College Hoops Thread '10-'11

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by JaKaacH

K-State vs. Iowa State...??????

Within the parameters I set, you'd have a better case with Texas vs. Baylor. K-State already earned their way into the Tourney, and Iowa State already "earned" their way out of it. With 'Horns/Bears, there was the question of one staying in contention for a 1 or 2-seed, while the other needed a signature win to get some late consideration for any sort of bid at all.

Originally Posted by JaKaacH

Texas Tech vs. Pat Knight ...????

OK, now you're just %^@&in' with me.

[jcruse64]

Originally Posted by The Poet

Now, people who have dissed them for a year and a half are wanting back on the bandwagon. Sorry, but if you weren't in back pushing when we were stuck in the mud, you can't hop on when we're coasting.

Don't worry, I won't!

ODU has been given a rough 2nd half from VCU. This is a good game.

The MAAC is in the last 30 seconds, with St Pete up 5...no, 6.

[JaKaacH]

Texas Tech vs. Pat Knight ...????

[357]

Feeling around here is that both Michigan and Michigan State will get in, but if one was going to be out would likely be MSU.

Not sure I 100% agree, but that is the local sports talk radio vibe.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

Don't worry, I won't!

ODU has been given a rough 2nd half from VCU. This is a good game.

The MAAC is in the last 30 seconds, with St Pete up 5...no, 6.

WHAT!! After the way I pulled for your stinkin' Racers all year long! Well, that's some damn gratitude for you.

Hey, I straight out told you, and have been telling you all year long, that these two play some decent ball. 'Grats to ODU for winning the automatic in the Colonial. Now we'll have to wait and see how many at-large they get.

And 'grats to the Peacocks from Joisey City too, edging a feisty Gaels squad by 2 possessions for the MAAC automatic.

Originally Posted by 357

Feeling around here is that both Michigan and Michigan State will get in, but if one was going to be out would likely be MSU.

Not sure I 100% agree, but that is the local sports talk radio vibe.

I'm a bit of two minds about both schools, to be honest. The Spartans played the first 3/4th of the season like they didn't even care, when I felt they had the talent to make a run for the Big Ten crown. Meanwhile, the Wolverines started very slowly, as might be expected for a young team, but that talent began to jell late. Too late? I dunno. I could see both getting a bid, one or the other, or . . .least likely . . . both missing out. It may all hinge on the conference tourneys, and not just the Big Ten one. For instance, if there's an upset in another big conference (NCSU wins the ACC, Rutgers the Big East, Oklahoma the Big 12) that means fewer at-large slots available, and could push bubble teams over the back edge. It has happened in the past, and will happen in the future too.


Update soon.

[The Poet]

As mentioned above, a few more automatic bids were awarded last night:


ODU 70 - VCU 65 = Just precisely the type of hard-fought battle I expected.

St. Peter's 62 - Iona 57 = Another tight game that could have gone either way.

Wofford 77 - Charleston 67 = This one surprises me a little bit, as I felt CoC was the pick of the Southern this year. But the Terriers were tougher when it counted most, and will Dance next week.

Gonzaga 75 - St. Mary's 63 = Yet this one does not shock me any. The Gaels were one of my early faves out west, but they faded late in the year. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, turned around their early struggles and have gotten hot when it counted most. Gonzaga wins the automatic in the WCC. Will the Gaels get an at-large? They have a case . . . and strange as it seems, that case is not yet closed. Back in February an additional game was added to their schedule against Weber State, so they still have one more chance to make an impression . . . good, or bad.


Three more automatic bids will be won (or lost, depending on your rooting interest) tonight:


AR Little Rock vs. North Texas = This is for the Sun Belt. Aside from knowing North Texas has played well in a few games against tough competition this year, I know nothing. Let's just hope it's an entertaining game.

Oral Roberts vs. Oakland = And I really don't know enough about these two Summit teams to make a cogent comment either, save to say one of them ought to win it.

Butler vs. Wisc. Milwaukee = Here is the battle for the zenith of the Horizon, pitting the darlings of last year's NCAAs against a team they split against during the regular season. Might be a really good game.


Other than that, play begins in several other conference tournaments, namely the Big East, A-10, Mid-Eastern, Mid-American, and Big Sky. Already today in MSG U. Conn ended a 6-game losing streak in Big East Tourney play by beating DePaul 97-71, while Rutgers advanced in the Battle of Jersey by outlasting Seton Hall 76-70 in OT. Other than that, I will ignore most of the early round games, with two exceptions plus the exception of one last regular season game for:

Princeton vs. Penn = As we stand, the Tigers are 1/2-game back of Harvard, with this one final chance to catch them by beating the Quakers. Lose, and it is over. Win, and they will need to face the Crimson in a one-game playoff for the sole Ivy automatic bid. See, JaKaacH? That's what I mean about an important game.

Providence vs. Marquette = This one may not be quite as important for the Golden Eagles, as they may be juuuuuust slightly over that dreaded bubble, at 18-13 and 9-9. However, as is the case with the two Michigan teams mentioned above, better safe than sorry. If the Friars knock Marquette out of the Big East Tourney on the first day, you can bet CBS will have one of those cameras on the team, awaiting their reaction on Selection Sunday.

Dayton vs. U. Mass = And this game is important on the other side of that coin. Both these teams have had fairly good years, but not nearly good enough to get any at-large consideration, what with their 7-9 Atlantic-10 standings. So their only prayer is to make a run in the conference tournament, and hope that, even if they don't win it all, they will win enough to at least put themselves back in the bubble talk. That starts for one of them tonight, and ends for the other.


That's gonna be it for now. Enjoy. And thank you, Drew, for running off to hide while forcing Kendall Marshall to step up and show you how it's supposed to be done.

[jcruse64]

Sorry, it's against the citizenship rules of the Commonwealth here to root for that particular shade of blue .

Ark-LR and North Tex have a good game going right now.

Could Harvard get their first Dance card in decades tonight???

Hoping I can stay awake for the Butler game. Looks like I'll miss some SEC action on the radio this week. Got an ISO audit at work the rest of this week, so I can't carry a radio around the plant or go sneak in a few minutes with HR (HUGE UK fan).

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

Sorry, it's against the citizenship rules of the Commonwealth here to root for that particular shade of blue.

Ark-LR and North Tex have a good game going right now.

Could Harvard get their first Dance card in decades tonight???

Hoping I can stay awake for the Butler game. Looks like I'll miss some SEC action on the radio this week. Got an ISO audit at work the rest of this week, so I can't carry a radio around the plant or go sneak in a few minutes with HR (HUGE UK fan).

Well, though I cannot condone such intolerance based upon color, I have some grasp on the reasons why. Not only does my Heels have a history of beating Kentucky like a cheap drum, but Dean Smith had the "gall" to win exactly one more game than Adolph Rupp, then retire.

And yes, that AR-LR/NT game would go down as a classic, had it been played in something a bit bigger than the Sun Belt Championship game.

"Could Harvard get their first Dance card in decades?" Yes. "Tonight?" No.

Judging by the score, the Butler/W-M game wasn't all that good. As for your problem in catching SEC action . . . well, it makes me wonder how old you are. I can clearly remember kids sneaking 9-volt transitor radios with that cheesy single earplug into grade school to listen to the World Series. What, do I need to teach my grandson how to suck eggs?


Update shortly.

[The Poet]

Two of the three tickets punched last night have already been referenced, so I'll start with them:


AR Little Rock 64 - North Texas 63 = Solomon Boseman hits a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to win the Sun Belt automatic bid, and put his school into The Dance for the first time in over two decades. Would you care to speculate on who's the BMOC today?

Butler 59 - Wisc. Milwaukee 44 = The Bulldogs make it back into the NCAAs, after a season which started with serious doubts that they could do so. Congratulations to last year's runner-up . . . but I don't expect they'll stick around quite as long this time.

Oakland 90 - Oral Roberts 76 = And this gives the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland (Michigan, that is) the automatic bid in the Summit. Can they now win a game in the NCAAs? Don't forget that, back in mid-December, they did manage to beat the UT Volunteers . . . for what that's worth.


Other games with big impact last night include:


Princeton 70 - Penn 58 = The Tigers win one they had to, and get back into a tie with Harvard for the Ivy. So now they will face off in a one-game playoff for the sole automatic bid. Will Princeton get back to where they've had some success? Will Haa'vaad finally get back into The Dance for the first time since the two-handed setshot was the game . . . specifically, 19-freakin'-46? We'll have to wait until Saturday, when like two Old West gunfighters they meet halfway down the street, and face off on Yale's court.

South Florida 70 - Villanova 69 = What? Are you kidding me? This is only South Fla's 10th win all year, and that's no Bull! Plus, they were down by as much as 16 points, yet managed to come back and steal a victory in the Big East tourney from a team that's been ranked all year . . . until lately. Meanwhile, this makes 10 losses for the Philly 'Cats in their last 15 games! Have they put themselves on the backside of the bubble, especially in light of . . .

Marquette 87 - Prividence 66 = . . . the Golden Eagles perhaps putting themselves above 'Nova on that bubble with this win? That will all depend on exactly how deep the Committee dives into the Big East pool. Nine bids? Ten? Eleven? We'll see come Sunday.


Today we have action beginning in a handful of other conference tournaments, namely the Big 12, CUSA, Southland, Southwestern Athletic (not to be confused with the SEC), WAC, Mountain West, and Pac-10. Of these games, I see only two which might have some immediate impact, and one of them is already over:


Oklahoma State 53 - Nebraska 52 = This loss by the Cornhuskers is no big surprise, but it may have had the effect of pushing them off the backside of the bubble.

Oklahoma vs. Baylor = As mentioned above regarding the season-ending game against Texas, the Baylor Bears really need to do some more to get into the NCAAs. They are just as close to falling off the bubble as they are to climbing atop it, much less getting over the hump. It might take two wins in the Big 12 tourney to help their cause, but you can't win two if you don't win the first one.


That's all I'm gonna do today. Jump in with your own picks and gripes and misses, please. Enjoy.

[The Poet]

Whoops! I missed two games of some import:


Robert Morris vs. Long Island = This one will decide who gets to represent the Northeast Conference in the NCAA Tournament, for probably about 20 minutes. LIU has been the class of the league all year, and RM finished 3rd, so it should be a competitive game.

Montana vs. Northern Colorado = As should this one for the Big Sky automatic bid, since these schools finished 1 and 2 in conference play.


So, two more tickets get punched this evening, and though they may not be long-haul passes, they possess worth nonetheless.

[rebelknight]

Congrats to all the schools locking up auto bids. I feel a little bad for Rutgers. Don't know if an extra possession or win would have done anything for them but it doesn't change that the refs potentially changed the outcome of that game at least 3 times down the stretch. Also in the big east, USF is playing well(ish) in the first half and keeping it close enough but I don't expect a repeat of last night. I see Cinci holding on to this one and probably stretching the lead out even more by the end.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by rebelknight

Congrats to all the schools locking up auto bids. I feel a little bad for Rutgers. Don't know if an extra possession or win would have done anything for them but it doesn't change that the refs potentially changed the outcome of that game at least 3 times down the stretch. Also in the big east, USF is playing well(ish) in the first half and keeping it close enough but I don't expect a repeat of last night. I see Cinci holding on to this one and probably stretching the lead out even more by the end.

Coach Mike Rice took the high road for his Scarlet Knights and refused to criticise the refs, which shows he has some class. Good for him. And unlike the newspapermen, who jumped all over the zebras in the initial rush to judgement, the local radio guys have had a night to sleep on it, and are a bit more reflective. Sure, they say, the officiating was terrible, with a number of calls going against Rutgers, and not just those in the last few seconds. But still, they contend they did not so much steal the game for St. John's as they deprived RU a shot at getting a tie, or maybe a win . . . which the Knights may or may not have been able to do. Yes, the guy travelled with no whistle blown, but that happens often. Yes, throwing the ball into the stands WOULD have constituted a technical foul, IF they had blown the whistle and the clock was stopped, but not so since the clock was running. The one thing they had a problem with was stepping out of bounds, which they say was plain as day and a call no good ref should have missed. And the radio jocks make the point that, because no whistle was blown, and because the clock never stopped, these plays were, BY RULE, not reviewable. So, the refs did a bad job, no doubt, but they did not outright rob Rutgers.

And yes, the Bearcats ended up clawing the Bulls. Now let's see what they can do with the Irish.


A brief and rushed update to follow.

[The Poet]

OK, a late start today, so here's the highlights. Last night:


Long Island 85 - Robert Morris 82 (OT) = LIU gets the automatic in the Northeast Conference.

Northern Colorado 65 - Montana 60 = And the Bears get their first NCAA bid, in only their 4th year in D1 play. In their 1st season, they won 4 games total, and finished dead last in the RPI rating.

Oklahoma 84 - Baylor 67 = I'm not sure it means anything much to the Sooners, yet anyway, but this may have been the nail in Baylor's coffin.


Today action kicked off in the gran'daddy of all conference tournaments, the Atlantic Coast Conference. Had I the time, I'd now blog a few pages about how I feel about all these OTHER conferences claiming how THEIR tournaments are the greatest thing since sliced bread. But I don't, so let's hit some early scores:


Boston College 81 - Wake Forest 67 = Speaking of the ACC, this could be big for the Eagles, as they are one of several teams in this league on the bubble. They need all the help they can get, and Wake has been obliging people all season long.

U. Conn 76 - Pitt 74 = Kemba Walker hits a fadeaway at the buzzer to upset the Panthers. The Huskies went 6 years without winning a game in the Big East Tourney, and have now won 3 in 3 days. Good for them. But of more import, does this early exit by Pitt cost them a 1-seed? Well, on one hand, the previous two seasons the top Big East team has lost in the opening round, yet still retained their top seed in the NCAAs. On the other, this year there's really only two "locks" so far, in Ohio State and Kansas, and depending on what Notre Dame, Duke, and UNC do in the next few days it is possible that Pitt could slip to a 2-seed because of this loss.

Kansas 63 - Oklahoma State 62 = I don't, in this case, think the Jayhawks would have lost their 1-seed had they dropped this one to the Cowboys. And it is sometimes good for a team to have a tight game early in tournament play, just to get their attention and focus. Still, this can't be a very encouraging sign for the Lawrence faithful.

Northwestern 75 - Minnesota 65 = As with that Baylor loss above, this is likely the end of the road for the Gophers, unless they go-for the NIT invite.

East Carolina 75 - UAB 70 (OT) = And remember above above, where I talked about an upset in conference tourneys stealing at-large bids from the Michigans/Michigan States/Villanovas/Virginia Techs etc. of the world? Well, UAB will still get an at-large out of the CUSA, so here's a potential wrench in the works in the works.

Colorado 87 - Kansas State 75 = Perhaps this score is of no major importance in and of itself, as both the Wildcats and the Buffs were at-larges anyway. Yet it is one more indication of the inconsistent play out of that other Manhattan.


Aside from a ton of further conference action, there are three games with some immediacy:


Iowa vs. Michigan State = Some people think the Spartans are safely in the NCAAs with an at-large. Me, I'm not totally convinced of that. A win here would help them a lot.

Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech = And some people think the Hokies are on the backside of any NCAA bubble, but a win or two in the ACC Tourney would change their minds about that quickly.

Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame = And most people, including me, think both these teams already have punched tickets to The Dance. But the Irish have a 1-seed dangling in front of them, and though it may not be within their full grasp they do have their fingers on it already. A stumble like Pitt made today, however, and that tenuous grip get a little slicker.


That's about all I have time for today. See you tomorrow. Enjoy. Screw Drew.

[jcruse64]

Tough ending for Rutgers, but I agree; coach was VERY classy in his response. Good on him!

Pitt is out, and The extra help from the refs was not there today for St. Johns, as the Orange knock them out today. Be interesting to see if the Cards can hold out.

Sneak in a radio w/ earpiece? Not likely. I'm the one being audited and taking the auditor around to check our plant and the system out, so no distractions. Hopefully, tomorrow's closing will be at lunch.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

\Pitt is out, and The extra help from the refs was not there today for St. Johns, as the Orange knock them out today. Be interesting to see if the Cards can hold out.

Hopefully, tomorrow's closing will be at lunch.

Pitt is also one of those quality teams that does not seem to perform well in tournaments. And the Johnnies lost the game, but worse for them they lost their senior guard D.J. Kennedy with a torn ACL. This will hurt them in NCAA play, and might even drop them a spot in the seedings. As for Louisville, I see them having some trouble stopping Notre Dame from scoring at will on them, if they continue to hit shots like they have been. But it should be a good game, for most of it anyway. Plus, you never know who'll show up when the pressure's on.

I also hope you get a short day, and get to check some action.


I promise, update soon.

[rebelknight]

Absolutely the coach for Rutgers handled it properly and I agree that the refs didn't take the win away. I was just noting that it's sad to see a game decided in that fashion. Aside from the ball throw, the travel and stepping out of bounds I saw a few other fouls but what can you do? Cuse Uconn should be very interesting though. Kemba is playing out of his mind but Cuse is playing well also along with only playing their 2nd game in a row compared to UCONN's 4 in a row.

Now to the Big 10. Does OSU have to worry, after seeing Kansas win by a point and seeing Pitt go 1 and done? How much more work does MSU have to do? Good day of basketball tomorrow is all I know.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by rebelknight

Absolutely the coach for Rutgers handled it properly and I agree that the refs didn't take the win away. I was just noting that it's sad to see a game decided in that fashion. Aside from the ball throw, the travel and stepping out of bounds I saw a few other fouls but what can you do? Cuse Uconn should be very interesting though. Kemba is playing out of his mind but Cuse is playing well also along with only playing their 2nd game in a row compared to UCONN's 4 in a row.

Now to the Big 10. Does OSU have to worry, after seeing Kansas win by a point and seeing Pitt go 1 and done? How much more work does MSU have to do? Good day of basketball tomorrow is all I know.

No doubt is is a shame when the refs ruin a good game for the players and the fans. As for Orange/Huskies, neither has a sterling record in the Big East tourney, and both can have bad games. U. Conn may indeed have tired legs, but if Walker can hit some open shots over that 'Cuse zone they will have a decent chance tonight.

I think both OSU an KU were locks as 1-seeds, regardless of what they did in the conference tourneys. Now that both have survived scares, I believe they are double-locks. And the Spartans do now have 19 wins, so maybe they are safely off the bubble. Still, we do have a number of automatics left to determine, which can always steal at-large bids, so we will have to wait until Sunday.


Update shortly.

[The Poet]

Conference tournament action continues all across the country, with too many games to mention. So again I will only post about those I see as having potential NCAA Tourney impact, and leave you guys to post your own teams if you wish. In the balance of last night's contests:


Maryland 75 - N. C. State 67 = The Terps are trying to get back onto the bubble, in the hopes that they can even make it back over. This was a good start.

Michigan State 66 - Iowa 61 = And though the Spartans were closer to that bubble than the Terps, it's the same story here.

Virginia Tech 59 - Georgia Tech 43 = And the same for the Hokies here.

Oregon 76 - UCLA 59 = And though this truly should have no impact on the NCAAs, it does surprise me that the Bruins lost so badly to the lousy Ducks, and does not bode well for their survival in the Dance.


In today's games we have already seen:


Ohio State 67 - Northwestern 61 (OT) = The Buckeyes survive a real scare from the lowly Wildcats. Although I don't think they would have lost their 1-seed had they dropped this, it does make it easier on the Selection Committee that they won. Plus, like I said earlier, about the Kansas scare, sometimes a game like this gets a team's attention. And they weren't the only ones who got a wake-up call.

North Carolina 61 - Miami 59 = Down by 19 points with time getting low in the 2nd half, the Heels start hitting some 3s, and stop turning the ball over, and make a late run. Tyler Zeller lays the ball in at the buzzer for the W. Had they lost, they may or may not have also lost their 2-seed, but they could have kissed goodbye their admittedly outside chance of a 1-seed goodbye.

Alabama 65 - Georgia 59 (OT) = This might be the win that gets the poorly-considered Tide into the Dance, and might also be the loss that knocks the 'Dawgs out.

St. Joseph's 93 - Duquesne 90 (OT) = What? The lowly Hawks are still alive in A-10 play? Who'd a thunk? Not me for sure. Keep an eye on their next game, as this could become one of those unexpected "automatics" that steal an at-large from a bubble team.

Clemson 70 - Boston College 47 = Wow, what a spanking. The Tigers can breathe a little easier now about their at-large hopes, while things get a little tight in the Eagles' craws.

Michigan 60 - Illinois 55 = And this may be the exact same situation, with the Logans punching a ticket while punching out the Illini at the same time.


Other games of note to follow include:


Lafayette vs. Bucknell = This will be the automatic for the Patriot League.

Kansas vs. Colorado = KU won't lose their 1-seed if they lose this game. As for the Buffaloes, they have had a relatively weak non-conference schedule, which matters a lot when it comes down to picking the last few teams to make the cut. But if they can beat the Jayhawks, all that is moot.

Michigan State vs. Purdue = Same thing here. Maybe the Spartans have played themselves into an at-large, but a victory over the 'Makers would seal that.

Duke vs. Maryland = And the same thing for the Terps in this one. I'm sorry if they finished with a losing record in ACC play . . . if they beat Dook in the tourney you HAVE to give them a bid. As for the Blue Devils, they know they still have a chance for a 1-seed, but not if they lose this game.

East Carolina vs. Memphis = If your team is one of those "iffy" bubble teams, then you'd better be cheering for the Memphis Tigers tonight. If the Pirates survive, then take the CUSA sutomatic tomorrow, your squad may be NIT'ting instead.

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State = I'm not sure the Seminoles have much to either win or lose tonight. They have earned an at-large, and could maybe move up a seeding or two with a seriour run this weekend, but they won't move significantly far. However, the Hokies can remove most of the doubters from the Committee regarding their at-large qualifications with a win.


That's about it for me tonight. Enjoy. Screw Drew.

[jcruse64]

Wow! Figured UL was all done in when I dozed off last night. Wifey tells me this morning that they survived, after the Irish caught a cold in the 2nd. Great win for UConn, too.

UK is currently hitting on all 12 cylinders against the Tide. I WOULD say this is done, but it IS UK, and there's 9 minutes left, and it's not in Rupp .

Boston U just won their cliffhanger of a final and picks up their dancing shoes!

THE OSU and Michigan are at the half, 31-27 OSU in a close game.

Speaking of THE OSU, this is off-topic, but anyone heard the story on ESPN's Kirk Herbstriet reportedly saying he's moving from his homeland to Nashvile, TN, because the 5-10% of THE OSU fans are just too mean and he can't take any more abuse from them over how fair an analyst he must be? (That was a long sentence) Read it this morning, then heard Dino, on Mad Dog Radio, talking about it. Dino says it smells fishy, and I gotta agree. Unless he's got a stalker like the Roll Tide Tree Killer stalking his kids or something.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by jcruse64

Wow! Figured UL was all done in when I dozed off last night. Wifey tells me this morning that they survived, after the Irish caught a cold in the 2nd. Great win for UConn, too.

UK is currently hitting on all 12 cylinders against the Tide. I WOULD say this is done, but it IS UK, and there's 9 minutes left, and it's not in Rupp .

Boston U just won their cliffhanger of a final and picks up their dancing shoes!

THE OSU and Michigan are at the half, 31-27 OSU in a close game.

Speaking of THE OSU, this is off-topic, but anyone heard the story on ESPN's Kirk Herbstriet reportedly saying he's moving from his homeland to Nashvile, TN, because the 5-10% of THE OSU fans are just too mean and he can't take any more abuse from them over how fair an analyst he must be? (That was a long sentence) Read it this morning, then heard Dino, on Mad Dog Radio, talking about it. Dino says it smells fishy, and I gotta agree. Unless he's got a stalker like the Roll Tide Tree Killer stalking his kids or something.

Question now is, did Louisville hurt the Irish when it comes to a 1-seed? I don't think so, but we'll see.

Hey, UK doesn't lose EVERY road game, ya know?

Doesn't BU have to beat Stony Brook today to get the automatic? I could be wrong.

OSU/MSU likely means little in NCAA terms, as I think both are locks already.

And I've heard nothing about that guy fleeing Columbus for Nashville, but it probably has something to do with the recent Buckeye football scandal. The local ESPN radio people here are getting phone calls from Ohio saying how critics of OSU are jealous haters, and that everybody cheats. These analysts have replied they should just STFU, because they already get too much of this type of myopia from Kentucky.