2022-23 NCAA Men's Basketball Thread

[panda]

Your own post undermines your argument. If they were far and away the best, they wouldn't have lost at home period.

If they were far and away the best, even a good Kent State team wouldn't have a lead on them in their own building with under a minute left.

If they were far and away the best, they would've had a comparably bad UCF team thoroughly in control, and wouldn't have been in a one point game at home with an inferior opponent under 3 minutes to play regardless.

Are they good? Sure. Deserved #1? Sure. Far and away the best? Not remotely close by your own response.

No it doesn’t. What team in history ever dominates every game ?

Did you watch the Kent state Houston game? Guessing you didn’t, but Houston got a bunch of stops at the end, scored key buckets coming back and would’ve wrapped it up earlier had it not been for a late shot clock broken play 3 from a bad shooter. Houston didn’t play great and still won because they’re a really, really good team. That’s important.

[panda]

Marquette has had some really good (and some really bad) teams since 2003 and has gone to two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight.

I'll roll the dice with a guy who has "had some really good teams" come March.  Sometimes the good teams advance.  Others they bow out early.  It's the nature of a one and done format.

Is this really the first time you’re seeing Rick barnes is a flame out in march ? It’s a pretty well known thought.

[MU82]

What team in history ever dominates every game?

One that's "far and away the best."

Look, you threw out an opinion as if it were fact. It's not. You can't prove your opinion is true. It's just an opinion.

[panda]

One that's "far and away the best."

Look, you threw out an opinion as if it were fact. It's not. You can't prove your opinion is true. It's just an opinion.

Great teams lose. That’s not an indictment  against them. If losing happens often, they’re no longer a great team. So far so good for the cougs.

[brewcity77]

No it doesn’t. What team in history ever dominates every game ?

Far and away. That was your wording. None of those things you described happen to a team that is far and away the best. Certainly not in buy games.

[MU82]

Great teams lose. That’s not an indictment  against them. If losing happens often, they’re no longer a great team. So far so good for the cougs.

[panda]

Far and away. That was your wording. None of those things you described happen to a team that is far and away the best. Certainly not in buy games.

Time will tell

[panda]

Maybe come up with a more compelling argument

[GoldenEagles03]

The season for (0-3) Illinois just got a bit tougher.

"Freshman point guard Skyy Clark has left the #Illini program, despite starting 12 of 13 games and ranking 3rd in minutes played."

IIRC Skyy was a target for Shaka at one point.  5 star PG.

[tower912]

Opportunity!  MU is so short at the guard position.

[GoldenEagles03]

Opportunity!  MU is so short at the guard position.

Not really, Sean Jones is the only one I'd consider short, but he makes up for it with quickness and ball pressure.

[mu_eyeballs]

Interesting listening to sports radio in Columbus ohio today after the Buckeyes blew a late lead to Purdue last night.
Really could be a audio scoop thread.   Blah blah...better than PU for 37 min.  Blah blah...can't win close games.

[JWags85]

Sensabaugh is a star. Can’t believe there isn’t more hype around him.

I agree with this, but he wasn't a top 50 recruit (not even top 75 for 24/7) and hasn't had a HOLY SH** game yet, just a couple really nice ones.  Buzz is a bit slower for guys like that.  Look how long it took people to come around to Morant even though he was a revelation as a freshman.

Kent state is really, really good and has the ability to win a game or two in the tournament. Houston had a ton of stops at the end of the game and a bad three point shooter in Malique Jacobs hits an end of shot clock three to keep it close.

This however is silly.  Kent State is...fine.  A good team in a mediocre conference.  They don't have any good wins, but they don't have any bad losses either.  Their best 2 performances, Houston and Gonzaga, they caught good teams on bad nights.  They are a good defensive team but not Houston shooting 11% from 3 good.  That would have been a bad loss for Houston regardless.  They'll finish in the 60s in the NET because they won't run the table in the MAC, they never do and nobody else in the MAC will be top 100.

I would love Cal to Texas. Then Texas would have the Jimbo Fisher of college basketball and TAMU would have the John Calipari of college football!

Now this is just unfair.  And also kind of speaks to how well Cal has recruited for so long.  Jimbo had 3 good seasons at FSU in a row, including the Natty.  His best season at A&M was the weird COVID year and still got smoked by Bama.

Cal has Final Fours at 3 schools (i dont care about sanctions or forfeited wins in this discussion), 6 F4s total, 6 E8s, and 3 S16s.  Having more F4s and E8s than S16s, 2nd Rounds, or First rounds, the anti-Bo Ryan.  He's more Mack Brown or Jim Tressel than Jimbo.

[MU82]

Maybe come up with a more compelling argument

Plenty of Scoopers already have. All you've done is give an unprovable opinion, pretended it's fact, and then, per your usual m.o., you've been willing to die on the hill over and over.

[MU82]

The season for (0-3) Illinois just got a bit tougher.

"Freshman point guard Skyy Clark has left the #Illini program, despite starting 12 of 13 games and ranking 3rd in minutes played."

IIRC Skyy was a target for Shaka at one point.  5 star PG.

I again wonder if Underwood has lost the team.

[panda]

Plenty of Scoopers already have. All you've done is give an unprovable opinion, pretended it's fact, and then, per your usual m.o., you've been willing to die on the hill over and over.

And yet another low effort, lots of words to say nothing post from you. Par for the course.

[panda]

I agree with this, but he wasn't a top 50 recruit (not even top 75 for 24/7) and hasn't had a HOLY SH** game yet, just a couple really nice ones.  Buzz is a bit slower for guys like that.  Look how long it took people to come around to Morant even though he was a revelation as a freshman.

This however is silly.  Kent State is...fine.  A good team in a mediocre conference.  They don't have any good wins, but they don't have any bad losses either.  Their best 2 performances, Houston and Gonzaga, they caught good teams on bad nights.  They are a good defensive team but not Houston shooting 11% from 3 good.  That would have been a bad loss for Houston regardless.  They'll finish in the 60s in the NET because they won't run the table in the MAC, they never do and nobody else in the MAC will be top 100.

Now this is just unfair.  And also kind of speaks to how well Cal has recruited for so long.  Jimbo had 3 good seasons at FSU in a row, including the Natty.  His best season at A&M was the weird COVID year and still got smoked by Bama.

Cal has Final Fours at 3 schools (i dont care about sanctions or forfeited wins in this discussion), 6 F4s total, 6 E8s, and 3 S16s.  Having more F4s and E8s than S16s, 2nd Rounds, or First rounds, the anti-Bo Ryan.  He's more Mack Brown or Jim Tressel than Jimbo.

What can I say - I’ve won a lot of money off Kent state. Hard to ignore those kind of results.

[MU82]

And yet another low effort, lots of words to say nothing post from you. Par for the course.

[panda]

Which top team matches up well with Houston than mr expert ?

[Its DJOver]

The season for (0-3) Illinois just got a bit tougher.

"Freshman point guard Skyy Clark has left the #Illini program, despite starting 12 of 13 games and ranking 3rd in minutes played."

IIRC Skyy was a target for Shaka at one point.  5 star PG.

https://twitter.com/skyyclark/status/1611482909948497942?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Sounds like he's stepping away from basketball entirely for the time being.

[barfolomew]

https://twitter.com/skyyclark/status/1611482909948497942?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Sounds like he's stepping away from basketball entirely for the time being.

Way to stay classy, Illini fans!

[brewcity77]

Which top team matches up well with Houston than mr expert ?

Seems Alabama matches up okay with them. I think Kansas would be a tough test for them as well.

The more compelling argument is that this is a season of parity. It's why there's been so much "who's the best team" debate, and it's ranged from UNC to Texas to Houston to Purdue to UConn to Kansas with Tennessee, UCLA, Arizona, and Alabama all getting mentioned in the same breath.

One more note on Houston, though. They get a ton of extra credit for absolutely bludgeoning weak opposition. It's the same reason Wisconsin was overvalued by kenpom in the past. Not saying they aren't a good team, but when their only wins of substance are St Mary's and Virginia, good but not great teams from mediocre leagues, and most of their other wins are running up scores against inferior competition, it's tough to believe too strongly in them.

[panda]

Seems Alabama matches up okay with them. I think Kansas would be a tough test for them as well.

The more compelling argument is that this is a season of parity. It's why there's been so much "who's the best team" debate, and it's ranged from UNC to Texas to Houston to Purdue to UConn to Kansas with Tennessee, UCLA, Arizona, and Alabama all getting mentioned in the same breath.

One more note on Houston, though. They get a ton of extra credit for absolutely bludgeoning weak opposition. It's the same reason Wisconsin was overvalued by kenpom in the past. Not saying they aren't a good team, but when their only wins of substance are St Mary's and Virginia, good but not great teams from mediocre leagues, and most of their other wins are running up scores against inferior competition, it's tough to believe too strongly in them.

Personal opinion alert - sorry mu82, there is no subscription based website that can support this opinion so feel free to invalidate it - Houston has the athletes and defensive scheme to match up with and overpower any team in the country. Sasser is one of the best lead guards in the country. They don’t have a true second option, but every regular guy in their rotation is a competent scorer, which no other team in the country can say (save Marquette :-) ).

I won’t overreact to one game, but as others have granted me, we’re all entitled to our own opinions.

[MU82]

Houston’s really good. Undoubtedly one of the best teams in the country. Sampson’s done a great job. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if they get to the Final Four.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

Way to stay classy, Illini fans!

The responses to that tweet from the young man are appalling.