March Madness Thread

[snoodmonger]

Meh, guess this is the thread for it.

 

Duke freshman Taylor King is transferring from Duke. Also, Stephen Curry said he was returning for his junior year and Stanford's Lopi are turning pro.

 

Any word on where he's transferring?

As for the "Lopi", I'm not really surprised about Brook but I am a bit by Robin going pro. I would assume more of his decision was due to wanting to go pro at the same time as his brother.

 

I thought I heard Villanova,

[hawkeyecub]

Meh, guess this is the thread for it.

 

Duke freshman Taylor King is transferring from Duke. Also, Stephen Curry said he was returning for his junior year and Stanford's Lopi are turning pro.

 

Any word on where he's transferring?

 

As for the "Lopi", I'm not really surprised about Brook but I am a bit by Robin going pro. I would assume more of his decision was due to wanting to go pro at the same time as his brother.

 

I think Robin could have really benefited from a year of development and being "the man" inside. Then again if his offensive game doesn't improve much and they don't have as good of a year, he could be more exposed.

[Guest]

Meh, guess this is the thread for it.

 

Duke freshman Taylor King is transferring from Duke. Also, Stephen Curry said he was returning for his junior year and Stanford's Lopi are turning pro.

 

Any word on where he's transferring?

As for the "Lopi", I'm not really surprised about Brook but I am a bit by Robin going pro. I would assume more of his decision was due to wanting to go pro at the same time as his brother.

 

I thought I heard Villanova,

 

Nova and Gonzaga are the leading candidates.

 

It was well known that when the time came, both Lopi would go pro at the same time. I believe both of them have had problems with grades from time to time at Stanford and Brook is obviously a lotto pick, so this really wasn't shocking. They'll be hiring agents so there's no going back.

 

Should we make another thread for offseason stuff and leave this for the Final 4?

[Vanilla Ice]

Whoever gets King is getting a great three-point shooter, but really struggles with defense and driving to the basket and either taking a pull-up jump shot or finishing at the rim. He is too small to guard many big guys and not athletic enough to guard many wings. His three-point shot was lights out at the beginning of the year. His playing time just went spiraling down during the conference season. Even when he got in, he wasn't shooting great. I thought at the time and still think now that Coach K destroyed his confidence and nothing with his form.

[Guest]

Whoever gets King is getting a great three-point shooter, but really struggles with defense and driving to the basket and either taking a pull-up jump shot or finishing at the rim. He is too small to guard many big guys and not athletic enough to guard many wings. His three-point shot was lights out at the beginning of the year. His playing time just went spiraling down during the conference season. Even when he got in, he wasn't shooting great. I thought at the time and still think now that Coach K destroyed his confidence and nothing with his form.

 

I'm really glad Coach Howland convinced Taylor King to de-commit from UCLA. Despite getting minimal minutes this season, Chace Stanback is going to be a far better fit at the 3 for the Bruins and I'll take Mike Roll's outside shooting.

 

God I wish Mike Roll was healthy this weekend. :(

 

BTW, King gets around, huh? Commits to UCLA as a freshman, reneges as a sophomore, commits to Duke as a junior and then transfers after his freshman year at Duke? Wow.

[Vanilla Ice]

Recently in this thread, there's been a lot of UNC hatred - which I obviously don't understand, but that's not really the point. There've also been a bunch of references to UNC as the "favorite" or the overwhelming choice for overall #1, or whatever. I don't get that at all. Yeah, they're playing very well right now, and I think that's where their hope lies, because they're statistically not as strong as any of the other three teams. Their offense is obviously very good, and can be overwhelmingly powerful, but their defense just isn't at the same level as Kansas, UCLA, or Memphis.

 

Snood, you say you feel like KU is the underdog going into this game - well that's how I feel about UNC. Maybe it's just homer insecurity on both our parts. But I think to describe any of the four teams as true underdogs in their games is probably inaccurate. Both games seem to me like basic coin flips.

 

In any case, it should be a good final four. I would be looking forward to it if I wasn't painfully aware of just how shot my nerves are gonna be through the whole game on Saturday (and hopefully the game on Monday!), and how depressed I'll be if/when UNC loses.

 

I thought that for awhile, but their defense was very good against Louisville

[Hosak8]

According to Rob Lewis of the Rivals.com network (Volquest), Scotty Hopson verbals to Tennessee today.

 

No, this is not an April Fool's joke.

[OleMissCub]

HOTTY TODDY! GO REBS!!

[rawaction]

Wow, former UK and Louisville player, Marvin Stone collapsed and died in a game in Africa today. 26 years old and had a heart attack.

[Exile on Waveland]

Wow, former UK and Louisville player, Marvin Stone collapsed and died in a game in Africa today. 26 years old and had a heart attack.

 

Oh, wow. That's awful. I saw him play in person for both UK and Louisville. That's really too bad. Hardly knew there were professional leagues in Africa.

[TruffleShuffle]

HOTTY TODDY! GO REBS!!

 

pardon?

[OleMissCub]

HOTTY TODDY! GO REBS!!

 

pardon?

 

Nevermind....

 

way to put up your worst game of the year, punks.

[snoodmonger]

Wow, former UK and Louisville player, Marvin Stone collapsed and died in a game in Africa today. 26 years old and had a heart attack.

 

Oh, wow. That's awful. I saw him play in person for both UK and Louisville. That's really too bad. Hardly knew there were professional leagues in Africa.

 

 

There are. Here's a great if somewhat disjointed anecdote from former Texas Longhorn Gabe Muoneke.

 

THE IME UDOKA STORY

 

It’s a trip when you get to know people. Ime was so quiet and I figured he was just some guy who could play with a Nigerian father. Well, folks in S.A., don’t be fooled. That dude in an Afr-I-CAN! I mean damn! The only thing non-African about him is his accent. We went to Nigeria, man… When they brought out the food I figured uh oh… He aint eatin’ th… What the?! Ime was tearing that Fu-fu (thank Jay-Z for everyone knowing what that is now) to shreads. I asked him about his adornment of the vittles. He said that’s all he ate growing up. Imagine my surprise when I saw he must have grown up doing the African ju-jitsu too.

 

When the National Team went to Algeria for the African Championships in Algiers, every team was on edge because the Top 3 squads got the invite to the World Championships. So after we lost to Angola in the semis and had to play Algeria for the third spot, they knew, we knew, everyone knew they had no shot. First quarter… Tactics. African ball, man. Trust me: as corrupt as can be. Despite all the cheating from the three-man (North African) refereeing crew they just couldn’t beat us. So the coach sent in their best player, who was injured but came in with a purpose. I think his name was Ali Bidane or something. We had the ball out of bounce under. He guarded me. As the ref handed us the ball, he turned, looked at me as if there was not a game going on. And pop! Not an elbow, not even a signature yours truly gutter. He decked me right in the jaw. I couldn’t believe it. And come on. I freely admit when I throw cheap shots. I wouldn’t hide it if I started to. I mean, I’m in the middle of basically middle eastern country playing the local team. I know better (read on to see my contradiction). He nailed me, we turned it over, and yes, my Rodman 101 class did well. I looked up court, saw both refs back and calmly asked him in by most polite French, “Pardon me sir, I object to you striking me.” Next thing you know… Both teams on the court going at it. Wow.

 

Imagine my surprise! (My cheeks hurt). That wasn’t the real brawl. After we won was the real issue. After the game, they were waiting for us to come out of the locker room. And seriously, I didn’t start it. Kingsley Ogwudire was in front of our team in an all-out tirade in his best Arabic. The next thing you know, there were three Algerian players on him. Everyone was engaged in combat save me, if you can believe it. And lo and ehold… Ime! He was taking people out like in Mortal Kombat. Finish him! Incredible. I was so out of it as I had five guys I was fighting (oh yeah, the crowd jumped in as the fight spilled over to the court of the championship game of Senegal and Angola).

 

In the middle of the whole thing I heard Ime, literally in mid-swing of another opponent say,”Watch back, Gabe” and he calmly, I mean calmly, smeared a guy who, as I turned to see his warning, jumped from the stands with a chair to probably kill me or knock me out to where the crowd would have. I mean, Ime caught the guy in mid air with a fist and calmly continued his dispacthing of oncoming people. He and other guys (yes, me too) were whoopin’ so many people the crowd backed up. True to the letter! But Ime had the most notches by far. As we retreated to the locker room to kind chants of, “You cudly blackies! We highly doubt your ability to leave this gym with lives intact” in French, (it might have been a bad translation) all I could do was marvel at Ime. This guy, I thought, was a quiet American guy was standing there – all his stuff gone (gym bag, wallet, shoes, jersey) – with a stick in his hand we tore off the walls of the locker room in the middle of North Africa quite literally with our lives on the line… laughing. All the while I was texting my wife that I loved her and might have a hard time seeing her again while she was watching the whole incident on BBC News. And Ime… laughing. He is and always will be my 9ja broda. Ime… Wetin happen bros? Abi na notin. Notin dey happen. To this day I don’t know how we got out of there. But that night we ate like kings at the Nigerian Embassy. And Ime was with us… Killing his Fu-fu.

 

Tell me how I could have seen a thing like that if I had made the NBA out of college! You just can’t make this stuff up.

 

Shalom.

 

His blog is actually pretty entertaining.

 

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/muoneke/index.php/category/ime-udoka/

[MPrior]

Recently in this thread, there's been a lot of UNC hatred - which I obviously don't understand, but that's not really the point. There've also been a bunch of references to UNC as the "favorite" or the overwhelming choice for overall #1, or whatever. I don't get that at all. Yeah, they're playing very well right now, and I think that's where their hope lies, because they're statistically not as strong as any of the other three teams. Their offense is obviously very good, and can be overwhelmingly powerful, but their defense just isn't at the same level as Kansas, UCLA, or Memphis.

 

Snood, you say you feel like KU is the underdog going into this game - well that's how I feel about UNC. Maybe it's just homer insecurity on both our parts. But I think to describe any of the four teams as true underdogs in their games is probably inaccurate. Both games seem to me like basic coin flips.

 

In any case, it should be a good final four. I would be looking forward to it if I wasn't painfully aware of just how shot my nerves are gonna be through the whole game on Saturday (and hopefully the game on Monday!), and how depressed I'll be if/when UNC loses.

 

I thought that for awhile, but their defense was very good against Louisville

 

And against Washington State. Don't get me wrong, their defense is good, and it's gotten better over the course of the season, but it's still not the stifling defense of Kansas, Memphis, or UCLA.

 

All I'm saying is that UNC is not close to a prohibitive favorite at all, as many people seem to be suggesting. I don't think they have any better chance at the whole thing than any of the other teams, and there's an argument that could be made (http://www.kenpom.com/stats.php) that they have the worst chance of the four, however slight the difference may be.

 

They could win it all, sure - I'll be very happy if they do. I just don't understand why people seem so convinced they'll win. I wished I shared such confidence.

[Guest]

Memphis backup PG Andre Allen has been suspended for the Final Four.

 

A Memphis TV station says he failed a random drug test.

[fiver]

Wow, former UK and Louisville player, Marvin Stone collapsed and died in a game in Africa today. 26 years old and had a heart attack.

 

oh wow...i played against Marvin in high school. He played for Grissom High School in Huntsville. He blocked 2 of my shots that game. RIP, Marvin.

[imb]

Wow, former UK and Louisville player, Marvin Stone collapsed and died in a game in Africa today. 26 years old and had a heart attack.

 

Oh, wow. That's awful. I saw him play in person for both UK and Louisville. That's really too bad. Hardly knew there were professional leagues in Africa.

 

 

There are. Here's a great if somewhat disjointed anecdote from former Texas Longhorn Gabe Muoneke.

 

THE IME UDOKA STORY

 

It’s a trip when you get to know people. Ime was so quiet and I figured he was just some guy who could play with a Nigerian father. Well, folks in S.A., don’t be fooled. That dude in an Afr-I-CAN! I mean damn! The only thing non-African about him is his accent. We went to Nigeria, man… When they brought out the food I figured uh oh… He aint eatin’ th… What the?! Ime was tearing that Fu-fu (thank Jay-Z for everyone knowing what that is now) to shreads. I asked him about his adornment of the vittles. He said that’s all he ate growing up. Imagine my surprise when I saw he must have grown up doing the African ju-jitsu too.

 

When the National Team went to Algeria for the African Championships in Algiers, every team was on edge because the Top 3 squads got the invite to the World Championships. So after we lost to Angola in the semis and had to play Algeria for the third spot, they knew, we knew, everyone knew they had no shot. First quarter… Tactics. African ball, man. Trust me: as corrupt as can be. Despite all the cheating from the three-man (North African) refereeing crew they just couldn’t beat us. So the coach sent in their best player, who was injured but came in with a purpose. I think his name was Ali Bidane or something. We had the ball out of bounce under. He guarded me. As the ref handed us the ball, he turned, looked at me as if there was not a game going on. And pop! Not an elbow, not even a signature yours truly gutter. He decked me right in the jaw. I couldn’t believe it. And come on. I freely admit when I throw cheap shots. I wouldn’t hide it if I started to. I mean, I’m in the middle of basically middle eastern country playing the local team. I know better (read on to see my contradiction). He nailed me, we turned it over, and yes, my Rodman 101 class did well. I looked up court, saw both refs back and calmly asked him in by most polite French, “Pardon me sir, I object to you striking me.” Next thing you know… Both teams on the court going at it. Wow.

 

Imagine my surprise! (My cheeks hurt). That wasn’t the real brawl. After we won was the real issue. After the game, they were waiting for us to come out of the locker room. And seriously, I didn’t start it. Kingsley Ogwudire was in front of our team in an all-out tirade in his best Arabic. The next thing you know, there were three Algerian players on him. Everyone was engaged in combat save me, if you can believe it. And lo and ehold… Ime! He was taking people out like in Mortal Kombat. Finish him! Incredible. I was so out of it as I had five guys I was fighting (oh yeah, the crowd jumped in as the fight spilled over to the court of the championship game of Senegal and Angola).

 

In the middle of the whole thing I heard Ime, literally in mid-swing of another opponent say,”Watch back, Gabe” and he calmly, I mean calmly, smeared a guy who, as I turned to see his warning, jumped from the stands with a chair to probably kill me or knock me out to where the crowd would have. I mean, Ime caught the guy in mid air with a fist and calmly continued his dispacthing of oncoming people. He and other guys (yes, me too) were whoopin’ so many people the crowd backed up. True to the letter! But Ime had the most notches by far. As we retreated to the locker room to kind chants of, “You cudly blackies! We highly doubt your ability to leave this gym with lives intact” in French, (it might have been a bad translation) all I could do was marvel at Ime. This guy, I thought, was a quiet American guy was standing there – all his stuff gone (gym bag, wallet, shoes, jersey) – with a stick in his hand we tore off the walls of the locker room in the middle of North Africa quite literally with our lives on the line… laughing. All the while I was texting my wife that I loved her and might have a hard time seeing her again while she was watching the whole incident on BBC News. And Ime… laughing. He is and always will be my 9ja broda. Ime… Wetin happen bros? Abi na notin. Notin dey happen. To this day I don’t know how we got out of there. But that night we ate like kings at the Nigerian Embassy. And Ime was with us… Killing his Fu-fu.

 

Tell me how I could have seen a thing like that if I had made the NBA out of college! You just can’t make this stuff up.

 

Shalom.

 

His blog is actually pretty entertaining.

 

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/muoneke/index.php/category/ime-udoka/

 

Haha, that's amazing. I hate Texas, but I always had the smallest softspot (thats what she said) for Muoneke.

[Slugger_16]

Jason Whitlock shows why he gets paid the big bucks:

 

Try this analogy: I have two friends who love to chase women. They're both former basketball players. One — we'll call him Tyler — is 6-foot-3, has put on a good 75 pounds since his playing days and looks like a retired NFL lineman. The other — we'll call him Beasley — is 6-7, stays in the gym and looks like Rick Fox's brother.

 

Beasley goes in a bar, sits at a table, buys a drink or two and holds polite conversation with one or two select women. Tyler wears the biggest, friendliest smile at all times, talks to everyone in the bar, drinks until he's bubbly and might smoke a cigarette or two. Beasley will close a deal by midnight and leave no later than 1 a.m. with an absolute superstar. Tyler will leave at closing time with a 40-year-old divorcee and the 25-year-old waitress who served him drinks all night.

 

Who is the playa of the year, Beasley or Tyler? It all depends on your perspective.

 

Now that is hard hitting journalism.

[TruffleShuffle]

Jason Whitlock shows why he gets paid the big bucks:

 

Try this analogy: I have two friends who love to chase women. They're both former basketball players. One — we'll call him Tyler — is 6-foot-3, has put on a good 75 pounds since his playing days and looks like a retired NFL lineman. The other — we'll call him Beasley — is 6-7, stays in the gym and looks like Rick Fox's brother.

 

Beasley goes in a bar, sits at a table, buys a drink or two and holds polite conversation with one or two select women. Tyler wears the biggest, friendliest smile at all times, talks to everyone in the bar, drinks until he's bubbly and might smoke a cigarette or two. Beasley will close a deal by midnight and leave no later than 1 a.m. with an absolute superstar. Tyler will leave at closing time with a 40-year-old divorcee and the 25-year-old waitress who served him drinks all night.

 

Who is the playa of the year, Beasley or Tyler? It all depends on your perspective.

 

Now that is hard hitting journalism.

 

this is seriously idiotic. i think beasley should win PoY, but tyler hansbrough has been an outstanding player all year. i don't think it's necessary to disparage hansbrough in order to make the point that beasley should be PoY. and i don't even understand what the hell he's trying to get at with his analogy there.

[Slugger_16]

and i don't even understand what the hell he's trying to get at with his analogy there.

 

Tyler likes threesomes?

[Jon]

Clearly Hansbrough has diversified his game enough to win playa of the year.

[TruffleShuffle]

and i don't even understand what the hell he's trying to get at with his analogy there.

 

Tyler likes threesomes?

 

but only with bar maids and middle-aged hags apparently

[imb]

the better analogy would have been

 

tyler and michael are both good looking guys

 

tyler goes to a bar where all the guys are ugly, and scores a hot chick

 

michael goes to a bar where all the guys are ballin, and scores a hotter chick

 

who's the playa of the year

[Andy]

the better analogy would have been

 

tyler and michael are both good looking guys

 

tyler goes to a bar where all the guys are ugly, and scores a hot chick

 

michael goes to a bar where all the guys are ballin, and scores a hotter chick

 

who's the playa of the year

I'd go with:

 

Tyler goes to a bar of all hot chicks with four incredible wingmen, takes home upper-echelon girl.

 

Michael goes to a bar of all hot chicks with one good wingman, but three idiots who make it their mission to deny him any chance of scoring. Michael takes home hotter chick than Tyler anyway.

[snoodmonger]

I'd go with, if they ever met on a basketball court, Beas would put TH in a clownsuit. It's a shame the ESPN hype machine has robbed Beasley of his award. And that's not meant to take anything away from TH. I'd kill to have him on KU.