2010 NCAA Tournament (and NIT) Thread
 

It looks like we've had a separate tournament thread the last couple of years so why change what works.

Here's the season thread:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/...ad.php?t=75058

SI

Just a reminder that you can stream all games at the On Demand site........

2010 NCAA March Madness on Demand - NCAA.com

The wife and I will be driving to watch the W&M @ UNC game on Tuesday night.

It will be a tough game for sure on their "homecourt" (I use "" because the game is not at the Dean Dome, but at Carmichael) where we'll be lucky to have 200 Tribe fans.

I'm hoping for the best, but at this point happy that we made a post-season tournament for the 2nd time ever.

My rants may not end this college basketball season.

Apparently UNC may give as few as 100 tickets to the W&M Ticket Office.

This slap in the face may have just become a punch to the groin.

Wow, that's annoying of them. Any word on why? Did W&M have trouble guaranteeing the tickets they'd sell?

I doubt it, but I suppose it's plausible. Considering the head of the ticket office gave every impression that he expects to turn people down for tickets though, I doubt it.

It could be because they are going from a (i think) 17,000 seat arena to a 7,000 seat arena and want to appease as many "Rams Club" members as they can.

Either way, it's a "crime" imo. Sure, they have every right to do it, but doesn't it go against some sort of etiquette?

I am not liking the fact that some of the press out there are picking BYU to the 16 or 8, they have done nothing to prove that to me...they have yet to get out of the 1st round in a long time.

It is a chance though for the MWC to make some noise in the tourney with having 4 teams in.

I seem to remember that there's a couple of Clemson fans on this board. Any reason why Oliver Purnell is 0-5 in the NCAA tournament? That's seems to be more than just a random occurrance.

Also, does anyone know of a site that lists a coach's record against other coaches?

Not a Clemson fan obviously but Wolfpack and I were talking about this when Clemson bombed out of the ACC tourney. Clemson seems to peak in December/early January. It really feels like Clemson is playing their worst basketball in March every year. Perhaps just bad luck/bad matchups, I dunno, but I expect Mizzou to win easily.

Just saw a couple of betting lines that looked like easy money. A&M only giving away three points to Utah State. Also, saw an over/under number of 137 for the Mizzou/Clemson game. There's no way that game stays under 137.

For the sake of this board I hope you are wrong...

What's going to happen if MU does win? Do tell.

I also saw a press release that announced that XM subscribers will have access to the radio broadcasts this year on xm radio.

I can fix everyting for Clemson by betting on Mizzou, worked wonders for Nebraska.

Uh oh..........

That is a slap in the face to the Tribe. For a team that probably shouldn't even be in the NIT with a .500 record, let alone a team worthy of hosting a first-round game, they shouldn't be being asses about things.

I'm pretty excited about going to the Oklahoma City Subregional this year. Haven't been to a sub since 2006 Dallas, and they are always fun to go to. Was a little underwhelmed by the "undercard" matchups of BYU/Florida and UNLV/Northern Iowa (although the latter should be an interesting match-up of styles). But KU and KSU should bring a big crowd and it will be fun to be there. The only downside is not getting to see the other 12 games that day, but you might get to see a great moment in sports in person.

I hate to break this to you but UNC won a national title last year. The Rams Club members are not going to be jumping all over each other for tickets to see a first round NIT game.

My guess is something along the lines of... "Donate 3 canned goods to a local Chapel Hill food pantry and we will give a kid from the local boy's club a ticket to the NIT game".

Well, they are charging $40 per ticket. Seems like there may be some demand.

Only in North Carolina... I can remember one year when I was at Mizzou (and we were pretty good under Norm but definitely not even close to North Carolina) and we walked up to the door for the Mizzou game (I think it was against Alabama) and they let us in with our student ID for free! (I don't remember the weather being bad or anything, just wanted to fill the arena)

College basketball is the local religion. Don't let all the churches fool you, college basketball is king around here.

Well, NIT rules require them to charge based on their normal regular season ticket pricing policy.

The circumstances were a bit different, but Kentucky's home NIT game last season was actually a fairly popular event. I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar with UNC. They might not be in the tournament they want, but I bet they still want to win it.

Well, after my initial bitching, I should post this:

College's ticket sales brisk for NIT appearance | Flat Hat News

Excerpt:


and...

I was talking to Wade about this earlier, but I really doubt it. I mean, the players will play their best and try to win, but the fans are a pretty entitled bunch. Anyone at UNC who isn't a freshman had a chance to attend games on the way to a national title just last season. The fans in general have seen two national titles in the last 5 years and another final four 6 years ago. Why is anyone going to get excited about the NIT?

That's a good point. I think "excitement" might be stretching it, but UK fans seemed to adopt the attitude of "we're in it so we might as well win it." Nobody was particularly disappointed when they didn't though. It's more a sentiment of supporting your team when its down than being thrilled with missing the tournament.

Purnell's teams just play tight in tourney games. It's a function of his coaching for sure, because he had the same problem at Dayton.

Yeah, UMass let students with id's in free to every sporting event except NIT games and postseason home games where the NCAA required them to charge everyone. Sounds like the NIT is the same way.

Radii, I just read that UNC's NIT game will be played in Carmichael Auditorium. Do you think that will affect the attitude of UNC fans towards the game at all? Last year UK's NIT game was played in Memorial Coliseum, which hadn't hosted a men's basketball game since 1975. It gave a lot of people that were too young to ever get the chance to take in a game there the opportunity to experience part of the program's history. It seems like there could be a similar opportunity for UNC fans this season.

Just did a couple of brackets and it is really hard to not pick the chalk. The 3-6 teams just don't seem very strong.

In spite of my distate for UNC, all this kvetching about who would do what in the other team's conference means I'll have to stand with the ACC and...uh...well...um...go Heels? (Ack. It's not right. There's no "to Hell" in that sentence.)

Oh, and Wade, don't cheer too loudly or heckle a Carolina player who's attempting free throws. Ol' Roy might have to throw you out of the gym if you do. :D

Largely agree.

Someone alluded to this on the W&M message boards - and I don't get the reference.

Someone care to explain?

Roy Williams kicks out heckling fan at the Dean Dome - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports

That's nuts.

Our rowdy bunch of now at least 400 might all get kicked out! ;)

This morning, I happened to hear the trumpet fanfare that CBS plays for the intro to their telecasts and games during the tournament. I got a bit giddy thinking about the fact that the tournament is only 48 hours away (excluding play-in game of course).

So, just out of curiosity, who here usually watches the "play-in game"? I do, because it's nice to see two teams play that you normally would never get a chance to watch outside of the tournament, plus it acts as a nice little primer for all of the basketball goodness to come in the next few weeks. Anybody else watching tonight?

Evil little app I just noticed on the iPhone store. March Madness on Demand for $10. You can watch all 63 games on your iPhone. This will come in handy in a few years when my kids have school events during the tournament.

hmmm, we have birthing class Saturday, wonder what the odds of my wife being a single parent are if I get this?

Was looking at the TV listings to see when and where the Coastal/UAB game was going to be on...and its the only one of the six NIT games NOT to be on TV tonight. That sucks.

Anyone know a good place online to find TV listings for the first round games? I want to watch my Gauchos do their worst to the Buckeyes on Friday.

It'll be hit-or-miss no matter what time the game is, since CBS does so much bouncing around with 4 games going on at once. Your best bet will be to watch it online at cbssports.

which is free

I don't out of protest since they ruined the mathematical purity of the 64 team bracket. Oh, that and disinterest.

SI

Nice to know some things never change. :)

Should at least be on 360, right?

According to the UAB Game Notes it's on CBS College Sports. Of course I don't get that channel.

For those who are Facebook active, here's the CBS bracket app for FB
Incompatible Browser | Facebook

Packing up the car to head to Chapel Hill.

GO TRIBE!

Anyone interested, ESPN, 9:30PM EDT.

I do get that channel, which I did not know until today. However according to the guide, its showing NAIA basketball in the time slot that the Coastal game would be showing. The local paper does not list it as being on TV at all in the area, so I think I'm outta luck.

Connecticut sold their tickets for $10 at Gampel tonight.