illiniguy

I like Iowa as a final four sleeper after seeing their bracket. They are as good as Texas. We've got to get past this weekend first though. Friday we play a team that presses the hell out of you and runs in 5 new bodies at every timeout. Then Sunday we would have to get past either West Virginia (who is very similar to Northwestern's style that has always killed us) or win a slowdown defensive game against Southern Illinois. I feel pretty good about our bracket if we get to the Sweet 16 though. We almost beat Texas on a neutral court in November despite shooting horribly and I think we're pretty equal to them as a team. Duke just doesn't scare me and I'm not sure that they'll get to the Elite 8 anyways. But if they do I think we match up very well with them. I was at the game against texas. You guys looked like the best team at the classic. WVU I think is the hardest draw for you because they are a talented Northwestern.

Well they normally have wet dreams over the rpi and according to it we are the number 1 conference. Whether or not that is true who knows, after all the Big Ten was so down last year before it put two teams in the final four.

I think you see a little bit of both sides with kU right now. They didn't play very good competition after they turned it around(save the two UT games), but they overwhelmed the teams they did beat. Since the Mizzou loss, all their wins were by 10 or more points except 2(OU and OSU(B12 tourney)). I agree, I don't know what to make of them. Had they lost again to Texas by a fair margin yesterday I would have ruled them out, but that was such a good win I wonder are they legit final four contenders. if so Bill has done a hell of a job molding that team this year. Major props to him, now stay the hell out of our state for high school players.

Yeah but, seriously how good is Kansas right now. I ask because I don't know. They have beaten everyone in front of them lately, but I question if any of those teams were any good. I realize they have a ton of talent, but I just don't know how you could have seeded them without questioning yourself. I am ok with them being a 4. I am not ok with a team going 25-5 in the number 1 conference in America getting a 4. It is a joke. Plus we essentialy are playing a road game vs Washington in round 2(assuming a good utah st. team doesn't knock them off or afu doesn't get us).

nope because if they did they wouldnt have been in the atlanta region because of not being able to play two days in a row. Illinois didn't play the play in game winner last year either. huh? The play-in is Tuesday. Where would back to back games happen? It might not be the case, but precedence was set last year, we were the number one seed last year but UNC got the play in game. just another thing they do that makes no sense to me The whole system is just wrong. I mean I really think that they should just have Joe Lunardi do it. he seems to have a better grasp than the committe itself does. I think the 4s are better than the 3s which makes a big difference. Oh well, you gotta beat everyone to win it anyways.

nope because if they did they wouldnt have been in the atlanta region because of not being able to play two days in a row. Illinois didn't play the play in game winner last year either. huh? The play-in is Tuesday. Where would back to back games happen? It might not be the case, but precedence was set last year, we were the number one seed last year but UNC got the play in game.

nope because if they did they wouldnt have been in the atlanta region because of not being able to play two days in a row. Illinois didn't play the play in game winner last year either.

My thoughts as well, as a Illini fan I say f*** 'em, bring them all on... Oh well we get the best team early, if we could get past them I would love our chances to win the whole shebang. Sadly I am having nightmares about McBride trying to create shots against Rudy Gay. After beating UConn the remainder of the Tournament would seem anti-climatic. I would sure like to find out. I hope we play MSU again so the world can see what a joke this committee did. No one in the world, including their coach, had Tennessee as a 2. I would have thought since we had a better record in a better conference that we would be higher than UNC. Especially when you think that we beat them on their home floor this year. Ridiculous. I hope the Pops is back in the second round as that 8-9 without him for Duke to play the winner of is a joke. Neither of those teams are as good as texas or nevada where last year. The committte set that side up for the golden team.

I like Iowa as a final four sleeper after seeing their bracket. They are as good as Texas.

My thoughts as well, as a Illini fan I say f*** 'em, bring them all on... Oh well we get the best team early, if we could get past them I would love our chances to win the whole shebang. Sadly I am having nightmares about McBride trying to create shots against Rudy Gay.

I have to agree. There is no possible way you guys should be seeded behind Florida, Tennessee, or Iowa at the least. I would have taken a 4 in any other bracket too. If we get to UCONN anyone have the over under on Augustine pt before he fouls out. I will go with 8 minutes.

Illinos goes 25-5 in the number 1 rpi conference and gets a 4 seed Last year Duke goes 25-5 in the number one conference and gets a 1 Yeah that seems about right. The NCAA is a farce.

imo Bradley is a less talented KU. I mean much less, but they do have experience. You guys will beat them handily as last year will be on your minds.

That's exactly what happened a few years ago. During Davis' first year (when he was interim coach) Alford was considered the next likely IU coach, and IU played Iowa in the championship game of the Big Ten tournament (Iowa won). It almost turned out to be deja vu all over again, as Yogi would say. Yep with 5 minutes left, Packer said it was "the most important 5 minutes in the history of these two programs" for what it would mean with the coaching situation. Then during the trophy presentation he asked Alford if he was planning on taking the IU job. Nice tact Billy. If Iowa wins we will hear that same exact question. CBS just needs to fire this guy. He picks the team he wants to win and researches them but finds out nothing about the other team. What he did to Frank Williams was laughable. What did he do to Frank Williams? No discussion of the Big Ten championship game? Great game, OSU looked like the fresh team early on but then seemed to wear down as Iowa got stronger. Iowa's defensive strategy of taking away the lane and allowing teams to chuck 3's paid off again. Doug and Hansen did a number on Dials and it didn't hurt that he was in foul trouble. Iowa and OSU both ended up 14-5 in Big Ten games and Iowa beat OSU twice. Still not enough to claim a Big Ten championship, but I think it's safe to say that the two teams were very even. no he repeatedly called frank williams out for playing "like a dog" in a game in which he had 19 and 11. So many people should play like dogs. Just because he played smooth doesn't mean he wasn't trying you pompus old ass.

That's exactly what happened a few years ago. During Davis' first year (when he was interim coach) Alford was considered the next likely IU coach, and IU played Iowa in the championship game of the Big Ten tournament (Iowa won). It almost turned out to be deja vu all over again, as Yogi would say. Yep with 5 minutes left, Packer said it was "the most important 5 minutes in the history of these two programs" for what it would mean with the coaching situation. Then during the trophy presentation he asked Alford if he was planning on taking the IU job. Nice tact Billy. If Iowa wins we will hear that same exact question. CBS just needs to fire this guy. He picks the team he wants to win and researches them but finds out nothing about the other team. What he did to Frank Williams was laughable.

I don't think Iowa deserves it over U of I, but it's close enough that I could see it happening, which is why I'm rooting hardcore for MSU here. That and MSU winning the tourney won't make our loss look as bad. If we get lower than a 3, I'm gonna be pretty outraged. There are not 12 teams out there that deserve a spot above us. Michigan State is great, They do this every year. When it comes to March Izzo decides to become a genius again.

Well I hope that is the case but I got a feeling UNI is going to be very unhappy playing in the NIT.

I hate how now a deserving Valley team who played a tough out of conference schedule will probably get left out because Syracuse, who plays no road games every year in the preconference finally decided to start playing.

That's absurd. Syracuse isn't touching a 6 seed with anything less than a Big East tournament title. And UConn is not losing their 1 seed either. Only teams that could jump them would be Villanova, Duke, and Ohio St. If Duke or Villanova win their conference tourneys, I believe they will get the #1 overall seed in the tourney. Yep and they will both watch when UCONN cuts down the nets. This game meant crap for UCONN and everything for the Cuse.

Bad news about the upsets today, Michigan and Iu might still have some work left to do.

I don't know two tournys ago Illinois was ranked number 7 in America had won the big ten outright and was rolling like 12 straight wins, Wiscy was ranked number 9 and just waxed us. Their reward for beating a top ten team by 20 plus, a 5 seed. I don't think this tourny has any impact for the top teams. I remember that and remember feeling completely hosed. I remember that and feeling completely hosed with just a 4 seed...in the hardest bracket. Then I was in disbelief with Wisconsin as a 5. I wasn't too mad I thought we could beat anyone and still think with a fiarly refereed game we move on past Duke. We were beating them until Deron, James, and Roger all got in foul trouble, while JJ had his hand holding Luther's jersey all game.

Just like they were out of the running last year when they were ~15 out. Or the year before that. But those years, they had Clemens. This year, by June-July, they could be 20 games out without him. This year it mattered. The year before we flat out giftwrapped it for them. We should not finish behind them if they don't have Clemens for half of a season.

Taking pitches has not been a strength of Pierre's I believe that Pierre doesn't get many pitches to take. The opposition knows Pierre's not going to get a lot of extra-base hits nor is he going to K much, so why not throw the ball over the plate? They absolutely don't want to walk him, and give him the opportunity to steal second. I have no factual evidence to back up this claim, but logically I think it makes sense. I know two years ago in the playoffs I was all for our pitchers not wasting their pitch count and just letting him try to hit his way on rather than walk him into a double.

I don't know two tournys ago Illinois was ranked number 7 in America had won the big ten outright and was rolling like 12 straight wins, Wiscy was ranked number 9 and just waxed us. Their reward for beating a top ten team by 20 plus, a 5 seed. I don't think this tourny has any impact for the top teams.

I don't think so. That's how all of the major conference tournaments are. College kids can play 3 games in 3 days. When these guys are in AAU they often play multiple games in one day. In a year or two when they get to the NBA they will have to do it at times I do wish the championship game ended earlier though. As it is now the only thing that really matters is getting to the championship game. The brackets are set by the time the final is decided. especially this year where if Illinois and Ohio state met it should be for a 1 seed, but now won't it also could bumb Iowa into a 2 but might not. Stupid how they do it.