2009 NCAA Tournament Thread

[sterlingice]

Figured it was time to start a thread now that the brackets are out.

SI

[sterlingice]

So, filling out my bracket- the bottom half of the south bracket is the hardest in my mind. I could see 6 of the 8 teams coming out of there.

Oklahoma is fairly strong but limping along right now and not a "dominant" 2
Clemson- good but inconsistent
Michigan- decent, don't see them winning the subregion but felt the need to include them as I could see them beating Clemson
Syracuse- I could easily see them running out of steam after laying it all on the floor in the Big East tourney
Arizona St- Wins against Washington, at UCLA
Temple - again, like Michigan, not going to come out of the subregion but could beat Arizona St

SI

[Radii]

I think the bottom half of the east is failry similar. duke, texas, minnesota, villanova, UCLA, VCU could all win a couple games IMO. I do agree completely with the bottom half of the south.

[sterlingice]

I have 23 "gut" picks so far that I'm pretty happy with, tho in pencil so far and subject to change. The rest I'll need to read up some more and once I have the whole previous part of the bracket filled out, then I can do the last 7 games (I always seem to do my bracket as "sub-regions").

Midwest
Louisville and Michigan State seem to be on a collision course. I have Wake and Kansas winning their first games but that's all I have so far in this bracket. I really worry about Kansas's second game against WVU so I just can't do that one at all yet. Also, I have to look at Utah/Arizona.

West
I have the top 4 all winning their first game and Memphis winning their second. That's it. I could see Mizzou making some real noise here but I don't know much about Marquette. I also don't see UConn making the Final Four- they have to lose somewhere in the bracket because they aren't the same without Dyson.

East
I have Pitt winning 2 but I worry about a potential match with Florida St. Duke and Nova winning their first games are easy, too. But, like Radii said- the bottom half of this one is pretty tough. I don't think we can just write in VCU as a perfect token upset like everyone on ESPN liked. And I really think Nova has a pretty easy first two with home games in Philly but I want to look at Nova vs VCU/UCLA before "inking it", so to speak. Similarly, Duke has a lot of warts so I need to see how this goes before advancing them too far.

South
The top half is easy. Carolina wins twice, tho their second game is interesting. I like Western Kentucky over Illinois but the Zags will beat either of them after beating the Zips. As I said above, the only thing I can figure out in the second half of that bracket is OU winning their first game.

So, there's my preliminary bracket- maybe 1/3rd done...

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

Having not been real happy with the outcome with most of my brackets in recent years, I've decided I'm going to wait until Monday to do one.

[DeToxRox]

Michigan/Clemson has a 7:10 est tip on Thursday according to the guys at TheWolverine.com

[Lathum]

Michigan/Clemson has a 7:10 est tip on Thursday according to the guys at TheWolverine.com

Any idea where they go that info from, I really wanna know what time the Washington game is Thursday

[spleen1015]

Printable bracket with game times.

NCAA.com - The Official Web Site of the NCAA (http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2009mbkbracketdivision1)

[MrBug708]

Nice to see the committee stick it to UCLA. You would think having the chairman of the selection committee would help, but it obviously didn't. Now the UCLA upset is the trendy pick.

[Butter]

Kind of pissed that Dayton ended up as an 11 seed. Was hoping for a 10, or even an 8-9 matchup.

West Virginia is one of those teams that either they're on, in which case NOBODY is beating them, or they're off, in which case they can still beat you with defense. Dayton is a bad offensive team, no doubt about it, but they whipped Marquette this year by making it an up-and-down athletic game, which most teams since then have been smart to try and avoid.

The other thing that gives me hope for UD is that Bob Huggins has traditionally been a bad NCAA tournament coach. How many highly ranked Cincinnati teams did Huggins have taken down in the 1st and 2nd rounds? Several, as I recall.

Anybody else with scouting reports on their hometown teams/first round matchups?

[Butter]

Louisville got rewarded, yet hosed at the same time by being placed in Dayton.

Should Ohio State get by Siena, it will be a 2/3 pro-OSU crowd in round #2 to face the 'Ville. Should be interesting.

[mauchow]

Wisconsin got a huge break avoiding a 1/2 matchup in the second round. But they've got an seemingly coming together 'Noles team. We stop their stud guard, Douglas, we should have no problem coming out on top. The only thing the Badgers HAVE to do is make sure they're not winning by about five with three minutes to go because they Badgers are a lock to lose that game. They've lost those games all year long thanks to the guard play of Hughes in most cases. If Hughes is on this game there is very good chance the Badgers win. If Hughes is off, Bohannon will have to go off(20+ points), which I don't see happening. It's one of the more interesting first round matchups, imo.

Go Wisconsin!

[RainMaker]

Couple higher seeds to keep an eye on:

Portland State - They have a couple solid players and are no cake walk. Beat Gonzaga this year soundly and almost took out Washington.

North Dakota State - Really fundamentally sound team that have 4 guys on the court that can hit 3's at any time. They took USC down to the wire and I think could be one of the odd sleepers that hangs around with Kansas for a half. The game is also in the Twin Cities which has a ton of NDSU alumni and isn't a far drive. This could be a home game for NDSU.

[DeToxRox]

F NoDak State. No way they beat OU with Derrick Nelson playing. Kid is a stud. Can't wait to see them next year when he is back and ready to go.

[wade moore]

Nice to see the committee stick it to UCLA. You would think having the chairman of the selection committee would help, but it obviously didn't. Now the UCLA upset is the trendy pick.

What are UCLA's strengths/weaknesses?

VCU will matchup well against a team that doesn't have a lot of weight in the front court and cannot man-up on guards well. Also if a team has problems with the press, VCU will eat them alive.

They do a few things very well:

A) Larry Sanders (their C) is a blocking machine. He has a giant wing-span and loves to get highlight real blocks.

B) Eric Maynor is considered by many to be one of the top PG's in the country. He's not a pure shooter, but his dribble drive creates havock. So if you can't man up and keep him from penetrating he'll give you hell.

C) Full Court Press. They use the full court press all game and are quite good at it.


So, depending on how UCLA is built (I really don't know West Coast teams well) then I think there is a reason for an upset pick. It's not often that a mid-major has two NBA potential players (Maynor is a senior and is getting some consideration as a draft pick and Sanders is a Sophomore with a lot of upset that could make him an NBA draftee after his senior year).

[Lathum]

just looking at some interesting opening round betting lines

Obviously Vegas felt Arizona deserved to get in, they are a 1 point favorite over Utah

Duke, a 2 seed is a bigger favorite over their opponent then Pitt or uConn.

Vegas doesn't buy into the VCU hype, UCLA is favored by 7. In fact, Vegas seems to like the PAC 10. All 6 teams are favored. Including CAL and USC over ACC teams, Arizona as a 12 over a 5, and UW by 5 over the SEC champ. As the other 5 seed go Perdue is an 8 point fav, Illinoi 4.5 and Fl St by 3.

Of the 3 conferences that got 7 teams

5 ACC teams are favorites
All 7 Big East teams are/ will be favorites
4 Big 10 teams are favorites

[timmynausea]

West Virginia is one of those teams that either they're on, in which case NOBODY is beating them, or they're off, in which case they can still beat you with defense. Dayton is a bad offensive team, no doubt about it, but they whipped Marquette this year by making it an up-and-down athletic game, which most teams since then have been smart to try and avoid.

That is a pretty good assessment of WVU, especially over the past couple weeks of the season with Ebanks really coming on. They played poorly against Louisville and stayed within 3 and again had a poor showing against Syracuse in the BE tournament and still got it into OT. Dayton still scares me, though. They deserved a higher seed.

A point on Huggins being a "bad tournament coach" (which seems to have Doug Gottlieb as a primary source): The rumor is that he spent part of his year away from coaching in rehab for alcohol and has been more focused and a much better coach than he was the last 5-7 years in Cincy since. (He made a final four and 2 elite 8s from 1992 to 1996 and only had a single sweet 16 from 97-05, though at least one year of underachieving can be chalked up to Kenyon Martin's broken leg.)

It's hard to say if that's true, but I've been impressed with Huggins as a bench coach. Based on what I saw of the Cincinnati teams, I thought he'd be more of a recruiter/motivator, but he seems like a pretty good coach all the way around. Looking at the win over Pitt for some examples of what I'm talking about: Early on WVU posted up with whomever Levance Fields was covering for some easy layups and late in the game Huggins switched to a 1-3-1 zone that really confused the Pitt offense.

Dayton is still capable of pulling off the upset. I just don't see it happening because of a bad coaching job by Huggins.

[wade moore]

just looking at some interesting opening round betting lines

Obviously Vegas felt Arizona deserved to get in, they are a 1 point favorite over Utah

Duke, a 2 seed is a bigger favorite over their opponent then Pitt or uConn.

Vegas doesn't buy into the VCU hype, UCLA is favored by 7. In fact, Vegas seems to like the PAC 10. All 6 teams are favored. Including CAL and USC over ACC teams, Arizona as a 12 over a 5, and UW by 5 over the SEC champ. As the other 5 seed go Perdue is an 8 point fav, Illinoi 4.5 and Fl St by 3.

Of the 3 conferences that got 7 teams

5 ACC teams are favorites
All 7 Big East teams are/ will be favorites
4 Big 10 teams are favorites

The VCU line makes sense. It's a 6 vs. 11. I don't think anyone is saying they are favored to win, but as far as upsets go they seem like the most likely upset - that doesn't translate into being favored.

[Lathum]

The VCU line makes sense. It's a 6 vs. 11. I don't think anyone is saying they are favored to win, but as far as upsets go they seem like the most likely upset - that doesn't translate into being favored.

I wouldn't expect them to be favored, but there are alot of other matchups with smaller spreads

[JonInMiddleGA]

Hope nobody had Kickingstallionsims in their Top Gun squad.

[Butter]

Dayton is still capable of pulling off the upset. I just don't see it happening because of a bad coaching job by Huggins.

I don't think Huggins is a bad coach... you don't win 30 games a year at Cincinnati that way. But his tournament credentials are not good... yes, he snuck up on some people for a couple years at UC, but he had some crazy good talent then.

I could see UD sneaking out a 2 point win, or losing by 30. Just hoping for the Flyers to keep it close and somehow gut out a win. They are something like 10-1 in games decided by 5 points or less, so WVU better hope for the "win by 30" route.

[sterlingice]

So I've been looking at some of the more "exotic" picking stuff- like the guy who CBS has on their page talking about upsets (Tiernan, I think). I've been seeing more and more of this type of analysis over the past 2 to 3 years- it's kindof a "pigeonholing" of upset types. If you're a 12, you'll upset a 5 one way but if you're an 11, you upset teams another way.

It's as if I could make a list and set up conditions like if you're an 11, you need to be good at playing on Thursdays and in the mountain time zone and have good guards but if you're a 12, you need to be in a city with a greater than 1 in 1000 per capita of sushi restaurants, play in a conference that starts with a letter in the first half of the alphabet, and have good strong forwards.

It just seems like a really flawed model in my mind and I'm starting to see a lot of these. The numbers and credentials are arbitrary and it's more like using hindsight to collect some only some select facts and predict the future and using only those. It's seems so counter to the stats that you see especially in baseball where a whole body of work is chosen and attempted to be quantified before trying to make a prediction.

Let me go dig up the link:
Bracket Science: The anatomy of an upset - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com News, Fantasy, Video (http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11506231) I mean, I like some of the broad strokes the guy uses at first but then we start in on this silly pigeonholing. He has another article like that on CBS, but I don't have the link handy.

SI

[sterlingice]

Every year, there are a few trap games that make or break brackets. My thoughts on ones for this year:

North Carolina-Gonzaga: That bottom half of the bracket is a mess and this one is for the F4.

Louisville-Michigan St: Like I said above, they just seem like they're on a collision course in the midwest.

Memphis-Mizzou: If UConn survives to the E8, I think the winner here takes them out

Arizona St-Syracuse: Winner has a good shot at the E8.

Utah-Arizona : For some reason, I just see Wake primed for an upset and that's if they get past Cleveland State.

Also, a couple of thoughts based on "common knowledge"

1) VCU is no lock to beat UCLA. I don't like any of the 11s over 6s this year.

2) People have fallen in love with Florida State and Syracuse after their conference tourney performances. I think Syracuse, in particular, is badly overseeded. But the problem is I could see that half of the South bracket fall apart as I mentioned above.

3) The more and more I want to mark UConn down for an early exit, the harder I have a problem seeing who can do it. That part of their bracket is just fluffy. I would pick their 8/9 over any other and is anyone scared of Purdue or Washington?

4) If Lawson is really gimpy or unable to play, aren't you scared of putting North Carolina even past the winner of LSU/Butler?

5) The more and more that I look at it, the more and more I'm scared of KU's game with West Virginia. I'm not overly worried about North Dakota State but I don't think WVU has much to worry about with Dayton either- it's a good matchup for them.

SI

[Radii]

Utah-Arizona : For some reason, I just see Wake primed for an upset and that's if they get past Cleveland State.


If Wake gets by the first two rounds i think they'll make the final four. Against the best of teams they seem to play like a top 5 team. Against anyone else, they are wildly inconsistent. Not suprising for a team led by underclassmen I suppose. I won't be surprised if they lose to cleveland state but if they get out of the first weekend I think they've got a real shot at Louisville.


4) If Lawson is really gimpy or unable to play, aren't you scared of putting North Carolina even past the winner of LSU/Butler?


Yes :( Lawson played ok while hurt against Duke, but he was noticeably slowed, he wasn't able to blow by the entire other team for layups like he is normally able to do 4-5 times a game. I suspect he'll sit for round 1 and play vs LSU/Butler, but won't be full strength. That should be enough in the 2nd round barring a meltdown but then Gonzaga scares the hell out of me without a full strength lawson.

[Lathum]

[QUOTE=sterlingice;1971801]Every year, there are a few trap games that make or break brackets. My thoughts on ones for this year:

North Carolina-Gonzaga: That bottom half of the bracket is a mess and this one is for the F4.

I pretty much agree, unless OK can revert back to the way they were before the Griffen injury.

Louisville-Michigan St: Like I said above, they just seem like they're on a collision course in the midwest.

I just don't get the MSU love. Yes Izzo is a great coach, but I think the Big 10 is overrated and the times I have seen MSU play they have a tendancy to let teams hang around. I see alot of teams on their side giving them problems. KU and USC are athletic and WVU has come together of late and wont be intimidated by anyone.

Memphis-Mizzou: If UConn survives to the E8, I think the winner here takes them out

I think with the D Memphis plays they are in good shape to win this bracket

Arizona St-Syracuse: Winner has a good shot at the E8.

I think the potential AZ st- 'Cuse matchup is a great one. Az State has 2 amazing players and 'Cuse is a good team with great guardplay, alot of good matchups.

Utah-Arizona : For some reason, I just see Wake primed for an upset and that's if they get past Cleveland State.

I think with the number of scorers Arizona has they can give most teams problems, the problem is they have underachieved all year.

Also, a couple of thoughts based on "common knowledge"

1) VCU is no lock to beat UCLA. I don't like any of the 11s over 6s this year.

I think UCLA will blow them out

2) People have fallen in love with Florida State and Syracuse after their conference tourney performances. I think Syracuse, in particular, is badly overseeded. But the problem is I could see that half of the South bracket fall apart as I mentioned above.

Good guardplay seems to get rewarded


3) The more and more I want to mark UConn down for an early exit, the harder I have a problem seeing who can do it. That part of their bracket is just fluffy. I would pick their 8/9 over any other and is anyone scared of Purdue or Washington?


I have watch alot of UW basketball being a student there. They could actualy give UConn problems. Jon Brockman is a beast inside and can get Thabeet into foul trouble and UConn isn't the same team without them. They also have alot of guys who can score and a deep bench. The problem is they may not get past Perdue. I can see Perdue slowing the game down and UW and their freshman PG getting impatient

4) If Lawson is really gimpy or unable to play, aren't you scared of putting North Carolina even past the winner of LSU/Butler?

no

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think with the D Memphis plays they are in good shape to win this bracket

This comment about Memphis has always confused me. Here are the defensive rankings for the top 4 teams in this bracket.......

National Defensive Efficiency Ranking

Memphis - #1
Connecticut - #3
Missouri - #8
Washington - #11

As you can see, Memphis is in fact #1, but there are 4 of the top 11 defenses in this bracket alone. It's not like Memphis is going to be playing a bunch of offense-first teams. They're going up against three top seeds who have posted great defensive numbers in far tougher conferences than Memphis.

Just as telling could be the offense rankings of the same 4 teams.

National Offensive Efficiency Ranking

Missouri - #18
Connecticut - #19
Washington - #37
Memphis - #38

Memphis has the worst offensive ranking of the top 4 seeds in that bracket, despite playing in a weaker conference than the other three teams. I really think Memphis and their defense aren't nearly the advantage in this bracket that most people think it is.

[timmynausea]

I just don't get the MSU love. Yes Izzo is a great coach, but I think the Big 10 is overrated and the times I have seen MSU play they have a tendancy to let teams hang around. I see alot of teams on their side giving them problems. KU and USC are athletic and WVU has come together of late and wont be intimidated by anyone.

+1

Of course, I could be off because the games I remember watching of theirs they got drilled by Purdue and Ohio State.

[timmynausea]

2) People have fallen in love with Florida State and Syracuse after their conference tourney performances. I think Syracuse, in particular, is badly overseeded. But the problem is I could see that half of the South bracket fall apart as I mentioned above.

I'm somewhat torn on Syracuse. They have really underperformed and played unmotivated often the last few years. Boeheim has seemingly mailed it in since winning the championship with Carmelo. No team in college basketball has played less hungry.

Then again, they do have something like 7 McDonalds All-Americans right now, and Flynn is an awesome point guard. The effort was suddenly there at the end of the year, and this team is much more talented than the Gerry Macnamara team that won the Big East tourney and got knocked out early.

I guess I must think they'll finally go somewhere as I picked both Flynn and Devendorf for my Top Gun team. Then again, I won't be shocked if they get knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round. And I don't think I'd shed any tears, either.

[Lathum]

This comment about Memphis has always confused me. Here are the defensive rankings for the top 4 teams in this bracket.......



As you can see, Memphis is in fact #1, but there are 4 of the top 11 defenses in this bracket alone. It's not like Memphis is going to be playing a bunch of offense-first teams. They're going up against three top seeds who have posted great defensive numbers in far tougher conferences than Memphis.

Just as telling could be the offense rankings of the same 4 teams.



Memphis has the worst offensive ranking of the top 4 seeds in that bracket, despite playing in a weaker conference than the other three teams. I really think Memphis and their defense aren't nearly the advantage in this bracket that most people think it is.

I think you need to throw out most of what UConn has done this year, they haven't been the same without Dyson. I admitidly don't know much about Mizzu. I have watched alot of UW games. Thomas is a youn PG who has turned the ball over in bad spots at times and Memphis is a team that can capitilize on that. IMO

[Radii]

I think Mizzou can really give Memphis a great game if they can avoid one of their 20% shooting first halves. I've picked Memphis to win in any pool I've entered but I think Mizzou has a legit shot.

[Lathum]

I think Mizzou can really give Memphis a great game if they can avoid one of their 20% shooting first halves. I've picked Memphis to win in any pool I've entered but I think Mizzou has a legit shot.

I think I am a little sour on Mizzou because the only games I saw them in were a blow out to A&M and one to KU. They have alot of wins, but looking at their OOC schedule it isn't very impressive. They lost to the 2 best teams they played ( Xavier, Illinois) and their best win was USC and crushing Cal.

I am by no stretch an expert on them, they just don't seem as impressive on paper.

[muns]

I think I am a little sour on Mizzou because the only games I saw them in were a blow out to A&M and one to KU. They have alot of wins, but looking at their OOC schedule it isn't very impressive. They lost to the 2 best teams they played ( Xavier, Illinois) and their best win was USC and crushing Cal.

I am by no stretch an expert on them, they just don't seem as impressive on paper.

Ya but you know they are gonna bring that "D" and at this level to me thats a nice wildcard to throw into the tourney mix as most of these teams dont get pressed like that, ever......

[Lathum]

not sure if anyone cares but Obamas picks

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/entry?entryID=2813746

[Radii]

not sure if anyone cares but Obamas picks

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/entry?entryID=2813746

He's won my vote for re-election in 2012.

[SnDvls]

is there a FOFC yahoo tournament group set up somewhere?

[LloydLungs]

The President is not exactly going out on a limb with those picks, but we have identical Final Fours at least.

[wade moore]

On the UCLA-VCU game..

A blowout by UCLA would surprise me. They play very good defense.

I still think they have a solid shot to win and regardless of win/lose I believe they will keep it close.

[Radii]

The President is not exactly going out on a limb with those picks, but we have identical Final Fours at least.

you'll get my vote in 2012 as well then, if you're up for anything I can vote for.

[Danny]

Is there anyone not picking Louisville, Pitt, NC and Memphis? You'd think there would be a surprise final four team, but I can't pick against those 4 myself.

[Lathum]

is there a FOFC yahoo tournament group set up somewhere?

Free Yahoo Tournament pick em - Front Office Football Central (http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=71324)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is there anyone not picking Louisville, Pitt, NC and Memphis? You'd think there would be a surprise final four team, but I can't pick against those 4 myself.

No matter which of my brackets you look at, you don't see that combo.

Louisville, UConn, Duke, UNC in one bracket.
Louisville, UConn, Duke, Oklahoma in the other.

[Lathum]

No matter which of my brackets you look at, you don't see that combo.

Louisville, UConn, Duke, UNC in one bracket.
Louisville, UConn, Duke, Oklahoma in the other.

I don't see Duke getting anywhere near the final 4 unless someone else knocks off Pitt . If they get to the Elite 8 and play Pitt they will get manhandled by them.

I honestly don't think Duke gets past Texas.

[Lathum]

In my 2 money pools I have

Louisville, Pitt, Memphis, UNC
Louisvills, Memphis, Gonzaga, Pitt

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't see Duke getting anywhere near the final 4 unless someone else knocks off Pitt . If they get to the Elite 8 and play Pitt they will get manhandled by them. I honestly don't think Duke gets past Texas.

{shrug} I had to pick somebody and I just ain't feeling it for Pitt. Hell, if you really want your mind blown the Duke bracket I mentioned has them losing the final to Louisville.

[Radii]

Is there anyone not picking Louisville, Pitt, NC and Memphis? You'd think there would be a surprise final four team, but I can't pick against those 4 myself.


Wake Forest, UConn, Pitt, UNC

I'm an ACC Homer. But I think Louisville(pending a healthy lawson) is the most likely 1 seed to miss the final four, and as I've said elsewhere, if Wake doesn't bomb out in the first weekend, I think they give Louisville a hell of a game, they absolutely play up to the level of the better teams that they face.

[Tigercat]

Wake Forest, UConn, Pitt, UNC

I'm an ACC Homer. But I think Louisville(pending a healthy lawson) is the most likely 1 seed to miss the final four, and as I've said elsewhere, if Wake doesn't bomb out in the first weekend, I think they give Louisville a hell of a game, they absolutely play up to the level of the better teams that they face.

I was begining to think I was the only one high on Wake making a run into the final 4. (Although looking at your location... ;) ) For the most part I see it as a tourny dictated by low post scoring more than normal.

I've got Wake, UConn, Pitt, Oklahoma; Oklahoma beating UConn in the final.

[RainMaker]

Wake Forest, UConn, Pitt, UNC

I'm an ACC Homer. But I think Louisville(pending a healthy lawson) is the most likely 1 seed to miss the final four, and as I've said elsewhere, if Wake doesn't bomb out in the first weekend, I think they give Louisville a hell of a game, they absolutely play up to the level of the better teams that they face.

I think Wake is a risk because they can't shoot. Everyone is going to play zone against them like Maryland did. I just don't know how far a team can get when they don't shoot well in the tournament. I think they are a Sweet 16 team and that's it.

[Ramzavail]

Just as a side bar, I think this is the best college BB stat site I've ever seen.

hxxp://kenpom.com/rate.php

[JonInMiddleGA]

Media Life Magazine - On CBS, let March Madness begin (http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/TV_This_Week_47/On_CBS_let_March_Madness_begin.asp)

The men’s NCAA basketball tournament tips off in earnest today at noon on CBS, after Tuesday’s inconsequential play-in game, with two top seeds in action and many traditional powers, including North Carolina and Duke, favored to do well.

Whether the tourney will draw higher ratings this year, with money-strapped viewers looking for cheap entertainment, remains to be seen, though it’s generally the storylines that draw in more people. When popular teams like UNC and the Blue Devils do well, ratings tend to rise, despite the perception that Cinderella teams fuel strong ratings. (They don’t.)

Last year 136.8 million people tuned in to at least one minute of the tourney, and 24.6 million households watched some portion of the first-round games. All told, 56 million households tuned into at least a few minutes of a March Madness game, according to Nielsen.

The company also found that, over the past five years, Louisville has been the biggest regional NCAA viewer. The market has generated an average rating of 19.0 for the tourney, six full points ahead of second-place Raleigh-Durham, home to Duke and North Carolina. Memphis, Cincinnati and Columbus round out the top five hoops markets.

African-American households are also more likely to tune into the game than the average household. Since 2004, black households have had a 28 percent higher rating for March Madness than the national average, including up 35 percent last year.

As for which teams would score the biggest ratings for the final, CBS should be cheering for a team from Michigan. The top three most-watched finals – 1979, 1992 and 1993 – all featured a Michigan team, either the Wolverines or the Spartans. Both teams made this year’s tourney.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

He's won my vote for re-election in 2012.

Coach K apparantly does not hold the same opinion.......

Duke Coach to Obama: Worry About the Economy, Not NCAA Picks (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/19/duke-coach-obama-worry-economy-ncaa-picks/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think Mizzou can really give Memphis a great game if they can avoid one of their 20% shooting first halves. I've picked Memphis to win in any pool I've entered but I think Mizzou has a legit shot.

Yeah, there's always the occasional crappy half. That's a product of the system and, as a fan, you just learn to understand that it happens occasionally.

I do think that Memphis has the best opportunity to pick off Mizzou. The reason is that they'll have 5 days to prepare for Mizzou's system. If Mizzou could make it by Memphis, I don't think that the team we'd face in the Elite 8 would fare well with only 24 hours of preparation. Ditto for the winner of the Marquette-Utah State game when they face Mizzou in the second round. 24 hours is not enough time, no matter how good of a coach you are.

[sterlingice]

Coach K apparantly does not hold the same opinion.......

Duke Coach to Obama: Worry About the Economy, Not NCAA Picks (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/19/duke-coach-obama-worry-economy-ncaa-picks/)

He's just bitter the "Bracket in Chief" doesn't have Duke in the Final Four ;)

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

3 hours and 20 minutes until tip-off. Anyone else just chomping at the bit? Is it odd that I already have the browser window up and keep looking at it every 10 minutes even though I know the games haven't started yet?

NCAA March Madness on Demand - NCAA.com (http://mmod.ncaa.com/)

So which game is everyone going to watch in the opening set? I'll probably watch the A&M/BYU game to start, but may shift over to Butler/LSU if it's a good one.

[sterlingice]

I think I'm leaning towards Butler/LSU to start but it's all about which game is the closest and best paced so I can switch

SI

[sterlingice]

This is definitely my second favorite sports day of the year (behind Opening Day). Still, nothing will ever beat my favorite Spring Break week where I had a goal of 100 hours of basketball and Pokemon (I'm a sucker for those and a new game had come out that Tuesday)- I fell something like 5 hours short but it was a good effort :)

SI

[Lathum]

I was up at 6:00 AM ( early for me). Really looking forward to it. The combination between the tourny, a final today and leaving for vacation on Saturday were not a good combo for sleep

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This is definitely my second favorite sports day of the year (behind Opening Day). Still, nothing will ever beat my favorite Spring Break week where I had a goal of 100 hours of basketball and Pokemon (I'm a sucker for those and a new game had come out that Tuesday)- I fell something like 5 hours short but it was a good effort :)

SI

Downtown Kansas City is going to be nuts today. In addition to the NCAA regional games, they have the NAIA Division I tournament going on just three blocks away from the Sprint Center at Municipal Auditorium. They have NAIA games going from 9:00 AM until midnight tonight. The place was bonkers last night when a few thousand watched the #32 seed (William Jewell (MO)) knock the #1 team in the nation (Rogers State (OK)) out of the tourney in a first round stunner. Wall-to-wall basketball. It's awesome.

FYI.......here's a stat you NCAA geeks can throw out at your watch parties that no one will know. Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City has hosted more NCAA tournament games (83), NCAA Regional finals (13), and NCAA Final Fours (9) than any other location in history. I'm sure that one of the dome locations will eventually eclipse those numbers, but it's still the leader for now.

[Ramzavail]

3 hours and 20 minutes until tip-off. Anyone else just chomping at the bit? Is it odd that I already have the browser window up and keep looking at it every 10 minutes even though I know the games haven't started yet?

NCAA March Madness on Demand - NCAA.com (http://mmod.ncaa.com/)

So which game is everyone going to watch in the opening set? I'll probably watch the A&M/BYU game to start, but may shift over to Butler/LSU if it's a good one.

great link, I definitely am chomping at the bit. I love the "Boss Button".

[spleen1015]

That's right. Obama is Coach K's bitch!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Two hours until the trumpet fanfare sounds and I start giggling like a little school girl.........

[Butter]

This whole weekend is the greatest sports weekend of the year. By far. I love it, I can't stop looking at the clock and waiting for 12:00 to roll around.

[larrymcg421]

LOL, just more reason to hate Duke. I'm sure Obama could have accomplished alot in the maybe 10 minutes it took for him to fill out a bracket.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Less than 1 hour until telecast begins.........

[Lathum]

LOL, just more reason to hate Duke. I'm sure Obama could have accomplished alot in the maybe 10 minutes it took for him to fill out a bracket.

the fact that this was even brought up, and is now being discussed by some of the talking heads is beyond absurd.

[Dr. Sak]

LOL, just more reason to hate Duke. I'm sure Obama could have accomplished alot in the maybe 10 minutes it took for him to fill out a bracket.

You crack me up.

[Noop]

My Final Four

Washington, Louisville, UNC, Pitt(I am tempted to put Duke or Xavier)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

(cue trumpet fanfare)

(cue roaring crowd sound)

(pan camera to Greg Gumbel and Clark Kellogg)

HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

First game feed is available online. Butler/LSU game feed is now available.

[Karlifornia]

It's tournament tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!!!

[Radii]

RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr

[DataKing]

Love it. Love it. Love it.
Can't wait until tomorrow...took the day off so I can gorge myself on college hoops for 3 days instead of two! :D Wish I could have swung today off as well, but too much going on at the office (boo!).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI......for those that can't get MMOD at work. There's a live radio feed of the Westwood One radio coverage. Website is Hot Talk 1510 KCTE (http://www.1510.com/). Click on Listen Live link at the top of the page to start the feed.

[spleen1015]

Wow. The video quality is pretty nice on that online feed.

[Karlifornia]

I imagine I'm in the minority here, but I find the Masters commercials smarmy and annoying.

[Lathum]

I imagine I'm in the minority here, but I find the Masters smarmy and annoying.

fixed

[Lathum]

well this is about the worst possible start for a young Butler team

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Whoooooooo. 9-0 LSU after only a couple of minutes. What a start.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Wow. The video quality is pretty nice on that online feed.

Are you using that new high quality feed?

[spleen1015]

Are you using that new high quality feed?

I'm just using whatever is available. I didn't purposely click on a high quality feed. I just clicked on video on that main MMOD screen.

[sterlingice]

I like the MMOD feed- I'm using the second low quality on my slow Cingular card (well, the Cingular is ok, but I'm in the interior of a building) and it comes through great.

SI

[Karlifornia]

LET'S GO CSUN

[spleen1015]

I see it at the bottom of the screen now. I am using the Best video quality.

I hope it stays this good with no lag. I'm impressed.

[Karlifornia]

Yeah, the March Madness On Demand has always been fantastic.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I see it at the bottom of the screen now. I am using the Best video quality.

I hope it stays this good with no lag. I'm impressed.

Yeah, they've done a really nice job with the site. Last year, they literally had over 100,000 people on the service with no noticable lag. It's by far one of the best things added for fans of any sport in recent years. It's good quality and easy to switch between games for even the most technically challenged PC users.

[Lathum]

nice start for A&M

[Dr. Sak]

I love my slingbox!

[Neuqua]

The BOSS button made me lol.

[Danny]

Wow, fantastic start for Northridge

[spleen1015]

Memphis better quit messing around.

[panerd]

Memphis is getting a lot of ticky tack fouls against them. Cal State is already in the bonus with 12 min left in the half. This is my greatest fear for Mizzou tomorrow. If the refs don't let them play we could be in trouble.

(I could care less about Memphis, just don't like to see the refs dicate a three hour game. Boring)

[Lathum]

Nice job by Butler to settle down after the rough start.

A&M is sick from the field right now

[spleen1015]

They knew what they were doing with MMOD. When the game you're watching goes to commercial, you can't switch to another game. You have to watch the commercial.

[sterlingice]

Yeah- it's a well oiled machine :)

If you flip between games and one is on commercial, you can switch to another in a couple of seconds but if you're on for more than a few, you're locked in

SI

[panerd]

You would think they would just have shit loads of ads around the edges of the screen.

[Noop]

Memphis better win because I have them in the elite eight.

[Danny]

I have Memphis in final four, but Northridge is my school, so screw the bracket in the unlikely event they do win.

[Lathum]

wow, Jim Calhoun taken to the hospital and won't coach

[panerd]

Memphis better win because I have them in the elite eight.


This line of thinking always confuses me. If you had them winning the national title I would understand, but I am guessing that just about everyone has Memphis going at least that far and probably farthur. You would actually be better off if Memphis lost to kill the brackets of people who had them in the final four or championship.

[panerd]

Plus Memphis is not going to lose. 15+ point win with their starters back who were on the bench due to the girl's high school like officiating.

[wade moore]

My final 4 - Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, Oklahoma

This Memphis start does not bode well.

[wade moore]

wow, Jim Calhoun taken to the hospital and won't coach

Since I don't have any video or commentary or anything - what's the story here? That doesn't sound good.

[panerd]

My final 4 - Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, Oklahoma

This Memphis start does not bode well.

I have been watching the whole Memphis game and basically their stars got into early foul trouble and they held off Cal State's best effort and are still up three. They will win this game easily. (And I have no stake in this at all)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Since I don't have any video or commentary or anything - what's the story here? That doesn't sound good.

Here's the official statement

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/AllStories/MBasketball/2009/03/19/20090319.html
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (March 19, 2009)—University of Connecticut head men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun will not coach today’s NCAA Tournament First Round contest against Chattanooga at Wachovia Center.

“Coach Calhoun has not been feeling well for the past several days and it is best that he not coach the team today for precautionary reasons,” said UConn Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Jeff Anderson.

Dr. Anderson is with Coach Calhoun, who is not expected to be at the arena for the game today.

Associate Head Coach George Blaney will direct the UConn team today in Coach Calhoun’s absence.

[Lathum]

man, Butler is missing way to many shots from close in

[sterlingice]

I have Memphis in final four, but Northridge is my school, so screw the bracket in the unlikely event they do win.

Now that's what this is all about :)

SI

[Tigercat]

Not to say its that bad of a game being called, but the way the refs are calling tick-tack fouls away from the ball is really helping Butler by slowing the game. It would be evened out if they called Howard when he shuffles his feet.

[Karlifornia]

I have Memphis in the title game. Hopefully this is just an aberration.

[spleen1015]

I have Memphis in the title game. Hopefully this is just an aberration.

Remember Florida and Matt Miller a few years ago? A buzzer beater to win in Round 1 on the way to the Final Four. :)

[Karlifornia]

Remember Florida and Matt Miller a few years ago? A buzzer beater to win in Round 1 on the way to the Final Four. :)

A good point. I certainly wouldn't cry, though, is CSUN pulled the miracle upset. They're showing moxie, but I think the story usually ends with these teams running out of gas.

[Danny]

Damn Sallie, we would be killing them without his big shooting.

[Lathum]

A good point. I certainly wouldn't cry, though, is CSUN pulled the miracle upset. They're showing moxie, but I think the story usually ends with these teams running out of gas.

anyone getting nervous yet?

[panerd]

A good point. I certainly wouldn't cry, though, is CSUN pulled the miracle upset. They're showing moxie, but I think the story usually ends with these teams running out of gas.


Memphis by 15+. They were a miracle KU shot away from winning the national title last year.

[Danny]

WOW, we have a 1 point lead with 14 minutes to play.

[Butter]

What the hell kind of defense is Memphis playing? They are not even trying to stop the ball, this is horrific.

[Butter]

And again, and Cal calls ANOTHER timeout.

[cartman]

man, if Memphis loses, GE will have a meltdown of epic proportions

[Danny]

Grrr Roburt Sallie

[spleen1015]

man, if Memphis loses, GE will have a meltdown of epic proportions

I have them in the Final Four of all of my money brackets. It would be very bad for me.

[Izulde]

Anyone else having the games blacked out like we have here? Extremely annoying.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And again CS-N answers, only to be answered by Sallie, only to be answered by CS-N !

[Lathum]

jesus.

CSU just can't miss, they have an answer for everything

[Karlifornia]

When Calipari Met Sallie

[Lathum]

man, if Memphis loses, GE will have a meltdown of epic proportions

I was thinking the same thing, he would need to be on suicide watch

[JonInMiddleGA]

Memphis has scored 13 points in the last 1:50, they had only scored 14 in the previous 10 mins+ (going back into the first half).

[MizzouRah]

I have Memphis in the FF too, but I would LOVE for them to lose. Makes the Missouri bracket that much better.. hopefully... but I would think they go on a big run sometime soon.

Damn.. Sallie with 26pts

[Lathum]

Anyone else having the games blacked out like we have here? Extremely annoying.

no, but KIRO 7 is our CBS affiliate. The HD channel is 107 and they have a secons digital broudcast on 117. At the start of the day A&M was on 107 and 07 and Memphis was on 117. They switched Memphis to 07 and 107, but also left them on 117, so I have the same game on all 3 channels.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Townsend SPLASH !

[Danny]

CSUN by 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Timeout Calimari

[larrymcg421]

CSUN has 5 players in double digits and no one else with a single point.

[Lathum]

WOW.

Memphis looks like they are starting to tighten up

[JonInMiddleGA]

Need a box & 1 or something on Sallie.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Geez, could Mizzou end up with another busted bracket much like the B12 tourney?

[RainMaker]

The Butler-LSU game is has some atrocious officiating. Pretty good game though.

Can't believe Memphis is in danger of losing this.

[Danny]

What a game!!!!

[Tigercat]

God, these refs are giving EVERY call to Howard from Butler. Howard and an LSU guy go for a loose ball, its a call on the LSU defender. Howard falls on top of our guys, only calls go against our players. He clearly makes his fourth foul and the refs give it to a different Butler player. Howard walks three times in the first half, no calls. He is a good player, but the refs are taking rewarding him to a ridiculous level.

[Butter]

Northridge by 1 at the under 8 timeout. And the stream slows as traffic flows in...

[Lathum]

As a UW student and fan I should be rooting against Memphis, but if they lose I may as well tear up all my brackets

[JonInMiddleGA]

Y'know, the CSN story is more remarkable when you consider not only the loss of their leading scorer as well as the coach's son to criminal charges but also that their starting point guard (who led their conference in assists at the time) was lost for the rest of the season after an auto accident in February.

[Danny]

Damn, we need to come with another run out of the timeout.

[Butter]

Memphis is finally solving the zone instead of just jacking up 3's.

[JonInMiddleGA]

At the risk of mixing my metaphors, I'm afraid Cinderella may have thrown a shoe.

[Danny]

Having Townsend out with 4 fouls has hurt.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If you're a Memphis fan, you should be rooting for Maryland to win the next game. Given the poor perimeter defense Memphis has displayed, Cal's long-range shooters will eat Memphis alive.

[RainMaker]

I don't think Butler is going to win this one but they are going to be a real tough team over the next couple years. 4 Freshman and 1 Sophomore in the starting lineup with a solid Center coming in next year. They just killed themselves by all those turnover in the first half.

[Danny]

Damn, shots aren't falling anymore.

[Danny]

We need one more big run to put that panic into Memphis

[Galaxy]

I hate that I can't see the Memphis-CSN game (got LSU).

[Lathum]

I hate that I can't see the Memphis-CSN game (got LSU).

MMOD?

[Lathum]

holy crap.

Sallie

[Karlifornia]

Roburt Sallie just unconscious....

[JonInMiddleGA]

It ain't getting much talk here considering the other shocker, but I have to say that the ease with which Texas A&M has handled BYU surprise me a whole lot. Of all the picks in my bracket I think I lingered over picking BYU about as little as any pick that involved a seed lower than 2.

[Danny]

Geez, Sallie killed us.

Great effort from Northridge. They played fearless.

[RainMaker]

Damn, that was a fun game though. Lot of heart from Northridge. Memphis gets exposed.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Damn, that was a fun game though. Lot of heart from Northridge. Memphis gets exposed.

AFAIC Memphis was exposed when they only managed to beat Tennessee 54-52.

[Tigercat]

Butler is a gutsy as hell team, happy to get a win. Johnson will have to play his best game of the year for us to give us a chance against UNC.

[Butter]

Anybody else trying the UNI-Purdue game? I'm getting audio from a Cardinals spring training game on it.

[Karlifornia]

Butler is a gutsy as hell team, happy to get a win. Johnson will have to play his best game of the year for us to give us a chance against UNC.

I think you mean Radford. Johnson will have to play well to give you a chance against Radford.

[Lathum]

lets go Northern Iowa!!

[Danny]

I had Butler and BYU winning one game each in the one paid bracket I did, so lost some bracket points there.

[panerd]

It ain't getting much talk here considering the other shocker, but I have to say that the ease with which Texas A&M has handled BYU surprise me a whole lot. Of all the picks in my bracket I think I lingered over picking BYU about as little as any pick that involved a seed lower than 2.


You get too much SEC garbage where you live. :) Watch out for the big 12. Mizzou, OU, and I hate to say it but KU are going to make some noise. Plus I wouldn't be surprised to see OSU and A&M scare the #1's. Texas on the other hand is a complete fraud.

[Tigercat]

I think you mean Radford. Johnson will have to play well to give you a chance against Radford.

Oh, I just assume a loss if we face Radford. I don't want none of those Highlanders. There can be only one!

[GoldenEagle]

Well, that would have messed up my bracket.

[larrymcg421]

My dream is to one day see a #16 seed win. Go Radford! Go Chattanooga!

[ntndeacon]

not looking good for NIU early

[Neuqua]

not looking good for NIU early

Ahem, it's UNI...

NIU = Northern Illinois University...

/NIU alum

[Butter]

UNI looks jet-lagged.

[Lathum]

I have a history final in 3 hours that I should be studying for and I am seriously not motivated at all

[sterlingice]

It ain't getting much talk here considering the other shocker, but I have to say that the ease with which Texas A&M has handled BYU surprise me a whole lot. Of all the picks in my bracket I think I lingered over picking BYU about as little as any pick that involved a seed lower than 2.

Same

SI

[Butter]

I have a history final in 3 hours that I should be studying for and I am seriously not motivated at all

UNI looks like crap, 2 of the other 3 games are 1 v. 16 blowouts, and Maryland and Cal... who cares? Study, get ready for the good games tonight.

[Lathum]

It ain't getting much talk here considering the other shocker, but I have to say that the ease with which Texas A&M has handled BYU surprise me a whole lot. Of all the picks in my bracket I think I lingered over picking BYU about as little as any pick that involved a seed lower than 2.

I was the opposite, I had A&M in every bracket that mattered

[Lathum]

UNI looks like crap, 2 of the other 3 games are 1 v. 16 blowouts, and Maryland and Cal... who cares? Study, get ready for the good games tonight.

UW will play Perdue in the next round hence my interest, allthough if I flunk out of UW I guess the game is irrelavant.

i kid, I get good grades

[RainMaker]

Matt Painter looks like Shane McMahon.

[Karlifornia]

UNI looks like crap, 2 of the other 3 games are 1 v. 16 blowouts, and Maryland and Cal... who cares? Study, get ready for the good games tonight.

Opening round only comes around once a year! You need to enjoy every precious minute of it!

[DataKing]

A&M over BYU was an easy pick for me. I'm a bit of a Big 12 homer (excluding Mizzou, of course), and A&M handled BYU last year. When in doubt, err on the side of history.

[JonInMiddleGA]

"Don't you bring that weak tot action. You go strong to your mouth or you don't go."

Heh.

[Fighter of Foo]

Butler is a gutsy as hell team, happy to get a win. Johnson will have to play his best game of the year for us to give us a chance against UNC.

More like you need Lawson to not play. UNC struggled versus Virginia Tech without him.

[larrymcg421]

You can't stop Artsiom Parakhouski (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/81251), you can only hope to pronounce his name correctly.

[Karlifornia]

"Don't you bring that weak tot action. You go strong to your mouth or you don't go."

Heh.

I've always liked that commercial.

[sterlingice]

You can't stop Artsiom Parakhouski (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/81251), you can only hope to pronounce his name correctly.

I LOL'd

SI

[Butter]

Chattanooga is just frightened of Thabeet, they won't go after him.

[Tigercat]

More like you need Lawson to not play. UNC struggled versus Virginia Tech without him.

I have never seen a college player better at shutting down great college guards than Garett Temple. (No one did a better job on JJ Reddick when he was at Duke, no one has done a better job on Meeks.) So I am not worried about any one guard beating us. Although it will of course be easier if Lawson doesn't play or isn't 100%.

Now post game... Hansbrough will eat us alive unless Johnson suddenly has inspiration on how to hold his ground with his matchstick frame. If Johnson plays like he played tonight, Hanbrough will get AT LEAST 15 FT attempts.

[SirFozzie]

You can't stop Artsiom Parakhouski (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/81251), you can only hope to pronounce his name correctly.

Art-See-Om Para-COO-ski?

[Karlifornia]

Art-See-Om Para-COO-ski?

I watched the title game between Radford and VMI, and I remember it as Para-COW-ski

[Lathum]

Northern Iowa making a little run here. I like it!

[Danny]

In my $10 bracket I am 1 for 3 and in my free yahoo bracket I am 3 for 3. I shouldn't have done my paid bracket when I was so tired.

[Radii]

I have never seen a college player better at shutting down great college guards than Garett Temple. (No one did a better job on JJ Reddick when he was at Duke, no one has done a better job on Meeks.) So I am not worried about any one guard beating us. Although it will of course be easier if Lawson doesn't play or isn't 100%.

based on your comparisons I don't think you understand at all why Lawson is important to Carolina's offense. Its a shame that he either won't play or won't be full strength to come back to this post after saturday :(

[boberot]

Well, so much for my little "mini-run" by Butler.

Went with a hunch . . . .

[SirFozzie]

I watched the title game between Radford and VMI, and I remember it as Para-COW-ski

Cool. I was just going at it from the posting.. didn't look it up at all :)
:lol:

[Tigercat]

based on your comparisons I don't think you understand at all why Lawson is important to Carolina's offense. Its a shame that he either won't play or won't be full strength to come back to this post after saturday :(


He is good at stopping distributors too, I am not putting down Lawson's ability, there is a reason GT has been a 4 year starter (while being horrible on offense) and was one of the best defenders in the nation as a freshman. Lawson's status just doesn't concern me that much in this game.

I would favor UNC by 10 at least either way, and its all because we shouldn't be able to stop Hanbrough in the least. He just needs to post up for 2 seconds and he will have enough positioning that anyone for UNC should be able to get him the ball easily. Of course anything is possible though.

[Butter]

Ohhhh, BS charge call on UNI with 30 seconds to go.

[Lathum]

I'm not taking UW beating Miss St. for granted, but if they do Purdue hasn't impressed me much.

[Tigercat]

I'm not taking UW beating Miss St. for granted, but if they do Purdue hasn't impressed me much.

Miss St wins by playing good D and forcing a lot of questionable calls on the offensive end. (Their foul and FT distribution this year is pretty crazy last I saw.) I don't see that happening against a better team thousands of miles away from home. I am surprised by how many "experts" have picked the upset.

[Karlifornia]

Nothing worse than being down 4 with little time left, going for a 2 instead of a 3, and not even getting the 2.

Too bad, so sad for UNI.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Grr at my local CBS affiliate (who may not actually be to blame) but ... we got the first half of Maryland-Cal but have now been stuck with the UNC-Radford blowout for most of the second half.

[Karlifornia]

Grr at my local CBS affiliate (who may not actually be to blame) but ... we got the first half of Maryland-Cal but have now been stuck with the UNC-Radford blowout for most of the second half.

lol wtf? That's awful. I'm sure they'll switch back soon, though.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Kind of a sick run even for a 1-16 matchup here, UTC trailed 17-15 with 11:14 left in the first half. It's now 63-20 UConn for a 48-3 run, Mocs have one field goal in the past 15:32.

[Karlifornia]

Vasquez with an interesting "Hush" signal....to his own fans.

[spleen1015]

Vasquez with an interesting "Hush" signal....to his own fans.

Those MD players aren't too smart.

[SackAttack]

Kind of a sick run even for a 1-16 matchup here, UTC trailed 17-15 with 11:14 left in the first half. It's now 63-20 UConn for a 48-3 run, Mocs have one field goal in the past 15:32.

48-3, Jon?

They don't teach the math so good down there in Georgia, do they? :)

Right total number of points, wrong breakdown. :D

[Alan T]

48-3, Jon?

They don't teach the math so good down there in Georgia, do they? :)

Right total number of points, wrong breakdown. :D

I blame it on his time in Athens. That area is contagious.

[JonInMiddleGA]

48-3, Jon?
They don't teach the math so good down there in Georgia, do they? :)
Right total number of points, wrong breakdown. :D

Sigh.

I know where the 3 part came from, I had the 3 free throws they hit in my mind when I was typing. Where the 48 part came in would be anybody's guess.

[Karlifornia]

Cal just got eaten alive by Maryland in the final 8 minutes. For all the good Jerome Randle can do, he makes terrible decisions at times that cancel out the positive. Maryland is a well-coached ballclub with a bigtime talent in Vasquez. I don't see them beating Memphis, but they aren't a bad team.

[muns]

Cal just got eaten alive by Maryland in the final 8 minutes. For all the good Jerome Randle can do, he makes terrible decisions at times that cancel out the positive. Maryland is a well-coached ballclub with a bigtime talent in Vasquez. I don't see them beating Memphis, but they aren't a bad team.

Mike Montgomery got out coached. That was one of the worst games ive seen a coach coach in. Hey Mike, Maryland isnt that good, you might want to make a half time adjustment and throw out any kind of zone offense to your club so that arent just stick with Randle throwing the ball away due to everyone else just standing around.

I mean I know its a shock to have a team play a zone againt the best 3 point shooting team in the nation, but Mike chose to sit down on the bench the entire game with his thumb stuck up his ass. Im simply amazed at that game.

[RainMaker]

I'm unfortunately stuck with Michigan - Clemson where both teams are shooting 20% from the field midway through the half.

[Logan]

I'm getting Nova - American where 14 3s have been taken in the first 9 minutes - 8 were good.

[sterlingice]

I like the MMOD. Even more silly is that I have one game on tv and another on my laptop :)

SI

[Lathum]

Washington came to play, great game.

Clean up the fouls a little and they will give Purdue all they can handle

[Butter]

If they keep letting Michigan mug Clemson and play "Big 10 style" basketball, the Tigers have no shot.

[sterlingice]

Ok, this American-Villanova game is fun :D

SI

[DeToxRox]

Manny Harris is legit. He says he's coming back, le'ts hope so because he probably isn't a first rounder, and he'd be a front runner for B10 POTY next year.

[RedKingGold]

Nova is playing very sloppy basketball right now.

We really need a pass-first point guard (sorry Scotty Reynolds/Corey Fisher)

[Scoobz0202]

What has the general attitude been towards Oliver Purnell at Clemson? Anybody here familiar with Clemson basketball? I used to watch him when I was younger at Dayton and he loved there. I remember a lot of general sadness when he left.

[sterlingice]

Ok, so I watched a couple of minutes of the Michigan/Clemson game to close out the half and that's pretty much all I'll be watching of that game. Ugly as sin

SI

[adubroff]

Ok, so I watched a couple of minutes of the Michigan/Clemson game to close out the half and that's pretty much all I'll be watching of that game. Ugly as sin

SI

This block of games is an emabarassment of riches, they probably should have put one the 7/10 games in the late group to guarantee something competitive there. I could see that group coming up ugly....

[Lathum]

I like the MMOD. Even more silly is that I have one game on tv and another on my laptop :)

SI

I do the same thing, plus my cable provider is giving us 2 different feeds, so I can cover 3 games, the wife has Yoga tonight, all is good

[Lathum]

American!

[Butter]

What has the general attitude been towards Oliver Purnell at Clemson? Anybody here familiar with Clemson basketball? I used to watch him when I was younger at Dayton and he loved there. I remember a lot of general sadness when he left.

I went to Dayton, and my wife went to Clemson. I was sad when he left UD, but felt he would get Clemson back to respectability, and he has done that. If he loses in the NCAA's this year, it will be 2 back-to-back 1st round NCAA exits so there will be a bit of grumbling, but all in all, football is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at Clemson, so he has a bit more leeway than a coach at a more even-keeled school would have. Just getting Clemson ranked on a regular basis is probably good enough for most at the school. He has a long term contract at Clemson, the fans seem to like him, and he seems to like the fans, so I think he will probably close out his career there.

[wade moore]

Bad News: I have Nova going to the final 4.

Good News: If American pulls this off and VCU wins like I think they well, VCU gets a much better matchup.

[Lathum]

Raise your hand if you just nervously checked your brackets to see how far you have Villanova going

[mauchow]

Too bad VCU won't pull it off because I have UCLA going to the Sweet 16, tyvm.

[Butter]

So, I know I am getting ahead of myself... but does anyone see Jeff Jones getting another shot at big-time coaching? He has done really nice things at American U., and I know he had some success at Virginia before being let go (not sure of the circumstances on that one)... but if they beat Villanova, he will look awfully attractive as a new hire to some school out there.

[ColtCrazy]

Raise your hand if you just nervously checked your brackets to see how far you have Villanova going


I'm so odd on this. As long as there's no money involved, I don't really mind if my bracket gets screwed...because I imagine everyone else in my pool is getting screwed too.

And I had 'Nove in the Elite 8, so yeah, thankfully there's no money involved. :D

[Scoobz0202]

Raise your hand if you just nervously checked your brackets to see how far you have Villanova going


Final Four, here.

But fuck it. I would love to see them get beat.

[sterlingice]

I'm so odd on this. As long as there's no money involved, I don't really mind if my bracket gets screwed...because I imagine everyone else in my pool is getting screwed too.

And I had 'Nove in the Elite 8, so yeah, thankfully there's no money involved. :D

I'm ok with my bracket getting screwed. I have a whole $5 on the entire tourney in one pool so I'd rather just have a more entertaining tourney. We've had far too few upsets the last 2 years with all 1's making it last year and only 3 or 4 upsets total the year before. Dust up that chalk!

SI

[kingfc22]

Zags need to wake up. Playing very lethargic.

[panerd]

The VCU and Purdue love from everyone baffles me. It sounds like Wade is at least a VCU fan, but the amount of respect UCLA gets for 3 straight final fours is baffling. I think they win comfortably.

[Lathum]

The VCU and Purdue love from everyone baffles me. It sounds like Wade is at least a VCU fan, but the amount of respect UCLA gets for 3 straight final fours is baffling. I think they win comfortably.

I've stated a few times across threads I totaly agree with you.

[sterlingice]

I think it's because on ESPN, they absolutely loved VCU as the upset special. I went back and forth a little, but ultimately my final bracket had UCLA.

SI

[sterlingice]

The VCU and Purdue love from everyone baffles me. It sounds like Wade is at least a VCU fan, but the amount of respect UCLA gets for 3 straight final fours is baffling. I think they win comfortably.

Purdue, I think it's because no one is really comfy with Washington. Frankly, I'm a lot less enamored with Purdue so I had Washington beating them.

SI

[Lathum]

that UW- UCONN Nike commercial cracks me up every time

[mauchow]

Purdue is my pick to beat Washington and ultimately the team that beats Memphis as well... I just have a good feeling about them especially getting back one of their top players.

[adubroff]

that UW- UCONN Nike commercial cracks me up every time

I like the guy speeding through Illinois better. It's a great series though.

[panerd]

that UW- UCONN Nike commercial cracks me up every time

I like it. The Illinois/Carolina one is a little weaker. I keep getting nervous that there is going to be a Mizzou/UCLA one but I think the commercial is based on losing a lot later in the tournament than Mizzou ever gets to. :)

[Karlifornia]

Gonzaga, you better step your game up, otherwise I'll...be very sad.

[panerd]

Purdue is my pick to beat Washington and ultimately the team that beats Memphis as well... I just have a good feeling about them especially getting back one of their top players.

And Uconn? Good luck with that one.

[mauchow]

If Michigan holds on and Minnesota somehow bounces back to beat Texas, this will be a good day for the Big 10. Illinois sucks, if WKU doesn't beat them I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Radii]

Ogilvy ejected for throwing an elbow in the clemson/michigan game. Wasn't necessarily vicious, but 100% intentional.

[Izulde]

I've got Nova losing next round anyway, so I'd love to see them get knocked off.

[sterlingice]

It feels like the Zags are starting to wake up

SI

[mauchow]

And Uconn? Good luck with that one.

My mistake I meant I had Purdue beating UConn. I don't have Memphis going very far at all.

Anyhow, thanks for correcting me on that. And yes, UConn loses to Purdue in my pool. :)

This is fun.

[Lathum]

And Uconn? Good luck with that one.

If Brockman can get Thabeet into foul trouble it could happen

[mauchow]

I did a total of two brackets. They don't have much different between them other than in one of them I have Michigan in the Sweet 16 and one of them I have Missouri in the Final Four rather than Purdue.

I love MM!

[SackAttack]

The Villanova/American feed must be getting pounded on Yahoo Sports. It's rebuffering every few seconds compared to the Zags/Akron feed.

[panerd]

St. Louis likes to think of itself as both a Big 12 and Big 10 city. So we get an awful lot of awful big 10 basketball. (PSU/ILL was one of the worst games I have ever seen in my life) They do seem to be doing allright in the first round. But it will be interesting to see them go up against the ACC and Big East schools.

[Radii]

I like the guy speeding through Illinois better. It's a great series though.

not surprisingly, I like that one quite a bit as well :D

[OldGiants]

So, I know I am getting ahead of myself... but does anyone see Jeff Jones getting another shot at big-time coaching? He has done really nice things at American U., and I know he had some success at Virginia before being let go (not sure of the circumstances on that one)... but if they beat Villanova, he will look awfully attractive as a new hire to some school out there.

The circumstances were that he was boinking a coed while married to his UVA sweetheart. I think he's married to the coed now, at least I heard that once. They used two poor recruiting classes as the reason, but being a social embarrassment in C-ville was the deal breaker.

[timmynausea]

Ogilvy ejected for throwing an elbow in the clemson/michigan game. Wasn't necessarily vicious, but 100% intentional.

It seems like Clemson always peaks a couple of months too early, limps into the tournament and then absolutely implodes once they get there. Michigan is shooting so well, though, it may not have mattered what Clemson did.

[wade moore]

The VCU and Purdue love from everyone baffles me. It sounds like Wade is at least a VCU fan, but the amount of respect UCLA gets for 3 straight final fours is baffling. I think they win comfortably.

I think it comes down to three things:

1. Eric Maynor. ESPN et al saw him control the game in the tourney against Duke two years ago and hit a game winning shot.

2. Anthony Grant. Coach Grant had the Florida job (where he was a long-time assistant to Donovan) when Donovan was headed to the NBA. He's a very good coach who will be at a BCS program within the next few years (a lot of us CAA fans think next year). He has already turned down BCS schools.

3. Larry Sanders. Sophomore Center with arms like Michael Phelps. He is very active under the basket blocking shots and could give a lot of teams trouble. Larry Sanders and Eric Maynor are both considered NBA prospects - you don't see that on a mid-major very often.


For me personally - I'm a big CAA fan (I have season tickets to William and Mary, a perennial bottom dweller in the CAA). I watch VCU play at least 2-3 games live each year and a few more on TV. When they are good, they are VERY good. This year's team can be streaky, but Eric Maynor is like the mid-major equivalent of Kobe Bryant late in games. (do not take that the wrong way, I'm just saying he takes the game over and puts it on his shoulders - not saying he is as good as Kobe) I have watched Maynor for four years and in about 20 games. He's a very good college bball player (I question his NBA prospects compared to what others think, but that's another story altogether). So - I think they have a very legit chance to win. I don't know UCLA well enough to say how much of a chance, but with their full-court press a blowout seems unlikely.

[Logan]

I'm on the UCLA bandwagon, at least for a couple rounds. Way too many people loved VCU.