accurate display of Kentucky's might.

But on the other hand I think about what they did to Kansas.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 10:43:47 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 10:40:39 AM
I think if they run this tournament 100 times, Kentucky wins it 90 times. But maybe this time will be one of those 10 times. But I am not putting any money on that.

Vegas says it would be 50 times.  Which is still pretty insane as Berkut said.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:49:47 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 10:42:55 AM
You're a more experienced wagerer than I am, but my rationale is that the pool will be heavily skewed (I said 90-95% which may be an exaggeration but only slight) towards a team that has a 50% chance (based on them having even odds) of winning it all. That basically means if I win that coin flip (i.e., UK loses at some point) then I have a much easier pool to compete against.

But you're not picking the entire field vs. KU, you're picking individual teams.  Those teams have an infinitessimally small chance of winning their games as compared to KU's chances.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: frunk on March 16, 2015, 11:00:07 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:49:47 AM
But you're not picking the entire field vs. KU, you're picking individual teams.  Those teams have an infinitessimally small chance of winning their games as compared to KU's chances.

I think it depends on how big the pool of picks is, and how well you can make picks.  The bigger the pool, the worse you are at picking, the better off you are going for the oddball result, since there's a greater chance that someone will get the non-KU picks better than you.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 11:02:23 AM
Right.  But with such a highly skewed pool there is an opportunity to be the only one picking the winner.  With nearly everyone picking UK, me picking a team like Duke or Wisconsin ( both of which are 6-1 odds to win it all), would seem like a good strategy if I know I have a good chance at being the only one choosing one or the other. 

Plus, it's way more fun for me to root against UK than to hope I win the final score tiebreaker ;)

Also I saw where Arizona is only 15-1 to go all the way, so I may have to switch to a team with better odds.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 11:03:26 AM
Duke is at 6-1?  I thought they were slumping.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 11:06:55 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 11:03:26 AM
Duke is at 6-1?  I thought they were slumping.

They were 12-1 in their last 13.  One could say they had a mini-slump in January but they shook it off.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 11:08:40 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 11:02:23 AM
Also I saw where Arizona is only 15-1 to go all the way, so I may have to switch to a team with better odds.

I found that rather puzzling - why would Arizona have so much worse odds than Wisconsin, since they are both in the same bracket, and so far as I know, there isn't really much of a consensus that Wisconsin is a clearly better team...?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 11:11:51 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 11:06:55 AM
They were 12-1 in their last 13.  One could say they had a mini-slump in January but they shook it off.

I guess I just spazzed on the fact they didn't make the ACC tourney final.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 12:10:15 PM
http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2015/03/15/doyel-a-mind-blowing-5-minutes-of-the-ncaa-tournament/24825549/?hootPostID=%5B%22%5B%27250fbe7a5f162bef2adf246ec093efac%27%5D%22%5D

QuoteButler got the best and worst kind of matchup. The good? Chris Holtmann is a better coach than Texas' Rick Barnes. Listen, Barnes is a wonderful recruiter and he produces some of the strongest, toughest, most physical teams in the country. But Rick Barnes is a strength-and-conditioning coach. Chris Holtmann is a basketball coach. There is a difference, and you'll see that difference Thursday in Pittsburgh when Texas looks so physically and athletically superior, and yet Butler looks like it actually knows what to do. Does that mean Butler wins? Tough call. Texas is awfully muscular, but Rick Barnes is awfully awful. Coin flip.

Freaking Indiana sportswriters can see it, why can't our AD?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on March 16, 2015, 03:37:27 PM
I'll set up the bracket for you shortly.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on March 16, 2015, 03:42:18 PM
Quote from: katmai on March 16, 2015, 03:37:27 PM
I'll set up the bracket for you shortly.

And it's been created.
trying to figure out how to send invites to all who didn't participate last year.
our pool ID# is 143319
pass word is Wyowho? :P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 04:13:34 PM
I'm in.  Looking to add to my 2006, 2010, and 2012 titles.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 16, 2015, 06:32:48 PM
Wyoming Wins It All is in the pool.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: citizen k on March 16, 2015, 06:34:52 PM
I have Gonzaga winning it all.  :blush:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 16, 2015, 06:42:56 PM
I have Calipari being raped by a space lizard.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: dps on March 16, 2015, 07:07:29 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 16, 2015, 06:42:56 PM
I have Calipari being raped by a space lizard.

Whatever turns you on.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 17, 2015, 07:23:48 AM
Ok last time until the next game that I post an article from a national pundit making fun of Rick Barnes.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ncaa-tournament-selection-sunday-winners-and-losers-duke-virginia-kentucky-arizona-kansas/

QuoteNCAA Tournament Selection Sunday Winners and Losers

Loser: Whatever Texas Fans Still Exist

I was courtside for Texas's collapse against Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. It was beautiful. I mean, it was awful and the Longhorns should still be beating themselves up for coming away empty after playing their best game of the season. But that's what made it so beautiful — the crown jewel in Rick Barnes's 17 years of Barnesing at Texas might have come in his last meaningful game for the Longhorns. There was something poetic about it. Barnes didn't just shoot himself in the foot. He shot himself in the foot, and the kickback from the gun hit him in the face. Then, disoriented from the blow, he shot his other foot, fell down a flight of stairs, and got pantsed by Fred Hoiberg when he tried to stand back up. Texas was up 10 with 3:40 left and the ball in its possession. It lost in regulation. It was the perfect way for Barnes to go out.

But now Texas is in the NCAA tournament, meaning Texas fans have to endure at least one more game of Barnes Barnesing at a level that won't even register on the Barnesometer. If Texas had been relegated to the NIT, Longhorns fans could've skipped the game, looked up the score later, and said, "Sounds about right," when they saw that Texas choked in the first round. But with Texas technically in the running for a national title, fans have to watch. And it's a shame they do. That Iowa State game would've been a great swan song for Barnes. Of course, this is assuming Barnes doesn't sign a five-year extension this summer, which is an assumption we probably shouldn't be making.

Sad but true :weep:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 17, 2015, 07:44:00 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2015, 10:24:19 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 09:56:29 AM
In my Bengals pool given the large number of YEWW KAYY fans I'm guessing 90-95% of the pool will have them winning.  So it makes sense to go with a different team to have a shorter list of people to compete against, should UK lose.  So I'm putting my money and hopes on The Fighting Berkuts.

Big mistake IMO.  Everyone is really playing for 2nd place.  KU is untouchable this year.

I tend to agree. They are ridiculous.

However, every team has an off night, or bad matchups, or whatever. Ketucky wins 7/10 games against any of the rest of the current top ten, I suspect. But they only get one chance...

Plus, Kentucky has karma working against them. If there is a god and he cares at all about college basketball, Kentucky should lose in the first round.
The SEC isn't exactly the ACC, they've been beating down a lot of weak competition. I wouldn't be surprised if a battle tested team knocks them off. Picked Notre Dame to do it in my bracket.

EDIT: My ESPN bracket
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 17, 2015, 07:46:18 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 17, 2015, 07:44:00 AM
The SEC isn't exactly the ACC, they've been beating down a lot of weak competition. I wouldn't be surprised if a battle tested team knocks them off. Picked Notre Dame to do it in my bracket.

The weaksauce SEC is my only reason to doubt Kentucky. But they showed during the OOC season they can beat up on Big 12 teams as well. We will see.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 17, 2015, 09:05:28 AM
It would be an early birthday present for me if WVU made it to the Sweet 16 and then beat UK.  The UK fans on my Facebook feed are getting annoying, particularly the bandwagoners.  Hell, I'd settle for Maryland doing it.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 17, 2015, 01:24:16 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 17, 2015, 09:05:28 AM
It would be an early birthday present for me if WVU made it to the Sweet 16 and then beat UK.  The UK fans on my Facebook feed are getting annoying, particularly the bandwagoners.  Hell, I'd settle for Maryland doing it.

YEW KAY
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 17, 2015, 06:12:17 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:35:02 AM
I'll lay 2-1 KU wins the whole shebang if anyone wants to make it interesting.

So if bet $20 and took the other 63 teams you would pay me $40 when UK loses?  Is that right?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 17, 2015, 06:13:05 PM
Quote from: sbr on March 17, 2015, 06:12:17 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:35:02 AM
I'll lay 2-1 KU wins the whole shebang if anyone wants to make it interesting.

So if bet $20 and took the other 63 teams you would pay me $40 when UK loses?  Is that right?
I am assuming he meant the other way around...
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 17, 2015, 06:13:47 PM
Quote from: sbr on March 17, 2015, 06:12:17 PM
So if bet $20 and took the other 63 teams you would pay me $40 when UK loses?  Is that right?

Yup.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 17, 2015, 06:14:50 PM
My balls retracted a little bit so I'm dropping the odds to 3/2.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 17, 2015, 06:16:21 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 17, 2015, 06:13:47 PM
Quote from: sbr on March 17, 2015, 06:12:17 PM
So if bet $20 and took the other 63 teams you would pay me $40 when UK loses?  Is that right?

Yup.

I'll take that action!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 17, 2015, 06:23:27 PM
All the way up in the abdomen now.  Even money!  Who wants to take the field for even money?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 17, 2015, 06:26:47 PM
Keep going, guys.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 18, 2015, 09:20:37 AM
Quote from: katmai on March 16, 2015, 03:42:18 PM
And it's been created.
trying to figure out how to send invites to all who didn't participate last year.
our pool ID# is 143319
pass word is Wyowho? :P

Looks like we only have 6 competitors so far.  We need more people so that my winning bracket will look more legit.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 18, 2015, 10:05:29 AM
ESPN broke down every team's potential matchup against YEW KAYY:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12505921/which-ncaa-tournament-teams-beat-kentucky-wildcats?ex_cid=espnapi_public
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 18, 2015, 10:40:16 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 18, 2015, 10:05:29 AM
ESPN broke down every team's potential matchup against YEW KAYY:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12505921/which-ncaa-tournament-teams-beat-kentucky-wildcats?ex_cid=espnapi_public

Hmmm. According to that write up, you guys are all pretty much counting on Arizona if you want any chance of a non-Kentucky winner.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 18, 2015, 11:22:39 AM
Eh?  Sounds like Zags have the best shot.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 18, 2015, 11:29:10 AM
Or Duke.  Because... they're Duke.  Oh, and Coack K.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 18, 2015, 02:00:43 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 18, 2015, 11:22:39 AM
Eh?  Sounds like Zags have the best shot.

Yes > It's Realistic
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 18, 2015, 02:03:52 PM
I am having Yahoo troubles. I will have to pick my bracket tonight.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 18, 2015, 02:10:48 PM
Fivethirtyeight gives UK a 41% chance of going all the way.  Which is still huge, but not quite the 50% chance Vegas seems to give them.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 18, 2015, 02:18:54 PM
No takers at even money?  I don't charge any vig, so it's a huge savings over a  bookie.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 18, 2015, 03:19:17 PM
I am happy with my 2-1 odds bet.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 11:30:34 AM
Sorry guys. I could neither get my old Yahoo account to work nor would it let me make a new one.

Have to sit this one out. I usually do crappy anyway.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 11:37:50 AM
Northeastern is leading Notre Dame after 9 minutes! OMG UPSET ALERT!!!11 All your brackets will soon be trashed.

Meanwhile SMU Coach Larry Brown goes all Lou Holtz about Yew Kay: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2015/story/_/id/12512765/smu-mustangs-coach-larry-brown-says-kentucky-wildcats-good-enough-nba-playoff-team
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2015, 11:38:38 AM
What is Larry Brown doing at SMU anyway?  Was he caught with his hand in the cookie jar?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 19, 2015, 11:42:18 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 11:30:34 AM
Sorry guys. I could neither get my old Yahoo account to work nor would it let me make a new one.

Have to sit this one out. I usually do crappy anyway.

DAMN YOU


Heading to B-dubs, taking rest of day plus tomorrow.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 11:53:16 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2015, 11:38:38 AM
What is Larry Brown doing at SMU anyway?  Was he caught with his hand in the cookie jar?

No idea. Maybe he just wanted a cushy mid major job to close out his career and stop having to move every three seasons.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 01:44:43 PM
Iowa State :bleeding:

See my bracket would have been blown up right there.

I hope Baylor does not also blow it.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 19, 2015, 01:45:40 PM
I knew I should not have rooted for a non-U of Kansas Big 12 team in the NCAAs.   :(
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 01:55:53 PM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FyAGTtjr.png&hash=0b0e0be0b4c65f3d7f20618f9fefe052ad0a900a)
Do you hear that, Fezzik? That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when Texas lost in the second round with Kevin Durant. Everyone who supports Iowa State makes it now.

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:05:16 PM
Butler makes Texas look like they have never played Basketball before in their lives.

Baylor is sucking it up.

Can anybody in this league play this damn game?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:24:24 PM
God damn you NCAA selection committee for doing this to me. I could have just seen Texas lose in the NIT last night...but nooooo have to send Texas to NCAAs to get humiliated by Butler. This game has been a disaster so far, a perfect display of all of Barnes' failures as a coach.

UAB players saying Iowa State looked worn out and tired.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:31:31 PM
Ok Holmes getting hot from three keeping us in the game. Because that is totally the logical strategy when you are much taller and longer than your opponent. Launch threes! Half of our shots are threes. FML.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 19, 2015, 02:34:19 PM
Buck up.  It could have been like Colorado State losing as the number 1 seed in the NIT by 10...



HA HA!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:42:14 PM
Quote from: PDH on March 19, 2015, 02:34:19 PM
Buck up.  It could have been like Colorado State losing as the number 1 seed in the NIT by 10...



HA HA!

Well they sure showed the selection committee.

Dear Hod what a painful half of Basketball. Texas' freak run of threes got them back in it at least. Just horrible basketball.

Meanwhile Baylor cannot decide if they want to blow this game or not. Right now they seem to be going with 'yes'.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:52:16 PM
And Baylor blows it. They really earned that one to.

Two #3 seeds down. How are everybody's brackets doing?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2015, 02:54:12 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:52:16 PM
Two #3 seeds down. How are everybody's brackets doing?

KU is still undefeated.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 03:02:17 PM
Well thank Hod for that.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: frunk on March 19, 2015, 03:04:09 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 02:52:16 PM
And Baylor blows it. They really earned that one to.

Two #3 seeds down. How are everybody's brackets doing?

In the Languish bracket everyone is tied at 1 right out of 3.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 03:15:20 PM
Just...just...I don't even know what to say.

This game needs to have yakety sax playing in the background.

Fortunately Butler is cold shooting and is too short to score inside.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 19, 2015, 03:29:43 PM
My God - Texas is like a longer, more athletic Wyoming that goes through periods of complete brain death.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 03:31:17 PM
Butler cannot score and somehow they are still winning.

Jevan Felix really makes ball hogging an art. He is like if Kobe Bryant was really untalented.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 03:34:21 PM
Quote from: PDH on March 19, 2015, 03:29:43 PM
My God - Texas is like a longer, more athletic Wyoming that goes through periods of complete brain death.

Wyoming needs some Rick Barnes coaching to master that last part.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 19, 2015, 03:48:26 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 03:31:17 PM
Jevan Felix really makes ball hogging an art. He is like if Kobe Bryant was really untalented.

:lol: It's true. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 04:09:13 PM
Man did they ever Barnes up these last few minutes.

And of course where were Ibeh and Turner?

This better be the last time I have to suffer through a Rick Barnes game. I would like to apologize to America on behalf of my alma mater for forcing you to endure that display of something that might be confused with basketball.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2015, 04:13:33 PM
Valmy is to Texas basketball as Timmy is to election night.  :P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 19, 2015, 04:18:41 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 19, 2015, 04:13:33 PM
Valmy is to Texas basketball as Timmy is to election night.  :P

Well at least today. It was a fascinating trainwreck of...whatever that was. And I knew it was coming to and it lived up to the hype.

But also I was expecting Spicey to be on here talking about the games so I kept expecting him to say something. And I ended up just talking to myself  :lol: :blush:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 19, 2015, 06:30:07 PM
Two 14 seeds won! Wow! :o
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 20, 2015, 04:47:25 PM
Well, a poor defensive effort, but Wyoming at least played in the 2nd half.  They got it to 7 with about 12 left, but Wyoming is just not good enough to keep a run going like that.  Still, I feel that something is happening at UWyo, and a good coach and good recruits coming in can lead to a good future.

Go Pokes - I feel alright, not good but alright.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 20, 2015, 06:02:47 PM
WVU won. Suck it Jay Bilas, Obama, etc.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 20, 2015, 06:42:47 PM
The fightin' Obama's lost a heartbreaker to North Carolina.

But I assume you mean he didn't pick you in his bracket.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 20, 2015, 09:27:09 PM
The Big 12 went 3-4. Not good but not a disaster even. Now I just have to hope everybody gets through to the sweet 16.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 20, 2015, 09:43:26 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 20, 2015, 06:42:47 PM
The fightin' Obama's lost a heartbreaker to North Carolina.

But I assume you mean he didn't pick you in his bracket.

Obama didn't pick West Virginia, but then West Virginia didn't pick him either.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 20, 2015, 09:46:37 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 20, 2015, 09:27:09 PM
The Big 12 went 3-4. Not good but not a disaster even. Now I just have to hope everybody gets through to the sweet 16.
Two three seeds going down in the first round sounds worse than "not good".
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on March 20, 2015, 10:03:58 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 20, 2015, 09:46:37 PM
Two three seeds going down in the first round sounds worse than "not good".

You suck giant donkey balls.

That is my considered basketball opinion.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 20, 2015, 10:50:00 PM
Barnes has not yet been fired. Color me nervous.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 20, 2015, 10:53:27 PM
Apparently the Ducks are not terrible at basketball.  Pac-12 Player of the year, Pac-12 Coach of the year and won a first round game?  I honestly had no idea.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 20, 2015, 11:40:25 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 20, 2015, 10:50:00 PM
Barnes has not yet been fired. Color me nervous.

Supposedly if they wait until after April 1, they can save $250k.  Why they would really need to do that, I don't know, but hey.

E:  Who would your choice for head basketball coach be, Val?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 21, 2015, 02:35:19 PM
Cinci is making a game of this

I keep seeing an American lawncare commercial where the guy says Wala instead of Voila.  Is that a thing?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 21, 2015, 08:36:22 PM
My bracket ended friday as a longshot, and will end saturday as an embarrassment.  :(

But fuck my bracket. Lets go Irish!  :)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 21, 2015, 11:45:39 PM
All three Pac-12 teams still alive, so things are good.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 21, 2015, 11:46:38 PM
Quote from: sbr on March 20, 2015, 10:53:27 PM
\ Pac-12 Player of the year, Pac-12 Coach of the year

Both clear "We are sick of voting for Arizona awards" :P

Quote
and won a first round game?  I honestly had no idea.

Oregon's had a pretty decent year - why is this such a surprise?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 21, 2015, 11:48:08 PM
I doubt I will be able to say the same thing about the three Big 12 teams after tomorrow, three tough games.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 21, 2015, 11:54:59 PM
Hey, I am leading the Languish group! Nice.

Got all but 2 picks right in the first round...missed on the two 3 seeds losing.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 22, 2015, 12:01:36 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 21, 2015, 11:54:59 PM
Got all but 2 picks right in the first round...missed on the two 3 seeds losing.

Never bet on Baylor. I think Iowa State was just beat down and worn out.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 22, 2015, 12:18:21 AM
Arizona really should have no trouble against a .500 team from the Big East who doesn't rebound well.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 22, 2015, 12:30:22 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 21, 2015, 11:46:38 PM
Oregon's had a pretty decent year - why is this such a surprise?

It's not that I am surprised that they won a game, I didn't even know they were in the tournament.

I have almost zero interest in college basketball, which is unfortunate because basketball is my favorite sport/game/activity.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 22, 2015, 01:41:36 AM
Quote from: sbr on March 22, 2015, 12:30:22 AM
I have almost zero interest in college basketball, which is unfortunate because basketball is my favorite sport/game/activity.

Huh.  NBA only?  Why don't you like college hoops?  Anything specific, or is it just a general thing?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 22, 2015, 10:53:30 AM
Quote from: sbr on March 22, 2015, 12:30:22 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 21, 2015, 11:46:38 PM
Oregon's had a pretty decent year - why is this such a surprise?

It's not that I am surprised that they won a game, I didn't even know they were in the tournament.

I have almost zero interest in college basketball, which is unfortunate because basketball is my favorite sport/game/activity.

What type of basketball do you enjoy?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 22, 2015, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on March 22, 2015, 01:41:36 AM
Huh.  NBA only?  Why don't you like college hoops?  Anything specific, or is it just a general thing?

I imagine for the same reason Kentucky and Duke grads don't follow college football.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 22, 2015, 05:03:30 PM
Really surprised that Virginia went down this early, but you can never count out Michigan State.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 22, 2015, 05:27:36 PM
I'm not a huge NBA fan either actually, though the NBA is getting better in terms of style of play and likability of players.

I guess I should have said in theory basketball is my favorite.  I love the idea of the game and I love to watch when it is played well and "properly", but you don't see much of that anymore.  There is a tremendous lack of fundamentals at most levels of the game.  I don't know if incoming college freshman are less fundamentally sound than they used to be, back in the Glory DaysTM but it feels like it.  And even if they are not most major programs have so many kids that don't stick around for 4 years that it isn't worth the coaches time to teach them a bunch of fundamental stuff.  Why spend a bunch of time teaching how to play the game properly when the kid may not be around long enough for it to matter.  Just figure out a way to turn his limited skills into something that can help get to the tournament a couple times before he moves on and you have to repeat the process.

I used to play basketball every day.  I wasn't on the high school team but I could play in pick up games with guys on the team without embarrassing myself.  In college I played intramurals with a couple of guys who had offers to walk on at Pac-10 schools.  I was the 7th or 8th best player on the team but I played and could contribute.  I still love to go to a gym and just shoot but I can't really play anymore.

I used to watch any basketball game I could find.  I remember back in 1992 getting home from the bar and sitting and watching a Tournament of the Americas game, someone like Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico, on the Spanish network just because it was on.  I watched as much college and NBA hoop as I could find and had time for.  But now I can barely be bothered to watch much. 

The rash of college players leaving early is a huge part of it at both levels.  I can't get invested in a team when there is so much turnover and the players don't spend enough time actually learning to play the game before they move on.  This leads to way too many guys getting into the NBA without knowing how to play, which leads to too many guys getting drafted too high based purely on potential which drops the talent level in the NBA.  Not as much as over-expansion in the late 80s and early 90s did though, and if I could only pick one, I would rather see the NBA significantly shorten their season than change the one-and-done rule but the lack of fundamentals at the highest level is a problem to me.

Maybe I just need to move to Europe.  I want to see skilled players play a flowing, up tempo game without having one player pound the ball into the ground for 75% of the shot clock and every player having to look at the coach for direction before they can do anything on every single possession.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 22, 2015, 06:35:24 PM
Wow, Kansas going down, the Shockers proving everyone right that they were seriously underseeded.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 22, 2015, 06:55:21 PM
Wichita may have been underseeded but Kansas was most definitely overrated.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 22, 2015, 07:26:56 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 22, 2015, 06:35:24 PM
Wow, Kansas going down, the Shockers proving everyone right that they were seriously underseeded.

Wichita State has been talking trash to Kansas all season. I am sure they were loving that.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 22, 2015, 07:28:21 PM
Kansas' loss makes You Kay look a tad less invincible.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 22, 2015, 10:56:22 PM
Ugly win for WVU, but they're incapable of winning any other way.  Hope they can play UK close.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 23, 2015, 07:35:42 AM
Did Bob Huggins eat a couple of Tudor's restaurants?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 23, 2015, 07:39:46 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 23, 2015, 07:35:42 AM
Did Bob Huggins eat a couple of Tudor's restaurants?

Yeah people have been calling him Blob Huggins around here. Fat shaming :weep:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 23, 2015, 07:47:40 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 23, 2015, 07:39:46 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 23, 2015, 07:35:42 AM
Did Bob Huggins eat a couple of Tudor's restaurants?

Yeah people have been calling him Blob Huggins around here. Fat shaming :weep:

NOT FAT SHAMING!  :o
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 23, 2015, 08:19:14 AM
Huggz definitely has a big appetite... FOR WINNING  :cool:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: dps on March 23, 2015, 11:27:30 AM
Quote from: sbr on March 22, 2015, 05:27:36 PM
I'm not a huge NBA fan either actually

I'm kind of in the same boat--I enjoy playing basketball (though I make absolutely no claim of being good at it) but I'm not a big fan of it as a spectator sport.  The NBA season is too long, and almost meaningless, and the "one and done" model hurts the college game.  I didn't even bother to fill out a bracket this year, 'cause I haven' paid enough attention to do even a halfway decent job.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 23, 2015, 11:37:30 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 23, 2015, 07:47:40 AM
NOT FAT SHAMING!  :o

I hope WV provides safe spaces for him.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 23, 2015, 11:46:30 AM
He blends right in.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 23, 2015, 12:18:59 PM
So I'm a little ashamed that WVU's first two games were under two hours away in Columbus and I didn't go.  We were kind of locked into plans to watch the games at my brother's house Friday, and tickets for last night's game were $100 apiece and there's no way we would have been able to go without taking the boys.  So it would have been $200 for me to take Tommy.  Would have been worth it to see the win, but oh well.

Thursday night's game against UK in Cleveland will be $200 and up if we can even find tickets, and I don't think I'll feel like shelling out $400+ to be in an arena packed with YEW KAY fans.  I've been to all rounds of an NCAA tournament except for the Sweet 16/Elite 8 rounds, so I will need to mark that off the bucket list at some point.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 23, 2015, 02:22:14 PM
My son has already stated that if Arizona makes it to the Final Four we have to go to Indy to watch them.

I asked him how he was planning to pay for his ticket...he kind got this blank look...
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 23, 2015, 02:29:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 23, 2015, 02:22:14 PM
My son has already stated that if Arizona makes it to the Final Four we have to go to Indy to watch them.

I asked him how he was planning to pay for his ticket...he kind got this blank look...

:D  My brother and I went there in 2010 when WVU lost to Duke in the Final Four.  Indy is a great town for the venue, but Lucas Oil Stadium is just too big to watch a basketball game if you're in the upper level.  And they do sell every damned seat in that stadium.  We did some horse trading between games to get better seats, but we paid a bit of a premium.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 25, 2015, 05:13:43 AM
Izzo's a boss

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/tom-izzo-is-the-best-coach-in-modern-ncaa-tournament-history-by-far/
Quote
Izzo's performance is almost seven standard deviations above average,
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 08:52:48 AM
But everyone knew that. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 09:39:52 AM
That is kind of cool. However, it is one of those stats that depends on the fact that he performs above his seed consistently. Which then makes you wonder why, if he is so good, he is seeded so low all the time - in other words, is it amazing that he plays above his seed so much, or does one wonder why his team under-performs before the tournament, resulting in poorer seeds than their quality really demands?

I am just thinking out loud - at the end of the day, we all know Izzo is one of the very best coaches in college basketball, no matter how you want to measure it.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 09:44:29 AM
Well, they can't (or IMO shouldn't) seed you based upon how well you performed in past NCAA tournaments.  They need to look at your body of work for that season plus conference tournament.  If he happens to do well in the NCAA tourney, great-- but other teams that have a better resume shouldn't have to be seeded below him.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 10:02:42 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 09:44:29 AM
Well, they can't (or IMO shouldn't) seed you based upon how well you performed in past NCAA tournaments.  They need to look at your body of work for that season plus conference tournament.  If he happens to do well in the NCAA tourney, great-- but other teams that have a better resume shouldn't have to be seeded below him.

No question - what I am saying is that if he performs much better in the tournament than his seed, consistently, then is it because

1. He is such an amazing tourney coach that he takes guys who deserve to be 7 sees and makes them win like they are 3 seeds, or
2. He is such a poor regular season coach that he takes guys who ought to perform well enough to get a 2 seed and they end up with 7 seeds instead.

His "expected" wins over his career is 30.5 over 17 years. So that is something like 1.8 wins/year, which means his average seed is somewhere in the 3-4ish range. Compare that to someone who has an overall excellent results across basketball like Coach K*, who over 30 years averages an expected 2.7 wins per year, which means he averages a 1-2 seed.

It is great that Izzo gets 4 seeds and plays them like 2 seeds...but is that really better than getting 2 seeds and playing them like 2 seeds?

Stats like this almost rely on you getting middling starting points to have an exceptional result. The Dukes of the world *can't* really exceed expectations, no matter how good their coaches are, because the expectations start out really high. Coach K is listed 20th on this chart, because every year he is a top seed, and plays to that top seed. But you can only go down when you start at the top.

*Note: Please do not confuse my using Coach K as an example as an endorsement of him or Duke, both of which are a blight and cancer upon college basketball, America, and Jesus.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 10:04:30 AM
Point of comparison:

Sean Miller has the highest winning percentage in games where he is the higher seed of any active coach with at least ten games in the tournament ranked as the higher seed. He is 10-1 career, with only last years loss to Wisconsin (1 losing to 2) as the exception.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 10:15:46 AM
I think he's a good regular season coach but an excellent NCAA tournament coach.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 10:19:22 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 10:15:46 AM
I think he's a good regular season coach but an excellent NCAA tournament coach.

Yeah, but that is such a boring explanation...:P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 10:25:31 AM
FWIW Xavier fans are still bitching about how the program has suffered since Miller left for Arizona.  Granted, he did improve on his predecessor Matta's work and brought the program to unprecedented success.  But Chris Mack has taken them to the NCAA tournament each year since Miller left and that includes three Sweet 16 appearances.  Just spoiled fans, I guess.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 25, 2015, 10:29:20 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 10:15:46 AM
I think he's a good regular season coach but an excellent NCAA tournament coach.

Maybe he's very good at scouting.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 10:45:43 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 10:02:42 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2015, 09:44:29 AM
Well, they can't (or IMO shouldn't) seed you based upon how well you performed in past NCAA tournaments.  They need to look at your body of work for that season plus conference tournament.  If he happens to do well in the NCAA tourney, great-- but other teams that have a better resume shouldn't have to be seeded below him.

No question - what I am saying is that if he performs much better in the tournament than his seed, consistently, then is it because

1. He is such an amazing tourney coach that he takes guys who deserve to be 7 sees and makes them win like they are 3 seeds, or
2. He is such a poor regular season coach that he takes guys who ought to perform well enough to get a 2 seed and they end up with 7 seeds instead.

His "expected" wins over his career is 30.5 over 17 years. So that is something like 1.8 wins/year, which means his average seed is somewhere in the 3-4ish range. Compare that to someone who has an overall excellent results across basketball like Coach K*, who over 30 years averages an expected 2.7 wins per year, which means he averages a 1-2 seed.

It is great that Izzo gets 4 seeds and plays them like 2 seeds...but is that really better than getting 2 seeds and playing them like 2 seeds?

Stats like this almost rely on you getting middling starting points to have an exceptional result. The Dukes of the world *can't* really exceed expectations, no matter how good their coaches are, because the expectations start out really high. Coach K is listed 20th on this chart, because every year he is a top seed, and plays to that top seed. But you can only go down when you start at the top.

*Note: Please do not confuse my using Coach K as an example as an endorsement of him or Duke, both of which are a blight and cancer upon college basketball, America, and Jesus.

The explanation which is consistent with Izzo being a great coach in both the regular season and tournament is that his teams consistently improve throughout the year so that by the time they reach the tournament they are outplaying teams that were better than them during the season.  It takes a special kind of coach to be both a teacher of the game (ie a great practice coach) and a great coach during games.  Those require different skill sets and it appears Izzo has both sets of skills.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
If that is the case CC, then presumably MSU teams would perform better in February than they do in December and January, right?

But I don't think that is the case - the bitch I hear from MSU fans is that they do great in December, then drop off at the tail end of the regular season. Maybe that isn't actually true though, I am only going by the perception.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: frunk on March 25, 2015, 11:57:25 AM
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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
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. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:27:00 PM
Quote from: frunk on March 25, 2015, 11:57:25 AM
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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 25, 2015, 03:35:23 PM
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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
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.  :P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:45:22 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
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.  :P

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...
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 04:00:59 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:45:22 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
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.  :P

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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 25, 2015, 04:49:10 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 04:00:59 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:45:22 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 03:35:11 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 25, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 25, 2015, 11:43:49 AM
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.  :P

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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 09:43:54 PM
ND is in the elite 8 after winning the ACC. On the one hand this is exciting and highlights the relevance of ND athletics.  :yeah:

On the other hand this may mean I have to start watching college basketball games for the first time in years.  :(
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 26, 2015, 09:46:50 PM
Wait you like ND AND Miami? :boggle:

So...was that a fumble in 1988?  :P
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 09:49:57 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 26, 2015, 09:46:50 PM
Wait you like ND AND Miami? :boggle:

So...was that a fumble in 1988?  :P

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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 26, 2015, 10:50:11 PM
What a beat down by Kentucky! :o
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 11:24:02 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 26, 2015, 10:50:11 PM
What a beat down by Kentucky! :o

Big 12 goes out with a bang.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 26, 2015, 11:27:07 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 11:24:02 PM
Big 12 goes out with a bang.

No....there is another.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 11:29:48 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 26, 2015, 11:27:07 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 11:24:02 PM
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?  :P

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 26, 2015, 11:32:22 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 11:29:48 PM

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

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.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 08:40:17 AM
Local UK bandwagon fans are out in full force.  Tim would be proud.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on March 27, 2015, 08:40:46 AM
Ugh
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 08:43:58 AM
My test for them is to ask them who their favorite player is AND DON'T SAY THE TALL BLACK GUY.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 09:23:43 AM
Wow, I have to admit I didn't think Xavier would be nearly that much of a challenge. Their big, slow, goofy looking white guy made our big slow white guy look bad for quite some time.

Oddly enough though, it was the play of our big slow white guy who was probably the difference in the win.

Arizona is really hard to beat in that there really isn't anyone you can focus on to shut them down. They have incredible balance across the starters, plus a great scoring three point shooter off the bench.

However, from night to night it is hard to say who is going to be "the guy". But to win against the elite teams, you can't just go out and see who is going to be "the guy" tonight. And that is what Arizona feels like a lot of times - Arizona doesn't know who "the guy" is on any given night, and it feels like maybe some of our scorers are content to NOT be the guy on some particular night.

The next two games are Wisconsin and Kentucky. Arizona cannot win either of them, much less both of them, without some production from everyone.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 09:35:19 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 09:23:43 AM
Wow, I have to admit I didn't think Xavier would be nearly that much of a challenge. Their big, slow, goofy looking white guy made our big slow white guy look bad for quite some time.

Have you heard his back story?  He's kind of a local celebrity here now.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12008914/xavier-leading-scorer-matt-stainbrook-drives-uber-spare
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 09:39:02 AM
Also, Tommy filled out a bracket this year and got all four of last night's winners right.  He's tied for 3rd place in the 38-person pool.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 10:30:12 AM
Very unimpressed with Arizona's play against a very unathletic team.  Very unimpressed with Arizona's coaching staff for not figuring out how to break a barely adequate 1-3-1 zone with a slow defender at the top and the slowest guy in the tournament providing rim protection (without a vertical).

Very unimpressed with the amount of fouls being called on plays where a foul was difficult to detect.

I missed the early games.  I hope they were better.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 10:32:38 AM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 10:30:12 AM
Very unimpressed with the amount of fouls being called on plays where a foul was difficult to detect.

Yeah, it's been ridiculous.  Overall the tournament has been entertaining, but the ticky tack foul shit has lessened it a bit.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 10:38:05 AM
Still waiting for fans to say "Hey, the officials there called just the right number of fouls overall! Well done!"

It has happened, but it is exceedingly rare compared to the perception that the game was poorly called - and almost always too many fouls, unless it is that your team was mauled and never got a call.

You would think the officials, overall, are just not very good. Wonder how they got into the NCAA tournament, considering how consistently bad they all are? :P

It is kind of fun watching the games as a fan. I constantly have this "JESUS HOW CAN THEY CALL THAT!!!" reaction...then see the replay and 9 times out of ten say..."Yeah, that is the right call" or at least "Yeah, I can see WHY they called that, even if on replay it could have gone either way".

I liked that in a critical spot of the game the covering officials were willing to just admit they had no idea who the ball went off of and look for help, then go jump ball rather than make something up.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 10:44:00 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 10:38:05 AM
You would think the officials, overall, are just not very good. Wonder how they got into the NCAA tournament, considering how consistently bad they all are? :P

Actually that is a good question.  How do they get into the tournament?  And no need to be so defensive Mr. Zebra.  I didn't say all refs are consistently bad but the games I saw last night and particularly in the early part of the Kentucky game had too many phantom fouls.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 01:00:27 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 10:44:00 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 10:38:05 AM
You would think the officials, overall, are just not very good. Wonder how they got into the NCAA tournament, considering how consistently bad they all are? :P

Actually that is a good question.  How do they get into the tournament?  And no need to be so defensive Mr. Zebra.  I didn't say all refs are consistently bad but the games I saw last night and particularly in the early part of the Kentucky game had too many phantom fouls.

Not being defensive at all - *I* am not officiating those games.

The NCAA selection process for officials is done by the NCAA director of officiating. He selects officials from those who apply and presumably has some criteria for who he selects. It is kind of weird in that officials in the regular season work for conferences (sometimes several) and answer to conference directors of officiating, NOT to the NCAA.

But the NCAA director of officiating, who is kind of de facto the sort of head of all NCAA officials, will say, for example, that he expects officials to do things in a certain manner, and he won't select people for the NCAA tournament who don't do things in the fashion he wants. But the officials for the most part have to keep their conference directors happy, so there can be something of a conflict. The Pac-12, for example, might want their officials to call a particular play a block rather than a charge, but the director of NCAA might want something else.

But getting to do the tournament is considered to be a point of distinction for any NCAA official, and the tournament for officials actually works kind of like the teams. You get a round of 68/64 game, and supposedly depending on how you do and are rated, about half move on to the next round, etc., etc.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 01:06:17 PM
I wonder what we are seeing is a direction from the NCAA director of officiating to call games more tightly?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 01:45:01 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 01:06:17 PM
I wonder what we are seeing is a direction from the NCAA director of officiating to call games more tightly?

In the last couple of years there has been an overall focus at the high school and college levels to "clean up" the game as far as it concerns letting defenders impede offensive players, mostly on cutting, riding to the players to the basket, etc.,

What is odd though is that it seems like to me those aren't the calls that people question though.

It is more the contact in the act of shooting that everyone wants something else on.

My own feeling is that I mostly *react* that they call too many fouls on defenders playing "good" defense.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 02:12:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 01:45:01 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 01:06:17 PM
I wonder what we are seeing is a direction from the NCAA director of officiating to call games more tightly?

In the last couple of years there has been an overall focus at the high school and college levels to "clean up" the game as far as it concerns letting defenders impede offensive players, mostly on cutting, riding to the players to the basket, etc.,

What is odd though is that it seems like to me those aren't the calls that people question though.

It is more the contact in the act of shooting that everyone wants something else on.

My own feeling is that I mostly *react* that they call too many fouls on defenders playing "good" defense.

The calls I am talking about are the ones that are occurring away from the ball.  Denying the post player position, cutting off the cutter etc.  IMO that is good defense.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 02:12:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 01:45:01 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 01:06:17 PM
I wonder what we are seeing is a direction from the NCAA director of officiating to call games more tightly?

In the last couple of years there has been an overall focus at the high school and college levels to "clean up" the game as far as it concerns letting defenders impede offensive players, mostly on cutting, riding to the players to the basket, etc.,

What is odd though is that it seems like to me those aren't the calls that people question though.

It is more the contact in the act of shooting that everyone wants something else on.

My own feeling is that I mostly *react* that they call too many fouls on defenders playing "good" defense.

The calls I am talking about are the ones that are occurring away from the ball.  Denying the post player position, cutting off the cutter etc.  IMO that is good defense.

Huh - interesting. To be honest, away from the ball call's are usually the ones that, as an official, I consider to be largely obvious when they happen.

Denying a post player position, for example. By rule, you cannot ever move someone from their spot on the floor. If they are there legally, displacing them is almost always a foul. This is a pretty obvious call. You can't just shove someone away from the basket in the post.

Cutting off the cutter, same thing - if it is a foul, it is because the person trying to cut them off didn't get there in time, and that is usually a pretty obvious call, and easy to make...if you see it.

I wonder what you consider "good defense" if you see these calls and think they are wrong...or should not be called.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 02:55:53 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on March 26, 2015, 09:49:57 PM
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.

At least both the Miami and ND fan can agree that ND was the true champion in 1993 though right?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 04:16:23 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 02:12:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 01:45:01 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 01:06:17 PM
I wonder what we are seeing is a direction from the NCAA director of officiating to call games more tightly?

In the last couple of years there has been an overall focus at the high school and college levels to "clean up" the game as far as it concerns letting defenders impede offensive players, mostly on cutting, riding to the players to the basket, etc.,

What is odd though is that it seems like to me those aren't the calls that people question though.

It is more the contact in the act of shooting that everyone wants something else on.

My own feeling is that I mostly *react* that they call too many fouls on defenders playing "good" defense.

The calls I am talking about are the ones that are occurring away from the ball.  Denying the post player position, cutting off the cutter etc.  IMO that is good defense.

Huh - interesting. To be honest, away from the ball call's are usually the ones that, as an official, I consider to be largely obvious when they happen.

Denying a post player position, for example. By rule, you cannot ever move someone from their spot on the floor. If they are there legally, displacing them is almost always a foul. This is a pretty obvious call. You can't just shove someone away from the basket in the post.

Cutting off the cutter, same thing - if it is a foul, it is because the person trying to cut them off didn't get there in time, and that is usually a pretty obvious call, and easy to make...if you see it.

I wonder what you consider "good defense" if you see these calls and think they are wrong...or should not be called.

How did denying the post become moving someone from their spot on the floor. You see phantom posts.  Do you also see phantom fouls?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 04:22:01 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 04:16:23 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 02:12:19 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 01:45:01 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 01:06:17 PM
I wonder what we are seeing is a direction from the NCAA director of officiating to call games more tightly?

In the last couple of years there has been an overall focus at the high school and college levels to "clean up" the game as far as it concerns letting defenders impede offensive players, mostly on cutting, riding to the players to the basket, etc.,

What is odd though is that it seems like to me those aren't the calls that people question though.

It is more the contact in the act of shooting that everyone wants something else on.

My own feeling is that I mostly *react* that they call too many fouls on defenders playing "good" defense.

The calls I am talking about are the ones that are occurring away from the ball.  Denying the post player position, cutting off the cutter etc.  IMO that is good defense.

Huh - interesting. To be honest, away from the ball call's are usually the ones that, as an official, I consider to be largely obvious when they happen.

Denying a post player position, for example. By rule, you cannot ever move someone from their spot on the floor. If they are there legally, displacing them is almost always a foul. This is a pretty obvious call. You can't just shove someone away from the basket in the post.

Cutting off the cutter, same thing - if it is a foul, it is because the person trying to cut them off didn't get there in time, and that is usually a pretty obvious call, and easy to make...if you see it.

I wonder what you consider "good defense" if you see these calls and think they are wrong...or should not be called.

How did denying the post become moving someone from their spot on the floor. You see phantom posts.  Do you also see phantom fouls?

Because when someone gets called on a foul away from the ball in post play, and the complaint is "they were denying the post" what is being called is often someone moving them away from the post. Or hooking them, but it is more often a push.

"denying the post" is not a foul. Check a rulebook - nothing in there about not being allowed to do that.

So IF there is a foul called on a defender in relation to someone doing SOMETHING that is described as "denying the post", then absent the official just deciding to make shit up, they are calling something illegal, and that is usually a defender trying to move the post player away from the basket.

I've been doing this for about 15 years, so if you care about what my experience says is generally the actual foul in that situation, awesome, I am happy to share. If you want to be a douchebag, and act like a asshole, then why bother even having the discussion?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 04:26:51 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 04:22:01 PM
"denying the post" is not a foul. Check a rulebook - nothing in there about not being allowed to do that.


Which is why Refs should stop calling it.  Touchy.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 04:37:12 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 27, 2015, 04:26:51 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 04:22:01 PM
"denying the post" is not a foul. Check a rulebook - nothing in there about not being allowed to do that.


Which is why Refs should stop calling it.  Touchy.

I've watched probably over 1000 basketball games, and never seen a ref report "denying the post" as a foul. I don't think you have either.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 04:42:07 PM
He could have called it as something else.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 05:26:31 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 08:40:17 AM
Local UK bandwagon fans are out in full force.  Tim would be proud.
Yeah, remember all those times I abandoned my home town team to root for someone else? Oh, wait, that's never happened. :rolleyes:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 27, 2015, 05:49:28 PM
Quote from: Berkut on March 27, 2015, 02:44:59 PM
By rule, you cannot ever move someone from their spot on the floor. If they are there legally, displacing them is almost always a foul. This is a pretty obvious call. You can't just shove someone away from the basket in the post.

I wish this would get called on the offense once in a while.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 07:38:19 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 05:26:31 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 08:40:17 AM
Local UK bandwagon fans are out in full force.  Tim would be proud.
Yeah, remember all those times I abandoned my home town team to root for someone else? Oh, wait, that's never happened. :rolleyes:

Wait you live in South Bend, Indiana?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 07:54:26 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 07:38:19 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 05:26:31 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 08:40:17 AM
Local UK bandwagon fans are out in full force.  Tim would be proud.
Yeah, remember all those times I abandoned my home town team to root for someone else? Oh, wait, that's never happened. :rolleyes:

Wait you live in South Bend, Indiana?
URI doesn't have division one football.

Notre Dame hasn't been a dominant team since before I started following football, as long as I consistently follow them, how is that bandwagoning?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 27, 2015, 09:46:43 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 02:55:53 PM

At least both the Miami and ND fan can agree that ND was the true champion in 1993 though right?

Actually, hell no.

Back then there were two teams that for Miami fans represented the ultimate enemy: Florida and Notre Dame.

The FSU and Miami programs had a lot in common, and especially for Miami the rivalry was really important--and not one that FSU needed to keep (Florida dropped Miami). Miami was definitely renegade program #1, but FSU was probably the runner up. There was a good bit of respect for FSU from Miami fans. No respect at all went to Notre Dame.

I think the younger generation of Miami fans doesn't share that point of view toward FSU.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 27, 2015, 09:48:27 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 07:38:19 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 05:26:31 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 08:40:17 AM
Local UK bandwagon fans are out in full force.  Tim would be proud.
Yeah, remember all those times I abandoned my home town team to root for someone else? Oh, wait, that's never happened. :rolleyes:

Wait you live in South Bend, Indiana?

All Catholics get to be Notre Dame fans without bandwagoning accusations.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 10:02:11 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 07:54:26 PM
URI doesn't have division one football.

FBS is still division I, traitor :angry:

QuoteNotre Dame hasn't been a dominant team since before I started following football, as long as I consistently follow them, how is that bandwagoning?

Pfft whatever. You also rooted for USC because you had a hard on for Pete Carroll and I didn't see you rooting for Pete in the Super Bowl!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 10:05:00 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on March 27, 2015, 09:46:43 PM
Actually, hell no.

Back then there were two teams that for Miami fans represented the ultimate enemy: Florida and Notre Dame.

The FSU and Miami programs had a lot in common, and especially for Miami the rivalry was really important--and not one that FSU needed to keep (Florida dropped Miami). Miami was definitely renegade program #1, but FSU was probably the runner up. There was a good bit of respect for FSU from Miami fans. No respect at all went to Notre Dame.

I think the younger generation of Miami fans doesn't share that point of view toward FSU.

Ok but still Notre Dame should have been the National Champs. They beat FSU. The only other difference was that Nebraska had horrible kickers and Boston College didn't.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 10:12:29 PM
We will see if OUsux can hang on in the second half.

Meanwhile UT's classless douche AD gave Rick Barnes a bunch of intolerable demands to stay. So he will probably resign. What a bunch of crap, Texas' AD lacks the guts to simply fire him.

However I guess we can now give a heartfelt farewell to Texas' winningest and most successful basketball coach ever. Long overdue but I will look back on his good times with gratitude.

But still the long bitter decline is over

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BU59QyTCUAAi_cU.jpg:large)

Now Texas can commence a period of uninterrupted mediocrity after our worthless AD makes a bad hire.

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 11:34:50 PM
Ah damn OU really does suck.

Oh well. Good game Big 12.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 28, 2015, 03:00:08 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 11:34:50 PM
Ah damn OU really does suck.

Oh well. Good game Big 12.

Yep.  MSU played horribly, and OU out-horribled them.  I guess that just happens sometimes.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 07:24:11 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2015, 10:02:11 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 27, 2015, 07:54:26 PM
URI doesn't have division one football.

FBS is still division I, traitor :angry:

QuoteNotre Dame hasn't been a dominant team since before I started following football, as long as I consistently follow them, how is that bandwagoning?

Pfft whatever. You also rooted for USC because you had a hard on for Pete Carroll and I didn't see you rooting for Pete in the Super Bowl!
I didn't root for them when they played Notre Dame.
I did root for him to win we he played in the Championship because he had coached the Patriots, nothing wrong with that, it doesn't mean I became a fan of USC.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 28, 2015, 07:39:11 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 07:24:11 PM
I didn't root for them when they played Notre Dame.
I did root for him to win we he played in the Championship because he had coached the Patriots, nothing wrong with that, it doesn't mean I became a fan of USC.

Lies! Timmy lies!

Can you really not tell I am joking here :unsure:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 28, 2015, 08:51:35 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 27, 2015, 04:42:07 PM
He could have called it as something else.

Indeed, which is what I said, and even was nice enough to tell CC what is typically called when there is a foul in that area, but he went all d-bag and said he was talking about "defending the post" not some other foul.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 28, 2015, 08:53:24 PM
That was...painful.

The officiating in the first 2 and a half minutes of the second half was...interesting. Bo Ryan schooled that crew, and by the time they realized it and started (over) adjusting it was too late. Then they started calling ticky tack bullshit on Wisconsin in a desperate attempt to make up for their being fooled, but the character of the game was just shot at that point.


Arizona might have been able to overcome that, but could not overcome Wisconsin shooting, what was it, 80% from three point land? On 15 shots?


I've never seen anything like that in college basketball.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 09:31:59 PM
Notre Dame looks like they're going to do it! I called it at the start of the tournament! :yeah:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 28, 2015, 09:42:31 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 09:31:59 PM
Notre Dame looks like they're going to do it! I called it at the start of the tournament! :yeah:

Jinxed!  :lol:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 09:46:31 PM
Quote from: grumbler on March 28, 2015, 09:42:31 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 09:31:59 PM
Notre Dame looks like they're going to do it! I called it at the start of the tournament! :yeah:

Jinxed!  :lol:
Well, shit :face:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 28, 2015, 09:56:01 PM
Wow Tim it is like you don't know your own power :(
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 10:00:27 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 28, 2015, 09:56:01 PM
Wow Tim it is like you don't know your own power :(
:weep:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 28, 2015, 10:00:40 PM
Well that was exciting.  :)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 28, 2015, 11:29:41 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 28, 2015, 09:31:59 PM
Notre Dame looks like they're going to do it! I called it at the start of the tournament! :yeah:

You are such an idiot. I think the biggest lead was like 6 points. The whole game was back and forth up through the last minute.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 28, 2015, 11:34:57 PM
My brother is like the anti tim. If his football team has a big game, he will spend the whole week talking about it, be totally geeked up on gameday, but then once the game starts will go into a deep depression if his team falls behind by 7 in the first half--a late first half 7 point deficit followed by the bad guys picking up a few key first downs has been known to result in him dejectedly saying, "its over, I don't need to watch anymore, lets go do something else."

It would be awesome to see my brother and Tim watch a game together while rooting for the same team. They might be like matter and anti matter and spontaneously both disappear from the universe. There is little risk of this happening though as my brother doesn't support bandwagon teams.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: MadBurgerMaker on March 29, 2015, 01:31:53 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 28, 2015, 08:53:24 PM
I've never seen anything like that in college basketball.

Yeah that was pretty incredible.  Everything was going in in the second half.  When he hit last rainbow with a hand in his face, instead of "Great shot" it felt more like "Of course he made it."
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on March 29, 2015, 07:24:11 AM
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on March 29, 2015, 01:31:53 AM
Quote from: Berkut on March 28, 2015, 08:53:24 PM
I've never seen anything like that in college basketball.

Yeah that was pretty incredible.  Everything was going in in the second half.  When he hit last rainbow with a hand in his face, instead of "Great shot" it felt more like "Of course he made it."

Yeah, it wasn't even disappointing at that point...just inevitable.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 29, 2015, 01:42:27 PM
Great Sparty/Cards game going on right now.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 29, 2015, 01:59:05 PM
Crazy pace.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 29, 2015, 03:36:45 PM
And the big Sudanese 50% FT shooter makes 1 of 2 to send it to OT.  Perfect.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on March 29, 2015, 05:21:12 PM
Zags coach looks like Kevin Bacon.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on March 29, 2015, 06:23:27 PM
There is a dude in my pool that nailed the final four and has only missed 6 games in his whole bracket.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 29, 2015, 06:25:36 PM
Ugh, Duke. As longs as anyone but them wins, I will be satisfied.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 29, 2015, 09:14:58 PM
It sure will be magical when Coach K is cutting down the nets again.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 29, 2015, 10:47:36 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 29, 2015, 09:14:58 PM
It sure will be magical when Coach K is cutting down the nets again.
Nate Silver says there's only a 22% chance of that happening, so let's hope he's right.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on March 29, 2015, 11:26:25 PM
There are 4 teams left.  If someone drew a winner blindly Duke would have a 25% chance of winning.  Is that 3% difference really that meaningful?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 30, 2015, 12:55:34 AM
Quote from: sbr on March 29, 2015, 11:26:25 PM
There are 4 teams left.  If someone drew a winner blindly Duke would have a 25% chance of winning.  Is that 3% difference really that meaningful?
Kentucky had a 53% chance IIRC, Wisconsin 17% and Michigan State 7%
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 30, 2015, 01:12:39 AM
 :lol:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/03/16/john_oliver_on_march_madness_last_week_tonight_takes_on_the_ncaa_and_the.html
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 30, 2015, 08:49:45 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 30, 2015, 01:12:39 AM
:lol:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/03/16/john_oliver_on_march_madness_last_week_tonight_takes_on_the_ncaa_and_the.html

Oliver has got it down pat:  if the NCAA says that players are not employees, the players must be employees, because only people who employ students say that students are not employees.  Brilliant stuff.  It is silly to take it seriously, but it is great stuff.

I also like the argument that there must be something wrong if the NCAA basketball postseason makes a substantial percentage of the income that comes from the NFL postseason.  Again, it doesn't stand one second of scrutiny, but it sounds great.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on March 30, 2015, 08:55:15 AM
Oliver really is awesome the way he turns up the absurdity of situations to 11. Obviously not a very balanced presentation but hilarious. And he also does get people to think about things.

I did think it was stupid the NCAA could make money off of people AFTER they graduated (particularly if they became a pro in that field), I thought there were reforms that took care of that, or maybe they were just talked about. Not sure.

And the poor Pirate will forever be the model for the abusive head coach :P thanks Craig James!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 30, 2015, 09:04:50 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2015, 08:55:15 AM
Oliver really is awesome the way he turns up the absurdity of situations to 11. Obviously not a very balanced presentation but hilarious. And he also does get people to think about things.

Exactly.  He moans about the big NCAA rule book, and then moans about universities like UNC who are trying to get around the NCAA rule book.  Can't have it both ways; rules are either bad, or they are not.

QuoteI did think it was stupid the NCAA could make money off of people AFTER they graduated (particularly if they became a pro in that field), I thought there were reforms that took care of that, or maybe they were just talked about. Not sure.

NCAA licensing was marginally illegal, I think, and I believe a lawsuit settlement fixed that.

Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on March 30, 2015, 02:46:35 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2015, 08:55:15 AM
Oliver really is awesome the way he turns up the absurdity of situations to 11. Obviously not a very balanced presentation but hilarious. And he also does get people to think about things.

Agreed, he did a good job showing the hypocrisy of major college sports. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on March 30, 2015, 03:03:33 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on March 30, 2015, 02:46:35 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2015, 08:55:15 AM
Oliver really is awesome the way he turns up the absurdity of situations to 11. Obviously not a very balanced presentation but hilarious. And he also does get people to think about things.

Agreed, he did a good job showing the hypocrisy of major college sports.

Or, at least, the hypocrisy of major humorous fake news shows.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on March 30, 2015, 05:07:57 PM
Quote from: grumbler on March 30, 2015, 09:04:50 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2015, 08:55:15 AM
Oliver really is awesome the way he turns up the absurdity of situations to 11. Obviously not a very balanced presentation but hilarious. And he also does get people to think about things.

Exactly.  He moans about the big NCAA rule book, and then moans about universities like UNC who are trying to get around the NCAA rule book.  Can't have it both ways; rules are either bad, or they are not.

QuoteI did think it was stupid the NCAA could make money off of people AFTER they graduated (particularly if they became a pro in that field), I thought there were reforms that took care of that, or maybe they were just talked about. Not sure.

NCAA licensing was marginally illegal, I think, and I believe a lawsuit settlement fixed that.
I believe that ruling is being appealed by the NCAA.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 01, 2015, 12:45:17 PM
In my Bengals pool it looks like I'll tie for second place if Wisconsin manages to win it all.  If Duke wins out, Tommy is guaranteed first place.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on April 01, 2015, 01:01:36 PM
I am really hoping Wisconsin wins.  I don't think Michigan State is going to be able to deal with the Duke Bigs. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 01, 2015, 01:06:45 PM
Anyone but Kentucky.  The first 40-0 t-shirt I see, I will lose my shit.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on April 01, 2015, 02:32:30 PM
Quote from: derspiess on April 01, 2015, 01:06:45 PM
Anyone but Kentucky.  The first 40-0 t-shirt I see, I will lose my shit.

YEW KAY Y'ALL
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on April 03, 2015, 01:51:15 AM
Texas hires Shaka Smart!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2015/04/02/shaka-smart-texas-head-coach-virginia-commonwealth/70857538/
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 03, 2015, 07:15:17 AM
I always wanted Texas' teams to be smart and strong. At least now their coaches are.

Very good hire. He was what I wanted and he ran an uptempo offense with a press defense at VCU which was exactly what I wanted to be Texas' style of play.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 03, 2015, 08:04:57 AM
Yep, good hire.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 03, 2015, 08:10:09 AM
Quote from: derspiess on April 03, 2015, 08:04:57 AM
Yep, good hire.

I am shocked Texas was able to get him frankly. I mean this dude turned down UCLA.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 03, 2015, 08:12:00 AM
Quote from: Valmy on April 03, 2015, 08:10:09 AM
Quote from: derspiess on April 03, 2015, 08:04:57 AM
Yep, good hire.

I am shocked Texas was able to get him frankly. I mean this dude turned down UCLA.

Water restrictions probably scared him off.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on April 03, 2015, 12:50:12 PM
I wonder if Strong is going to actually try that press gimmick in the Big 12.  Good teams tended to crush VCU when they encountered them.  Press was a great defense against teams without good ball handlers, but I can't imagine it will work against the top half of the Big 12.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 03, 2015, 12:57:00 PM
Quote from: grumbler on April 03, 2015, 12:50:12 PM
I wonder if Strong is going to actually try that press gimmick in the Big 12.  Good teams tended to crush VCU when they encountered them.  Press was a great defense against teams without good ball handlers, but I can't imagine it will work against the top half of the Big 12.

It worked on a lot of Big 12 teams this year when WVU did it.  Not sure if that would work at Texas with the guys they will have next year, though.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 04, 2015, 03:54:15 PM
I don't think I have ever seen VCU play, but I would guess good teams also had equal or better talent than VCU.

I don't know exactly what sort of press VCU runs but there have been a number of coaches that have won NCAA championships with some sort of pressure as their base defense:  Pitino, Donovan, Nolan Richardson.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on April 04, 2015, 06:33:36 PM
Blow out.  :boring:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on April 04, 2015, 06:59:00 PM
Talked with a neighbor of mine who actually played for VCU (though long before Smart got there) and follows the team closely.  He said that VCU actually didn't play press for most of the defensive time this year, because Smart didn't think he had the players to keep it up.  So, he's not as wedded to it as I had thought.  My neighbor thinks Smart's main problem at Texas will be that he's not a very good play designer; VCU hasn't had a good half court game under him.  He thinks that Smart may recruit well enough that that will not matter so much, though - he'll depend on Jimmys and Joes and not Xs and Os.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 04, 2015, 08:39:08 PM
Quote from: grumbler on April 04, 2015, 06:59:00 PM
My neighbor thinks Smart's main problem at Texas will be that he's not a very good play designer; VCU hasn't had a good half court game under him.

Well he will fit in well with the program Tom Penders and Rick Barnes built.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 04, 2015, 08:39:58 PM
Wisconsin is at least giving Kentucky something to think about here.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on April 04, 2015, 08:55:15 PM
Good game.  I love the white vs. black match up.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on April 04, 2015, 10:15:30 PM
Upset city, baby!

When did they start this Kentucky "stream"/Wisconsin "stream" bullshit?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on April 04, 2015, 10:38:37 PM
See, this is why I like college basketball.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: dps on April 04, 2015, 10:41:14 PM
See, this tournament was always gonna be a win-win for me.  I hate UK basketball, so seeing their dreams dashed amuses me, but OTOH, had they gone 40-0, I would have gotten to see history being made. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 04, 2015, 11:02:35 PM
I knew I should have taken Yi's bet and the field. :(
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 04, 2015, 11:27:15 PM
On Wisconsin! Plunge right through that...erm...screen?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 05, 2015, 12:30:36 AM
Shitty officiating, but a great game regardless.  At this point I get second place in my pool if the Badgers win and Tommy gets first if Duke wins.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on April 05, 2015, 12:52:06 AM
Duke  :yuk:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on April 05, 2015, 01:21:22 AM
Quote from: derspiess on April 05, 2015, 12:30:36 AM
Shitty officiating

Yeah, tons of bad calls.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Caliga on April 05, 2015, 06:39:34 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 04, 2015, 10:15:30 PM
Upset city, baby!
THANK GOD
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on April 05, 2015, 08:09:21 AM
Quote from: Caliga on April 05, 2015, 06:39:34 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 04, 2015, 10:15:30 PM
Upset city, baby!
THANK GOD

I conducted a minor trolling operation last night. OPERATION YEW KAY.

The tears: delicious.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on April 05, 2015, 12:04:13 PM
Since 2000, 23 teams have appeared in the championship game.  Seven of them are members of the current Big Ten (though Maryland appeared when it was still in the ACC).  If you count Maryland as an ACC team, the ACC has the second-largest number of teams appearing at four.  The Big Ten doesn't win a lot of those games, but that's crazy conference depth.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 05, 2015, 01:01:44 PM
From ESPN Stats and Info:

Six teams have entered the Final Four with more than 30 consecutive wins that season; none have won the title
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on April 05, 2015, 05:30:06 PM
Here's an amusing story that should probably be in some NBA thread here if we have one, but I'll put it here because you only know Nick Stauskas from college.

It seems that the live close-caption software a week or so ago in a broadcast translated his name as "Sauce Castillo."  Somebody caught that, turned it into an internet meme, and now the Spurs are having a http://www.nba.com/kings/blog/join-kings-sauce-castillo-night-4/5 (http://www.nba.com/kings/blog/join-kings-sauce-castillo-night-4/5) "Sauce Castillo Night" tonight.  Canuckleheads will want to mix this sauce with maple syrup, I am sure.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Caliga on April 05, 2015, 05:57:42 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on April 05, 2015, 08:09:21 AM
I conducted a minor trolling operation last night. OPERATION YEW KAY.

The tears: delicious.
Nice work, chief.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 06, 2015, 08:30:54 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2015, 10:42:55 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 16, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Big mistake IMO.  Everyone is really playing for 2nd place.  KU is untouchable this year.

You're a more experienced wagerer than I am, but my rationale is that the pool will be heavily skewed (I said 90-95% which may be an exaggeration but only slight) towards a team that has a 50% chance (based on them having even odds) of winning it all. That basically means if I win that coin flip (i.e., UK loses at some point) then I have a much easier pool to compete against. 

VINDICATED
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on April 06, 2015, 10:55:07 AM
How do I go about collecting?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 06, 2015, 09:43:14 PM
Even if I didn't hate Duke with the white hot passion of a thousand burning suns I would be rooting for Wisconsin.  I really like what they are bringing to the table.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 06, 2015, 09:57:01 PM
I don't want to set Berkut off, but are these really the best officials the NCAA has to offer?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on April 06, 2015, 10:30:39 PM
I thought the only bad call was that block on Doogan.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: jimmy olsen on April 06, 2015, 10:43:00 PM
Disgusting! :bleeding:
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 06, 2015, 11:01:34 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 06, 2015, 10:30:39 PM
I thought the only bad call was that block on Doogan.

I think that is the one that made me post that.  The offensive foul on the Wisconsin player in the post very soon after that may have been right, but it seemed really close.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 07, 2015, 07:27:53 AM
Quote from: Valmy on March 29, 2015, 09:14:58 PM
It sure will be magical when Coach K is cutting down the nets again.

And it was, wasn't it Tim?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 07, 2015, 07:58:19 AM
Tommy's bracket won the Bengals pool.  His cut should be enough to buy a nice Lego set or a recently released video game :)
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 07, 2015, 11:33:05 AM
ROMNEY DEFEATS OBAMA

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/07/politics/mitt-romney-bracket-top-percent/
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Valmy on April 07, 2015, 11:36:13 AM
Obama bet on Villanova. Never go full Big Easttard.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 07, 2015, 01:15:54 PM
If anyone sees pics of third world kids wearing UK 40-0 shirts, please post them here.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: sbr on April 09, 2015, 01:39:54 PM
7 Kentucky Wildcats are declaring for the NBA draft.

QuoteSportsCenter ‏@SportsCenter  57s seconds ago
BREAKING: Karl-Anthony Towns, Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, and Dakari Johnson will join Harrison Twins and enter the NBA Draft.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Berkut on April 09, 2015, 02:38:49 PM
Wow
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: katmai on April 09, 2015, 03:57:21 PM
As expected no?
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: crazy canuck on April 09, 2015, 03:59:35 PM
Quote from: katmai on April 09, 2015, 03:57:21 PM
As expected no?

some of those guys are taking a risk but I suppose they are balancing that against the fact that a whole new class of superstars will be recruited by Kentucky for next year and this may be their best shot.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: alfred russel on April 09, 2015, 04:10:10 PM
Can we take action against PDH for the thread title:

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

What kind of pain is eased with Duke winning a national title? It's like PDH saw me with a broken leg, and said, "this may help ease the pain" before putting my arm through a meat grinder.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Admiral Yi on April 09, 2015, 04:12:44 PM
wah wah wah
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 09, 2015, 04:26:55 PM
No shit.  I hate Duke and all, but my pool winnings definitely help ease the pain.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: Ed Anger on April 09, 2015, 05:45:26 PM
I continue to troll YEW KAY tards.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: PDH on April 09, 2015, 09:42:55 PM
The pain that was eased was my pain at the University of Wyoming's football season.

Go suck a gigantic horses dick, Dorsey4Whiner.
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on April 09, 2015, 09:49:29 PM
Quote from: PDH on April 09, 2015, 09:42:55 PM
Go suck a gigantic horses dick, Dorsey4Whiner.

It must be a giant dick if horses have to share it!
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: grumbler on April 10, 2015, 06:30:40 AM
Quote from: sbr on April 09, 2015, 01:39:54 PM
7 Kentucky Wildcats are declaring for the NBA draft.

QuoteSportsCenter ‏@SportsCenter  57s seconds ago
BREAKING: Karl-Anthony Towns, Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles, and Dakari Johnson will join Harrison Twins and enter the NBA Draft.

And there goes Michigan's chance to land Jaylen Brown. 
Title: Re: NCAA Basketball 2014-2015 (This may help ease the pain)
Post by: derspiess on April 10, 2015, 11:10:52 AM
Lauren Hill died today :(

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12324458/lauren-hill-courage-heart-eclipsed-championship

When she played her first game last November, they stopped the Bengals game to cut over to the live feed of the start of her first game where she made her layup :cry: