2014 OFFICIAL NCAA Tournament Thread: Connecticut wins the title

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

The bracket is still clean at the end of the day. Four over times and at least two other games at he buzzer.

What a wonderful day.

15/16 in my work bracket missing only Arizona State in a 2 point loss.

The probem is I have Duke winning that one.

[Butter]

I'm #3 out of 196 at my work, top prize of about $600. That means today is going to be upset city, since I think the only one I have for today is Providence over UNC, and maybe a couple 9's over 8's, but that's not much of an upset really.

[mauchow]

Louisville gets a quick turnaround for their second game after ending pretty late last night.

[Buccaneer]

I saw my son's brackets, he filled out 4: an official one, a plan B one, an upset-city one and a would-he-wants-to-win one. Just taking a look at his official one, he's 14/16 (missing Dayton and Villanova) and all clear for Sweet 16.

[Scoobz0202]

[Kodos]

Alright. I'm, dead last in the Colossal Squid brackets!

[cartman]

My best bracket is the Billion Dollar one. I'm 13/16 on it.

[Kodos]

That's good, but not Billion Dollar Good.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

At least I'm in good company

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

LOVE THAT!

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I do like overtime, thanks. But it made that 5:30 AM wake-up call pretty painful this morning.

Same here, but I can handle one 5 hour sleep night. Tomorrow I only have to wake up in time for the 11 o'clock games.

I think I'll rest tonight and take another dose of 12-hour basketball today

SI

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Lathum

15/16 in my work bracket missing only Arizona State in a 2 point loss.

The probem is I have Duke winning that one.

This is my only bracket this year, and I'm a little afraid that I've got Syracuse to the final four. I'm thinking that I should have put a little more thought into that and a little less thought into talking myself out of putting ND state through to the sweet 16.

I've got Michigan state cutting down the nets. All in all, I figure that today my bracket is going to come back to earth.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Lathum

15/16 in my work bracket missing only Arizona State in a 2 point loss.

...

I had written AZ state off in that one. Then I looked up at the box score and the game was tied with seconds to go, and seconds counting down. I tuned in just in time to see the rebound and put back. I was actually sort of sad that I missed the anxiety from the other close games. That said, I feel for ya after you probably watched them eek their way back into it, and just came up short.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Lathum

15/16 in my work bracket missing only Arizona State in a 2 point loss.

I don't think I can be your friend anymore. Bad enough that you are a Giants fan, now this.

[sterlingice]

Is it really worth it start "comparing" bracket results until after the first weekend and, mostly in terms of who you have left of your E8 and beyond not how many points you have now

SI

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Is it really worth it start "comparing" bracket results until after the first weekend and, mostly in terms of who you have left of your E8 and beyond not how many points you have now

SI

No but its fun.

[mauchow]

Duke losing won't kill me too much but I sure wpuld love it!!

[cmp]

As much as I want Mercer to win this game it sure seems like Duke will still come out with the win.

[Matthean]

Somebody on the ESPN chat when comparing Duke and Michigan said "Michigan plays defense, though."

[cmp]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Somebody on the ESPN chat when comparing Duke and Michigan said "Michigan plays defense, though."

They sure are a defensive powerhouse. They look just like the 04 Pistons.

[Jas_lov]

Could have another Lehigh here. Mercer's not going away.

[Kodos]

C'mon, Mercer. You can do this!

[Jas_lov]

Duke's gonna fall again.

[Kodos]

Not watching, but this is looking good...

[Matthean]

Twitter / BoPelini: Can I get fined if I comment ...

Can I get fined if I comment about basketball officiating?

[Matthean]

Just imagine if UL lost and how that oh so difficult bracket for WSU would have been virtually eradicated in the first round.

[cmp]

Weber State up 7-0!

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Just imagine if UL lost and how that oh so difficult bracket for WSU would have been virtually eradicated in the first round.

I think a lot of it (obviously Louisville was part) was about the preseason #1 team in the country sitting at the 8 seed and Michigan hasn't it?

[EagleFan]

So long Duke.

[Kodos]

Bracket decimated - Kodos elated!

[Easy Mac]

I find Duke basketball in the tournament funny. Normally, it's the smaller schools that have to shoot lights out from 3 to upset the bigger schools. But it seems like its always the opposite against Duke. If you can beat them inside, you stand a better chance at an upset.

[Kodos]

[Coffee Warlord]

I can about guarantee you 99.9% of all billion dollar brackets are now gone with Puke eliminated.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Bracket decimated - Kodos elated!

Same. I went with them to take the Midwest since I saw so many more picks for Louisville, Michigan, and even Wichita State.

SI

[Matthean]

I'm still not sure about UK. The talent hasn't seemed to gel yet in a way that I could trust.

A team that can force Michigan to play half-court defense and can rebound will give Michigan fits. The team doesn't have to be that good defensively to counter Michigan's offense. I think their offense is going to run rather well anyway. You just need to keep pressure on them with your own scoring and rebounding to limit what Michigan can do. They are a team that could be knocked out in the second round or in the title game depending on how things fall. They have already proven they can hang with Arizona.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I can about guarantee you 99.9% of all billion dollar brackets are now gone with Puke eliminated.

Somewhere out there someone is chuckling at the amount of information they were able to obtain by dangling a billion dollars out there for an impossible dream.

[EagleFan]

Mercer is one of the teams that I have in an office pool. We picked the 64 teams like a Super Bowl block pool (but with 64 blocks) and we get winnings for each win a team gets with the upsets netting more. Go Mercer!

[korme]

Since I am a homer, in my bracket I had UC winning it all... over Duke.

Sitting pretty right now.

[Glengoyne]

Wow the clean bracket doesn't even survive the first result of day 2.

Ouch for Duke.

[cartman]

Stolen from a friend's feed:

They should add an amendment to the Geneva Conventions making these Baylor basketball uniforms a war crime

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

I find Duke basketball in the tournament funny. Normally, it's the smaller schools that have to shoot lights out from 3 to upset the bigger schools. But it seems like its always the opposite against Duke. If you can beat them inside, you stand a better chance at an upset.

Just a strange, strange game.

Duke went 15-37 from three point range. They went 7-25 on their 2 point shot attempts. Seriously?

Mercer went 20/32 on their 2 point shot attempts. (62.5%)

Wow.

So, Mike K, how is that "the ACC is tougher and deserves more teams" thing working our for ya?

[Jas_lov]

I knew I should have picked Tennessee/Iowa winner over Duke in the 2nd round. Coach K said the ACC was so good and so much better than the A-10, and then he lost to Mercer.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I believe that's gotta be at least arguably the 4th biggest basketball win for all schools in the state of Georgia combined (I'd put the combined three wins for Final Four berths at GT/UGA ahead of a first rounder).

It's also quite possibly the biggest upset anyone from the state has pulled, only UGA over UNC for a final four trip comes to mind as a rival.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

I find Duke basketball in the tournament funny. Normally, it's the smaller schools that have to shoot lights out from 3 to upset the bigger schools. But it seems like its always the opposite against Duke. If you can beat them inside, you stand a better chance at an upset.

MSU is known as a physical team that does well with their inside game and yet Izzo's record against Coach K is terrible. I think this was a good Duke team but hardly an upper tier one. This gives Michigan a shot at the Elite 8 if they play to their potential.

[Buccaneer]

All we need now is for UK to lose and it will be a perfect opening round.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Twitter / BoPelini: Can I get fined if I comment ...

I rolled my eyes and then looked at the box score. 36 FT to 10? Yikes. It may be fair based on how the game is going, but that's pretty one sides.

[BillyMadison]

Originally Posted by Jas_lov

I knew I should have picked Tennessee/Iowa winner over Duke in the 2nd round. Coach K said the ACC was so good and so much better than the A-10, and then he lost to Mercer.

It's gonna be UMass. I'm a homer but no one is giving us any respect or credit. We beat 7 teams in the tournament. Tennessee has beaten 1 this year. Yes, the argument can be made that were over seeded but we should not be 6 point underdogs. I bet if Tennesseee was a 6 and UMass was an 11-- we'd see most people picking UMass. The so called experts are punishing them for their seed. Senior laden team with a great point guard in Chaz Williams. See for yourself. UMass to the Sweet 16.

A10 has proven itself as a power conference. 2-1 and St Joes had UConn for most of the game. I expect 5-1 after today.

[Thomkal]

So let me ask:

The beginning of the end for Coach K at Duke? Losing to a 14th and 15th seed in the past three years, doesn't win the ACC? Seems silly to suggest such a thing, but this is clearly not the Duke of old

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by TroyF

I rolled my eyes and then looked at the box score. 36 FT to 10? Yikes. It may be fair based on how the game is going, but that's pretty one sides.

I believe Miles got tossed as well.

[BishopMVP]

Teams and coaches from the Atlantic Sun seem to have more fun than any other conference.