(04-02-2013 07:30 PM)Pervis_Griffith Wrote:  And just this past season, Northwestern had U of L graduate Jared Swopshire on it's roster, who took advantage of the NCAA rule to get that 5th year of eligibility ...

So CLEARLY Louisville's players are just thugs who wouldn't be able to play in the mighty mighty Big Ten because of their academics ...

Given that Louisville posted a 56% graduation rate for basketball last year, Swopshire was the likely the only U of L graduate last year...

(04-02-2013 09:17 PM)nuftw Wrote:  Given that Louisville posted a 56% graduation rate for basketball last year, Swopshire was the likely the only U of L graduate last year...

Just curious... What is the math involved in arriving at 56% ? Seems like a difficult percentage to reach. Injuries and redshirts must play into that.

(04-03-2013 08:31 AM)SeaBlue Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 09:17 PM)nuftw Wrote:  Given that Louisville posted a 56% graduation rate for basketball last year, Swopshire was the likely the only U of L graduate last year...

Just curious... What is the math involved in arriving at 56% ? Seems like a difficult percentage to reach. Injuries and redshirts must play into that.

It's a 4 year average.

http://stanford.scout.com/2/1183346.html

It's GSR, so it doesn't count transfers that left in good standing.

how is 4 in the sweet 16, 2 in the elite 8 and 1 in the final 4 "overrated"?
that's a damn fine tournament.

(04-03-2013 10:58 AM)e-bethMSU Wrote:  how is 4 in the sweet 16, 2 in the elite 8 and 1 in the final 4 "overrated"?
that's a damn fine tournament.

Because they were branded as the best conference without peer this year. I'd say the BE was every bit as good regardless of the F4 outcome.

And the MWC was a sham this year...a decent conference but RPI was grossly inflated.

(04-03-2013 12:37 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Because they were branded as the best conference without peer this year. I'd say the BE was every bit as good regardless of the F4 outcome.

I must have missed the "without peer" part ~ I'm happy I don't follow the same news sources as you do, since if I had started watching the NCAA thinking the Big Ten was the best conference "without peer", this tournament would have been a real let-down.

(03-31-2013 06:10 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  Top conference this year by far? Pffft....

They still have a handful of excellent teams but the BE would beat them head to head.

MWC just be quiet...bunch of overrated RPI posers.

BIG's last bball title, 2000.
Since 1971 they have 2 football titles, OSU in 1971 and 2002-03.

(Nebraska and Michigan had a split title in 1997-98)

(04-02-2013 07:30 PM)Pervis_Griffith Wrote:  

(04-02-2013 06:32 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(04-01-2013 05:20 PM)JunkYardCard Wrote:  Do you guys really think the academic standards of any of these schools really apply to the guys playing basketball?

Well, for Northwestern and Whiskey ~ yeah, I do indeed think there are some players they can't recruit that the other Big Ten schools can recruit. Obviously if they get a player in, they have systems in place to keep them academically eligible.

I kind of know what NW and WI do about that in FB. For BBall I just watch the teams play the game, I have no idea whether they structure their approach to address the academic constraint or whether they just accept a modestly smaller pool to recruit from and go from who they have available.

And just this past season, Northwestern had U of L graduate Jared Swopshire on it's roster, who took advantage of the NCAA rule to get that 5th year of eligibility ...

So CLEARLY Louisville's players are just thugs who wouldn't be able to play in the mighty mighty Big Ten because of their academics ...

.

Bam,

(03-31-2013 06:10 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  Top conference this year by far? Pffft....

They still have a handful of excellent teams but the BE would beat them head to head.

MWC just be quiet...bunch of overrated RPI posers.

As far as the Big 10 being overrated, let's wait till the tournament is complete before we make that evaluation; Michigan is in the Final 4 and fully capable of winning it all.

Which conference has been the biggest surprise and outperformed where most fans thought they would be is the A10. Got 5 teams in the tourney and all won their first round games. No other conference with multiple bids was perfect in the first round except the MVC and they had 2. Going 5-0 with St Louis beating NM ST by 20; LaSalle a #13 seed beating KSU & MS to reach the Sweet 16; Temple beating NC ST and giving IN a tough 2nd round game losing by 6; VCU winning their opening round game by 40 & Butler beating Bucknell and losing to #3 seed Marquette by 2,

The BE has underperformed; when you get 8 bids and 5 of your 8 lose their opening round games including Pitt getting by Wichita State (19) Notre Dame getting by ISU( 18), Marquette barely escaping Davidson(1) and Butler (2); Gtown being the first #2 seed in decades to lose to a #15 (FGCU) and by 10!

You get embarrassed that many times on national TV; don't talk smack about any other conferences.

The Big 10 got 1 less bid and put 2 more teams in the 2nd round than the BE, 1 more team in the Sweet 16 and both leagues have 1 in the final 4.

Will be a very interesting finish

Back in 2008-2009, the Big East was clearly the #1 basketball conference with three #1 Seeds in the tourney, sending 5 teams to the Sweet 16, and 4 to the Elite 8, but UNC won the title over Michigan State that year.

I have no problem saying the BiG was the best conference this year (not as dominant as the BE in the year referenced above, but in this so-so year, they were the best overall). They just underperformed in the tourney and even if the Final is Louisville vs Syracuse, that isn't going to change the fact the BiG was best this year.

Going to miss the Big East of 2005-2006 through this year. They certainly can make a case for one of the best conferences ever in men's and women's basketball.

And their football was vastly underrated as well.

Cheers,
Neil

Big East had 3 teams in the elite 8 (Cuse, Ville n Marquette) and two teams in the F4 (Cuse n Ville)

(04-03-2013 03:56 PM)Poliicious Wrote:  The Big 10 got 1 less bid and put 2 more teams in the 2nd round than the BE, 1 more team in the Sweet 16 and both leagues have 1 in the final 4.

... 1 fewer team in the Elite Eight and 1 fewer team in the final four.

The Big Ten can still be represented or not in the final and can still win the championship, the Big East can still be represented or not in the final and it can still be an All-Big-East final.

If the conferences are going to be judge by their performances before the tournament, then you open up the whole ratings can of worms. If the conference are going to be judged by their performances in the tournament, its silly to do that before the final seconds tick away in the championship game.

(04-03-2013 04:26 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Big East had 3 teams in the elite 8 (Cuse, Ville n Marquette) and two teams in the F4 (Cuse n Ville)

You also had more bids than any other conference.

so now that its one big east schools and one big 10 school - is the B1G still "overrated"? and what if the B1G school wins - having beaten two big east schools in the final four? is it then - still overrated? and remember, this B1G school wasn't the B1G champion - in either the regular season or the tournament.

i think this goes to show - a tournament run doesn't define a conference - or even a team. a team can get hot, catch a few breaks over 6 games and win a "national championship" or over 4 games and suddenly be the talk of the nation because it made the final 4 - but it could also have been mostly lucky. if michigan wins tonight, many will chalk the win up to lousville losing a player to a horrible injury, but a different call here or there and this is a kansas-louisville game - or duke-ohio state - or wichita state-syracuse.

Go Big Blue

Umm, Big Blue is UK (Kentucky), Blue is Michigan. Just making sure you know who you are supporting.

Well, since Kentucky isn't playing I think it's obvious . . . to most anyway.

Go B1G Blue.

As I was saying. LOL

Actually the B1G had several excellent teams...my point was it wasn't all that the media making them out to be.

Damn.

Oh well, back to hating Michigan.

(03-31-2013 04:03 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(03-31-2013 02:40 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  [quote='MickMack' pid='9178339' dateline='1364758654']
Does anyone else find it funny that a Northwestern fan is posting about the NCAA tourney?

No funnier than an SEC fan posting about the NCAA tourney, after their year this year.

Indeed, that's what CBS and TBS like to see ~ people who would be less likely to care about BBall during the regular season getting interested in March.

The suspect education conference is at best a 2 team hoops league and KY had a bad year this year. When you get 7 in and 6 make it to Round 2, 4 make it to the Sweet 16; you let us all know because it will be a cold day in hell when the suspect education conference accomplishes that!