2012 NCAA Tournament Thread

[sterlingice]

Well, yesterday was a yawner with 2 upsets total (again, punch the douchey guy bragging about his awesome bracket as the secretary is probably even beating him) and only 4 total exciting games: VCU-Wichita State, Syracuse-UNCA, LBSU-New Mexico, and Colorado-UNLV with only one going down to the final shot.

Today, it's time for some chaos!
(Again, bracket gods, if you could please exempt the #2 Midwest seed from that, I would be greatly appreciative and will watch more basketball to appease your bloated orange and dimpled soul)

SI

[spleen1015]

I have Virginia, Purdue and Ohio as upsets today.

Make it happen!!

I'm planning to head downtown and watch the early games with a group of folks from work. SI, you are welcome to join us. We'll be at Coaches Tavern on Pennsylvania, just up the street from Banker's Life.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

He does have a punchable face.

I follow hiim because he does tweet some interesting things. Yesterday at halftime of the Syracuse game, for instance, he tweeted that one of the betting sites had Syracuse as a 10.5 point favorite for the second half. They were down 4 and won by 7. That was pretty damn amazing, and I'm glad he tweeted it.

Yep, just cross-thread quoted...

Since it's more applicable to discuss here, I was listening to Boomer and Carton this morning and he was going nuts about this (he's a Cuse grad). Apparently he saw the halftime line at Syracuse -11. So Cuse gets fouled with a couple seconds left, up 5, guy hits the two free throws (now up 7 and making the 2nd half bet a push)...and then the ref gave the ball back to the Cuse player for a third, undeserved free throw? Which the kid was about to shoot before someone blew it dead from behind the action. Did all this actually happen?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I have Virginia, Purdue and Ohio as upsets today.

Make it happen!!

I'm planning to head downtown and watch the early games with a group of folks from work. SI, you are welcome to join us. We'll be at Coaches Tavern on Pennsylvania, just up the street from Banker's Life.

I was posting even more than usual in this thread because I was home sick the last two days as I'm just getting over the "hit by a truck" (as opposed to "stomach") flu. So I don't think I'm up for it, unfortunately- I'm just going to try to make it through a short day of work and maybe groceries as I'm starting to run out of food.

Thanks for the offer, tho. Next Friday, I might be able to do something, tho


SI

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Logan

Yep, just cross-thread quoted...

Since it's more applicable to discuss here, I was listening to Boomer and Carton this morning and he was going nuts about this (he's a Cuse grad). Apparently he saw the halftime line at Syracuse -11. So Cuse gets fouled with a couple seconds left, up 5, guy hits the two free throws (now up 7 and making the 2nd half bet a push)...and then the ref gave the ball back to the Cuse player for a third, undeserved free throw? Which the kid was about to shoot before someone blew it dead from behind the action. Did all this actually happen?

Ha! I didn't see that, but given the day those refs had, it wouldn't surprise me. That OOB call was one of the most blatantly horrific calls I've ever seen. The ONLY excuse for it would be an admission that he just didn't feel like calling a foul and gave the ball to Syracuse since it was essentially the same thing. Not that that's appropriate or anything. But it's the only explanation I can come up with. The dude's hands weren't anywhere near the ball, because he was pushing the guy from behind!

[Butter]

Going back to Marmel's post a few pages back, I couldn't believe that they didn't award Syracuse free throws at the end of the first half on that foul call... as even though the shot was not released prior to the shot clock going off, he was fouled prior to the shot clock going off.

But the refs rectified that by completely fucking UNCA in the 2nd half, especially with the OOB no-call, and the goaltending non-call.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Baylor's uniforms are eye-gouginly delicious

SI

The combination of these uniforms and the bright orange/red-headed kid from the other team on the floor at the same time has permanently fucked up the color contrast on my TV.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Going back to Marmel's post a few pages back, I couldn't believe that they didn't award Syracuse free throws at the end of the first half on that foul call... as even though the shot was not released prior to the shot clock going off, he was fouled prior to the shot clock going off.

But the refs rectified that by completely fucking UNCA in the 2nd half, especially with the OOB no-call, and the goaltending non-call.

Yep, that's what I didn't understand at the time. And still don't. it's not like the foul was called after the shot went in. He was fouled and then went up for the shot, so the foul counts in some form whether or not the shot is disallowed.

If they correctly applied the rule there, then the rule needs to be changed.

[sterlingice]

I guess the question I have is: If the shot doesn't count because it didn't happen before time expired, how can you have a shooting foul? In short, you took away the shot because it was too late then wouldn't the foul have been too late, too?

SI

[Ksyrup]

I have less of a problem with that logically than wiping out the foul altogether. A foul occurred - whether you call it a shooting foul or a non-shooting foul doesn't matter to me. The shot didn't count, but the physical act of the shot and the foul occurred. Or, more accurately, the foul and then the act of shooting occurred. That the shot didn't count only technically relates to the moment it left his hand too late.

But in any event, a foul's a foul, right? Either he's hacked while dribbling or passing, or he's hacked while shooting. Eiether way a foul was committed and called by the ref. Call it a non-shooting foul, and if they're in the bonus, they go to the line anyway.

[whomario]

Were they in the bonus ?

[bronconick]

The logic was that the play is dead once the shot clock expires and that the foul occurred after the expiration. If that wasn't true, well, these guys couldn't even get an OOB play right, so it's not shocking.

[sterlingice]

Yeah- see that was my thought was that the play would have been whistled dead before the foul happened and thus the foul never occurred. But maybe I was reading the rule wrong.

To me it was analogous to if there was a false start in football but the players didn't hear the whistle and played on and there was a pass interference. The offense doesn't get to take the pass interference for a first down because the play never occurred.

SI

[Ksyrup]

I'm pretty sure the foul occurred before the shot went up. But maybe they rule that it's technically instantaneous with the shot, since there's not supposed to be continuation like there is in the NBA, right? I guess that would make some sense for consistency purposes.

[sterlingice]

Yeah- it does make sense to me that it would be before the shot, too, when you put it that way. Unfortunately, I think we're trying to divine crap as tea leaves.

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by whomario

Were they in the bonus ?

I went back & counted, according to the p-b-p UNCA had been called for 11 fouls up to that point.

[Lathum]

MMOD not working for anyone else?

[sterlingice]

Working for me and even a lot better on the work network here than on Comcast at home... I mean: Nothing, my work overlords. Do not hit me with sticks.

SI

[GoldenEagle]

It is working fine for me. One good thing about paying for it is the stream is a much higher quality this year.

[GoldenEagle]

Of course the NCAA makes you pay for it and get served with ads, but whatever.

[Ksyrup]

Texas through 10:02 - the graphic: "Texas with no points in last 7:00 minutes." They could also run the graphic: "Texas with no points in the first 3:00 minutes."

[cartman]

I've never seen them this ice cold. This is embarrassing.

[Ksyrup]

Good Lord!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just looked at the box score, Cincy ain't lighting it up either. Texas is 1-14 from the floor but combined the two are just 9-37.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

It is working fine for me. One good thing about paying for it is the stream is a much higher quality this year.

Working now, I had to restart my phone

[Ksyrup]

To put this half into perspective, Texas now has 17 points after scoring 2 points in the first 12+ minutes. Florida State scored 10 points total in the 1st half of a game against PRINCETON at HOME earlier this year.

[GoldenEagle]

I didn't realize I was going to get hit with a coke ad everything I changed to a different game.

[Ksyrup]

That's not happening for me. You can't change games during a commercial break, but if you time it right, you can change right before a commercial to another game and it takes you right to that broadcast. Now, if that game's also in a break, then yeah, you're going to hear way more Peter Frampton than you ever wanted.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

To put this half into perspective, Texas now has 17 points after scoring 2 points in the first 12+ minutes. Florida State scored 10 points total in the 1st half of a game against PRINCETON at HOME earlier this year.

And something else to think about - if Texas somehow comes back to win, they play the winner of FSU/St. Bonnie.

[cartman]

This game is a bit like the Texas-Iowa State game in the Big 12 tourney. The Horns were nowhere near as bad in the first half of that game as they were in this one, but they did get in a groove in the second half and worked their way back into the game. I just don't see them shooting 16% for an entire game. That was atrocious.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

That's not happening for me. You can't change games during a commercial break, but if you time it right, you can change right before a commercial to another game and it takes you right to that broadcast. Now, if that game's also in a break, then yeah, you're going to hear way more Peter Frampton than you ever wanted.

Or those annoying kids doing brackets

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

Y'know, I'm not particularly an NC State fan or anything, but I'd appreciate it if they could win this one. I'd really like to get an (seeding) upset pick right for a change.

[Ksyrup]

Cincy looks like they are wearing fluorescent legwarmers.

[whomario]

3 straight-and-unanswered from deep for Texas, only 30-40 now

Also, go Creighton ! McDermott hits his first 2 shots early, good sign

[sterlingice]

Holy crap and now the lead is 3 for Cincy. Texas is 11/17 vs 4/25 or whatever

Yeah, go Creighton. MVC

SI

[cartman]

I'm gonna need a defibrillator for these next few minutes.

[Ksyrup]

It's a good thing I finished this memo and legislative revision I'm working on this morning. There's simply too much shit going on in the world of sports to get much work done this afternoon.

[Ksyrup]

Awful Announcing ‏ @awfulannouncing
It would be such a Rick Barnes thing to do to come all the way back and tie this game and then eventually lose.

[Lathum]

The first 2 days on the tournament and the Monday after the Superbowl need to be national holidays

[Ksyrup]

That was Texas's shot - missed FT and a wide open 3.

[cartman]

That just about does it. That's been the story of the Longhorns this season. They have been right there at the end of games, just couldn't close them out. 9 losses this season by 6 or fewer points.

[bhlloy]

Damn. Texas win would have been nice for a couple of my brackets.

Texas just didn't play smart at the end. You come all the way back and suddenly start jacking up contested three pointers? Very frustrating to watch.

[SirFozzie]

Called that one right.


Looks like NC St has validated their being one of the last few non-First Four teams.

[GoldenEagle]

14-4 so far, but lost 3 of my teams that I had in Sweet 16. All of my Elite Eight teams are still alive.

[Ksyrup]

OK, I'm getting excited for FSU's first game, but not so excited that I've got a STBONA.

[Ksyrup]

Jesus. Snaer with 2 fouls in less than 2:30. TOs galore. This is the FSU I know and love/hate.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just realized that my main/first bracket (on espn) is actually different than my one in the Yahoo group here. I've got New Mexico to the S16 on espn, I had Davidson advancing in the Yahoo.

Oops.

[Butter]

Nice tournament, Mountain West. I pick one of them every year to do something, and every year they fucking fail.

The A10 better put some teams into round 3, or I will be pissed.

[Radii]

Confirmed that Henson won't play today for UNC. That's not a big surprise, there's no reason at all to play him vs Vermont if he isn't 100%

[Butter]

Complete bullshit 2nd foul call on Andrew Nicholson there of St. Bonnie.