College Basketball 2023-2024

[bukie]

This is a crazy top heavy field this year.

UConn, Houston and Purdue were about 3 games better than anyone else.

After that, UNC, Tennessee and Arizona were a tier better than the rest.

Iowa State made a late run in the conference tournament to shore up the 2 seed, but it was never going to be enough to get into the top 6. It's actually an OK matchup for Illinois if it shakes out.

On the other hand, they did get a 6 seed in BYU that should have been a 5, but got reseeded because they can't play on Sundays. But that's par for the course for tournament pods for this program.

[Soul]

13 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

Whisky got hosed. Very strong 12 seed and then, if they win, they get Duke 

Badgers played great these past two games but down the stretch of the season they were not good.  I’m pleased with what they did in the B1G tournament but wouldn’t be surprised if they fall victim to the 12/5 curse.

That said obviously I was losing my mind watching the Purdue and Illinois games.  The Illini just kept taking punch after punch and responding.

[gflore34]

1 hour ago, Soul said:

Badgers played great these past two games but down the stretch of the season they were not good.  I’m pleased with what they did in the B1G tournament but wouldn’t be surprised if they fall victim to the 12/5 curse.

That said obviously I was losing my mind watching the Purdue and Illinois games.  The Illini just kept taking punch after punch and responding.

I believe the Badgers will smoke JMU, they're playing really well, they'll also give Duke a good game.  If you believe the CBS crew, etc. sounds like the Badgers shouldn't even bother to show up, they've got no chance.

[Tryptamine]

I'm just getting ready for the inevitable Big 10 NCAA tourney stuff. Michigan St the lone representative in the sweet despite that they arguably shouldn't even be in the tournament. Everyone else underperforms or gets into severe foul trouble.

[Old Style]

In a mildly funny coincidence Texas A&M plays Nebraska in both the men’s and women’s tournament…and we just hired their AD last week. 

[gflore34]

32 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

I'm just getting ready for the inevitable Big 10 NCAA tourney stuff. Michigan St the lone representative in the sweet despite that they arguably shouldn't even be in the tournament. Everyone else underperforms or gets into severe foul trouble.

This is probably why the Big Ten, besides Purdue, isn't getting much love from the "experts", of course, JMU and Morehead St. are getting some.  It'll be great when the Big Ten kicks the horsefeathers out of both of them.  Everyone except Northwestern will survive the first game, if Northwestern wasn't so banged up they'd beat FAU as well.

Edited March 18, 2024 by gflore34

[Tryptamine]

With the east being by far the strongest of the regions already putting Illinois at a disadvantage,  apparently they also got screwed on their potential 2nd round match up. The committee had BYU not only as a 5 seed, but the #1 5 seed and had to reseed them because they can't play on Sundays.  So Illinois got the overall #1 seed, a #2 seed many thought might be a 1 seed, and a 6 seed who was actually the #1 5 seed in their region.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Dont forget the #4 seed Auburn, who is ranked 7th overall in the latest AP poll and 4th in Kenpom.

By either AP or Kenpom, there are four Top 10 teams in the East bracket.

[bukie]

Yes, Virginia definitely should have been in this tournament.

[Tryptamine]

3 minutes ago, bukie said:

Yes, Virginia definitely should have been in this tournament.

14 points at halftime, pretty pretty good.

[javy knows my name]

22 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

With the east being by far the strongest of the regions already putting Illinois at a disadvantage,  apparently they also got screwed on their potential 2nd round match up. The committee had BYU not only as a 5 seed, but the #1 5 seed and had to reseed them because they can't play on Sundays.  So Illinois got the overall #1 seed, a #2 seed many thought might be a 1 seed, and a 6 seed who was actually the #1 5 seed in their region.

It won't matter when they lose in the first round 

[Old Style]

 

[Irrelevant Dude]

42...

42 points.

This is embarrassing, for both Virginia and the selection committee.

[Derwood]

My parents went to Wagner, so good on them earning the right to be destroyed this weekend

[Ding Dong Johnson]

 

[Brian707]

So who does everyone have winning the tournament this year? I am doing a bracket but have watched about 3 minutes of college basketball prior to last weekend. Don't want to pick UConn because everyone and their mother will probably pick them. Was thinking Houston at the movement.

[bukie]

15 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

So who does everyone have winning the tournament this year? I am doing a bracket but have watched about 3 minutes of college basketball prior to last weekend. Don't want to pick UConn because everyone and their mother will probably pick them. Was thinking Houston at the movement.

This feels like one of those really top heavy years with 2-3 elite teams significantly better than everyone else. I'm having a hard time not having UConn, Houston and Purdue in the Final Four, but it might just be one of those years. If you have to fade UConn to differentiate, then Houston or Purdue would be the next best bets.

I might take those 3 teams over the field this year.

[UMFan83]

50 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

So who does everyone have winning the tournament this year? I am doing a bracket but have watched about 3 minutes of college basketball prior to last weekend. Don't want to pick UConn because everyone and their mother will probably pick them. Was thinking Houston at the movement.

Not a bad choice.  Per KenPom they are the only team on the same tier as UConn.  One of the only games of theirs I watched this year was the B12 title game where they were destroyed by ISU so my brain now irrationally associates them with that. 

Also looking at the team that everyone thinks has the best shot to knock off UConn in their bracket which is Auburn.  They are the only team in the top 10 of both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency (10th off, 4th def).  UConn (1st off, 12th def) and Arizona (8th off, 11th def) are both close as well.  Actually Arizona is not a bad pick as well, their bracket looks fairly weak starting with the worst number 1 seed in the field (UNC)

[Rex Buckingham]

15 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

Not a bad choice.  Per KenPom they are the only team on the same tier as UConn.  One of the only games of theirs I watched this year was the B12 title game where they were destroyed by ISU so my brain now irrationally associates them with that. 

Also looking at the team that everyone thinks has the best shot to knock off UConn in their bracket which is Auburn.  They are the only team in the top 10 of both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency (10th off, 4th def).  UConn (1st off, 12th def) and Arizona (8th off, 11th def) are both close as well.  Actually Arizona is not a bad pick as well, their bracket looks fairly weak starting with the worst number 1 seed in the field (UNC)

Arizona also has Caleb love, who could do anything from shoot them all the way to a title, or shoot them out in the first round as he goes 4-26

[Old Style]

Houston has been struggling lately. A&M played them down to the wire at a “neutral” site game in Houston while we were missing one of our best players. And that’s back when they were playing well. We have a potential rematch in the second round if we beat Nebraska and we’ve been playing much better lately. I admit I’m a homer but I feel confident that we can knock out Houston in the 2nd round if we shoot halfway decent. 

Edited March 20, 2024 by Old Style

[gflore34]

Probably will not occur however, I'd love to see Illinois and Purdue play a third time this season.  Imagine that would put to bed all of the Big Ten chokes in the tournament talk for a while.  Plus it'll be just plain awesome. 

Realistically the final four will probably look like - UConn, UNC, Purdue and Houston - maybe, Arizona comes out of the West in place of UNC, all #1 look to be really strong this year.

[PackLandVA]

I will be rooting for Arizona (and Kentucky).  What worries me about Arizona is they struggle away from McKale Center.  They are 10-7 on road/Neutral site games.  They have non-home losses to Stanford, USC, Oregon, and Oregon State (among others).  

[Tryptamine]

1 hour ago, PackLandVA said:

I will be rooting for Arizona (and Kentucky).  What worries me about Arizona is they struggle away from McKale Center.  They are 10-7 on road/Neutral site games.  They have non-home losses to Stanford, USC, Oregon, and Oregon State (among others).  

I have them both in my final 4

[mul21]

On 3/18/2024 at 11:39 PM, Tryptamine said:

With the east being by far the strongest of the regions already putting Illinois at a disadvantage,  apparently they also got screwed on their potential 2nd round match up. The committee had BYU not only as a 5 seed, but the #1 5 seed and had to reseed them because they can't play on Sundays.  So Illinois got the overall #1 seed, a #2 seed many thought might be a 1 seed, and a 6 seed who was actually the #1 5 seed in their region.

It would be incredibly on brand for Illinois to lose to Morehead St. after BYU just got eliminated.

[gflore34]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

It would be incredibly on brand for Illinois to lose to Morehead St. after BYU just got eliminated.

Indeed, how about a change to the template for once?  Just horsefeathers once.