2024 NCAAB - MADNESS

[Tabe]

On 3/16/2024 at 10:21 PM, Brian Fowler said:

Man, I forgot just how bad the shooting in that title game was. UConn only shot 34.5% from the floor and that was still 14.7% better than Butler.

Though Butler's 27.3% from three was sizzling compared to the Huskies 9.1%.

I think I had legit blocked that game from my memory in remembering Walker rampaging through the entire tournament.

Still the greatest run ever for a mid-major - back-to-back title games and a banked-out 3 away from beating Duke to win it all. Or just shooting... terribly instead historically awful...from beating UConn and winning it all. 

[Pete]

4 hours ago, Tabe said:

Still the greatest run ever for a mid-major - back-to-back title games and a banked-out 3 away from beating Duke to win it all.

In Indianapolis of all places.

[Pete]

Relevant to @Dolfan in NYC's interests: Columbia are dancing for the first time.

2-bid Ivy. Amazing.

[RIPPA]

Oklahoma was another that instantly rejected a NIT invite

All of the schools are claiming it is because of the Portal

[Gorman]

Happy to see my alma mater (Northwestern) and my parents' (Akron) in the Big Dance.

[RIPPA]

Oh and I just stumbled across Kim English hating math (Thank God he isn't still at Mason)

Quote

Coach Kim English was looking to lead Providence to the NCAA tournament in his first season with the Friars, but they too fell short despite a 21-13 record.

Providence finished 58th in the NET rankings but had a host of big wins, including over Marquette and twice versus Creighton -- with one those victories coming in the Big East tournament.

"I think the analytics are bulls---," English told reporters. "I think you could schedule bad teams in your nonleague and beat the snot out of them, beat them by 50 or 60. Coaching for so long has been a gentleman's agreement: You have a large lead at the end of the game, for health reasons you take guys out. To get some other guys the opportunity to play, you take guys out. But right now might be a change in college basketball. Scheduling to beat teams by 40 and 50 might be a thing to do.

"When you get into this league, the analytics aren't going to look very good in league. You're playing against some really, really good coaches. We played at Connecticut, and they shoot 40% from the field. We're a good defense. They won the game. They should be credited for winning the game. I do think there are some flaws in the system."

 

[hammerva]

You would think that the NCAA and ESPN would want to set up the women's tournament to make sure that Caitlin Clark and Iowa gets there as much as possible but if they do make it to the Final Four it is going to be a huge task.

[Mister TV]

3 hours ago, RIPPA said:

Oklahoma was another that instantly rejected a NIT invite

All of the schools are claiming it is because of the Portal

Has there been any explanation on why the NIT is still a thing? It seems like its expiration date hit maybe 45 years ago. I also didn't realize they no longer play the semis and finals at MSG, wasn't the whole point of the NIT an excuse for the announcers to talk about how CCNY was a national power when Harry Truman was President. 

[Brian Fowler]

Here I remind everyone they changed the rules for NIT invites to make it more titled towards mediocre power conference programs instead of mid-major schools who might actually be excited to be there.

[Dolfan in NYC]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

Relevant to @Dolfan in NYC's interests: Columbia are dancing for the first time.

2-bid Ivy. Amazing.

I think I've told this story before, but when I went to Columbia, I worked at the Spectator, the university's student-run newspaper. Specifically in the Sports section. Well, in 1996, your own Dolfan was headed to his Phys Ed class of Basketball, led by the women's head bb coach, Kerry Phayre.  And to that point, the team was 0-18, and the Spec had run an editorial a couple of days before calling for her dismissal as the team was absolutely atrocious (even by Columbia's standards).  

Well, what I hadn't seen, was that about an hour before the class was supposed to start, Coach Phayre had indeed, been relieved of her duties.  Not surprising.  But what was surprising was that the assistant head coaches were taking over the class for the day.  And what else was surprising, was that they apparently all knew that I worked for the Spec.  AND more surprising than that... they partially blamed me for her firing.  (There was a gender aspect to their anger, but they quickly shut themselves up about that.)

It was about as tense an hour as I'd ever experienced in my life.  When I talked to my friend who was one of the editors about my experience, he laughed and said, "yeah, maybe if she'd won a game, they'd have a leg to stand on."

Anyway, fast forward to now...  Kerry Phayre is the winningest coach in Assumption College's history and is a living legend there.  And Columbia's going dancing for the first time ever.  

Life can be interesting.  

[Tabe]

3 hours ago, RIPPA said:

"We played at Connecticut, and they shoot 40% from the field. We're a good defense. They won the game. They should be credited for winning the game." 

 

That's an interesting take, Coach - the other guys shot poorly and STILL beat you. You must be awesome! 

[Cobra Commander]

Depends on how much of that 40% was from three

[Tabe]

3 hours ago, Cobra Commander said:

Depends on how much of that 40% was from three

They played UConn twice and lost both times. The game in question, UConn shot 40% but was 4-23 from 3 and 18-32 from 2.

[Cobra Commander]

7 minutes ago, Tabe said:

They played UConn twice and lost both times. The game in question, UConn shot 40% but was 4-23 from 3 and 18-32 from 2.

reminds me of the Duquesne game on Sunday where they had to "yeah but" offensive rebounds because it was offensive rebounds due to some real junky three point attempts

First Four tonight.. and I know they've had MEAC/SWAC first four games (Texas Southern vs NC Central), but, it seems like they'd prefer not pairing the MEAC and SWAC in the first four while consistently putting one or both of their autobids in First Four games (I don't think the MEAC and SWAC play each other enough in non-con to trigger the 'no rematches' clause)

[Brian Fowler]

I continue to maintain making a team that earned an autobid play in the First Four shouldn't be allowed. It should be the last 8 bubble teams.

[Cobra Commander]

anytime you get Howard and Wagner together, you get a game that comes down to the wire

[Cobra Commander]

would it surprise you to hear that this Virginia game is like peeing out a kidney stone?

[Cobra Commander]

I know this might grate the "basketball doesn't have enough defense" people but.. if Virginia isn't gonna play a style of basketball that isn't gonna lead to them scoring for an hour, something might need to change in college basketball to boost offense a little more compared to defense-only teams

[Brian Fowler]

3 hours ago, Cobra Commander said:

I know this might grate the "basketball doesn't have enough defense" people but.. if Virginia isn't gonna play a style of basketball that isn't gonna lead to them scoring for an hour, something might need to change in college basketball to boost offense a little more compared to defense-only teams

I feel like we need to find a happy medium between the no defense NBA and a lot of the college teams.

[hammerva]

9 hours ago, Cobra Commander said:

would it surprise you to hear that this Virginia game is like peeing out a kidney stone?

[RIPPA]

Tom Izzo picked a weird time to roll out his “the tournament needs more Virginia so eliminate automatic bids for mid-majors” take

[Pete]

There's "going out on a high note" and then there's what Dambrot has accomplished, 30 years after practically getting black-balled from DI hoops. What a way to go.

[Pete]

Meanwhile, in SLC:

 

[Tabe]

On 3/19/2024 at 3:58 PM, Brian Fowler said:

I continue to maintain making a team that earned an autobid play in the First Four shouldn't be allowed. It should be the last 8 bubble teams.

THANK YOU. 

[Tabe]

15 minutes ago, Pete said:

Meanwhile, in SLC:

 

I love it. 

And he did push off.