Preseason NCAA Basketball Poll is released

[HolyCow]

I think Bill Self is a very good basketball coach. Talent alone doesn't win games. Ask Mr. Matt Daugherty about that. He had the same players that Roy Williams had and he couldn't even make the tournament.

Just because Kentucky is down this year doesn't mean Tubby Smith isn't a great coach. Bill Self lost a lot of key players off a good team last year and is rebuilding with a young team.

[seekupig]

Bill Self lost a lot of key players off a good team last year and is rebuilding with a young team.

:thumbsup

i challenge anyone to find me another team that's top seven scorers are freshmen or sophomores.

[HolyCow]

:thumbsup

i challenge anyone to find me another team that's top seven scorers are freshmen or sophomores.

UNC maybe?

[seekupig]

UNC maybe?

David Noel - #3, senior
Reyshawn Terry - #2, junior

[41ravens]

UNC maybe?

i thought the same thing, royce. but then as i was posting, ants took a giant dump and my post is now lost somewhere in the matrix.

[41ravens]

David Noel - #3, senior
Reyshawn Terry - #2, junior

ah...i figured they had a couple.

[gbs3769]

I did the smart thing and looked at their roster before posting such.

- Primo

[seekupig]

interesting recruiting news here. two backcourt teammates from Philadelphia have both declined scholarships from Villanova. the players have been best friends for years. one is going to Duke....... the other is going to UNC. they will be playing on ESPN2 tonight (which is horrible timing, since Duke vs. NC State is on at the same time on ESPN). here is the link along with my favorite quote from the article......

"I feel like our friendship is bigger than the rivalry," said Episcopal Academy's Wayne Ellington.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2296511

[SteelerMan]

I think Bill Self is a very good basketball coach. Talent alone doesn't win games. Ask Mr. Matt Daugherty about that. He had the same players that Roy Williams had and he couldn't even make the tournament.

I'm not sure you can totally blame Doherty for that... Doherty had McCants, May and Felton as freshmen. They went 19-16 that year and beat Duke. The ACC was very strong that year. The next year, Roy only got them to the second round of the NCAA tournament. I'm not saying Doherty was a great coach or deserved to keep his job, but I think people are a little too hard on him sometimes.

[seekupig]

I'm not sure you can totally blame Doherty for that... Doherty had McCants, May and Felton as freshmen. They went 19-16 that year and beat Duke. The ACC was very strong that year. The next year, Roy only got them to the second round of the NCAA tournament. I'm not saying Doherty was a great coach or deserved to keep his job, but I think people are a little too hard on him sometimes.

Doherty's players hated him and were threatening to transfer. that's what cost him his job. (that and Dean begging Roy behind the scenes to come save the program)

[UNLTrpt]

Doherty's players hated him and were threatening to transfer. that's what cost him his job. (that and Dean begging Roy behind the scenes to come save the program)

Roy could turn Dean down once, he couldn't do it again.

[DMBfan41]

big game tonight!

Duke vs NC State

Let's Go Dukies!

[seekupig]

Roy could turn Dean down once, he couldn't do it again.

:thumbsup

he turned him down the first time because of what he had at Kansas. after turning him down the first time, he made it to the Final Four twice, and National Championship game once. he left when the table was set at UNC.

[gbs3769]

I'm surprised that Jay Wright wasn't able to pick up either of them for the Cats. I'm pretty sure that he has recruited several players out of Episcopal.

In a mostly unrelated note, my cousin played Lacrosse for Episcopal.

- Primo

[41ravens]

I did the smart thing and looked at their roster before posting such.

- Primo

you're soooooooo cool, primo.

[gbs3769]

I know.

Syracuse's three losses have come to teams ranked #10 (Florida), #16 (UConn), and #27 (Bucknell) in RPI. If we lose to Villanova (#4) or Pittsburgh (#4) we will still have only lost to teams that are in the Top 27 in RPI. I don't think any of those can be considered bad losses.

- Primo

[unccrombie]

I know.

Syracuse's three losses have come to teams ranked #10 (Florida), #16 (UConn), and #27 (Bucknell) in RPI. If we lose to Villanova (#4) or Pittsburgh (#4) we will still have only lost to teams that are in the Top 27 in RPI. I don't think any of those can be considered bad losses.

- Primo
not at all, but you're still gonna need a big win come tournament selection time

[gbs3769]

I agree. I will be extremely happy if we can pick up a win either at Pitt or at Nova.

- Primo

[UNLTrpt]

:thumbsup

he turned him down the first time because of what he had at Kansas. after turning him down the first time, he made it to the Final Four twice, and National Championship game once. he left when the table was set at UNC.

but more than that it was dad calling him home. You can tell him no once cause you want to make it on your own but when he calls a second time, you have to come back or you're out of the family.

[UNLTrpt]

you're soooooooo cool, primo.

blah blah blah blah blah

don't inflate his ego.

[gbs3769]

don't inflate his ego.
You can't really inflate it anymore than it already is.

- Primo

[UNLTrpt]

You can't really inflate it anymore than it already is.

- Primo

Is that why you're single?

[seekupig]

but more than that it was dad calling him home. You can tell him no once cause you want to make it on your own but when he calls a second time, you have to come back or you're out of the family.

like i've said before..... Dean Smith never felt obligated to go back to Kansas. i know why Roy left, and i'm fine with it. but to think that it was only "going home" and had nothing to do with the talent he was inheriting is a bit naive.

[UNLTrpt]

like i've said before..... Dean Smith never felt obligated to go back to Kansas. i know why Roy left, and i'm fine with it. but to think that it was only "going home" and had nothing to do with the talent he was inheriting is a bit naive.

true true.

[gbs3769]

Is that why you're single?
Been in a steady relationship since September/October. ;)

- Primo

[UNLTrpt]

Been in a steady relationship since September/October. ;)

- Primo

I'm just playin.

[gbs3769]

You never can trust those Huskers...

- Primo

[UNLTrpt]

You never can trust those Huskers...

- Primo

you like em too.

[gbs3769]

I know. That time, I was just playing.

I'm really surprised at how well they are doing in Basketball this year. 2/11 is the real test of just how good they are. But I'm glad to see them doing well, I never liked Danny Nee but I think Barry Collier is a solid coach.

- Primo

[seekupig]

2/11 is the real test of just how good they are.


wrong. see my sig for the real test. :D ;)

[UNLTrpt]

wrong. see my sig for the real test. :D ;)

you do know that Nebraska has a better record than KU right?

[gbs3769]

Texas is far and away the best team in the Big 12 right now. I don't respect Kansas much this year. But then again, I never respect the Big 12 in basketball, they are really just weak.

2003 Big 12 Men's Basketball Champions: Syracuse University

- Primo

[seekupig]

you do know that Nebraska has a better record than KU right?

sure i do. but at the end of the day, they'll be Kansas and Nebraska will be Nebraska. better record or not, you need to start beating them on a somewhat regular basis to earn respect in the conference.

just as Kansas threw a serious ass whoopin' on Nebraska in football this year, nobody is going to run out and say that KU has a better football program than the Huskers do.

[UNLTrpt]

I know. That time, I was just playing.

I'm really surprised at how well they are doing in Basketball this year. 2/11 is the real test of just how good they are. But I'm glad to see them doing well, I never liked Danny Nee but I think Barry Collier is a solid coach.

- Primo

I don't know if they're "playing well" but they are doing ok. Some of the losses (Creighton, FSU and the ISU game) were bad. And we haven't necessarily played very well against the bad teams either (see Northern Colorado) but they are 2-1 in the conf. and if they go .500 from here on out they're 9-7 and that's marked improvement.

[UNLTrpt]

sure i do. but at the end of the day, they'll be Kansas and Nebraska will be Nebraska. better record or not, you need to start beating them on a somewhat regular basis to earn respect in the conference.

just as Kansas threw a serious ass whoopin' on Nebraska in football this year, nobody is going to run out and say that KU has a better football program than the Huskers do.

I know I know. I'm just jokin. It will take a long time for me to say Nebraska is better than Kansas in basketball.

[gbs3769]

I don't think that Nebraska will ever be able to match the talent that Creighton consitently puts on the floor. I don't consider a loss to Creighton as a bad loss. Sure it was a loss by a lot, but Creighton should be beating Nebraska by a lot.

The Florida State game is understandable as well because I know year in and year out that Florida State plays a more difficult conference schedule than Nebraska. Playing teams in the ACC is going to make you a better team. And they are right in the middle of the pack right now in the ACC so let's wait a little before we see what happens with them.

Sometimes your non-conference opponents just play you really well and throw things at you that you are not used to. That certainly happend with Syracuse and their non-conference schedule this year. Cornell played Syracuse very well because they were excellent shooters and they had a lot of smaller guys that were a lot more mobile than our frontcourt players. Because of this, they were able to get off a lot of three point shots and made it a pretty close game. Bucknell used this strategy to beat us.

Sometimes those non-conference games are more important because they prepare you for teams that you could face in the NCAA's as opposed to the teams that you see every year in your conference schedule.

- Primo

[seekupig]

Sometimes those non-conference games are more important because they prepare you for teams that you could face in the NCAA's as opposed to the teams that you see every year in your conference schedule.



kind of like how the Big XII never see's a 2-3 zone played against them. then the three best teams in the conference run into Syracuse in the 2003 NCAA tournament and lose because they don't know how to score consistently against it.

[gbs3769]

kind of like how the Big XII never see's a 2-3 zone played against them. then the three best teams in the conference run into Syracuse in the 2003 NCAA tournament and lose because they don't know how to score consistently against it.
Something like that.

- Primo

[seekupig]

Something like that.

- Primo

:lol

it's taken my three years, but i've finally come to terms with that loss.

[gbs3769]

:lol

it's taken my three years, but i've finally come to terms with that loss.
It's ok. Until we won in 2003, most Syracuse fans couldn't come to grips with 1987.

Fucking Keith Smart.

- Primo

[seekupig]

It's ok. Until we won in 2003, most Syracuse fans couldn't come to grips with 1987.

Fucking Keith Smart.

- Primo

the frustrating part for KU is that we've lost with better teams than any of the teams we won with.

[UNLTrpt]

To me they just haven't played to their full potential yet and I'm still a bit skeptical.

You hear all that thumping coming from Nebraska? That's people jumping off the bandwagon. A win this Sat. or a string of wins in the big X11 people will be jumping right back on. That's the way it is.

[gbs3769]

the frustrating part for KU is that we've lost with better teams than any of the teams we won with.
That's understandable. Both of Boeheim's previous two Final Four teams were better than the '03 team. And I'd even make a case that the 1999-2000 team was better than the '03 team even though they didn't make it to the Final Four (they got screwed playing against Michigan State in a virtual home game for them).

- Primo

[HolyCow]

Matt, I was going to ask you, as an Orange fan, what your opinon is of Gerry McNamara. I personally think he has been one of the most disappointing players in recent memory.

When he came in as a freshman, him and Redick were the talk of the town about outside shooters. As his career has progressed, it seems as if he has gotten worse, or started thinking outside of his game and trying to do too much.

Your thoughts?

[gbs3769]

The problem with McNamara's progression is that he hasn't had a true point guard who has been able to play consistent minutes in his entire career. He is best when he gets the ball off the dribble as you can see when Devendorf was handling the ball in Monday's game. Since Edelin turned out to have too many personal problems to be someone that could play for Syracuse, McNamara had to assume all of the ball handling duties.

There are many other things that have contributed to his decline. His Freshmen season, teams keyed on Anthony so much that Gerry was able to get open looks off the dribble with Anthony feeding him. Gerry is also a very streaky shooter and if things aren't going well for him in a half, they will continue to decline. He is either lights out, or completely off. There is never any happy medium with McNamara.

Another thing that a lot of Syracuse fans have noticed is that he is getting very tired as the season continues. This comes from his style of play and also because many think that his asthma is getting progressively worse. If you notice him shooting free throws you will often see him not putting as much of his legs into the shots as he was earlier in his career or even earlier in the season. This is going to get even worse as the season continues and we play a lot of Staurday/Monday or Wednesday/Saturday games.

Teams know that when McNamara is shooting lights out that he can single-handedly beat you. Because of this he often gets doubled up on and he rarely gets an uncontested shot because now teams know that if he is open he is usually going to hit it.

Finally, people underestimate the effect that Craig Forth had on Gerry's shooting early on in his career. Craig Forth was consistantly playing the top of the key and around the top of the arc to set picks for McNamara and to be the one to get passes off to McNamara so that he could shoot off the dribble. Without him setting picks, Roberts just doesn't set them properly, McNamara isn't getting the open looks that he was used to.

It's interesting because one of the Big East coaches said about Syracuse last year that they always wanted to double up on McNamara as opposed to Hakim. They said that they knew Hakim was going to get his points but that if you could limit McNamara and could stiffle his shot that you had an opportunity to beat Syracuse. Teams were often more afraid of McNamara than they were of Hakim.

I agree with the assessment that Gerry is not as good of a shooter as he was his Freshmen season. The stats alone show this. His freshmen season, McNamara was a 40% shooter. This season, he is shooting 34%, the lowest he has shot his entire career. With that being said, he is still averaging more points this season than he ever has and he has a much more complete game than he did before. He is able to get the ball to other players more so than he has in the past. He is averaging 6.3 assists a game and his 1.98 assist to turnover ratio is the best of his career.

Regardless of how he has played, Syracuse fans will probably hold him dearest in their hearts of all of the great players that we have had simply because of how much heart he puts into his game and how much he hustles. Syracuse is an industrial town and the people from here respect someone who goes out there and leaves their heart in their work, whether it is working an assembly line of playing basketball.

- Primo

[gbs3769]

Sorry for the dissertation of McNamara. I just had a lot to say.

- Primo

[SteelerMan]

like i've said before..... Dean Smith never felt obligated to go back to Kansas. i know why Roy left, and i'm fine with it. but to think that it was only "going home" and had nothing to do with the talent he was inheriting is a bit naive.

True. For some reason, ever since the National Championship last year, I've found myself pulling for Kansas (not over UNC, I'd just like to see Kansas do well).

[HolyCow]

Sorry for the dissertation of McNamara. I just had a lot to say.

- Primo

No, no. Its what I wanted. I just didn't know if I was totally off base with my thought of him.

[gbs3769]

No, no. Its what I wanted. I just didn't know if I was totally off base with my thought of him.
You really aren't. Although one has to wonder if the expectations were set too high for McNamara after his freshmen season. That was an amazing season and one that will rival all future season and obviously all past seasons and one has to wonder if people got caught up in the hype of the championship game and made McNamara out to be a better player than he really is.

- Primo

[haildmb]

so big game tonight, my two teams play each other. It's always hard, I don't want to see State lose but... well, they've gotta ;) Go Blue Devils! I hope State keeps it tight though

[unccrombie]

so big game tonight, my two teams play each other. It's always hard, I don't want to see State lose but... well, they've gotta ;) Go Blue Devils! I hope State keeps it tight though
they at duke? in that case, duke by 8

[haildmb]

they at duke? in that case, duke by 8


yeah it's at Duke, if it were in Raleigh I think State would win

[haildmb]

wow, State played a great game. Cedric showed he is an absolute beast and is the best big man NCSU has had in many, many years. Who would have ever thought they could be 2-10 shooting for 3s and be tied with Duke at the 5 minute mark? I'm very exciting and think they can go deep in the tourny.

That being said, GO DUKE! :D

[unccrombie]

some SHITTY FT shooting on state's end. and that 6pt trip killed 'em too

[DMBfan41]

Duke

17-0, woo! Keep on rolling!

[Third Floor]

FUCK YEAH! Wake finally figured it out!- hope this doesnt jinx it

[RJ2kWJ]

17-0... 1992. Nuff said.

[SteelerMan]

I really wish that lucky shot hadn't gone in against Virginia Tech.

[SteelerMan]

Serious question... when Pittsburgh is undefeated at 14-0, why are they ranked all the way down at #9? Florida is undefeated, and they're all the way up at #2, yet Florida has ZERO wins against Top 25 opponents, while Pittsburgh has two (#10 Louisville and #22 Wisconsin).

[gbs3769]

Serious question... when Pittsburgh is undefeated at 14-0, why are they ranked all the way down at #9? Florida is undefeated, and they're all the way up at #2, yet Florida has ZERO wins against Top 25 opponents, while Pittsburgh has two (#10 Louisville and #22 Wisconsin).
Florida beat #20 Syracuse.

- Primo

[seekupig]

I really wish that lucky shot hadn't gone in against Virginia Tech.

don't worry. the longer they go without losing, the more it's going to hurt in the tournament.

[SteelerMan]

Florida beat #20 Syracuse.

- Primo

You're right. What I was looking at had the team's rankings at the time they played, which is pretty meaningless (Syracuse was unranked when Florida beat them). But in that case, Pitt has wins over #13 Wisconsin and #15 Louisville. I don't see why they're ranked so low.

[gbs3769]

Pitt came out of nowhere, as did Florida. However, as more teams lose, Pitt will rise. That is until they get beat on Monday.

- Primo

[SteelerMan]

Pitt came out of nowhere, as did Florida. However, as more teams lose, Pitt will rise. That is until they get beat on Monday.

- Primo

Right... Florida and Pitt were both unranked in the preseason. I just don't understand why Florida shot to the top of the rankings while Pitt is having to claw their way up.

[gbs3769]

Right... Florida and Pitt were both unranked in the preseason. I just don't understand why Florida shot to the top of the rankings while Pitt is having to claw their way up.
Because Florida won the Coaches vs. Cancer and Pitt didn't participate in a preseason tournament.

- Primo

[RJ2kWJ]

don't worry. the longer they go without losing, the more it's going to hurt in the tournament.

Not what they said about the Indiana squad back in the day... :D

But honestly I DO want us to lose before the tourney.

P.S. - Florida and Pitts schedules are cupcaaaaaaake.

[seekupig]

P.S. - Florida and Pitts schedules are cupcaaaaaaake.

Pitts schedule is NOT cupcake.

Syracuse
@UConn
W. Virginia (2 times)
Marquette (2 times)

[Third Floor]

You're right. What I was looking at had the team's rankings at the time they played, which is pretty meaningless (Syracuse was unranked when Florida beat them). But in that case, Pitt has wins over #13 Wisconsin and #15 Louisville. I don't see why they're ranked so low.
well then they beat wake and syracuse during the coaches vs cancer tourney when they were both ranked.

[gbs3769]

Pitts schedule is NOT cupcake.
Correct. But their schedule isn't as ridiculous as ours.

@ ND
@ Cincinatti
UConn
@ Nova
@ Pitt
@ Uconn
Cincy
Louisville
WVU
Nova

We also have trips to DePaul and Georgetown in there plus the earlier matchup against Florida and against Texas Tech.

- Primo

[RJ2kWJ]

Pitts schedule is NOT cupcake.

Syracuse
@UConn
W. Virginia (2 times)
Marquette (2 times)

Wow was COMPLTELY reading someone elses schedule... I clicked a diff. squad on ESPN.

You're correct it is pretty damn tough. Still nowhere as tough as Dukes (already beaten 6 ranked teams) because they only play 5 ranked total, maybe 6 or 7 depending what happens.

[41ravens]

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?slug=ap-arizona-rodgers&prov=ap&type=lgns

can't say i'm terribly upset. i never really liked the guy. he was a good player, but he had a damn attitude. don't fuck with lute.

[seekupig]

Correct. But their schedule isn't as ridiculous as ours.



true. but the 'Cuse isn't one of the undefeated teams he was using to build Duke's schedule up.

[RJ2kWJ]

I think WVU is the 3rd or 4th best team in the country right now. Could care less about rankings. I think they are up there with Duke, UCONN, etc... Better than UF for sure.

[seekupig]

I think WVU is the 3rd or 4th best team in the country right now. Could care less about rankings. I think they are up there with Duke, UCONN, etc... Better than UF for sure.

i agree. they're a very streaky team though. not to mention they have a bad habit of shitting the bed in close games.

[gbs3769]

true. but the 'Cuse isn't one of the undefeated teams he was using to build Duke's schedule up.
Oh I know. I just think we got the short end of the stick when it came to Big East scheduling.

- Primo

[seekupig]

Oh I know. I just think we got the short end of the stick when it came to Big East scheduling.

- Primo

NC State didn't make out much better in the ACC.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/teamsched?teamId=152

[bustdstuff]

wow, State played a great game. Cedric showed he is an absolute beast and is the best big man NCSU has had in many, many years. Who would have ever thought they could be 2-10 shooting for 3s and be tied with Duke at the 5 minute mark? I'm very exciting and think they can go deep in the tourny.

That being said, GO DUKE! :D

State played a great game last night. To bad they can't play the old home and home ACC schedule. It would be interesting to see how Duke would hold up at State (great student body).

17-0... 1992. Nuff said.

:thumbsup

And we're going to get the chance to beat UNC three times this season (4 if we see them in the ACC tourney. Since, the Duke student body beat the UNC student body in the longest basketball game ever played.:cool

[unccrombie]

another shitty loss, god i love these type of years :lol also, i do not approve of UVA rushing the floor....why?

[SteelerMan]

Virginia was ALL OVER UNC on most of those blocks, especially Hansbrough. UNC didn't play well and deserved to lose, but they were getting hammered inside all night long.

[smeritt]

Cant say it was for lack of effort. Hansbourough play his ass off. He plain wasnt big enough.

[RJ2kWJ]

another shitty loss, god i love these type of years :lol also, i do not approve of UVA rushing the floor....why?

Because they beat a ranked UNC for the first time in a long time... correct? I forget the reason.

[haildmb]

yeah Hoos! Boy nothing like that news to help my shitty mood turn around :lol

[unccrombie]

Because they beat a ranked UNC for the first time in a long time... correct? I forget the reason.
considering we shouldnt even be ranked, so not really

[UNC41]

Because they beat a ranked UNC for the first time in a long time... correct? I forget the reason.

Ranked 23rd, woohoo, time to celebrate. They are terrible.

[smeritt]

UNC is alot better than they should be. They essentially lost there whole team . Why you ragging so much on your own team because they lost a tough in conference game away?

[seekupig]

UNC is alot better than they should be. They essentially lost there whole team . Why you ragging so much on your own team because they lost a tough in conference game away?

they're just as good as they should be. they're just overrated in the polls, so it seems otherwise.

[smeritt]

Im sure this loss takes them out of the top 25 which is where they belong.

[seekupig]

Im sure this loss takes them out of the top 25 which is where they belong.

it'll be better for them that way. young teams tend to play better without the pressure of a ranking on their shoulders every night.

[unccrombie]

UNC is alot better than they should be. They essentially lost there whole team . Why you ragging so much on your own team because they lost a tough in conference game away?
its not because of the uva game, they aren't that good. every game they're like 20+ TOs and they rely too much on tyler. thats cause for losses. its supposed to be a rebuilding year, granted theyre better than i thought, but we're really over rated

[UNC41]

UNC is alot better than they should be. They essentially lost there whole team . Why you ragging so much on your own team because they lost a tough in conference game away?

Frustration.

[UNC41]

its not because of the uva game, they aren't that good. every game they're like 20+ TOs and they rely too much on tyler. thats cause for losses. its supposed to be a rebuilding year, granted theyre better than i thought, but we're really over rated

You forgot to mention getting down at least 10 points in the first five minutes of the game.

[unccrombie]

You forgot to mention getting down at least 10 points in the first five minutes of the game.
they started that way vs state too

[SteelerMan]

Good lord... look at UNC's next four games:

@ Florida State
vs. #21 Boston College
vs. Arizona
@ #22 Maryland

After that, they get a minor break at home against Clemson, but then they've got to play Duke. That is brutal.

I think UNC is going to look at lot different next season. One thing I can almost guarantee is that Frasor won't be the starting PG next year. At this point, I think just making the tournament will make this a successful season. They're 10-3, but the ACC is very competitive this year.

[gbs3769]

Good lord... look at UNC's next four games
Pitt has a rough next 6.

01/21 at St. John's
01/23 No. 20 Syracuse
01/28 Marquette
01/31 at No. 3 Connecticut
02/5 at Georgetown
02/9 No. 17 West Virginia

Starting Monday, that's a pretty tough schedule.

- Primo

[SteelerMan]

Pitt has a rough next 6.

01/21 at St. John's
01/23 No. 20 Syracuse
01/28 Marquette
01/31 at No. 3 Connecticut
02/5 at Georgetown
02/9 No. 17 West Virginia

Starting Monday, that's a pretty tough schedule.

- Primo

Yeah... there's no way they'll be undefeated after that stretch.

[UNLTrpt]

Big one today Dustin. Sorry but Nebraska needs to win or at least have a game like last year to make believers out of Husker Nation. If they get blown out by a week KU team, they'll be singin the same ole song and dance here.

[RJ2kWJ]

Im hoping UT hands UF their first loss today. I have many a friends that go to UT so they are all pretty pumped. They all have courtisde seats in that 26,000 person monster.

But they could def. do it.

[Third Floor]

i really doubt they can. i doubt UT gets much fans support for the #4 sport in knoxville. mens basketball just doesnt matter in knoxville, no matter how much they try and make it. not to mention the fact that thompson-bolling is too big for the 12 fans that will come out

[RJ2kWJ]

i really doubt they can. i doubt UT gets much fans support for the #4 sport in knoxville. mens basketball just doesnt matter in knoxville, no matter how much they try and make it. not to mention the fact that thompson-bolling is too big for the 12 fans that will come out

It was sold out as of 3 weeks ago and students have been camping out for a couple days. Only tickets left are standing room only and they are almost gone.

[mizzoudmbfan]

Hopefully KSU brings the Luck 'O the Pasco with them today. These next couple of games(@KSU, ISU, @Nowledge U) are important so we can have some steam coming into the Tejas game on the first in Columbia.

Oh, just this once, good luck today Dan.;)

[paris72]

It was sold out as of 3 weeks ago and students have been camping out for a couple days. Only tickets left are standing room only and they are almost gone.

I think UT could win this game today. The crowd will be nuts

[twosteppn36]

pitt's down 12 at half

[onemoredrink41]

^^ it was nice to see Pitt beat louisville! 2 pittsburgh wins in one day! Not a Pitt Panther fan, but hate louisville!

[Third Floor]

It was sold out as of 3 weeks ago and students have been camping out for a couple days. Only tickets left are standing room only and they are almost gone.
are you serious? wow, i still dont think UT can pull it off though.

[RJ2kWJ]

are you serious? wow, i still dont think UT can pull it off though.

Yea itll be tough for them. They are coming off of only a 9 point loss AT #4 Memphis and you cant overlook the fact they crushed Texas AT Texas.

More importantly though... This Georgetown squad is looking awesome out of the gate. I hope Shelden can end up containing that 9 foot monster.

[RJ2kWJ]

COME ON ST. Johns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One more unbeaten go down? Up 3 with 27 seconds left.

[Third Floor]

this is what a duke game looks like when they dont get the calls.

[RJ2kWJ]

this is what a duke game looks like when they dont get the calls.

Ive been to a few games so far this season and such... I dont understand why people say this. Out of al the games Ive been to (MANY), Ive seen I think one or two games where they got a couple retarded calls.

But to make a correction for you: This is what a Duke game looks like when one guy cant match up defensively.

[Third Floor]

no- correction, this is what a game looks like when duke doesnt get the calls.

duke gets all the calls, you dont see it because you cheer for duke.

[RJ2kWJ]

no- correction, this is what a game looks like when duke doesnt get the calls.

duke gets all the calls, you dont see it because you cheer for duke.

Uber-retarded argument from people that dont like Duke. Grasping at strings.

[Third Floor]

so let me get this straight:
youre argument "I havent seen it, so its not there" is great.
my argument "ive seen it, and so has most of the country" is uber-retarded?

give me a break.

[RJ2kWJ]

so let me get this straight:
youre argument "I havent seen it, so its not there" is great.
my argument "ive seen it, and so has most of the country" is uber-retarded?

give me a break.

Most of the country minus all the sports writers that tell these people they are wrong. Its most of the country in your eyes because Duke is the most hated squad out.

Goes both ways... You see it how you see it because you hate Duke. I see it like I see it because I like Duke. Sportswriters are neutral so I tend to believe them.

[RJ2kWJ]

Might be 17-1 after this... Damn they are playin like ass right now.

[paris72]

Might be 17-1 after this... Damn they are playin like ass right now.

You know I'm loving this

[RJ2kWJ]

You know I'm loving this

Probably. :lol

[RJ2kWJ]

Shelden with two points!

And G-town unable to miss. Not a good combo.

[DMBfan41]

Green is killing them.

J.J. is doing his job as usual, but the rest of the team is 7/21 from the field. Let's go Dukies!

[paris72]

Probably. :lol

;)

Crazy win by the Cats. I about had 14 heart attacks

[RJ2kWJ]

Only positive I see is that this is mimicking 1992 :lol

17-1 ...cant win a game when Shelden doesnt show up.

[DMBfan41]

ah, damn it! They had the chance to tie it. Bad game for Paulus, too many turnovers.

Had the chance to tie and blew it, ugh 17-1. Not too bad though. Even if Florida doesn't lose later, Duke should hold onto #1

[Third Floor]

Hoya Saxa! shelden was nowhere, paulus looked horrible at the end of the game. JJ had almost half of the teams points.

[paris72]

ah, damn it! They had the chance to tie it. Bad game for Paulus, too many turnovers.

Had the chance to tie and blew it, ugh 17-1. Not too bad though. Even if Florida doesn't lose later, Duke should hold onto #1

No way in hell they stay number one if Florida is still undefeated.

[RJ2kWJ]

No way in hell they stay number one if Florida is still undefeated.

In one of the polls they will... they highly consider strength of schedule and pre season rank. But Florida has a battle ahead of them... in a sold out 27,000 person monster against a rugged UT team.

[paris72]

In one of the polls they will... they highly consider strength of schedule and pre season rank. But Florida has a battle ahead of them... in a sold out 27,000 person monster against a rugged UT team.

True dat. PLus I think Florida dropped one in the Power rankings because they played Savanah State..my bad

[DMBfan41]

All you gotta do is look at the Strength of schedule

Duke - 1
Florida - 161

[UNLTrpt]

Hopefully KSU brings the Luck 'O the Pasco with them today. These next couple of games(@KSU, ISU, @Nowledge U) are important so we can have some steam coming into the Tejas game on the first in Columbia.

Oh, just this once, good luck today Dan.;)


LOL

damn I remember that. That was damn funny.

[UNLTrpt]

wow. Wasn't near the TV all day, good to see the Dukies lose.

[UNLTrpt]

this isn't going well...but it usually never does for us in Kansas.

How do you beat a team that goes for 75% in the first half?

[UNC41]

Duke getting knocked off is only the second biggest upset of the day, right after North Dakota State toppling Wisconsin.

[DMBfan41]

St. John's over Pitt, that's pretty big

[paris72]

I love me some college hoops..


:multi :multi :multi

[DMBfan41]

Fun day of hoops for sure even with the Duke loss.

I'm just hoping UCLA gets back in this game and takes down WVU.

[ousooner]

this isn't going well...but it usually never does for us in Kansas.

How do you beat a team that goes for 75% in the first half?
Well, I guess you know where the Huskers stand now ;)

Edit: On a side note, it's amazing what a perimiter game will do for you. If it continues we'll be tough to beat.

[seekupig]

How do you beat a team that goes for 75% in the first half?

you don't.

that's one of those games i would't read too much into. Kansas played better than they are and Nebraska played a lot worse than they are.

[DMBfan41]

Colorado wins at Oklahoma State for the first time since 1980, wow

[seekupig]

Sportswriters are neutral so I tend to believe them.

you don't really believe that do you?

(Dick Vitale is a sportswriter you know.;) )

[ousooner]

Colorado wins at Oklahoma State for the first time since 1980, wow
Wow, I didn't even watch this game thinking the Pokes would roll the Buffs. That's awsome!

[DMBfan41]

Ha, I was watching the game on the Altitude Network, gotta love DirecTV!

[UNC41]

It's been an amazing day of college basketball.

[UNLTrpt]

you don't.

that's one of those games i would't read too much into. Kansas played better than they are and Nebraska played a lot worse than they are.

yeah I know.

But it's a bit dissapointing cause this is by far not the best team KU's had in a long long time and we go down there and get our face kicked in.

[seekupig]

yeah I know.

But it's a bit dissapointing cause this is by far not the best team KU's had in a long long time and we go down there and get our face kicked in.

not the best, but possibly the most talented. young teams have a way of playing up and down. flashes of brilliance, followed by flashes of broken remote controls. you caught them on a brilliant day.

[RJ2kWJ]

you don't really believe that do you?

(Dick Vitale is a sportswriter you know.;) )

Yea but he's obviously bias. haha.

[ousooner]

Pretty cool that ESPN is coming to Norman next weekend. That's usually a football thing. Must not be a lot of big games next Saturday, or maybe it was scheduled before OU went in the tank.

[DMBfan41]

Florida loses to Tennessee,

What A Day!

[Third Floor]

highly surprised the UT won. now i have to deal with cocky vol fans for a while.

[UNLTrpt]

damn what a day. Duke, UF, and Pitt all go down. Least we won't be having all the unbeaten talk anymore like we did last year.

[RJ2kWJ]

highly surprised the UT won. now i have to deal with cocky vol fans for a while.

Why are you shocked? UT is just as good as a squad as Florida. Thats why I never understood why you kept saying WHEN Florida would win, with UT being JUST as good.

-And if UCONN loses... then Duke is DEFINITELY staying #1

[ousooner]

UConn, your new #1. Followed by Duke, Memphis, and Florida. Just a guess.

[Third Floor]

Why are you shocked? UT is just as good as a squad as Florida. Thats why I never understood why you kept saying WHEN Florida would win, with UT being JUST as good.

-And if UCONN loses... then Duke is DEFINITELY staying #1
why? because ive lived in knoxville for way too long to believe the hype around UT men's basketball. every year they hype it up, and every year its horrible.

[haildmb]

at least nc state won.

And Duke should stay #1

[HolyCow]

Pretty cool that ESPN is coming to Norman next weekend. That's usually a football thing. Must not be a lot of big games next Saturday, or maybe it was scheduled before OU went in the tank.

:thumbsup
I'll be there for sure.

[paris72]

What a Super Sintilating Sensational Saturday baaaabeeeee

[Dave G]

at least nc state won.

And Duke should stay #1

I think you will see UConn moving up to the top spot this week.
I guess we will just have to wait and see

[haildmb]

I think you will see UConn moving up to the top spot this week.
I guess we will just have to wait and see


probably, i'm just saying I think Duke should still be #1

[paris72]

1. UCONN

2.Duke

3. Florida

[RJ2kWJ]

1. UCONN

2.Duke

3. Florida

I think Memphis ahead of Florida. I know they have a couple losses but their strength of schedule absolutely destroys Floridas doesnt it? Atleast I think.

[paris72]

I think Memphis ahead of Florida. I know they have a couple losses but their strength of schedule absolutely destroys Floridas doesnt it? Atleast I think.

http://www.warrennolan.com/basketball/2006/rpi

Could be right

[seekupig]

1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Texas
5. Florida

[chiznaz]

Well it was nice to see A&M pull out a nice win at ISU. After we rolled over to KSU we needed that one. We haven't had a loss yet that says we can't hang with a team. Now lets just beat KU on wed.:D

[ousooner]

Well it was nice to see A&M pull out a nice win at ISU. After we rolled over to KSU we needed that one. We haven't had a loss yet that says we can't hang with a team. Now lets just beat KU on wed.:D
Good win. Teams don't win in Ames very often.

[twosteppn36]

1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Texas
5. Florida

:thumbsup

[HolyCow]

Duke shouldn't be number one. You lose, you drop. It's simple.

[gbs3769]

Royce, I'm begining to think that McNamara just sucks.

- Primo

[SteelerMan]

Big win for the Heels last night. Given their upcoming schedule and their two game ACC losing streak, they had to have that one. They should still drop from the Top 25 though.

[seekupig]

Big win for the Heels last night. Given their upcoming schedule and their two game ACC losing streak, they had to have that one. They should still drop from the Top 25 though.

they did need that one. they need to stop falling behind in games if they're going to make the tourney, though. you can't expect a team as young as theirs to keep making comebacks every night.

[unccrombie]

they did need that one. they need to stop falling behind in games if they're going to make the tourney, though. you can't expect a team as young as theirs to keep making comebacks every night.
id be more worried about the tournover aspect than falling behind

[seekupig]

id be more worried about the tournover aspect than falling behind

the two usually go hand in hand.

[unccrombie]

the two usually go hand in hand.
sometimes, but we have had our dry spells from the floor. anywho, lookin forward to these new polls

[SteelerMan]

Yeah, they're incredibly sloppy. So far, their talent has been enough to make up for their sloppiness, but that won't cut it against top tier teams. The Duke game could be ugly.

[RJ2kWJ]

Yeah, they're incredibly sloppy. So far, their talent has been enough to make up for their sloppiness, but that won't cut it against top tier teams. The Duke game could be ugly.

Dont be so sure about that. If UNC plays like they did against Jelly and we play like we did against VT or G-Town... then there ya have it.

If we play our normal ball and UNC plays their turnover ball then it could get ugly yes. Not sure if it changed last game... but Im pretty sure were still highest in the nation for points off turnovers.

[gbs3769]

And for the record, I love it when Georgetown beats Duke. Even if I hate Georgetown more than anything. A Big East win over the ACC is always delicious.

- Primo

[UNC41]

they did need that one. they need to stop falling behind in games if they're going to make the tourney, though. you can't expect a team as young as theirs to keep making comebacks every night.

I didn't get to watch last night's game because of work, but falling behind double digits like against NC State, Miami and Virginia will kill the Heels if it keeps happening.

[UNC41]

Dont be so sure about that. If UNC plays like they did against Jelly and we play like we did against VT or G-Town... then there ya have it.

If we play our normal ball and UNC plays their turnover ball then it could get ugly yes. Not sure if it changed last game... but Im pretty sure were still highest in the nation for points off turnovers.

One of Hansbrough's biggest strenghts has been getting to the line. If he can get Sheldon in foul trouble, and Ginyard playes like the "best high school defender" Roy has ever seen (holding him to lets say 25), and they don't flop early, and they don't turn the ball over, and exectute offensively then UNC might have a shot against Duke.

[RJ2kWJ]

1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Texas
5. Florida

Almost...

1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Florida
5. Texas

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

UNC still in top 25. WVU at 13... I expect them to keep moving up.

[UNLTrpt]

Almost...

1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Florida
5. Texas

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

UNC still in top 25. WVU at 13... I expect them to keep moving up.

:lol Nebraska still got votes. Obviously that person doesn't have basic cable cause if he would have seen that debacle Saturday on ESPN then he wouldn't have voted that way

:lol Nebraska got votes......:lol

[HolyCow]

Royce, I'm begining to think that McNamara just sucks.

- Primo


:lol

I have kinda always thought he was overrated...

[41ravens]

where the hell is tennesse coming from? do they even have men's basketball there? good for them. all it'll take is one loss, though, for them to disappear for the rest of the season.

[seekupig]

1. UConn
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Texas
5. Florida

AP Poll..... :thumbsup ;)

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/polls/ap

[unccrombie]

AP Poll..... :thumbsup ;)

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/polls/ap
syr top 25 and unc not in the ap? confusing nevertheless

[Third Floor]

unc shouldnt be ranked.

[unccrombie]

unc shouldnt be ranked.
should su or tenn?

[haildmb]

should su or tenn?


um yes, tennessee should. carolina should definitely not be. How ridiculous they're #25 in the coaches and #26 in the ap. The polls are never great, but they've been horrendous this year

[unccrombie]

um yes, tennessee should. carolina should definitely not be. How ridiculous they're #25 in the coaches and #26 in the ap. The polls are never great, but they've been horrendous this year
tenn beat an over-rated fla team even espn/the coach was saying fla is over rated. justify su being ranked and not carolina, im interested to see the logic

[haildmb]

tenn beat an over-rated fla team even espn/the coach was saying fla is over rated. justify su being ranked and not carolina, im interested to see the logic


you're not gonna get it from me, I don't think syracuse or carolina should be ranked :D

[unccrombie]

you're not gonna get it from me, I don't think syracuse or carolina should be ranked :D
booooo i wanted an argument :lol

[haildmb]

booooo i wanted an argument :lol


:lol usually I never disappoint in that arena

[Third Floor]

should su or tenn?
su- no, put the hoyas in
UT- has beat texas and florida (two teams in the top 5), 3 loses- Ok state, memphis and lsu (lsu being the only really bad loss). should be ranked. as much as i hate to admit it.
unc- dropped two spots even though they lost to uva and only beat fsu by 1, not looking decent in each, they should have dropped out.

[unccrombie]

su- no, put the hoyas in
UT- has beat texas and florida (two teams in the top 5), 3 loses- Ok state, memphis and lsu (lsu being the only really bad loss). should be ranked. as much as i hate to admit it.
unc- dropped two spots even though they lost to uva and only beat fsu by 1, not looking decent in each, they should have dropped out.
forgot about texas, good call :thumbsup a win is a win though

[Third Floor]

but should a close win, where youre team plays bad, keep you ahead of say georgetown, who played better than anyone in the nation?

[unccrombie]

but should a close win, where youre team plays bad, keep you ahead of say georgetown, who played better than anyone in the nation?
a win is a win, regardless. duke played like utter piss vs VT and wins with a miracle? still the best team in the country? appearently. g'town plays amazing and gets the biggest win of any team so far, does that make them worthy of their rank? you tell me

[seekupig]

i think the AP got 1-5 right.

in the bottom of the poll, i think that neither Syracuse or UNC should be ranked. leave Tennessee in, leave UNC out, drop Syracuse and add LSU. that should work..... for this week, anyways.

[Third Floor]

if you look around then- i said duke should have dropped after that game, they played like shit and didnt deserve the #1 ranking- and people got really mad (i think theres a duke majority).

gtown is not ranked in the poll where unc is ranked- which is why i used that example. gtown jumping to 21 in the AP i think is a bit high though, but they should be ranked. only one bad loss (vandy) compared to unc (usc, uva, and maybe miami- havent decided- they have alot of losses but most to ranked teams).

[seekupig]

by the way, i think it's a fucking joke that Joe Lunardi has Kentucky in the tourney right now and Kansas out when they both have six losses. :BANG

[Third Floor]

i dont think either should be in, but if one was to go it would be UK. even though KU beat UK, KU losses are to worse teams (with the exception of Arizona). KU best win is UK, compared to Louisville for UK. but again, i dont think either should make it right now

[seekupig]

i dont think either should be in, but if one was to go it would be UK. even though KU beat UK, KU losses are to worse teams (with the exception of Arizona). KU best win is UK, compared to Louisville for UK. but again, i dont think either should make it right now

so if two teams with pretty much identical records are on the bubble together, you think that a head to head blow out should have no bearing on the decision?

[Third Floor]

i think the kansas blowout hurts UK more than it helps KU. it shows that UK got blown out by a bad team. at the same time, theyve beat lousiville, and played more ranked teams. kansas really hasnt played anyone- with the exception of arizona- so their 11-5 record looks worse than UK 11-5 even though they blew out the Cats. if that makes sense. but like i said- i dont think either should be in the tourney

[HolyCow]

I just wanted to take this opportunity and say that Carl Krauser is probably my least favorite player in the world.

[SteelerMan]

UT- has beat texas and florida (two teams in the top 5), 3 loses- Ok state, memphis and lsu (lsu being the only really bad loss). should be ranked. as much as i hate to admit it.

LSU is actually very good this year. They only lost to UConn by one point, and they should've had that game.

Edit: A little more info on LSU... they are only 12-5, but they lost to Cincinnati by 3, Ohio State by 2, and UConn by 1. Their losses to Houston and Northern Iowa are pretty bad, but the rest of their losses were very close games against good teams. They're also 4-0 in the SEC right now.

[Third Floor]

LSU is actually very good this year. They only lost to UConn by one point, and they should've had that game.

Edit: A little more info on LSU... they are only 12-5, but they lost to Cincinnati by 3, Ohio State by 2, and UConn by 1. Their losses to Houston and Northern Iowa are pretty bad, but the rest of their losses were very close games against good teams. They're also 4-0 in the SEC right now.
yes- but to lose to lsu when lsu 25 turnovers in the game isnt a good lose.

[SteelerMan]

yes- but to lose to lsu when lsu 25 turnovers in the game isnt a good lose.

Ahh... I thought you meant bad loss because of the opponent, not because of how the game went.

[dmb1spe]

Anyone who puts stock in Lunardi's column at this time of year is a Mo-Ron. plain and simple.

[Third Floor]

Ahh... I thought you meant bad loss because of the opponent, not because of how the game went.
both.

[seekupig]

here's to Auburn beating Kentucky tonight. :thumbsup :D

[Third Floor]

heres to the nashville preditors preempting another wake game on tv!

[seekupig]

heres to the nashville preditors preempting another wake game on tv!

:lol :lol

bad college basketball is better than good hockey.

[paris72]

Nova looking real good. :ugh

18 first half points..to South Florida?

[RJ2kWJ]

Nova looking real good. :ugh

18 first half points..to South Florida?

Yea I thought ESPN.com was messin up when I checked that score.

[seekupig]

BREAKING NEWS............

Wake Forest sucks.

[UNC41]

I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU WEEKS AGO............

Wake Forest sucks.

Fixed your post. :D

[seekupig]

Fixed your post. :D

thanks. :lol

i think now it's finally obvious to the casual observer, not just the basketball junkies.

[UNLTrpt]

:lol :lol

bad college basketball is better than good hockey.

amen to that brother.

[seekupig]

breaking news in Chapel Hill (real news this time....).......

the bus carrying the Boston College basketball team on hwy. 54 into Chapel Hill, NC for tomorrow nights game vs. the Tar Heels hit and killed a bicyclist. :( nobody on the bus was hurt.

http://www.wral.com/news/6414898/detail.html

[ousooner]

Rushing the court is getting ridiculous. Iowa just did it after beating 11th ranked Indiana. What's the point in that? I don't get it.

[paris72]

Rushing the court is getting ridiculous. Iowa just did it after beating 11th ranked Indiana. What's the point in that? I don't get it.

Wow, that's sad

[ousooner]

breaking news in Chapel Hill (real news this time....).......

the bus carrying the Boston College basketball team on hwy. 54 into Chapel Hill, NC for tomorrow nights game vs. the Tar Heels hit and killed a bicyclist. :( nobody on the bus was hurt.

http://www.wral.com/news/6414898/detail.html
Wow, that sucks. Sad!

[ousooner]

I just realized that I'll look pretty stupid if OU fans were to rush the court if we beat texas this weekend. I haven't seen OU rush the court since beating Kansas 10-12 years ago. I sure hope we are better then that.

[UNC41]

Seekup, not sure if you didn't see this or didn't feel like talking about it. Micah Downs is leaving Kansas.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2304600

[seekupig]

Seekup, not sure if you didn't see this or didn't feel like talking about it. Micah Downs is leaving Kansas.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2304600

i saw it. would have bothered me a lot more if he'd actually been playing the last month or so. i've only seen him in garbage time lately. it's a loss, but not as big as i would have thought it would be if i'd found out two months ago.

[seekupig]

Micah Downs...... 10th in scoring @ 4.3 pts. per game

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/teamstats?teamId=2305

[cityondown5]

I've been absent from this thread for a while. How's it going boys? Sparty took out Iowa nicely :thumbsup yet failed to move in the polls :thumbsdow

[seekupig]

I've been absent from this thread for a while. How's it going boys?

with the exception of the occasional Kentucky fan, things are going pretty well around these parts. :D

Big Ten looks pretty good right now. they seem to be at that point where a bunch of teams can make it in, or a they can just beat the shit out of each other every night and end up taking only four or five. i think they'll get six, but no more than that.

[UNC41]

i saw it. would have bothered me a lot more if he'd actually been playing the last month or so. i've only seen him in garbage time lately. it's a loss, but not as big as i would have thought it would be if i'd found out two months ago.

I think he could be a solid player for a team a couple years down the road, but not a big blow for Kansas right now.

[seekupig]

I think he could be a solid player for a team a couple years down the road, but not a big blow for Kansas right now.

i agree. :thumbsup

i hope he does well. not sure if his "personal reasons" are really personal reasons, or if it's the lack of confidence, playing time, and being home sick that are really bothering him. wish the best for him wherever he ends up though.

[cityondown5]

with the exception of the occasional Kentucky fan, things are going pretty well around these parts. :D

Big Ten looks pretty good right now. they seem to be at that point where a bunch of teams can make it in, or a they can just beat the shit out of each other every night and end up taking only four or five. i think they'll get six, but no more than that.

The Big 10 is a mess isn't it?
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State
5. Iowa
6. Michigan (Maybe)
7. Indiana

That's what I see as tournament teams.

Big 12....:shrugI was sorry to watch your boys against Mizzou. A couple of my buddies are there, and I was pulling for 'em. I felt bad for Moody. I realize this is late, but I've been gone a while.

[seekupig]

The Big 10 is a mess isn't it?
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State
5. Iowa
6. Michigan (Maybe)
7. Indiana



the Big XII is pretty jacked up too. they just don't have the ranked teams to build up each others strength of schedule.

1. Texas (5-0)
2-11. 10 teams separated by one game.
12. Baylor (0-4)

[cityondown5]

What the hell happened to Oklahoma? No one can say they saw that coming.

And Colorado, they should make the tournament. They seem to be solid this year.

[mizzoudmbfan]

the Big XII is pretty jacked up too. they just don't have the ranked teams to build up each others strength of schedule.

1. Texas (5-0)
2-11. 10 teams separated by one game.
12. Baylor (0-4)

:thumbsup Not to mention our RPI is collectively down thanks to our friends in Waco. I'm not trying to take a hit at kU but for once in history I think the Mildcats might have as good of a chance at making the dance as the Jayhawks. The XII I just even this year, upper tier teams are down and some of the bottom feeders are having good years. Now obviously if it is close kU will get the nod based off of name recognition.

just my .02

[HolyCow]

What the hell happened to Oklahoma? No one can say they saw that coming.

And Colorado, they should make the tournament. They seem to be solid this year.

What are you talking about? We are alright. We had two tough losses to start conference play, but now we are 2-2 and are gonna beat Baylor tomorrow night in Waco, then lay it on the Suckhorns this Saturday in Norman.

I only believe rushing the court is acceptable in landmark wins (Georgetown beating Duke....) and dramatic buzzer beater wins. If OU beats Texas 71-60, we should not rush the court. If we beat UT 73-72 on a buzzer beating 3 pointer by Kevin Bookout, we should rush the court.

That is my opinion of it.

[ousooner]

What are you talking about? We are alright. We had two tough losses to start conference play, but now we are 2-2 and are gonna beat Baylor tomorrow night in Waco, then lay it on the Suckhorns this Saturday in Norman.

I only believe rushing the court is acceptable in landmark wins (Georgetown beating Duke....) and dramatic buzzer beater wins. If OU beats Texas 71-60, we should not rush the court. If we beat UT 73-72 on a buzzer beating 3 pointer by Kevin Bookout, we should rush the court.

That is my opinion of it.
:lol OK, I'll give you that.

Our problem is we have absolutely no quality wins. We could split with texas, then run the table and say we win the Big 12 tournament, but don't have to beat texas again to do it, we are something like 26-5 but only have one quality win, that being the win over texas. Then we'll be 26-5 ranked in the top 5 or 10, but end up with a 3 or 4 seed. That's why having a weak conference really hurts. Losing to Nova at their place was ok, but we really needed the West Virginia game.

[ousooner]

What the hell happened to Oklahoma? No one can say they saw that coming.

And Colorado, they should make the tournament. They seem to be solid this year.
No perimeter play. Opponents just pack it inside against Bookout and Gray or play a zone. Until we can step up and hit some open outside shots we will have a hard time scoring. It's hard to hold teams under 50 every night.

[RJ2kWJ]

Anyone think St. Johns has a chance against UConn today? Where is the game?

[ousooner]

Hey Royce, just saw this on an OU board

Bookout's broken wrist was reported today. Apparently it is a hairline fracture on his non-shooting hand and he can play with it. Similar to the Ebe Ere injury a few years ago, or the Harvey Grant injury his first year, for those who can remember.
This certainly sucks. From bad to worse. Hopefully it doesn't bother him too much. We can't afford to lose him. Our domination on the glass is the really the only that's kept us going this year.

[gbs3769]

Anyone think St. Johns has a chance against UConn today? Where is the game?
At UConn. Sorry, not going to happen. The only thing that makes it a little more possible is that it is at the Civic Center instead of at Gampell.

- Primo

[chiznaz]

:lol OK, I'll give you that.

Our problem is we have absolutely no quality wins. We could split with texas, then run the table and say we win the Big 12 tournament, but don't have to beat texas again to do it, we are something like 26-5 but only have one quality win, that being the win over texas. Then we'll be 26-5 ranked in the top 5 or 10, but end up with a 3 or 4 seed. That's why having a weak conference really hurts. Losing to Nova at their place was ok, but we really needed the West Virginia game.

damnit, when is A&M going to be considered a quality win :(

[HolyCow]

Hey Royce, just saw this on an OU board


This certainly sucks. From bad to worse. Hopefully it doesn't bother him too much. We can't afford to lose him. Our domination on the glass is the really the only that's kept us going this year.

Yeah, I saw him yesterday with a soft cast on it.

[twosteppn36]

bad college basketball is better than good hockey.

booo

[RJ2kWJ]

At UConn. Sorry, not going to happen. The only thing that makes it a little more possible is that it is at the Civic Center instead of at Gampell.

- Primo

What if UConn plays like Nova did last night? :lol

[gbs3769]

What if UConn plays like Nova did last night? :lol
UConn doesn't do that.

- Primo

[gbs3769]

The 1995-96 team lost four times in a five-game span that included games against No. 5 Connecticut, No. 6 Georgetown, No. 20 Boston College and No. 6 Villanova. After a 3-5 start in the Big East, that team finished fourth in the conference at 12-6 and advanced to the NCAA championship game.

The 2003-04 team also had a 1-4 skid in Big East play. Three of the four losses were to ranked teams. That team wound up 11-5 in the conference and went to the NCAA's Sweet 16.

Most interesting.

- Primo

[SteelerMan]

I just noticed this... the great state of Louisiana currently has four first place teams (LSU, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State, Southern). Granted all of them are pretty weak conferences besides the SEC, but I can't remember Louisiana ever having this many quality teams.

[seekupig]

damnit, when is A&M going to be considered a quality win :(

hopefully after tonite. :D

[UNC41]

I just noticed this... the great state of Louisiana currently has four first place teams (LSU, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State, Southern). Granted all of them are pretty weak conferences besides the SEC, but I can't remember Louisiana ever having this many quality teams.

Include the SEC in that list of pretty weak conferences.

[RJ2kWJ]

Include the SEC in that list of pretty weak conferences.

:lol probably true.

[SteelerMan]

Include the SEC in that list of pretty weak conferences.

I agree, the SEC is weak... but not compared to the WAC, SWAC or Southland.

[paris72]

Look at his idiot

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Tickets-KU-Kansas-v-UK-Kentucky-Wildcats-basketball_W0QQitemZ6600259533QQcategoryZ16122QQrd Z1QQcmdZViewItem

[paris72]

NC State in trouble at the half.

UCONN being played tight.


will be an interesting night...

[paris72]

NC State goes down in flames

[haildmb]

well that was fucking embarassing. Jesus fucking christ wolfpack

[paris72]

The UCONN game looks damn tight still

[unccrombie]

just when everyone at espn got on the wvu bandwagon marshall came along :lol ouch