Preseason NCAA Basketball Poll is released

[UNLTrpt]

Here comes UConn...

[chiznaz]

Here comes UConn...

Surely it wasn't going to last.

[justinandimcool]

Hey Chaz, I've only seen A&M about 3 times this year. UCLA has trouble with long, fast, athletic kids that attack the rim. How do the Aggies match up you think?

[DMBCubs25]

wow uconn has all the talent to be winning this game by 20, but this team is just sooo dumb and has no heart at all, not suprised there gonna lose this one

[bustdstuff]

Surely it wasn't going to last.

I'd like to see them actually get a lead. It's good to know that knee injury isn't to serious.

[bustdstuff]

So, playing in Tampa means OT?

[clayj41]

wow uconn has all the talent to be winning this game by 20, but this team is just sooo dumb and has no heart at all, not suprised there gonna lose this one

Going to overtime. :(

[smeritt]

Let's get some bricks here

[smeritt]

Oh My God

[bustdstuff]

So, unless UCONN can pull the Laettner shot there goes a great eight team.

[justinandimcool]

My bracket gets busted, and I probably lose $10.

Love it. :) What a fucking game.

[Tiduwho]

Surely it wasn't going to last.

Surely UCONN shit the bed again!


Go San Diego!! :multi

[chiznaz]

so i definitely jinxed myself with my last comment.

That was amazing. I sure as hell don't mind losing picks to last second shots like that:lol That is why I don't bet on sports games.... especially March Madness

[smeritt]

Awesome considering i have WKY in the next round. Love it

[chiznaz]

Hey Chaz, I've only seen A&M about 3 times this year. UCLA has trouble with long, fast, athletic kids that attack the rim. How do the Aggies match up you think?


Well since we don't have one person who is long, athletic, and attacks the rim, I think UCLA will be fine. A&M will have to play it's best game of the year to beat UCLA. I'm talking like a double-double monster game from a post inside, Josh Carter hitting threes like he did last game, and a great defensive performance. UCLA is probably better than they were last year. A&M couldn't beat that team WITH Acie Law last year.

I can always hope, but UCLA is going to take this one pretty easily.

One thing is A&M should be fine against Love. We have more than enough size to play and defend inside.

[smeritt]

Chaz still undefeated right?

[Lee3691]

Awesome considering i have WKY in the next round. Love it

Same here

Well, we are getting at least one double digit seed in the sweet 16

[clayj41]

UCLA's path just got much easier...:(

[smeritt]

UCLA's path just got much easier...:(
:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow :thumbsdow:lorraine

[bustdstuff]

I am soooooooo out of this.

[thestand]

UCLA's path just got much easier...:(:bounce:multi:bounce

Err... I mean... damn.

[unccrombie]

UCLA's path just got much easier...:(
fuck ucla, i had them winning anyways

[smeritt]

:bounce:multi:bounce

Err... I mean... damn.Youre a traitor to the Pac -10 . You are supposed to hate them

[justinandimcool]

:bounce:multi:bounce

Err... I mean... damn.


:thumbsdow

How could you.

[bustdstuff]

:bounce:multi:bounce

Err... I mean... damn.

Why don't we have a smiley that just shakes it's head? Maybe :mother

[justinandimcool]

You can bet tomorrow I'll be twice the Aggie mark I was when Acie Law was my favorite player.

[HolyCow]

21/24 and the best thing is, I nailed my San Diego over UCONN pick. WOOO!!

Now, time to prepare for the real deal. BOOMER SOONER!!!

[thestand]

Youre a traitor to the Pac -10 . You are supposed to hate them

:thumbsdow

How could you.

Why don't we have a smiley that just shakes it's head? Maybe :mother
:lol I have so much red on my bracket right now, my only chance is for UCLA to win it. My dream is for my championship game to happen (UCLA/UNC), UCLA wins, and Hansbrough and Mata-Rael fight to the death. That would make it the best tourney eveeeeeeeeeer.

[justinandimcool]

:lol I have so much red on my bracket right now, my only chance is for UCLA to win it. My dream is for my championship game to happen (UCLA/UNC), UCLA wins, and Hansbrough and Mata-Rael fight to the death. That would make it the best tourney eveeeeeeeeeer.

fail

:thumbsdow

[justinandimcool]

Anyways, let's see how the rest of the world is doing. Only 25 perfect brackets on ESPN, 6 on Yahoo. :lol

[smeritt]

And we've got one of them. I'm ranked 106,987th on ESPN hahaha

[thestand]

Actually, I don't care who wins, as long as Hansbrough and Mata-Real are in pain at some point. That's all.

[thestand]

Ugh, of course the Oregon game won't be on any of the channels. ncaa.com, here I come. :BANG

[chiznaz]

Chaz still undefeated right?

Not anymore. I lost on the WKY buzzer beater and the San Diego buzzer beater. I had UConn losing in the sweet 16. It hurts, but everything else is looking good. I mean seriously..... who would have had a 12 and 13 seed matched up in round 2:lol

Tonight I need:

OU
Miss St
Vandy
Louisville
IU
UNC
Clemson
Memphis

[chiznaz]

Yeah I have UNC beating UCLA in the final. I don't know why though. UCLA does have a pretty easy path to the final 4, but with their injuries, I could see Duke or Perdue upsetting them. I think it's going to be the South winner vs UNC now.

[thestand]

If Oregon had played like this down the stretch, maybe they wouldn't have to play a #1 seed in the second round. :BANG :BANG :BANG

[thestand]

Oregon and Siena winning at the same time makes me very happy.

[Milenk]

Surely UCONN shit the bed again!


Go San Diego!! :multi
Shutup you dunghill rat!

[Pig17]

Temple (already done), St. Joe's, or Villanova. I really don't care, I just want one Big 5 team to make it to the second round.

[thestand]

I have absolutely no clue why Oregon isn't contesting any rebounds, on either side. Honestly, on the offensive side, everyone starts backing away as soon as the shot is off, no matter how good or bad a shot. This game would be a bigger differential if we had ANY offensive rebounds. As it is right now, I'm not comfortable. Our biggest problem this year is winning the game for 35 minutes, and then sitting down.

[thestand]

:BANG The combination of no rebounds and not having a big man is going to lose this game for us. Oh well, next year we've got a 6'10" guy coming in. Should help.

[Pig17]

Temple (already done), St. Joe's, or Villanova. I really don't care, I just want one Big 5 team to make it to the second round.

Nova's the last hope. :BANG

[Pig17]

:BANG The combination of no rebounds and not having a big man is going to lose this game for us. Oh well, next year we've got a 6'10" guy coming in. Should help.

It's not looking good for you guys Brendan. :shrug

[thestand]

We were so fucking good in the first half, and now we decided we can't make shots. For the last 2 years all we've done is make shots, and now we decide we can't. :lol

[nhl123_2000]

heels looked good. woo! (my bracket is still SO fucked, silly UCONN)

[thestand]

Over. We were so bad, it's honestly funny. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I would think our FG% was under 20. :lol

EDIT: Second half, that is.

[HolyCow]

WOO!!! Feels good to say hello to the second round.

I'm so pumped. Come on Boise St! We want another crack at ye.

[smeritt]

Thanks orgeon, thanks st joes thanks vandy

[justinandimcool]

So the one bitch who has the only perfect bracket in America so far (at least on ESPN/Yahoo) has Clemson beating West Virginia in the National Title game :lol

[kydmb99]

Fuck. We finally get a great day of basketball and I have to work all day.

But Go TOPPERS!

[bustdstuff]

So the one bitch who has the only perfect bracket in America so far (at least on ESPN/Yahoo) has Clemson beating West Virginia in the National Title game :lol

So what you're saying is that there's still a shot.

[seekupig]

anyone still think the Pac10 is the best conference?

[bubba40]

It is physically impossible for me to watch the "There are no cinderellas" Jordan commercial and not get goosebumps.

[justinandimcool]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WwKHttHaR-Y

Yep, it ranks up there with the best.

[justinandimcool]

Scoreboard indicates Villanova's back in it. That would make two #13's and two #12's advancing from the Tampa games. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

[seekupig]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WwKHttHaR-Y

Yep, it ranks up there with the best.


Bryce Drew and Valpo is still my favorite, but this one is up there.... :thumbsup

skip to about 1:55 to catch the good part...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Impx-uPmoEA

[seekupig]

if 'Nova can pull this off, i'll be 4-0 in the 12/5 games...... that's my only claim to fame at this point.... :lol

[justinandimcool]

You think Gordon's poor performance tonight will affect his decision to go to the draft?





Damn, Arkansas came to play.

[dreamingtreeIU]

damn, I wish we had more than one person that wasn't a guard that didn't foul/got swatted every single play.........taber is the only one that tries and they keep taking him out for thomas

[justinandimcool]

Annnnd Clemson squanders a double digit lead. Indiana looks tired.

[seekupig]

You think Gordon's poor performance tonight will affect his decision to go to the draft?

nope. with the coaching situation, his stock can only go down at this point. he'd be making a mistake ($$$) if he came back. they're going to take a step back before they get better, imo....

[justinandimcool]

^ Good point Dustin. Doesn't look like a lottery pick though, eh?

[seekupig]

^ Good point Dustin. Doesn't look like a lottery pick though, eh?

it really depends on the needs of the teams in the lottery and the order they end up drafting in.... but at this point i'd say he's a late first rounder....

Brandon Rush on the other hand has played himself from an early second rounder to a lottery pick over his last four games..... hopefully he gets hurt in the pre-draft camp again and has to come back for his senior year.... :lol

[justinandimcool]

^ :thumbsup I'd live with that, Rush has become one of my favorites. Who else will be likely be gone from KU?

But as long as Kansas/UNC keep playing the way they do now, UCLA will never win a title, so I hope they keep it together and get better. That way USC has a chance to catch up, and I won't have to waste a year of watching CBB only for the Bruins to win it all. I'm dreading the day it happens, and I pray to god it never does (ESPECIALLY not this year).

So any Clemson gurus wanna explain why Terrence Oglesby's teammates appear to hate him? Dude gets fouled on a three and no one cares to congratulate him. :lol Maybe it's just me, but he always seems to be shunned.

[seekupig]

^ :thumbsup I'd live with that, Rush has become one of my favorites. Who else will be likely be gone from KU?

But as long as Kansas/UNC keep playing the way they do now, UCLA will never win a title, so I hope they keep it together and get better. That way USC has a chance to catch up, and I won't have to waste a year of watching CBB only for the Bruins to win it all. I'm dreading the day it happens, and I pray to god it never does (ESPECIALLY not this year).

So any Clemson gurus wanna explain why Terrence Oglesby's teammates appear to hate him? Dude gets fouled on a three and no one cares to congratulate him. :lol Maybe it's just me, but he always seems to be shunned.


EARLY EXIT TO THE NBA...

Rush & Arthur

SENIORS

Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun


and as far as Oglesby goes, everything i've heard says he's just an arrogant prick that nobody likes.... whiny crybaby with a bad attitude...

[justinandimcool]

EARLY EXIT TO THE NBA...

Rush & Arthur

SENIORS

Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun


and as far as Oglesby goes, everything i've heard says he's just an arrogant prick that nobody likes.... whiny crybaby with a bad attitude...

Damn that's quite a subtraction. Are we looking at Collins/Chalmers/Aldridge/.../... starting?



Oh, that sucks. I kinda like him.

[justinandimcool]

Perfect time to get a technical foul. Good job Jay Wright.

[seekupig]

Damn that's quite a subtraction. Are we looking at Collins/Chalmers/Aldridge/.../... starting?



we'll have the best backcourt in the nation with Chalmers & Collins, Aldrich in the middle and a bunch of young guys around them..... pretty good recruiting class coming in. won't be top 10 in the country, but we'll be good again when it matters....

http://kansas.scout.com/a.z?s=172&p=9&cfg=bb&c=8&yr=2008

[unccrombie]

as for my nova/clemson thoughts: free throws and clemson's ability to collapse when it matters

I see Clemson running away with it. :shrug

just wanted to bring this bad boy back up for ya clay :D

[Lee3691]

But as long as Kansas/UNC keep playing the way they do now, UCLA will never win a title, so I hope they keep it together and get better. That way USC has a chance to catch up, and I won't have to waste a year of watching CBB only for the Bruins to win it all. I'm dreading the day it happens, and I pray to god it never does (ESPECIALLY not this year).

I am assuming that you being a fan of USC has made your glasses cloudy, as UCLA is playing as good as UNC & Kansas. And while, once every 7 years or so USC might have a better team then UCLA, it will never happen on a consistant basis - there is no catching up to do.
we'll have the best backcourt in the nation with Chalmers & Collins
Unless Collison & Westbrooke come back - I think Collison will, but I think Westbrooke is gone


Speaking of Oglesby, he is now a member of the Reggie Cleveland all stars


After watcing many of the games over the past few days, I got to say the biggest thing lacking in college basketball is the lack of fast break - its got to be coaching and the lack of pgs, but hardly anyone knows how to run a good fast break - there is hardly any passing.

[seekupig]

<- this guy wasn't drinking the Clemson kool-aid...... 4-0 in the 12/5 games thanks to an amazing buzzer beater by WKU.....

so if KU wins tomorrow they'll play the winner of Siena vs. 'Nova? not sure if i like that or not.....

[seekupig]

Unless Collison & Westbrooke come back - I think Collison will, but I think Westbrooke is gone




After watcing many of the games over the past few days, I got to say the biggest thing lacking in college basketball is the lack of fast break - its got to be coaching and the lack of pgs, but hardly anyone knows how to run a good fast break - there is hardly any passing.


i'd take Chalmers & Collins over them, but i'm a little biased.... :lol
Chalmers is a great shooter that gets everyone else involved, but he's always there to take the big shot when they need it. Collins is probably the fastest guard in the country that nobody talks about because he doesn't even start for KU.... he'll be a lottery pick in two years.

as far as the fast break goes, watch UNC or KU.... they both can run from one end to the other without the ball touching the floor, passing between 3 or 4 guys.... when done right it's a pretty thing to watch.

[SmoothD41]

predictable. The end of this season was kind of similar to shooting an animal to put it out of its misery.

It's amazing....how far this team fell the past month of the season. This team had legitimate final four potential at the beginning of the year. I bet they could currently beat MAYBE 10 of the 64 tournament teams. No heart, no passion, no hussle, no discipline. I think it goes without saying that DJ White does not fall under that description though, he was an absolute beast again tonight and solidified his place as one of my all time favorite Hoosiers.

Indiana's last game was against Purdue in the regular season....then began the free fall. I don't even know what to say about Eric Gordon. I am just baffled by the whole thing. Totally different player the last month of the season. He clearly would benefit from at least another year of college, but I'd say its 95% he's done.

I have no idea what the future holds for IU, but this is an absolute disgrace and an embarassment.

Thank you D.J. White.

[DMBCubs25]

pretty rough day with the picks, but glad that i nailed the siena over vanderbilt pick. still with 13 out of 16 sweet 16 left and all elite 8 so not done yet, need a big win from xavier tomorrow.

[UNLTrpt]

Bryce Drew and Valpo is still my favorite, but this one is up there.... :thumbsup

skip to about 1:55 to catch the good part...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Impx-uPmoEA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8osYBQ0jI70

still my favorite. 1998 UConn/Washington

Perfect call, great buzzer beater.

[UNLTrpt]

NIT Brackets Round 2:

RJ2kWJ 20 pts
GavMan33 18 pts
HolyCow 18 pts
JRod1229 17 pts
UNLTrpt 17 pts
justinandimcool 16 pts
dreamingtreeIU 16 pts
clayj41 15 pts
UNC41 15 pts
seekupig 15 pts
41ravens 10 pts

Florida worked Creighton tonight. Just sent them to the cleaners. I couldn't be happier.

Akron vs. UMass Saturday night.

Back to your regularly scheduled NCAA tournament discussion.

[clayj41]

predictable. The end of this season was kind of similar to shooting an animal to put it out of its misery.

It's amazing....how far this team fell the past month of the season. This team had legitimate final four potential at the beginning of the year. I bet they could currently beat MAYBE 10 of the 64 tournament teams. No heart, no passion, no hussle, no discipline. I think it goes without saying that DJ White does not fall under that description though, he was an absolute beast again tonight and solidified his place as one of my all time favorite Hoosiers.

Indiana's last game was against Purdue in the regular season....then began the free fall. I don't even know what to say about Eric Gordon. I am just baffled by the whole thing. Totally different player the last month of the season. He clearly would benefit from at least another year of college, but I'd say its 95% he's done.

I have no idea what the future holds for IU, but this is an absolute disgrace and an embarassment.

Thank you D.J. White.

:thumbsup Gordon (once again) was pathetic.

[clayj41]

just wanted to bring this bad boy back up for ya clay :D

Don't tell me you didn't think I was gonna be right after the first half. :lol

[smeritt]

Did anyone else get absolutely shit on tonight? I most certainly did.

[MKnight1254]

i am so happy with Siena's win last night and with the publicity we're getting on ESPN this morning, but most of all I'm excited for another fair matchup for the Saints in the round of 32(way better of a matchup then Clemson would have been) and for the chance to have my schools team go to the Sweet 16 in my senior year.

[bustdstuff]

Did anyone else get absolutely shit on tonight? I most certainly did.


Yes. You'll find me by my lonesome at the bottom of the rankings. Luckily I still have 14 of 16 for the next round.

[bustdstuff]

i am so happy with Siena's win last night and with the publicity we're getting on ESPN this morning, but most of all I'm excited for another fair matchup for the Saints in the round of 32(way better of a matchup then Clemson would have been) and for the chance to have my schools team go to the Sweet 16 in my senior year.

:cool :thumbsup

That would be a great way to graduate.

[Lee3691]

i'd take Chalmers & Collins over them, but i'm a little biased.... :lol
Chalmers is a great shooter that gets everyone else involved, but he's always there to take the big shot when they need it. Collins is probably the fastest guard in the country that nobody talks about because he doesn't even start for KU.... he'll be a lottery pick in two years.

as far as the fast break goes, watch UNC or KU.... they both can run from one end to the other without the ball touching the floor, passing between 3 or 4 guys.... when done right it's a pretty thing to watch.

I'm biased as well - even so, I'll take the guys with Final 4 experience, and higher draft potential. Westbrook averaged like 3 pts a game last year, and will be a lottery pick this year.

UNC & KU have great fast breaks, but I was refering to the teams that aren't filled with NBA prospects. No one knows how to pass on a fast break to give their teammates an easy chance to score, it is always about the guy with the ball taking it to the basket.

[unccrombie]

Don't tell me you didn't think I was gonna be right after the first half. :lol
eh, i wasn't confident about it, but when it happened i was wasn't surprised ya know?

[bustdstuff]

as far as the fast break goes, watch UNC or KU.... they both can run from one end to the other without the ball touching the floor, passing between 3 or 4 guys.... when done right it's a pretty thing to watch.

There's nothing that will bring out an arena of OOOOOOOOOOHs quicker. It would be a bunch of fun to watch if both of them make it to the FF.

[Carbon Copy]

glad i had vandy in the Final four

[unccrombie]

glad i had vandy in the Final four
i think that's just silliness on your part ;)

[kydmb99]

glad i had vandy in the Final four

:lol I had UConn in the title game.

[smeritt]

good thing i had arizona in the final four......

[SmoothG]

My worst year so far in a long time. 21-11 in the first round. But I didn't loose any major teams...except Zona which I had in the Elite 8. Damn!

[GSUdawg521]

This big black box keeps popping up and covering almost the bottom half of the screen on my living room tv. It's not making any sense, it seems like it's the tv cause it's only that one, and it goes away if I press any button like volume or change the channel, then it comes back about 2 seconds after. Then it seems like it's not the tv cause it's only on CBS and goes away during commercial :confused:confused:confused

[bustdstuff]

I know Duke isn't as big as WVU, but they have got to get in the paint, and at least contest the boards.

[UNLTrpt]

bye bye Dook

[justinandimcool]

Wow I'm loving this. I never realized how strong WVU's backcourt was.

[dmbphan041]

there was NOTHING wrong with that pick.

[thestand]

This big black box keeps popping up and covering almost the bottom half of the screen on my living room tv. It's not making any sense, it seems like it's the tv cause it's only that one, and it goes away if I press any button like volume or change the channel, then it comes back about 2 seconds after. Then it seems like it's not the tv cause it's only on CBS and goes away during commercial :confused:confused:confusedIt might be the closed captioning misfiring for some reason, especially if there's different settings (you know, CC1, CC2, Text1, Text2). Try turning closed captioning off, and see if it goes away.

[GSUdawg521]

It might be the closed captioning misfiring for some reason, especially if there's different settings (you know, CC1, CC2, Text1, Text2). Try turning closed captioning off, and see if it goes away.

BRILLIANT!!! That's what I thought but I was hitting the caption button on the remote which wasn't doing anything. I had to go into the menu to find it was turned on. Thanks! FUCK that was annoying.

[unccrombie]

duke scored under 20pts this half, 0/15 from the 3, just too inconsistent, cyaaaaaaaaaa

[whygohome?]

i love watching duke absolutely implode in the tourney. seems like it happens a lot these days

[dowling25]

I am not a Duke fan, but really don't like that Alexander kid...just something about how he acts bothers me.

[unccrombie]

I am not a Duke fan, but really don't like that Alexander kid...just something about how he acts bothers me.
duke better have a great class coming in or else theyre going to have a down year probably

[willthethrill]

Whoooooweeeee boy. This is some interesting television.

[chiznaz]

I thought this would have been agreat matchup for duke. Both teams seem to shoot from the outside and I thought duke would play a lot better. When you don't go inside and miss 16+ threes in a row you won't beat anyone.

[unccrombie]

I thought this would have been agreat matchup for duke. Both teams seem to shoot from the outside and I thought duke would play a lot better. When you don't go inside and miss 16+ threes in a row you won't beat anyone.
i really thought they needed to gamble with singler

[Tiduwho]

Yeah baby!!!!!! Go to Hell Duke!!!!

[justinandimcool]

I am not a Duke fan, but really don't like that Alexander kid...just something about how he acts bothers me.

Hm, I for one can't find much not to like about him.

[clayj41]

Hm, I for one can't find much not to like about him.

:thumbsup I absolutely love him!!!



Thank you West Virginia! Now I need Xavier to beat Purdue...

[justinandimcool]

Purdue and now Wisconsin having their way offensively (and defensively of course) with Big XII teams. Wonder what that means. As a fan of the Big Ten style, I'm liking what I see.

I hate Michael Beasley. "The reason I went to Kansas State was because they haven't been relevant in a long time, and there'd be nobody to compare me to. Therefore I could create my own legacy."

[DmBand801]

i'm having good tournament picks so far...clemson losing to nova hurt me though - i had them going sweet 16

[clayj41]

i'm having good tournament picks so far...clemson losing to nova hurt me though - i had them going sweet 16

So did quite a few other people though.

[unccrombie]

Purdue and now Wisconsin having their way offensively (and defensively of course) with Big XII teams. Wonder what that means. As a fan of the Big Ten style, I'm liking what I see.

I hate Michael Beasley. "The reason I went to Kansas State was because they haven't been relevant in a long time, and there'd be nobody to compare me to. Therefore I could create my own legacy."
prrrrrrrrick

[unccrombie]

So did quite a few other people though.
not people who knew the clemson way ;)

[DmBand801]

So did quite a few other people though.

that was tough to swallow

[clayj41]

not people who knew the clemson way ;)

I watched them all year and still picked them. I should've known they'd collapse like they did in all the UNC games. :lol

[unccrombie]

I watched them all year and still picked them. I should've known they'd collapse like they did in all the UNC games. :lol
happens to them every year :thumbsup

[clayj41]

happens to them every year :thumbsup

I accredit my picking them to not watching Villanova play enough, rather than not watching Clemson enough.

[DmBand801]

I watched them all year and still picked them. I should've known they'd collapse like they did in all the UNC games. :lol

i hadn't watched any of their games, but i figured 3 close calls with UNC would have them good enough to beat nova and siena

[clayj41]

i hadn't watched any of their games, but i figured 3 close calls with UNC would have them good enough to beat nova and siena

How they played against UNC wasn't indicative of how they lost to them though. That was the most important factor.

[chiznaz]

Purdue and now Wisconsin having their way offensively (and defensively of course) with Big XII teams. Wonder what that means. As a fan of the Big Ten style, I'm liking what I see.

I hate Michael Beasley. "The reason I went to Kansas State was because they haven't been relevant in a long time, and there'd be nobody to compare me to. Therefore I could create my own legacy."

Im convinced K State can win this game. They are VERY streaky, but they have waht it takes to win.

I think Perdue will go the farthest of the big 10. Their game today will be tougher than the one if the advance.

[JRod1229]

second best thing to a UK win is a Duke loss... Hell yah!

[jblever]

Damn shame Duke lost...

But honestly, with a team that relies THAT much on the 3 point shot, how far did we really see them going? Its just better they got it over with now against a decent team. Belmont was a close call, that did them in.

[clayj41]

2 minutes in and Pudue is on pace for 90 again...:lol

[unccrombie]

Damn shame Duke lost...

But honestly, with a team that relies THAT much on the 3 point shot, how far did we really see them going? Its just better they got it over with now against a decent team. Belmont was a close call, that did them in.
same for ND...we'll see about them tonight

[chiznaz]

same for ND...we'll see about them tonight

I thought ND would match up well with WSU in the same way Duke would against WVU. The outside shooting teams are proving me wrong.

[unccrombie]

I thought ND would match up well with WSU in the same way Duke would against WVU. The outside shooting teams are proving me wrong.
duke lacks a harangody though, singler isn't there yet

[Lee3691]

I wonder if fans/alumni of Duke are wondering if Coach K pulling double duty with Team USA is hurting Duke. Except for the year when Coach K took off, this is the worst back to back years I am can remember them having, since pre-Danny Ferry. I wonder if they are going to change their recruting philosophy and actually build a team with depth again.

[unccrombie]

I wonder if fans/alumni of Duke are wondering if Coach K pulling double duty with Team USA is hurting Duke. Except for the year when Coach K took off, this is the worst back to back years I am can remember them having, since pre-Danny Ferry. I wonder if they are going to change their recruting philosophy and actually build a team with depth again.
could be their lack of players...

[UNLTrpt]

Purdue and now Wisconsin having their way offensively (and defensively of course) with Big XII teams. Wonder what that means. As a fan of the Big Ten style, I'm liking what I see.

I hate Michael Beasley. "The reason I went to Kansas State was because they haven't been relevant in a long time, and there'd be nobody to compare me to. Therefore I could create my own legacy."

This Big 12'er isn't that surprised that Wisconsin is beating KSU.

[willthethrill]

not people who knew the clemson way ;)

I have to give you props. You definitely called it.

[willthethrill]

Purdue and now Wisconsin having their way offensively (and defensively of course) with Big XII teams. Wonder what that means. As a fan of the Big Ten style, I'm liking what I see.

I hate Michael Beasley. "The reason I went to Kansas State was because they haven't been relevant in a long time, and there'd be nobody to compare me to. Therefore I could create my own legacy."
They've also been the better Big10 teams v. the worst Big12 teams in the NCAAs. I still don't think they get more than 1 team in the Sweet 16.

And on that note, the Big East is looking good for at least 4 maybe 5 teams in the 16. The ACC, not so much.

[willthethrill]

Beasley's getting used by awkward white guys. NBA scouts watching?

[UNLTrpt]

Beasley's getting used by awkward white guys. NBA scouts watching?

there are no real awkward white guys in the NBA so he's ok.

[clayj41]

Lavender ends the half on a high note!

[clayj41]

there are no real awkward white guys in the NBA so he's ok.

No polar bears either.

[unccrombie]

Lavender ends the half on a high note!
:thumbsup

[Lee3691]

could be their lack of players...

Exactly - how much time is he spending with Team USA that he could be out scouting & recruiting.

[UNLTrpt]

No polar bears either.

:haha

[clayj41]

Exactly - how much time is he spending with Team USA that he could be out scouting & recruiting.

The players are in the heart of the NBA season and making playoff pushes, so I would imagine little or no time at all right now. It could affect his summer recruiting but I think it's a non-issue.

[willthethrill]

Buhbye Michael Beasley. Have fun in the NBA.

[chiznaz]

Im convinced K State can win this game. They are VERY streaky, but they have waht it takes to win.

I think Perdue will go the farthest of the big 10. Their game today will be tougher than the one if the advance.


You need to shut up:BANG

[clayj41]

You need to shut up:BANG

Keep talking, you're helping my picks!!! :lol

[unccrombie]

Buhbye Michael Beasley. Have fun in the NBA.
i want to see lebron abuse him

[justinandimcool]

The Boiler Babies showing their youth. :(

[UNLTrpt]

come on stanford. quit screwing around.

[jblever]

I can see Beasley burning out on the NBA. He just doesn't seem mature enough.

[chiznaz]

You know what's sad? The first pick im going to get correct today is going to be MY team losing to UCLA.:BANG

[justinandimcool]

^ Wrong. There's always hope. Seriously.





But yeah, this is the most fired up I've seen Stanford all year. Trent Johnson was an idiot (COMPLETE. IDIOT) getting himself ejected, but when the Cards are inspired, watch out.

[K3nTaKa0s]

Thoughts on Pitt / Michigan State?

[unccrombie]

Thoughts on Pitt / Michigan State?
going to be a real good one, i think pitt will pull it out though

[clayj41]

Thoughts on Pitt / Michigan State?

Pitt. I've watched Michigan State play all year and they are severely overrated. That doesn't mean that can't win, but I think Pitt will take care of business.

Pitt 73
Michigan St. 61

[justinandimcool]

Michigan State isn't overrated anymore, they're on everybody's down list, while Pitt is on everyone's up list.


Neitzel needs something to prove IMO. I'd hate for him to go out in obscurity. I'm sure Izzo will have his guys put up a good fight.

[jblever]

It all really depends on if Neitzel is hot or not. If he is feeling it, it will be a good game. Michigan State can pull this out but they have to keep the score low and have good guard play.

[clayj41]

Michigan State isn't overrated anymore, they're on everybody's down list, while Pitt is on everyone's up list.


Neitzel needs something to prove IMO. I'd hate for him to go out in obscurity. I'm sure Izzo will have his guys put up a good fight.

Being that they were given a #5 seed, I still feel that they are overhyped.

[thestand]

Hey Robin Lopez- I've liked you since you started. But stop acting like an ass. We just got rid of Joakim Noah. We're not in need of another one.

kthxbye,
thestand

[SmoothD41]

I look for Pitt to win by 5, something like 68-63. It's going to be a great game.

[justinandimcool]

Being that they were given a #5 seed, I still feel that they are overhyped.

Really? Okay maybe in your part of the country, I don't know. Find me a Michigan State bandwagon at the moment and I'll be very surprised. As for Pittsburgh, they've been a popular Final Four pick, and rightfully so. This would be a great way for the Spartans to get MSU back in everyone's minds. Neitzel's gone from the top PG in America to barely a top 15 player in the Big Ten.

[justinandimcool]

Overtime. Awesome game.

[UNLTrpt]

Can't lose a Final 4 team now. Come on tree!

[UNLTrpt]

oh what a shot!

[justinandimcool]

That's my boy Brook!

The way this man has taken over the game, when he hasn't done it all year, is simply the epitome of how March elevates guys to play their best.

Amazing.

[UNLTrpt]

Your national champion...

Kansas or Wisconsin

book it

[seekupig]

Your national champion...

Kansas or Wisconsin

book it

i was just thinking how if Georgetown and Wisconsin play in the Sweet Sixteen, that may be the most unwatchable game in the history of the tourney..... God bless the shotclock.....

[UNLTrpt]

i was just thinking how if Georgetown and Wisconsin play in the Sweet Sixteen, that may be the most unwatchable game in the history of the tourney..... God bless the shotclock.....

amen brother. As much as I watch HS basketball, I really wish there was a shot clock there.

KU looked real good today. Las Vegas really traded punches with them through the 1st half but they really stood their ground.

[smeritt]

How bout Levance Fields. Kid boggles my mind. This game is turning out to be a good one

[smeritt]

Boys my decline has been slow and painful. But thank you Lopez you tall bastard. You almost broke my heart

[justinandimcool]

I don't think I've ever rooted for a non-USC team any harder. I'm not relying on WKU or SanDiego to do it, so the Aggies' toughness is the best chance of knocking UCLA out early. CMON A&M!!!

[justinandimcool]

HAH. How does it feel to get a call against you for once Howland!? Damn good fight put up by A&M

Not enough has been said about Brook Lopez's performance in overtime. To completely take over a game when your team needs you most, after such a shaky end to the season. Such a pleasure to watch him come up big like that for once.

[DMBCubs25]

A & M is scaring me

[chiznaz]

Dr Jekyll and Hyde. Which one is going to show up?

[justinandimcool]

8 point lead. What a shot. CHAZ I TOLD YOU.

CMON AGGIES. 19 MORE MINUTES. STAY STRONG.

[willthethrill]

Ugh, don't fall apart Aggies. Xavier's my choice, so I need UCLA to lose sometime since nobody picked A&M or the 4/5 matchup to win.

Damn Cali school cheerleaders are always smokin'.

[Darksideofoz]

those a&m girls didn't look too bad either. Go Texas team

[UNLTrpt]

Well with Pitt being eliminated thats one elite 8 gone and I can pretty much count myself out.

[bothedmbfan]

Fuck a West Virginia, stupid cunts, fuckin' up the program.

[willthethrill]

I've lost 4 Sweet 16, but no Elite 8 yet. UCLA would be the first, but it would help me in the long run anyway because everybody ahead of me in pools has them picked in the Final 4 (and I have Xavier).

[willthethrill]

Fuck a West Virginia, stupid cunts, fuckin' up the program.
Interesting.

[UNLTrpt]

great win by UCLA

great game from aTm

[Lee3691]

I don't know who was happier me or my fiance, who is a Longhorn.

What a game - props to A&M for a great game - those guys are tough, and deserve a lot of respect.

U-C-L-A

[chiznaz]

the guy who turned it over had his mom pass away last week, so I won't say anything except that I just about threw my tv through my window.

[justinandimcool]

I fucking hate my life.

[penn darvis]

That was total crap.

Am I the only one that thinks the dunk at the end (which shouldn't have counted anyway) was totally classless?

[bubba40]

I would have liked to see a close replay of that final play. The A&M dude seemed to be roughed up a bit. Not saying it was a foul, but I think it was close.

[penn darvis]

I would have liked to see a close replay of that final play. The A&M dude seemed to be roughed up a bit. Not saying it was a foul, but I think it was close.
Yes, it should've been a foul. It was one in a long series of bogus last minute calls in favor of fUCLA in the past month. I feel like I'm Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day.

[bothedmbfan]

Interesting.

Not really, just frustration. I had Duke going farther...dammit.

[chiznaz]

dear god. Please send ATM a servicable pg. Amen

[UNLTrpt]

That was total crap.

Am I the only one that thinks the dunk at the end (which shouldn't have counted anyway) was totally classless?

do you think that might be your hatred for UCLA talking?

It was a teenager letting out a little youthful excitement after a hard fought basketball game.

[malarks26]

Great comeback by UCLA!!

[justinandimcool]

Fuck. This is so hard to get over. I don't think I can live with myself for devoting so much time to watching college basketball only to watch UCLA take the title. I made the mistake of making being too much a fan of the game and actually having it become part of my life. Now I'm upset over a fucking game, and I can't help it. Fuck.

[bubba40]

Fuck. This is so hard to get over. I don't think I can live with myself for devoting so much time to watching college basketball only to watch UCLA take the title. I made the mistake of making being too much a fan of the game and actually having it become part of my life. Now I'm upset over a fucking game, and I can't help it. Fuck.

No worries man, they're going to lose to Xavier. :D

[Darksideofoz]

Oh don't worry they won't be winning any title this year

[penn darvis]

do you think that might be your hatred for UCLA talking?

It was a teenager letting out a little youthful excitement after a hard fought basketball game.
Maybe I'm just a little pissed off, but it definitely would've been classier to just hold on to the ball and let time expire.

[JamesM]

Go Nova.

[UNLTrpt]

Maybe I'm just a little pissed off, but it definitely would've been classier to just hold on to the ball and let time expire.

of course it would have been, but again...these are college kids.

And if it was Cal in that situation, you're telling me you'd wish your team to do the classy thing and hold onto the ball?

come on now.

[UNLTrpt]

NIT Pick'em Round 2:

RJ2kWJ- 22 pts
GavMan33- 20 pts
JRod1229- 19 pts
UNLTrpt- 19 pts
dreamingtreeIU- 18 pts
HolyCow- 18 pts
clayj41- 17 pts
justinandimcool- 16 pts
UNC41- 15 pts
seekupig- 15 pts
41ravens- 12 pts

UMass beat Akron today. No games tomorrow. 4 big ones on Monday.

[penn darvis]

of course it would have been, but again...these are college kids.

And if it was Cal in that situation, you're telling me you'd wish your team to do the classy thing and hold onto the ball?

come on now.
The idea of Cal being in that situation is pretty hard for me to imagine, so I don't know how to answer that.

[Darksideofoz]

if he pulled up for a three pointer then yes. That dunk in that situation was ok. Nebraska, lighten up on him.

[bubba40]

Does it say something about UCLA's mentality to be absolutely THRILLED to beat a 8/9 game winner in round two as the #1 seed in an environment that was essentially a home game?

[penn darvis]

if he pulled up for a three pointer then yes. That dunk in that situation was ok. Nebraska, lighten up on him.
I think a three-pointer would've been kind of funny actually.

[thestand]

Does it say something about UCLA's mentality to be absolutely THRILLED to beat a 8/9 game winner in round two as the #1 seed in an environment that was essentially a home game?They were losing for a healthy majority of the second half, and only had their winning lead for 8.9 seconds. I think it was more a statement on that than it was on their mentality coming in.

[UNLTrpt]

if he pulled up for a three pointer then yes. That dunk in that situation was ok. Nebraska, lighten up on him.

:ugh

I'm the one who said the dunk was ok. He was the one who said it wasn't.

[UNLTrpt]

The idea of Cal being in that situation is pretty hard for me to imagine, so I don't know how to answer that.

ok. avoid my question

[JamesM]

/novanation

[chiznaz]

Well I think Turgeon showed A&M what he's capable of doing with this team....... WITHOUT a PG on this team.

I'm really proud of this team. Before their first game against BYU, DeAndre Jordan got food poisoning and lost 10 pounds, and Donald Sloans mother died. The team gave up a day of practice before the BYU game to attend her funeral with Sloan, then flew out to Anaheim.

This team will come together, AGAIN, under a new coach like they did with Billy Clyde.

My mom was watching the game with me, I had already woken up the house with my screaming. I was yelling at her all I wanted was a clean look at the basket. One good shot. That is all. If it goes in I will be thrilled, and if it falls out then at least we played hard. When I saw the drive and turnover I about lost it. I was throwing punches in the air screaming no.... I didn't even see that final dunk in real time. I friggin broke the thong in my flip flop. Why God why?!?

It is a ironic ending to A&M's season because we have STRUGGLED all year with PG play. We have a combo gaurd and a true SG playing point all year long. Our national ranked PG recruit was at the game watching. I bet he is thrilled to see he has very little competition next year for the job.

DeAndre needs to stay another year. I say it's 75% he leaves/25% stay. 3 weeks ago I would have thought you were a crack head if you would have told me A&M would take a 1 seed down to the wire in round two of the tourny. Turgeon coached his ass off in the conference tourny and in the Big Dance.

I hope Kevin Loves call a Chris Webber time out and blows the National Championship. I hope that whining baby Rick Barnes and texas lose their next one to UM.




Let's go Xavier, let's go lower seeds, and if all else fails, Rock Chalk Jayhawks.

[justinandimcool]

I've cooled down and realized that life is still worth living. I'm just waiting for a team to actually hold on against UCLA, for 40 minutes. I commend A&M's valiant effort, as they put up the biggest fight against the Bruins all year (not counting the 3 teams who actually beat them).

I really need someone to beat the Bruins though (I'm looking at you Western Kentucky/West Virginia/Xavier), cuz them winning it all would just destroy March Madness for me.

[chiznaz]

http://kentucky.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1383&tid=112639121&mid=112639121&sid=888&style=2

Please romove your mouth from Howland's dong refs.

[penn darvis]

ok. avoid my question
It was a joke, give it a rest. I made a frustrated comment and was trying to avoid a huge argument about something fairly insignificant. I still think it was wrong although not nearly as egregious as I originally made it out to be.

If you want an answer to that question, in the same circumstances I would hope that a Cal player would hold onto the ball (although I' probably give the same defense you did if he decided not to).

Can we let it go now?

[penn darvis]

I've cooled down and realized that life is still worth living. I'm just waiting for a team to actually hold on against UCLA, for 40 minutes. I commend A&M's valiant effort, as they put up the biggest fight against the Bruins all year (not counting the 3 teams who actually beat them).

I really need someone to beat the Bruins though (I'm looking at you Western Kentucky/West Virginia/Xavier), cuz them winning it all would just destroy March Madness for me.
Hey, at least you still have football.

[justinandimcool]

Hey, at least you still have football.

True. Except football isn't nearly as important to me as basketball.

[chiznaz]

A&M- three tourny losses by a total of 4 pts. /wrists

[justinandimcool]

http://kentucky.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1383&tid=112639121&mid=112639121&sid=888&style=2


Usually I'd be enraged beyond reason, but the lack of surprise in seeing this just makes it so not worth it. This has to bite them in the ass eventually. It just has to.

[GavMan33]

8 point lead. What a shot. CHAZ I TOLD YOU.

CMON AGGIES. 19 MORE MINUTES. STAY STRONG.

Justin, quick story. My high school team was playing @ defending state champ and perrenial powerhouse Schenectady (who is in our conference) my soph year. After the 1st quarter, we were ahead 12-10. I thought in my head, oh this is great, gotta play even with them for 24 minutes, and we win! We lost 49-48, and I learned that night to not think of things that way. I think in terms of 4-minute wars, separated by the media timeouts. It's good stuff :thumbsup

I've lost 4 Sweet 16, but no Elite 8 yet. UCLA would be the first, but it would help me in the long run anyway because everybody ahead of me in pools has them picked in the Final 4 (and I have Xavier).

I will give it to you Will. Way back before the year even started I went on one of my famous rants about Xavier, and you responded, "don't worry Bob, Xavier will get theirs." I appreciate the support throughout :thumbsup

I am assuming that you being a fan of USC has made your glasses cloudy, as UCLA is playing as good as UNC & Kansas. And while, once every 7 years or so USC might have a better team then UCLA, it will never happen on a consistant basis - there is no catching up to do.

Unless Collison & Westbrooke come back - I think Collison will, but I think Westbrooke is gone


Speaking of Oglesby, he is now a member of the Reggie Cleveland all stars


After watcing many of the games over the past few days, I got to say the biggest thing lacking in college basketball is the lack of fast break - its got to be coaching and the lack of pgs, but hardly anyone knows how to run a good fast break - there is hardly any passing.

Lee, the fast break is very much alive. I think Kansas and Carolina run an incredible fast break. I love watch Kansas because of how they get out and run. There's a bunch of different things they do. Rebound, outlet, advance pass, hit the trailer. They'll rebound and outlet, and Chalmers will cut right down the gut and hit Rush for a 3-ball. I mean they do so many different things off the fast break. It's wonderful to watch.

I saw at one point you talk about mid-majors doing it. I'll touch Xavier and Siena, since I know those two well. Drew Lavender is starting to get his legs back, and you can see it. How do they score points? Defense leads to offense my friend. Xavier forces turnovers, they get out in transition, and they score the ball. Case in point, when we made the run to finally catch Georgia in the middle of the second half. And what about secondary fast breaks? Same deal, they run it fantastically.

Siena? You wanna know what their deal is? They are not great defensively; they're OK, but that's not why they'll win games. They're small, so they will get outrebounded. But they force turnovers. And what happens? They get out in the fast break, and score the ball. Whether they win or lose is based on their ability to force TOs and finish at the rim, and knocking down jump shots. If they aren't doing one of the two things, they aren't gonna win. Plain and simple. So, to me, the fast break is very much in. It's just a matter of teams being smart; knowing the difference between when to run, and when to slow it up and run their sets.



OK. It's been awhile. Believe it or not, I'm very drunk. But I've been backreading awhile, the stuff above is stuff that jumped out on me. In terms of the games? Got in about halftime of the WVU vs. Duke game. Unbelievable. The place got pretty loud, that's for sure. I'm pretty surprised Huggins made it through the first weekend. But Alexander was just awesome tonight.

In terms of the Xavier game, it was not going to be easy. Purdue was awesome coming out. They are fast, they are good, and they will be very very tough to deal with the next several years. We showed great poise to hang in early and get a lead back at I believe 20-18. Went to the locker room with a lead, stretched it out a little bit. Then they made another run, took a lead briefly. How about C.J. Anderson tonight in the middle? He was awesome. He's a slasher. Not sure who was guarding him, some big white guy. C.J. saw early he could get to the rim, and did just that. Jason Love picking up the garbage down low. That's a fantastic win, one Xavier really needed. Not only to move on in the tournament, but to show that the school is for real. This is a very good squad, a very good school. I will continue to bang it into your heads.

I gotta go to bed, my head hurts a lot. That's what happens when you have like 12 hours of soberness in the last 48. Be good all :thumbsup

[smeritt]

I got my shit kicked in today gentlemen. I'll be on a plane tomorrow but lets sure me not watching will be better

[skatcat]

I dont think the upsets are over at all.

[penn darvis]

Usually I'd be enraged beyond reason, but the lack of surprise in seeing this just makes it so not worth it. This has to bite them in the ass eventually. It just has to.
"That was same thing we do all year -- lock down, switch everything and fortunately, I was able to get my hand on it and make the play," Shipp said.

[seekupig]

classless? yes.
funny? hell, yes. :lol

[/URL]When told that the Mountaineers had just beaten a team with eight McDonald's all-Americans, Alexander seemed startled. He arched his eyebrows and asked in a serious tone, "Who?"
"We don't care that they're Duke," Alexander said. "That doesn't mean anything to us.
"We don't have any McDonald's all-Americans and we don't have any guys who were the No. 1 player in their state," West Virginia center Jamie Smalligan said. "But I think that Coach K would love to have Joe Alexander on his team right now," he added, referring to Duke Coach [URL="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/mike_krzyzewski/index.html?inline=nyt-per"]Mike Krzyzewski (http://antsmarching.org/forum/).
Alexander said, "We knew that coming in that they were just going to stand around and not rebound, so we were ready to exploit that."
In the first half, Alexander, who is 6 feet 8 inches, blocked a shot by Duke guard DeMarcus Nelson in the post, then let out a scream. "I told him that he shouldn't shoot anymore," Alexander said. "He was actually very nice to me for the rest of the game."
As a reporter was leaving, the reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald's all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: "Oh my God. Are you kidding?"

[GavMan33]

classless? yes.
funny? hell, yes. :lol

When told that the Mountaineers had just beaten a team with eight McDonald's all-Americans, Alexander seemed startled. He arched his eyebrows and asked in a serious tone, "Who?"
"We don't care that they're Duke," Alexander said. "That doesn't mean anything to us.
"We don't have any McDonald's all-Americans and we don't have any guys who were the No. 1 player in their state," West Virginia center Jamie Smalligan said. "But I think that Coach K would love to have Joe Alexander on his team right now," he added, referring to Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/mike_krzyzewski/index.html?inline=nyt-per).
Alexander said, "We knew that coming in that they were just going to stand around and not rebound, so we were ready to exploit that."
In the first half, Alexander, who is 6 feet 8 inches, blocked a shot by Duke guard DeMarcus Nelson in the post, then let out a scream. "I told him that he shouldn't shoot anymore," Alexander said. "He was actually very nice to me for the rest of the game."
As a reporter was leaving, the reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald's all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: "Oh my God. Are you kidding?"

:lol :lol That's some funny stuff.

Well just so we're all on the same page, WVU's next opponent has 1 McDonald's All-American in PG Drew Lavender. I'm trying to think in terms of #1 in state. Duncan was Ohio Player of the Year his SR year in 2004. Lavender was first-team all state his SR year in 03, as was Raymond in his SR year in 05. I think Brown was second or third-team in the small-school division in Ohio. I don't think there are any Mr. Basketball's; Justin Cage who graduated last year was Mr. Basketball in Indiana in 2003, and recruit coming in next Brad Redford is Mr. Basketball in Michigan this year. But on this current team, I don't think so.

[dowling25]

classless? yes.
funny? hell, yes. :lol

When told that the Mountaineers had just beaten a team with eight McDonald's all-Americans, Alexander seemed startled. He arched his eyebrows and asked in a serious tone, "Who?"
"We don't care that they're Duke," Alexander said. "That doesn't mean anything to us.
"We don't have any McDonald's all-Americans and we don't have any guys who were the No. 1 player in their state," West Virginia center Jamie Smalligan said. "But I think that Coach K would love to have Joe Alexander on his team right now," he added, referring to Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/mike_krzyzewski/index.html?inline=nyt-per).
Alexander said, "We knew that coming in that they were just going to stand around and not rebound, so we were ready to exploit that."
In the first half, Alexander, who is 6 feet 8 inches, blocked a shot by Duke guard DeMarcus Nelson in the post, then let out a scream. "I told him that he shouldn't shoot anymore," Alexander said. "He was actually very nice to me for the rest of the game."
As a reporter was leaving, the reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald's all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: "Oh my God. Are you kidding?"

What a little shit that Alexander guy is.

[UNLTrpt]

http://kentucky.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1383&tid=112639121&mid=112639121&sid=888&style=2

Please romove your mouth from Howland's dong refs.

of course it was a foul. I thought it was a foul the first time they showed the replay. Officials are going to swallow their whistles near end game...nearly

[UNLTrpt]

It was a joke, give it a rest. I made a frustrated comment and was trying to avoid a huge argument about something fairly insignificant. I still think it was wrong although not nearly as egregious as I originally made it out to be.

If you want an answer to that question, in the same circumstances I would hope that a Cal player would hold onto the ball (although I' probably give the same defense you did if he decided not to).

Can we let it go now?

but that was my point from the beginning. you were over reacting from the get go.

[smeritt]

classless? yes.
funny? hell, yes. :lol

When told that the Mountaineers had just beaten a team with eight McDonald's all-Americans, Alexander seemed startled. He arched his eyebrows and asked in a serious tone, "Who?"
"We don't care that they're Duke," Alexander said. "That doesn't mean anything to us.
"We don't have any McDonald's all-Americans and we don't have any guys who were the No. 1 player in their state," West Virginia center Jamie Smalligan said. "But I think that Coach K would love to have Joe Alexander on his team right now," he added, referring to Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/mike_krzyzewski/index.html?inline=nyt-per).
Alexander said, "We knew that coming in that they were just going to stand around and not rebound, so we were ready to exploit that."
In the first half, Alexander, who is 6 feet 8 inches, blocked a shot by Duke guard DeMarcus Nelson in the post, then let out a scream. "I told him that he shouldn't shoot anymore," Alexander said. "He was actually very nice to me for the rest of the game."
As a reporter was leaving, the reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald's all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: "Oh my God. Are you kidding?"Paulus was a stud in high school. But this aint high school anymore. I knew he should have stuck to football.

[unccrombie]

of course it was a foul. I thought it was a foul the first time they showed the replay. Officials are going to swallow their whistles near end game...nearly
i wish they did during the regular season and made the right calls vs UCLA...but no...never

[unccrombie]

Paulus was a stud in high school. But this aint high school anymore. I knew he should have stuck to football.
well considering he would have went to ND, it was wise to go to duke. i talked with him before he headed down to durham and he knew what he was doing

[Lee3691]

Duke isn't the only team that has a lot of highly touted recruits. Kansas, Carolina, UCLA, Arizona, Texas & Florida get just about anyone they want as well.

UCLA isn't the only team that gets the benefits of the whistle sometimes. I seem to remember a Carolina/Clemson game this year when Carolina had 30+ free throw attempts, and Clemson had like 5.

[unccrombie]

Duke isn't the only team that has a lot of highly touted recruits. Kansas, Carolina, UCLA, Arizona, Texas & Florida get just about anyone they want as well.

UCLA isn't the only team that gets the benefits of the whistle sometimes. I seem to remember a Carolina/Clemson game this year when Carolina had 30+ free throw attempts, and Clemson had like 5.
doesn't mean they weren't earned though

[seekupig]

UCLA isn't the only team that gets the benefits of the whistle sometimes. I seem to remember a Carolina/Clemson game this year when Carolina had 30+ free throw attempts, and Clemson had like 5.


can you remember one foul in that game that shouldn't have been called? the foul shooting disparity in that game was due to difference in style of play, not officiating. UNC throws the ball down to Hansbrough who gets pounded every time. Clemson was shooting open jump shots and refused to take the ball down low.

I can think of at least three games off the top of my head that UCLA has had the outcome giftwrapped and delivered by the refs in the closing seconds....

[Lee3691]

I think of many times a Clemson played got hacked, but no whistle blown. I can also point a few times where Westbrook, on his fast break layups that he made, was hacked, but no whistle called. No doubt there is some bad officiating, but over the course of the game, it usually evens out. However, its no surprise that the higher profile teams - Carolina (and there is no higher profile team then Carolina, with all of their bandwagon fans), Kansas, Duke & UCLA seem to get more then their fair share.

[unccrombie]

I think of many times a Clemson played got hacked, but no whistle blown. I can also point a few times where Westbrook, on his fast break layups that he made, was hacked, but no whistle called. No doubt there is some bad officiating, but over the course of the game, it usually evens out. However, its no surprise that the higher profile teams - Carolina (and there is no higher profile team then Carolina, with all of their bandwagon fans), Kansas, Duke & UCLA seem to get more then their fair share.
theres a difference in calls throughout a game, which obviously dont get called, versus the bad ones that decide a game though. let the kids play

[JamesM]

Nova Fucking Nation.

[penn darvis]

but that was my point from the beginning. you were over reacting from the get go.
You really like having the last word, don't you?

[seekupig]

Nova Fucking Nation.


bring it. :D

[UNLTrpt]

You really like having the last word, don't you?

you could say that. especially when I'm right.

[GavMan33]

Lee, I don't know brotherman. First I do gotta say something about the Carolina guys in here. Even though they tend to look our for their own interests when it comes to fantasy and other games throughout the year :D , I can tell you that as long as I've known them, they've never struck me as "bandwagon." Not sure if you were insinuating that these guys are like that, but I'm here to tell you that they are not.

In terms of calls being missed throughout the game, unfortunately, it happens. The zebras can't get them all. But it is imperative that they get calls right in end-of-game situations. That has not happened in several instances this season. Right off the top of my head I'm thinking UCLA vs. Cal, Arizona St. vs. Southern Cal, West Virginia vs. GTown, Nova vs. GTown, and Nova vs. NC State. Just off the top of my head. Last year, although we blew a lead, John Cahill failed to make a call that should have been made, and it cost us dearly.

In terms of free throw differential, there are many different reasons they can happen. In our 1st round game vs. Georgia, we shot 33 FTs to Georgia's 5. But watch the tape. We were very very aggressive attacking the rim, and it shows. We know we're a fantastic FT shooting team, and we want to get to the line. Add to that that there were intentional fouls at the end where X prolly shot 10-12 FTs, that brings 33 down to about 21-23. Not as big a difference. Numbers don't always tell the whole story.

I'm looking closer at this game with Georgia, we had 47 FG attempts, they had 56, and they shot 46% to our 42%. And each team was 6-18 from the 3pt. line. But we made 27 FTs to their 3. Free throws are the most important thing in basketball, I truly believe that. You cannot be a championship basketball team if you can't consistently make FTs. How about Drew Lavender going 6-for-6 from the FT line in the final minute yesterday when Purdue was gonna catch us? If we're a bad FT shooting team, we lose yesterday. Free throws are the most important thing.

I wouldn't say bandwagon fans. I love watching Kansas play, I've become a big fan of that team over the last 6-8 weeks. Does that label me a bandwagon fan because I think Kansas is the best team in the field and I'm rooting for them? If it does, OK I guess. I just think that's a little brash a statement....

[bothedmbfan]

I like dirt.

[JamesM]

bring it. :D Oh, it will be brung.

[GavMan33]

If I may hop in to a conversation I obviously totally missed as I only saw the replay on SportsCenter late last night, I have to agree with our king of the NIT. Generally I don't like that at all, and I notice that it always seems to be the big schools doing that. But in this situation, I can understand it. They just played a very hard fought game. They needed a stop at the end of the game, and they got it. He celebrated it by banging it home.

I find it interesting talking about "class." Everybody talks about it, and questions whether this guy or that guy or that team shows class. If we are questioning class a lot, then can't it be assumed that a lot of these same people actually lack "class." Just an observation of mine....

[UNLTrpt]

If I may hop in to a conversation I obviously totally missed as I only saw the replay on SportsCenter late last night, I have to agree with our king of the NIT. Generally I don't like that at all, and I notice that it always seems to be the big schools doing that. But in this situation, I can understand it. They just played a very hard fought game. They needed a stop at the end of the game, and they got it. He celebrated it by banging it home.

I find it interesting talking about "class." Everybody talks about it, and questions whether this guy or that guy or that team shows class. If we are questioning class a lot, then can't it be assumed that a lot of these same people actually lack "class." Just an observation of mine....

:multi

and if i may turn away from the mens convo for just a second...the husker women beat X today in the 1st round of the womens big dance.

I know I know its womens basketball.

[JamesM]

WNCAAB...... why is it a sport?

[unccrombie]

WNCAAB...... why is it a sport?
something about equal rights or something

[UNLTrpt]

I had to have SOMEthing to gloat about.

:shrug

[JamesM]

something about equal rights or something :confused:ugh:confused:ugh















:rolleyes

[unccrombie]

hehe

[clayj41]

For all the UNC guys in here, Tyler Zeller set the Indiana High School Record for most points scored in a state championship game yesterday with 43. He also pulled down 16 rebounds and his team won by 24.

[jblever]

People calling all Carolina fans bandwagon? Nothing new there. What you have to remember is Carolina is a huge public school, and one of the best ones in the nation at that. So that right there yields many more alumni/fans than a private school such as Duke. Carolina basketball is a way of life, just like it is at Kansas. My father and sister both went to Carolina, so I've been watching basketball games since about age 3. This kind of stuff runs in the family. My blood is "blue" as they would say. Granted, there are bandwagon fans, just like the Boston Red Sox and Green Bay Packers have bandwagon fans, but don't assume that all UNC fans are ignorant and just like the color blue.

Hansbrough does not get breaks on his calls. Rarely, if ever, will you see Tyler "act" or flop for a call. Unlike Paulus when Danny Green made him some "green tea". It is no secret that Tyler is the hardest working player in the nation, he never gives up on any play and he takes a pounding from all the triple teams he draws.

[penn darvis]

you could say that. especially when I'm right.
You really need to get over yourself. Don't you have better things to do besides stroking your ego on a message board? Oh yea, you live in Nebraska.

[UNLTrpt]

gotta love the "you live in Nebraska" comeback.

SO original.

[jblever]

You really need to get over yourself. Don't you have better things to do besides stroking your ego on a message board? Oh yea, you live in Nebraska.
Drinking heavily maybe. But yeah, technology is your best bet in Nebraska.

[clayj41]

Miami is making one hell of a run on Texas. It's gonna be too little, too late but still quite impressive!!!

[jblever]

Very impressive. Alright ACC!

They need a miracle right now, but still, hell of a game.

[JamesM]

Miracle here.

Edit: Nope.

[clayj41]

Augustin airballed a free throw!!! :eek