College Basketball 2024-2025

[Derwood]

Oof, Michigan, the dreaded #5 seed

[Brian707]

23 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

U of M turned it around within a week, back court finally kicked in for them.  We’ll see their draw, maybe, it’ll be good.  I know the Illini will get horsefeathered over.

Seems like a good draw at#6. Maybe they make the sweet 16 playing in Milwaukee 

[gflore34]

1 minute ago, Brian707 said:

Seems like a good draw at#6. Maybe they make the sweet 16 playing in Milwaukee 

Not too bad, I, thought, despite what that idiot from CBS says, Michigan got a decent draw.

[Soul]

I don’t get the #3 seed for Wisconsin.  They played poorly down the stretch aside from the UCLA game.  They’re prone to long cold spells.  They seem to have some good pieces but they’re so hot/cold I would have thought more like #5

 

[UMFan83]

20 hours ago, Sosa21MVP said:

@UMFan83 The Wolverines seem to have their mojo back! 

College basketball is weird  but awesome sometimes

[UMFan83]

3 hours ago, Derwood said:

Oof, Michigan, the dreaded #5 seed

According to NCAA.com’s brackets Michigan is the trendiest upset pick in the first round and 1 of 2 higher seeds (BYU) to be picked in less than 50% of brackets. Whatever I don’t hate the draw. 

[gflore34]

13 hours ago, Soul said:

I don’t get the #3 seed for Wisconsin.  They played poorly down the stretch aside from the UCLA game.  They’re prone to long cold spells.  They seem to have some good pieces but they’re so hot/cold I would have thought more like #5

 

Neither do I, have never understood the continual overrating of Wisconsin, no doubt, they're a quality team, #13 KenPom.  I just think they get overrated time and again. In taking a glance at KenPom except Gonzaga, with an 8, every top 10 team was seeded 3 or lower then, you've got Wisconsin at #13 with a 3 seed.  Despite Michigan being the trendy upset pick, it wouldn't be shocking if Purdue goes down in the first round and Wisconsin doesn't make it past the second round.  In fact, of all the Big Ten teams, I believe Purdue, Oregon and, of course, the Illini are the most likely to not make past the first round.

Which Illinois team is going to show up?  Is the one we saw play at such a high level earlier in the year?  If that team shows up there's a real good chance they make it to the second weekend.

[gflore34]

14 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

According to NCAA.com’s brackets Michigan is the trendiest upset pick in the first round and 1 of 2 higher seeds (BYU) to be picked in less than 50% of brackets. Whatever I don’t hate the draw. 

Neither do I, UC San Diego is senior laden, they're also small, going 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-6, 6-8.  Think Wolf and Goldin are going to present big match up problems for them.  The only worrisome aspect is Wolf, sometimes he thinks he's Magic Johnson out there and commits a lot of turnovers. Against smaller and presumably quicker opponents him handling the ball too much might be a problem.

Edited March 17, 2025 by gflore34

[Rex Buckingham]

Michigan needs to just make sure they don't get too cute. Throw it in to Goldin and let him feast. Dude should get 30 against that San Diego front line.

I have no idea if Illinois will perform well. But I predict the margin (either way) will be in double digits. 

[CubinNY]

I'm not well-versed enough to do a bracket for money, but I would not put anything on Auburn. They've lost three of their last 4 games. They peaked too early. And Bruce Pearl is a dickhead, anyway.

[gflore34]

9 minutes ago, Rex Buckingham said:

Michigan needs to just make sure they don't get too cute. Throw it in to Goldin and let him feast. Dude should get 30 against that San Diego front line.

I have no idea if Illinois will perform well. But I predict the margin (either way) will be in double digits. 

Exactly, it's what I meant about Wolf, thinks he's Magic Johnson, he's not.  When they lost at Minnesota, Wolf hurt them with careless turnovers.  I really don't believe San Diego has a much of a chance, Michigan will win with relative ease.

[mul21]

38 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

Neither do I, UC San Diego is senior laden, there also small, going 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-6, 6-8.  Think Wolf and Goldin are going to present big match up problems for them.  The only worrisome aspect is Wolf, sometimes he thinks he's Magic Johnson out there and commits a lot of turnovers. Against smaller and presumably quicker opponents him handling the ball too much might be a problem.

Sounds a lot like KJ to me.  It drives me nuts how careless the whole team is with the ball really.

[gflore34]

2 minutes ago, mul21 said:

Sounds a lot like KJ to me.  It drives me nuts how careless the whole team is with the ball really.

I agree, dude is a TO machine, honestly, don't believe him moving on is that big of a loss.  Most especially with his play of last month or so, for the most, part it's been ******.  I'd like to see Riley stay for another year though.  He could probably jump into the lottery next year.

[gflore34]

Also, don't get Auburn as the overall number one seed, believe Florida, Duke and Houston all had cases to be in that position.  Not that it matters, as long as something bad happens to them and Pearl.

[UMFan83]

1 hour ago, gflore34 said:

Neither do I, UC San Diego is senior laden, there also small, going 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-6, 6-8.  Think Wolf and Goldin are going to present big match up problems for them.  The only worrisome aspect is Wolf, sometimes he thinks he's Magic Johnson out there and commits a lot of turnovers. Against smaller and presumably quicker opponents him handling the ball too much might be a problem.

The only thing is I remember Fairleigh Dickinson not having a player over 6’7 and managing to beat a Purdue team with Edey and a couple other guys over 6’10. That said Goldin is more of an Edey player and Purdue didn’t really have another 7 footer that handles the ball and can play multiple positions. He is however extremely turnover prone as you mentioned and UCSD has the second highest forced turnover rate in the nation so really bad matchup. Wolf dribbles in a way that makes me surprised the ball isn’t stolen from him more often. 

Edited March 17, 2025 by UMFan83

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think especially in the college game it's easy to overstate the height differences.  Having a few inches on a player is an advantage, but it's not an easy button to free points and rebounds.  Between the possibility of turnovers, lack of elite passing out of double teams, etc, that advantage gets minimized by good/smart teams.

[sneakypower]

19 hours ago, Derwood said:

Oof, Michigan, the dreaded #5 seed

[Hot Sauce]

5 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Neither do I, UC San Diego is senior laden, they're also small, going 6-6, 6-5, 6-4, 6-6, 6-8.  Think Wolf and Goldin are going to present big match up problems for them.  The only worrisome aspect is Wolf, sometimes he thinks he's Magic Johnson out there and commits a lot of turnovers. Against smaller and presumably quicker opponents him handling the ball too much might be a problem.

Tritons are a bad matchup for Michigan.

[Hot Sauce]

9 hours ago, CubinNY said:

I'm not well-versed enough to do a bracket for money, but I would not put anything on Auburn. They've lost three of their last 4 games. They peaked too early. And Bruce Pearl is a dickhead, anyway.

I hate the south region bracket. Michigan is a major upset risk. Iowa St. is without Gilbert. Texas A&M has a brutal matchup against Yale. Michigan St. can’t shoot 3s. 

[gflore34]

It'd be awfully horsefeathers nice if the good version of the Illini show up Friday like UNC did last night.  Given our luck though, we'll probably get more of the horsefeathers we saw against Maryland and most of February.  For whatever it's worth appears many are dumping on the Illini, picking  the winner of Texas/Xavier to beat them. I get it, not that far of a reach, makes logical sense.

Edited March 19, 2025 by gflore34

[Brian707]

It would not surprise me if Illinois makes it to the elite 8. It would not surprise me if Illinois gets smoked by Xavier/Texas on Friday night either.

[mul21]

40 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

It'd be awfully horsefeathers nice if the good version of the Illini show up Friday like UNC did last night.  Given our luck though, we'll probably get more of the horsefeathers we saw against Maryland and most of February.  For whatever it's worth appears many are dumping on the Illini, picking  the winner of Texas/Xavier to beat them. I get it, not that far of a reach, makes logical sense.

2 things, Maryland is an absolutely terrible matchup for Illinois with 2 capable bigs on the floor at almost all times and they shot out of their minds in that Big 10 tournament game.  Illinois didn't play great, but that final score was much worse than it should have been.  But I'm with you, they've been a little schizophrenic even outside of the injuries/illness and whatever Boswell got into his head about shooting 3s after the game against Iowa needs to get back out, because he shouldn't be taking them unless he's wide open with plenty of time to set up.

[Hot Sauce]

I feel pretty comfortable taking Illinois to beat either Xavier or Texas and I have no dog in that fight. Troy also has a real chance to knockout Kentucky. Yep, I said it.

Illinois to the sweet sixteen. 

 

[gflore34]

1 hour ago, Hot Sauce said:

I feel pretty comfortable taking Illinois to beat either Xavier or Texas and I have no dog in that fight. Troy also has a real chance to knockout Kentucky. Yep, I said it.

Illinois to the sweet sixteen. 

 

Like your optimism, this sounds good to me.

[soccer10k]

Clemson has 11 points, is 1-14 from 3 and has 10 turnovers with 1 minute left in the half.