2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Discussion

[msubulldogs21]

Yall just wait. Give him a year, maybe two and dude will have them right back on the map like Nick Saban did with Alabama football.

[TheKilo]

Year or two? They're going to be really good next season.

[msubulldogs21]

Year or two? They're going to be really good next season.

 

As in perennial Top 5 and a threat for the national title.

 

They'll be a lot better next year, but I'm talking about them being back to national prominence once again.

[TheKilo]

ESPN reporting Calipari has not signed anything with UK but has told Memphis he is not coming back.

[Mr Crunchy]

Another Italian snake oil salesman who has the ability to command the brothers.

Good thing Mussolini attacked Africa rather than embraced her because the Italians seem to get the most out of the blacks, basketball wise anyway.

This guy can coach but hes also a f***ing scumbag and about as dirty as they get.

Kentucky NC and UCLA are the jobs that are supposedly the most prestigious in the nation so now Calipari is at one of the elite institutions but I have to ask why.

Money aside this guy has done very well in Memphis with no pressure to win

They fire you in Kentucky if you dont win the National Title within 3 years

[ORS]

Well, as far as getting anything out of that race for basketball, it sure isn't the Irish. Calhoun had significantly more talent on the floor, but his gameplan came up small. Adrien in the high post looked good early in the game, but MSU adjusted and Calhoun had no counter.

 

I know you are big on insisting Calhoun's the best in the country, Crunch, but I think the true best was on the other bench. The more I watch Izzo's teams, the more impressed I am at how well coached they are.

 

EDIT: I say this with 1:45 left and the spread at 10. Even if they come back, my comments still apply.

[msubulldogs21]

Come on Nova. Spare me from a UNC title. Seeing those bastards lose would make this entire season worthwhile.

[ORS]

Nova isn't answering the phone, I take it?

 

It's really not their fault, though. When Lawson and Ellington are on their game, combined with the rest of their depth, forget about it.

[TheKilo]

Well, as far as getting anything out of that race for basketball, it sure isn't the Irish. Calhoun had significantly more talent on the floor, but his gameplan came up small. Adrien in the high post looked good early in the game, but MSU adjusted and Calhoun had no counter.

 

I know you are big on insisting Calhoun's the best in the country, Crunch, but I think the true best was on the other bench. The more I watch Izzo's teams, the more impressed I am at how well coached they are.

 

EDIT: I say this with 1:45 left and the spread at 10. Even if they come back, my comments still apply.

 

I don't think Calhoun had significantly more talent on the floor. MSU is a very deep and talented team, and Morgan finally came to play for them.

 

Price and Walker (especially Walker) had terrible games - it cost them. UConn was pretty dominant on the interior but had no answer for Lucas or Morgan.

 

Pretty disappointing end to a great season. Looking forward to seeing Robinson dominate next season, helped by the backcourt of Dyson and Walker.

[ORS]

Robinson is going to dominate? His game is suited to being the 5th option, the floater, that the other team forgets about. If Thabeet opts for the draft, and Adrien's a senior, then he's no longer forgotten about. He's a tremendous athlete, so I expect him to still have an impact, but he'll struggle IMO when he becomes part of the focus of a team's defensive gameplan. It's a shame, because he's blessed with the prototypical body for an NBA swingman, but he lacks the game. Unless something changes, like some serious work on his ball handling and outside shot, expect to be disappointed on that expectation.

 

They absolutely had more talent, but it wasn't very diverse. They had one player with an outside game and he didn't show up until the last two minutes. They were much more athletic at every position, and they dominated the paint. I just described G'Town from the early 80's. I didn't see a G'Town type gameplan, though.

[TheKilo]

Robinson's inconsistency has been puzzling for many in CT, but it appears the light switch has been turned on - he can be the "floater" you're describing and still put up a double/double. With a healthy Dyson and a year of a more experienced Walker, I expect a lot of teams to focus on those two, allowing for easy buckets from Sticks.

 

I won't delve much into last night's gameplan but I think Calhoun's done a decent job for himself, everyone has an off night. Just ask Coach K

[ORS]

Dyson and Walker are on the perimeter. Robinson got to benefit from being the 3rd guy the other team would pay attention to in the paint, behind Thabeet and Adrien. We'll see how he handles attention from the defense.

 

Nice attempt to deflect there at the end. I fail to see how Duke's recent struggles somehow validate Calhoun's gameplan given the squad he had this year.

[TheKilo]

Dyson and Walker are on the perimeter. Robinson got to benefit from being the 3rd guy the other team would pay attention to in the paint' date=' behind Thabeet and Adrien. We'll see how he handles attention from the defense.[/quote']

 

Dyson and Walker will command a lot of attention from opposing defenses next season - ask Adrien how many bunnies he was the beneficiary of thanks to the penetrating abilities of Dyson on the interior.

 

Robinson will have those same opportunities, as will Gavin Edwards and Alex Oriakhi (McD AA coming in from MA - Jeff Adrien clone).

 

His athleticism is off the charts, like I said if he's active around the rim he should put up a double double in his sleep, especially if he's made the progressions I think he has.

 

Nice attempt to deflect there at the end. I fail to see how Duke's recent struggles somehow validate Calhoun's gameplan given the squad he had this year.

 

It was a joke.

 

Calhoun's gameplan sucked last night but his team reached the FF, so I can't complain too badly.

[YanksHater213]

My god that dunk that Durrell Summers had over Robinson was just f***ing RAW.

[BSN07]

Ranked 4507 out like 3,000,000 something(99.90%) in my ESPN Bracket. Best I've ever done LOL

[ORS]

I wonder which team wastes their pick on Hansbrough? He just screams "bust" at the next level to me.

[ORS]

It's like UNC is playing with a 36" rim.

[Cocos Disciples]

Uh, wow. 21 point game with 4+ left.

[msubulldogs21]

I haven't watched even 5 minutes of this game. I started it at first, but early on it was clear they were going to roll and I have no interest in watching that garbage so I just switched back to MLB.

[YanksHater213]

I wonder which team wastes their pick on Hansbrough? He just screams "bust" at the next level to me.

 

I disagree. I think Tyler will be better than most people think on the professional level. He's a very hard worker, has nice hands, and plays rough (he's not soft like people like to think). He's not a lotto player in the least bit, but if a team can snatch him up in the 20-30 range in the draft he'll be a spark-plug off the bench, Leon Powe with a mid-range game type of 7/8th man. A valuable piece on a good, deep team.

[TheKilo]

I disagree. I think Tyler will be better than most people think on the professional level. He's a very hard worker' date=' has nice hands, and plays rough (he's not soft like people like to think). He's not a lotto player in the least bit, but if a team can snatch him up in the 20-30 range in the draft he'll be a spark-plug off the bench, Leon Powe with a mid-range game type of 7/8th man. A valuable piece on a good, deep team.[/quote']

 

I agree, but he has to be in the perfect situation for him to succeed. He cannot be a starter and he cannot be expected to play more than 20-25 mins a night.

[ORS]

I disagree. I think Tyler will be better than most people think on the professional level. He's a very hard worker' date=' has nice hands, and plays rough (he's not soft like people like to think). He's not a lotto player in the least bit, but if a team can snatch him up in the 20-30 range in the draft he'll be a spark-plug off the bench, Leon Powe with a mid-range game type of 7/8th man. A valuable piece on a good, deep team.[/quote']

He's got good energy and a decent frame, but terribly short arms for his size and no hops. I think he's a big bag of fail as a potential post player. NBA fwds and centers will eat his s*** up down low. He'll need to extend his range and look to become a Bill Laimbeer type to stick, IMO.

[BSN07]

Yes and NC's win completes my bracket! Ranked #3154!

[Mr Crunchy]

Name Points Paid

Sean Hammond #1 118 Yes UNC

Jen Sullivan 107 Yes UNC

James Wenzel #1 106 Yes UNC

Leni Story #3 105 Yes UNC

Karen Nadeau 104 Yes UNC

Eric Riley 103 Yes UNC

Christine Morello #2 102 Yes Uconn

James Wenzel #2 101 Yes UNC

John Parnell #2 100 Yes Pitt

 

Not bad....won the company pool, 14 stores between Binghamton Ny and Brewer Maine,247 applicants and Crunchy walks away with the cake.

Nobody had state doing anything cept me....Izzo is special but this NC team is the real deal.

This is how I justify watching UC Santa Clara and St Marys play at 230am on a monday nite in December.

[BSN07]

From the sweet 16 on I was money and got all the available points. I think there was over 3 million entrants on the ESPN bracket, top 3K is good enough for me LOL

[Mr Crunchy]

You had the final 4 intact BS?

Thats impressive handicapping, i had nova going to the 8 and getting clipped by Pitt but i had the rest of the final 4 intact including the final game matchup with NC winning.

Hansborough has played his last meaningful minutes on television, he had a great college career but hes danny ferry without the jumper.

[BSN07]

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/entry?entryID=2008908

 

That's my bracket.

 

Had the final 4 right, and had NC winning against MS, I had the score a little closer then what it ended up being though LOL

[Mr Crunchy]

Nice effort sir, the tourney was fairly predictable thru the 1st round with the 12s dusting the 5s and the top 4 teams cruising into the 16 but after that the big east just didnt have the muscle or the talent to play with state and unc.

i was raised a providence fan as a kid because they had THE program from NYC to Montreal in the 70s and I can remember when Holy Cross vs Assumption meant something locally.

I remember Celtics games being held up while Assumption and HC played, of course I also remember when Buffalo had a pro team that had 2 former PC studs on it in Marvin Barnes and Ernie D.

My point being if you can make the final 4 in that tourney then you have had a great season so congrats to Uconn Nova and State for playing into the big weekend but the class of the season was always UNC and we all knew that inspite of BC beating the piss out of them in January... then losing to f***ing Harvard the next game.