March Madness Discussion

[Neroon]

Kansas and Mich. St has been a great game, though.

ETA: And it just ended with a gret comeback by the Spartans. Kalin Lucas was manly down the stretch with a clutch basket and four clutch free throws.

 

[Caligula]

Rats. Kansas let a 13-point lead slip on by. So, BOTH participants in last year's championship game get eliminated in the Sweet 16 in 2009. As a matter of fact, I only did 50% this round. I was correct in picking all the #1 seeds to make the Elite 8, but their upcoming opponents all are teams to whom I hadn't given the proper credit. Four teams from the Big East are in the Elite 8, a new NCAA tournament record! It's too bad they can't all advance to the Final Four. Either Pittsburgh or Villanova will have to pack their bags after this next round. That much is guaranteed.

 

[JM1776]

Rutgers only chance to beat UConn is to beat them up physically. They are a team with a brute mentality that isn't even close to UConn from a pure talent standpoint.

If by "brute mentality" you mean unintimidated by the Dogettes and capable of playing the best pressure defense in the country when aroused, you're quite right.

They've had a real problem getting out of their own way this year, granted, but ... they didn't begin the season ranked number two in the country for nothing. The idea that they have no chance against UConn is, frankly, laughable.

Never asserted it was "gonna happen." Said it's likely Rutgers is the only team that could do it, for psychological reasons: They've handled UConn before, even as most other teams have not, and never will. It makes a huge difference, whether or not you can see that.

All that said ... I expect UConn to win the national championship essentially unchallenged, because I don't think Rutgers is going to get that far.

 

[Caligula]

Forget UConn/Rutgers for a sec. Check out this contest between Maryland and Vanderbilt! Really a spirited performance from both teams, and potentially the second ousting of a #1 seed (the first beind Duke) in the 2009 women's tournament.

 

[Caligula]

I don't know who to be more upset for, the Kansas men or the Vanderbilt women. Probably the latter, since they led the ENTIRE game until the final two minutes. WTF....

 

[Caligula]

OMG! You know what? Screw the brackets! That was an awesome game between Pittsburgh and Villanova. If any of the #1 seeds were vulnerable, it was Pitt. You could see it in all of their tournament games, even the ETSU game. Villanova knows these guys well. Amazing. Just amazing.

 

[Adm. Bonz]

That was an amazing game. Pitt played 'em close, but 'Nova was just a bit faster.

My bracket has been busted. Oh well.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Go Nova! Villanova had the manpower that Okie State and ETSU lacked. They perservered and took advantage where the other couldn't. I can't say as I'm surprised. My Sooners are the lone big 12 representative left standing. I hope Lawson's tootsie is nice and sore.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

That win by Nova was amazing. Of course, they set up their own amazing win by screwing up right before it, but whatever. Great job by Scottie Reynolds. That was just an amazing finish to what was a hard fought, well-played game by both teams.

 

[tomalak301]

I hate Pitt. They did not deserve the number one seed throughout the entire tournament and it ended up biting them in the ass.

Now I'm rooting for the upsets. Go Michigan St. and Oklahoma.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Good Lord, Michigan State up by double digits in the second half? Kiss all my brackets good-bye, I am officially screwed. May as well root for the Sooners to go all the way. However, I think UConn is gonna steamroll over everyone else at this point.

 

[tomalak301]

Ouch, Louisville was awful today. Congrats to the Big 10 and Michigan State. I too am pulling for Oklahoma. It will pretty much end the bracket poll this weekend if that happens, but I don't want to see North Carolina in the final four either.

 

[Caligula]

You've gotta be f***ing kidding me. I'm out of the house for a couple of hours, I come back and find out that Louisville got spanked?! Wow! If Oklahoma beats UNC in this next game, the Final Four will be the exact opposite of what I had expected it to look like when I put my bracket together.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Oklahoma winning gives us a chance at a repeat Big 12 National Champion. I'd love that.

 

[Scout101]

Louisville.... Yeah, there goes the rest of my bracket. I was doing well up until this one. Oddly, using the scenario generator, there are still a couple situations where I still win...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Wow, I did not expect Louisville to go down.

Looking at my options, the worst thing would be a UNC win. My other bracket's messed up because I picked Louisville.

I guess I'll keep doing what I've been doing and root for Villanova. Last time they played Louisville, they did horribly, so this would probably be a good thing for them.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Man, my Sooners are looking pitiful. Crash and burn time. Ouch.

 

[Caligula]

UNC had that game pretty much from the opening tip-off. I'm trying to come up with a point in the game when their lead was anything less than 7 or 8. So, at least I got one of my Final Four teams in there, and even more fortunate that it was my National Champion pick.

The Sooners had an awesome run, and in spite of their performance tonight, no one should lose sight of that.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

I'm sick at the thought of how badly they were beaten. They never had a chance in the game. Major ouch.

 

[JM1776]

I actually approved of OU's effort: They kept trying right up until it was apparent that all hope had faded, then let the clock run out. It's incredibly irritating when a team is down by 17 with 38 seconds left and still calling timeouts.