2013 NCAA Tournament

[Sosa21MVP]

I haven't checked my facts on this, but I'm pretty sure Crean is winless against Boeheim.

 

And he's a mediocre coach and Zeller is bad and now everyone knows it.

 

0-3 now. He only faced Syracuse twice at Marquette.

 

Our starting backcourt got out-scored 38-0. Hulls and Ferrell both crapped the bed. They were thoroughly and completely over-matched in that game. Plus Zeller played soft again. I have my issues/questions about Crean too but I'm not even boy wonder Brad Stevens could have won that game. We don't have tough, gritty players.

[Old Style]

Dammit, I always have to cheer against Ohio State, but once they won, I decided to root for an all B1G Final Four. Then Indiana ruins that. Now OSU has to beat a 9 seed to get to the Final 4...ugh. I wonder what the easiest road to the Final Four has been. OSU would have to beat a 15, 10, 6 and 9 to get there. Average seed is 10.

 

Florida might have a path of 14 seed, 11 seed, 15 seed and 4 seed. Average seed is 11. Even if Kansas wins, its still averages out to 10.3 seed.

I know Scott Drew has taken Baylor to TWO Elite Eights without beating a single digit seed. No wonder they didn't make the Final Four either time.

[pitchcs]

I'm heading to Indy for the games tonight. Can someone give me a good place to head before? Parking suggestions?

 

Thanks! Go Louisville and MSU

[Exile on Waveland]

I was worried Syracuse might be a nightmare matchup...it was. I think IU was 4-4 on foul-line jumpers, yet they continued to drive to get their shots blocked. I'm not entirely sure that is actually Crean's fault; they could hardly complete a pass. I thought the gameplan looked good early, but turnovers kill any gameplan.

 

Regardless, IU was never the same team after the win at Michigan State. They were 24-3 at that point and 5-4 after. Not sure there ever will be an explanation for that.

 

 

On the bright side, I'm likely to win my pool. Not surprisingly, I was the only person with Syracuse advancing to the Final Four (and everyone had either Louisville or Indiana winning the title).

[Exile on Waveland]

I'm heading to Indy for the games tonight. Can someone give me a good place to head before? Parking suggestions?

 

Thanks! Go Louisville and MSU

 

If you want to be right downtown for a bar, I'd suggest Scotty's or Kilroy's. While I don't love either, both will be full of basketball fans and are the best of subpar bar options downtown (if you have more time this weekend, the Mass Ave area is much better for food/bars, and is in the downtown area too).

[illiniguy]

I was worried Syracuse might be a nightmare matchup...it was. I think IU was 4-4 on foul-line jumpers, yet they continued to drive to get their shots blocked. I'm not entirely sure that is actually Crean's fault; they could hardly complete a pass. I thought the gameplan looked good early, but turnovers kill any gameplan.

 

Regardless, IU was never the same team after the win at Michigan State. They were 24-3 at that point and 5-4 after. Not sure there ever will be an explanation for that.

 

 

On the bright side, I'm likely to win my pool. Not surprisingly, I was the only person with Syracuse advancing to the Final Four (and everyone had either Louisville or Indiana winning the title).

Man you picked against IU? That sucks.

[Exile on Waveland]

Zeller is sofffffffft.

 

And he seems rather unathletic.

 

He's actually pretty athletic. I would expect him to grade out pretty well at the pre draft stuff. But he plays soft and much, much smaller than he is. Nor did he improve, at all, from last year to this. Crean can develop guards/wings, but it's not looking good on the big man front.

[Exile on Waveland]

I was worried Syracuse might be a nightmare matchup...it was. I think IU was 4-4 on foul-line jumpers, yet they continued to drive to get their shots blocked. I'm not entirely sure that is actually Crean's fault; they could hardly complete a pass. I thought the gameplan looked good early, but turnovers kill any gameplan.

 

Regardless, IU was never the same team after the win at Michigan State. They were 24-3 at that point and 5-4 after. Not sure there ever will be an explanation for that.

 

 

On the bright side, I'm likely to win my pool. Not surprisingly, I was the only person with Syracuse advancing to the Final Four (and everyone had either Louisville or Indiana winning the title).

Man you picked against IU? That sucks.

 

Well. . . when another team punched this team in the mouth, they puckered. And they slumped at the end of the season (right after the game I started fully believing in them!). Plus, well, the bench is incapable of adjusting when things aren't going well. None of that is a great recipe for success n the tournament. I'm sure there was some subconscious reverse-jinxing at work; my secondary bracket did have them in the Final Four.

 

I've pretty much said all this all year long--to the point other IU fans accused me of hating/not enjoying this team. But, of course, on the flip-side, any positive statement about IU or its players is met with the eye-rolling"typical IU fan bias" nonsense.

[illiniguy]

I was worried Syracuse might be a nightmare matchup...it was. I think IU was 4-4 on foul-line jumpers, yet they continued to drive to get their shots blocked. I'm not entirely sure that is actually Crean's fault; they could hardly complete a pass. I thought the gameplan looked good early, but turnovers kill any gameplan.

 

Regardless, IU was never the same team after the win at Michigan State. They were 24-3 at that point and 5-4 after. Not sure there ever will be an explanation for that.

 

 

On the bright side, I'm likely to win my pool. Not surprisingly, I was the only person with Syracuse advancing to the Final Four (and everyone had either Louisville or Indiana winning the title).

Man you picked against IU? That sucks.

 

Well. . . when another team punched this team in the mouth, they puckered. And they slumped at the end of the season (right after the game I started fully believing in them!). Plus, well, the bench is incapable of adjusting when things aren't going well. None of that is a great recipe for success n the tournament. I'm sure there was some subconscious reverse-jinxing at work; my secondary bracket did have them in the Final Four.

 

I've pretty much said all this all year long--to the point other IU fans accused me of hating/not enjoying this team. But, of course, on the flip-side, any positive statement about IU or its players is met with the eye-rolling"typical IU fan bias" nonsense.

Obviously you made the right call, I just can't not pick Illinois when they have a one seed. Those years I pick us to win it all, lol.

[Exile on Waveland]

I was worried Syracuse might be a nightmare matchup...it was. I think IU was 4-4 on foul-line jumpers, yet they continued to drive to get their shots blocked. I'm not entirely sure that is actually Crean's fault; they could hardly complete a pass. I thought the gameplan looked good early, but turnovers kill any gameplan.

 

Regardless, IU was never the same team after the win at Michigan State. They were 24-3 at that point and 5-4 after. Not sure there ever will be an explanation for that.

 

 

On the bright side, I'm likely to win my pool. Not surprisingly, I was the only person with Syracuse advancing to the Final Four (and everyone had either Louisville or Indiana winning the title).

Man you picked against IU? That sucks.

 

Well. . . when another team punched this team in the mouth, they puckered. And they slumped at the end of the season (right after the game I started fully believing in them!). Plus, well, the bench is incapable of adjusting when things aren't going well. None of that is a great recipe for success n the tournament. I'm sure there was some subconscious reverse-jinxing at work; my secondary bracket did have them in the Final Four.

 

I've pretty much said all this all year long--to the point other IU fans accused me of hating/not enjoying this team. But, of course, on the flip-side, any positive statement about IU or its players is met with the eye-rolling"typical IU fan bias" nonsense.

Obviously you made the right call, I just can't not pick Illinois when they have a one seed. Those years I pick us to win it all, lol.

 

Well both the 1989 and 2005 teams were much better (even relatively) than this IU team. Though I picked UNC to beat you guys in 2005. I've only picked IU to win the title once, and that was just because I stubbornly didn't want to believe Alan Henderson was hurt. That's also the only time I've even picked IU to the Final Four. But there really haven't been many opportunities to do so since I've followed it.

[illiniguy]

I was worried Syracuse might be a nightmare matchup...it was. I think IU was 4-4 on foul-line jumpers, yet they continued to drive to get their shots blocked. I'm not entirely sure that is actually Crean's fault; they could hardly complete a pass. I thought the gameplan looked good early, but turnovers kill any gameplan.

 

Regardless, IU was never the same team after the win at Michigan State. They were 24-3 at that point and 5-4 after. Not sure there ever will be an explanation for that.

 

 

On the bright side, I'm likely to win my pool. Not surprisingly, I was the only person with Syracuse advancing to the Final Four (and everyone had either Louisville or Indiana winning the title).

Man you picked against IU? That sucks.

 

Well. . . when another team punched this team in the mouth, they puckered. And they slumped at the end of the season (right after the game I started fully believing in them!). Plus, well, the bench is incapable of adjusting when things aren't going well. None of that is a great recipe for success n the tournament. I'm sure there was some subconscious reverse-jinxing at work; my secondary bracket did have them in the Final Four.

 

I've pretty much said all this all year long--to the point other IU fans accused me of hating/not enjoying this team. But, of course, on the flip-side, any positive statement about IU or its players is met with the eye-rolling"typical IU fan bias" nonsense.

Obviously you made the right call, I just can't not pick Illinois when they have a one seed. Those years I pick us to win it all, lol.

 

Well both the 1989 and 2005 teams were much better (even relatively) than this IU team. Though I picked UNC to beat you guys in 2005. I've only picked IU to win the title once, and that was just because I stubbornly didn't want to believe Alan Henderson was hurt. That's also the only time I've even picked IU to the Final Four. But there really haven't been many opportunities to do so since I've followed it.

Lol, I also picked us in '01.

[Exile on Waveland]

Sorry, I forgot 2001. I think that Illinois team was the third best in the nation, but they were stuck with the second best (Arizona) in their region.

[illiniguy]

Sorry, I forgot 2001. I think that Illinois team was the third best in the nation, but they were stuck with the second best (Arizona) in their region.

I thought we were number 2 and that Olson cried enough the refs took us out of our game.

[NewUserName]

I thought I heard the other day that Arizona set a record for the most free throw attempts in a NCAA tourney game that day.

[bukie]

Yeah, that 2001 tournament game was the worst game to watch, ever. 36 fouls just on Illinois. Almost 60 fouls for the game.

 

EDIT: More on that game...

Arizona: 40 FGA, 56 FTA

Illinois had 6(!) players foul out.

Robert Archibald fouled out in 24 minutes, but led all scorers with 25 points.

[SouthSideRyan]

Rachel Nichols could get it.

 

Hideous in real life

[SouthSideRyan]

WTF was Indiana doing all week?

 

I heard a rumor that Crean was great at game prep

[SouthSideRyan]

Dammit, I always have to cheer against Ohio State, but once they won, I decided to root for an all B1G Final Four. Then Indiana ruins that. Now OSU has to beat a 9 seed to get to the Final 4...ugh. I wonder what the easiest road to the Final Four has been. OSU would have to beat a 15, 10, 6 and 9 to get there. Average seed is 10.

 

Florida might have a path of 14 seed, 11 seed, 15 seed and 4 seed. Average seed is 11. Even if Kansas wins, its still averages out to 10.3 seed.

Sounds like a recent KU path.

 

SOUNDS LIKE EVERY KU PATH

[Exile on Waveland]

WTF was Indiana doing all week?

 

I heard a rumor that Crean was great at game prep

 

Ha ha, hard to believe after that crapfest, huh? In all honesty, though, I think if you watched the first few possessions again you see some good movement/ideas. It just went to all hell so quickly after that.

[NewUserName]

Rachel Nichols could get it.

 

Hideous in real life

 

while watching the MSU game the other day we were talking about how unattractive she is....yet somehow kind of appealing. I think it has something to do with the air of willingness she kind of gives off.

[SouthSideRyan]

Zeller is sofffffffft.

 

And he seems rather unathletic.

 

He's actually pretty athletic. I would expect him to grade out pretty well at the pre draft stuff. But he plays soft and much, much smaller than he is. Nor did he improve, at all, from last year to this. Crean can develop guards/wings, but it's not looking good on the big man front.

 

He should've went to Butler

[illiniguy]

Dammit, I always have to cheer against Ohio State, but once they won, I decided to root for an all B1G Final Four. Then Indiana ruins that. Now OSU has to beat a 9 seed to get to the Final 4...ugh. I wonder what the easiest road to the Final Four has been. OSU would have to beat a 15, 10, 6 and 9 to get there. Average seed is 10.

 

Florida might have a path of 14 seed, 11 seed, 15 seed and 4 seed. Average seed is 11. Even if Kansas wins, its still averages out to 10.3 seed.

Sounds like a recent KU path.

 

SOUNDS LIKE EVERY KU PATH

I can't blame them for the easy first two games each year, they get one seeds.

[SouthSideRyan]

WTF was Indiana doing all week?

 

I heard a rumor that Crean was great at game prep

 

Ha ha, hard to believe after that crapfest, huh? In all honesty, though, I think if you watched the first few possessions again you see some good movement/ideas. It just went to all hell so quickly after that.

 

I wasn't paying full attention early on and was in disbelief when I saw the 10 turnovers in the first 11 minutes stat

[rawaction]

I don't pick IU for fear of jinxing them. I did pick them to elite 8 though (beating Syracuse). But I doubt there's anyone saying Crean isn't the guy for the job yet. Hes basically had 2 years with a legit team. A lot of other good teams lost earlier than expected too. Not sure what to expect next year but its going to be at least 3 years until IU has a team this capable of winning ot all again unless the freshman are a lot better tham expected.

[rawaction]

Rachel Nichols could get it.

 

Hideous in real life

 

while watching the MSU game the other day we were talking about how unattractive she is....yet somehow kind of appealing. I think it has something to do with the air of willingness she kind of gives off.

She has a purty mouth. Some DSLs for sure.