2008-2009 NCAA Basketball Thread

[msubulldogs21]

I think it's pretty clear that UConn is the best team in the country right now.

 

Yeah, after last night's performance, I'm sold. UNC, Duke, and WF are all in the conversation, but each one of them have dropped a game or two recently. After being embarassed at home by Georgetown, UConn has been on a freaking tear. I was looking at their remaining schedule and down the stretch they will be tested even more - out of their last 5 games UConn has Pitt twice and @ Marquette. ND is mixed in there but they've almost fallen off the radar of late.

[TheKilo]

To think they went into Louisville, didn't make a three, and had Stanley Robinson only play 3 minutes, and STILL win by 17?

 

Dominant.

[italstallianion]

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised to read the box score in the morning...if only the game didn't start at 12:30 am my time...

[See Red]

Watched the game, they looked great. Louisville fans can bitch all they want about the FTA difference, but Louisville made almost no attempt to get to the basket while UConn did. I would agree that they're a pretty clear cut #1. They flat-out dominate the paint.

 

Now why is Wake Forest behind two teams they've beat, UNC and Duke when they all have two losses?

[TheKilo]

Watched the game, they looked great. Louisville fans can bitch all they want about the FTA difference, but Louisville made almost no attempt to get to the basket while UConn did. I would agree that they're a pretty clear cut #1. They flat-out dominate the paint.

 

Now why is Wake Forest behind two teams they've beat, UNC and Duke when they all have two losses?

 

Wake's losses have been pretty bad though, VT and GT are going nowhere this season.

[See Red]

Wake's losses have been pretty bad though' date=' VT and GT are going nowhere this season.[/quote']

 

That's true, I suppose.

 

Man, this sucks. UConn's good enough to be considered among the two or three favorites to win the National Title, and I'll be spending March Madness in Basic Training. <_>

 

... FML. :lol:

[See Red]

#2 Oklahoma's losing to A&M 68-63 late in the second.

 

#3 Duke is getting destroyed by Clemson 70-43 late in the second.

 

#6 Wake Forest got mollywocked by Miami 79-52.

 

Some night. Wake's gone from being "legit" after the win over Duke, to hitting a wall I'm not sure they'll recover from.

[TheKilo]

lol Dook

[CrespoBlows]

How many twenty point losses do National Champions have on their schedules?

[msubulldogs21]

I have to say, Arizona State and Oregon State are playing in a game for the ages. ASU leads 19-13... AT THE HALF! Stay tuned for the 2nd half folks! Don't miss it!

 

And on the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi State was shooting the ball as hot as I've probably ever seen any team shoot today. We were 16/29 from 3 (school record), coming back from down 15 at the half to beat Arkansas. Tuesday night @ UK we went 14/27 from 3. Hope we can continue the hot streak with LSU up next.

[TheKilo]

UConn rolls along...

[See Red]

UConn rolls along...

 

Not the prettiest win, but considering how recent number ones have fared, I'll gladly take it.

[See Red]

Syracuse ain't got s*** on the Huskies. UConn up 13 with about 2:40 left and Thabeet at the line for two.

[TheKilo]

Thabeet was awesome tonight. Total game changer.

[msubulldogs21]

Holy frick Duke is shooting lights out. 48-41 in the 1st half.

 

I love watching this game every year. It's always great.

[msubulldogs21]

UNC about to win convincingly. Dammit, I loathe UNC.

[See Red]

That game was Duke in a nutshell. When they shoot the ball well, they can be as good as anybody. When they can't, they're awful.

[italstallianion]

Go Uconn!! Boo everyone else!!

[ORS]

This stretch of games have exposed Duke as pretenders this year. I still enjoy watching this team play more than most recent Duke teams, though, because its a better brand of basketball despite being short on talent.

[msubulldogs21]

This stretch of games have exposed Duke as pretenders this year. I still enjoy watching this team play more than most recent Duke teams' date=' though, because its a better brand of basketball despite being short on talent.[/quote']

 

I think you could tell Duke were pretenders even before they were embarassed @ Clemson and beaten by North Carolina last night. This team isn't much different than their teams from the past 2-3 years - relying too much on the 3 and more importantly no big man to fall back on when the jumpshot isn't falling. They're probably looking at another 2nd round, maybe Sweet 16 exit.

[ORS]

I disagree about this team being a typical Duke team of the last 2-3 years. Those teams relied more on 1 or 2 players, whereas this team gets more contribution from different parts. You are right in that they lack an inside presence, though.

[italstallianion]

Looks like Dyson could miss the rest of the season with torn lateral meniscus. Just f***** great.

[YanksHater213]

Wagner @ Bryant HUUUUUUUUUGE game tonight (not)

[schillingouttheks]

Looks like Dyson could miss the rest of the season with torn lateral meniscus. Just f***** great.

 

That injury sucks mega dick. I had that injury and it's a pain in the ass to recover. Especially for a basketball player due to the cuts and pressure that are constantly put on the knees. If he rehabs quickly and the UConn trainers are careful with him, he can be ready in a month for, at best, the later rounds of the tournament. For me, it was a 3-month recovery but with his trainers and the doctors who will care for him, he'll probably cut that time in half.

 

But yes, he's done for at least the remainder of the regular season.

[TheKilo]

Motherf***er.

 

This means more Kemba (which could really be a blessing, slide AJ to the 2 guard), but this sucks for their depth.

 

Beverly may get more burn as well.

[See Red]

Notre Dame just snapped their seven game losing streak with an absolute beatdown of #7 Louisville. 90-57...

 

Next up on ESPN is ASU vs. UCLA, I really like watching James Harden play.

[italstallianion]

Of course last year it was Dyson's suspension and Price tearing his ACL 4 minutes into the first round of the tournament (and a buzzer beating shot by San Diego) that was Uconn's undoing. Well at least they got a bunch of good games out of him. I think it does increase his likelihood of being back here next year though...

[TheKilo]

A Dyson/Walker backcourt is something I am very much looking forward to next year.

[italstallianion]

I'm just hoping that Thabeet stays another year seeing that we'd lose Adrien. I'm curious about Ater Majok and Chukwumba Okwandu. I've heard much about those 2 big guys but I haven't had a good look at what they are like on the hardwood. I believe Majok is academically ineligible and I'm not sure about Okwandu.

 

I believe we are getting a pretty good frontcourt player next year in Alex Oriakhi.

 

Not that this is particularly relevant, but could you imagine if Rudy Gay stayed all four years and if Andrew Bynum actually went to Uconn instead of skipping out and going to the NBA?

[YanksHater213]

I feel like Thabeet is a shoo-in to go into the draft, especially because of how weak the Center position is this year.