(03-22-2021 02:08 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 02:02 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 01:48 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  OK, I admit it - the B1G was overrated and overseeded. And I don't care if Michigan wins the national title and Maryland beats Alabama today, that's two teams. The conference overall has been one massive pratfall.

The committee often overrated the B1G, and so the B1G rakes in cash. They got 9 credits right off the bat and currently have more credits than the PAC, which has performed way better. A travesty.

Nah, I think the right teams got in. Arizona would be the 6th Pac-12, but they are headed to probation. You can't make much of a case for either Stanford or Washington State, both are as bad or worse than than Louisville, Colorado State, Duke, Ole Miss and St. John's.

Seeds his year are the result of incomplete season data. Pac-12 had fewer games, so that is just the way it played out. LUC was better than their seed, and probably the committee downgraded the MVC a bit too much. But beyond that I have a hard time complaining. Every mid-major at-large was knocked out in the first round. So the quality wasn't there. Oral Roberts played fantastic, well coached; good for them.

I think you guys are looking for things to complain about.

Enjoy the tournament. This Gonzaga team has three first round draft picks, two lottery picks, one possibly the top pick. Oklahoma is good team. This is great.

FWIW, I am enjoying the tournament very much, including the Oklahoma-Gonzaga game right now.

But I can still blast the B1G for getting a ton of high seeded teams in. I don't ever recall a conference getting so many high seeds in and have so many of them immediately fall on their face.

only thing that comes close IMO is the 2011 Big East.

By the end of the regular season I believed the Big Ten was overrated. I also thought the ACC was underrated. Looks like I was correct on one of those feelings!

I have UCLA and USC showing up to play and making the Sweet 16, but admittedly I had Oregon State going down first round. I have Oregon and Colorado each winning one game. Altman has the Ducks firing on all cylinders, with fresh wings!

Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate the fact Bill Walton doesn’t work for CBS.

(03-22-2021 02:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 02:08 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 02:02 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 01:48 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  OK, I admit it - the B1G was overrated and overseeded. And I don't care if Michigan wins the national title and Maryland beats Alabama today, that's two teams. The conference overall has been one massive pratfall.

The committee often overrated the B1G, and so the B1G rakes in cash. They got 9 credits right off the bat and currently have more credits than the PAC, which has performed way better. A travesty.

Nah, I think the right teams got in. Arizona would be the 6th Pac-12, but they are headed to probation. You can't make much of a case for either Stanford or Washington State, both are as bad or worse than than Louisville, Colorado State, Duke, Ole Miss and St. John's.

Seeds his year are the result of incomplete season data. Pac-12 had fewer games, so that is just the way it played out. LUC was better than their seed, and probably the committee downgraded the MVC a bit too much. But beyond that I have a hard time complaining. Every mid-major at-large was knocked out in the first round. So the quality wasn't there. Oral Roberts played fantastic, well coached; good for them.

I think you guys are looking for things to complain about.

Enjoy the tournament. This Gonzaga team has three first round draft picks, two lottery picks, one possibly the top pick. Oklahoma is good team. This is great.

FWIW, I am enjoying the tournament very much, including the Oklahoma-Gonzaga game right now.

But I can still blast the B1G for getting a ton of high seeded teams in. I don't ever recall a conference getting so many high seeds in and have so many of them immediately fall on their face.

only thing that comes close IMO is the 2011 Big East.

That's a good analogy. In 2011 the Big East got a still-record 11 teams in, and just two advanced to the Sweet 16. However, three of the eight Big East teams that failed to get there lost to other Big East teams, so that's a different situation.

What we do know is that Big East team seeded 1, 2, 4, 6 and 6 were all upset by lower seeds. I think the B1G has been worse than that so far.

(03-22-2021 01:45 PM)Wedge Wrote:  4th Sweet 16 in the last 5 tournaments for the Ducks.

That certainly could have been a factor in Iowa vs. Oregon, tournament experience. Iowa hasn't made a Sweet 16 since 1999! Luka Garza had only made the NCAA Tournament once before this season. Same with Illinois vs. Loyola. Illinois was playing in their first NCAA Tournament since 2013 and hasn't made the Sweet 16 since 2005 while Loyola made the Final Four in 2018. There were players on the team this year that were on that 2018 team. No doubt Illinois players are more talented than Loyola's but they weren't tournament tested like Loyola. And Porter Moser made a Final Four. Brad Underwood before this season won two NCAA Tournament games (granted to win two NCAA Tournament games at Stephen F. Austin is a pretty big accomplishment). For sure if Iowa and Illinois had played in the 2020 NCAA Tournament (meaning there was one) maybe they would have been more prepared in this year's tournament. Of course if there was a tournament last year maybe Luka Garza, Ayo Dosunmu, and Koki Cockburn go pro. I would say for Illinois I'd take this season over a 2020 NCAA Tournament where Illinois's probably a middle of the pack seed and probably would be lucky to win a game and I'd imagine Iowa fans would say the same.

Now what happened with Ohio State and Purdue, who knows?

(03-22-2021 02:18 PM)esayem Wrote:  Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate the fact Bill Walton doesn’t work for CBS.

Oh yeah. Especially now.

Turner so lucky to have this group. Great tribute here

(03-22-2021 02:17 PM)stever20 Wrote:  only thing that comes close IMO is the 2011 Big East.

A wonderful tournament, tbh. Don't know how anyone could complain.

I have strongly cheered for the Indiana Hoosiers (as has my family) since 1987. And I always kind of liked the Big Ten in general when I lived in Chicago (1987-93). One of my nephews spent a recent bit of summer time doing some studies on the Michigan State campus. I'm definitely not anti-Big Ten.

But if the Big Ten goes 0-9 with not one Sweet 16 team (and despite having lots of strong seeds), this will rank as the biggest joke in terms of conferences-related-to-the-Big-Dance in history.

So far ... a disaster for the Big Ten.

(03-22-2021 03:04 PM)stever20 Wrote:  Turner so lucky to have this group. Great tribute here

My father loved watching Elgin Baylor play. A legend has left us. May his memory always live.

Gonzaga definitely looks like a team that can win it all.

(03-22-2021 02:18 PM)esayem Wrote:  By the end of the regular season I believed the Big Ten was overrated. I also thought the ACC was underrated. Looks like I was correct on one of those feelings!

I have UCLA and USC showing up to play and making the Sweet 16, but admittedly I had Oregon State going down first round. I have Oregon and Colorado each winning one game. Altman has the Ducks firing on all cylinders, with fresh wings!

Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate the fact Bill Walton doesn’t work for CBS.

The PAC schools all have size and speed, but I expected that. What I am seeing that sets them apart is the sophistication of the defensive switches, but most impressively the ball handling under the post. The cuts and sets are executed beautifully. It's like watching a vintage Princeton team only stocked with P5 size and speed. Oregon ran a figure 8 weave under the post today for an uncontested layup. I was stunned at the beauty of that play. In part I was stunned because all I'm accustomed to seeing in East Coast and Southeast basketball is speed and size crashing the boards so you get a dunk over some defender or a charge. The PAC schools are winning by blocking out and ball handling and it is truly a basketball renaissance for me!

(03-22-2021 03:56 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 02:18 PM)esayem Wrote:  By the end of the regular season I believed the Big Ten was overrated. I also thought the ACC was underrated. Looks like I was correct on one of those feelings!

I have UCLA and USC showing up to play and making the Sweet 16, but admittedly I had Oregon State going down first round. I have Oregon and Colorado each winning one game. Altman has the Ducks firing on all cylinders, with fresh wings!

Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate the fact Bill Walton doesn’t work for CBS.

The PAC schools all have size and speed, but I expected that. What I am seeing that sets them apart is the sophistication of the defensive switches, but most impressively the ball handling under the post. The cuts and sets are executed beautifully. It's like watching a vintage Princeton team only stocked with P5 size and speed. Oregon ran a figure 8 weave under the post today for an uncontested layup. I was stunned at the beauty of that play. In part I was stunned because all I'm accustomed to seeing in East Coast and Southeast basketball is speed and size crashing the boards so you get a dunk over some defender or a charge. The PAC schools are winning by blocking out and ball handling and it is truly a basketball renaissance for me!

Agree, JRsec. And on that theme, what about Loyola and the crisp passing, player movement without the ball, smart shot selection, no wasted/excess dribbling, etc. This is the way offensive basketball is supposed to be played.

John Wooden would be pleased.

The State of Oklahoma has one team in the Sweet 16 - and it's not Oklahoma, Oklahoma State or Tulsa

How did Abilene Christian beat UT? They look so overmatched by UCLA.

(03-22-2021 05:29 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  How did Abilene Christian beat UT? They look so overmatched by UCLA.

Shaka Smart

The hilarious factoid I heard about ORU the other day: last time they had this much success, the school namesake was still alive!

And Big Ten team down 7 point early yet again.

UCLA continues the PAC's tremendous run. Three teams in the Sweet 16 now.

(03-22-2021 05:29 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  How did Abilene Christian beat UT? They look so overmatched by UCLA.

ACU's best chance was to create a fast-paced game where they could force turnovers. Texas seemed to play directly into their strategy. UCLA did not.

(03-22-2021 06:28 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(03-22-2021 05:29 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  How did Abilene Christian beat UT? They look so overmatched by UCLA.

ACU's best chance was to create a fast-paced game where they could force turnovers. Texas seemed to play directly into their strategy. UCLA did not.

Texas should have beaten ACU easily. It was very poor second half Texas coaching that cost them that game. Similar to what we saw yesterday when Florida lost to Oral Roberts.

You don't want to foul a guy who is shooting from the logo. Gotta love Steve Lappas.