NCAA Tournament

[cheebs09]

I know this is a non sequitur but if Shaq was playing in this era do you believe he would either not play in the NBA or play differently?

Orlando Shaq would have done just fine in today's NBA.

[jesmu84]

The coaches I've worked with teach, "Find, hit and git." You locate an opponent (find), box him or her out (hit), and then you move forward to pursue the basketball (git).

No coach I know teaches a player to box out the opponent and just keep moving backward and backward away from the basketball. Go git the ball!

Didn't buzz used to tell Otule his job was to box out the other team's big and the rest of our guys would actually get the rebound?

[panda]

Didn't buzz used to tell Otule his job was to box out the other team's big and the rest of our guys would actually get the rebound?

The kalkbrenner/Creighton strategy

[MuggsyB]

Orlando Shaq would have done just fine in today's NBA.

But early LA Shaq would not?  Here's what I'm getting at:  Shaq obviously couldn't really be guarded in his prime against conventional centers.  He certainly couldn't be guarded by smaller dudes as well.  What exactly would prevent him in today's game from getting deep position and annihilating guys?  Now I get it, defensively is where he would have a big problem.  Especially when he got to 330 lbs or more.  That said he could essentially score at will and draw tons of fouls.  How would you adapt as a coach, in this era, with a Shaq?

[tower912]

Didn't buzz used to tell Otule his job was to box out the other team's big and the rest of our guys would actually get the rebound?

He did.  Part of that was Otule's depth perception was diminished due to only having one eye.  It affects how you track objects rapidly changing direction.  Ergo, take up as much space and occupy as many opponents as possible, allowing a teammate to get the rebound.

[MuggsyB]

I'm extremely excited to watch Wemby's development. 

[tower912]

What NCAA tourney team is he on?

[MuggsyB]

What NCAA tourney team is he on?

Sorry, I went a bit off topic. 

[NickelDimer]

Didn't buzz used to tell Otule his job was to box out the other team's big and the rest of our guys would actually get the rebound?

It's a pretty coming strategy and the same I described but apparently some think only Wojo would use it 🙄

[MU82]

If you think coaches want their players to do what that Texas kid did while boxing out - keep going backward and backward, even when the opponent is in the air ... cool.

I doubt that's what the Texas coach actually wanted. But if he did he was rewarded with a correctly called foul on his guy at a crucial moment in the game with the Final Four on the line.

[NickelDimer]

If you think coaches want their players to do what that Texas kid did while boxing out - keep going backward and backward, even when the opponent is in the air ... cool.

I doubt that's what the Texas coach actually wanted. But if he did he was rewarded with a correctly called foul on his guy at a crucial moment in the game with the Final Four on the line.

Yes. A player should get low and drive but the split second the other player leaves the floor he should immediately stop his momentum without the opposing force that was just offering resistance a split second before. That makes sense.

As I said - the rule is what I take issue with

[tower912]

But it is no longer get low and drive.  The current rule is maintain your position, not move your opponent back.   In order to cut down on physical play and undercutting.

Yes, a generation ago, that would have been a heroic box out.  Not today.

Finally, Chase Ross got called for a nearly identical move 2 weeks ago.  He got called for a flagrant, even though there was additional contact from other players adding to the pile up.   This call should not be a surprise.

[NickelDimer]

I get it and I get it's the rule. But it's a continuing trend in sports where "safety" compromises the game.

[tower912]

The call that galled me was where the player was first to the floor diving for a loose ball.  He was getting his hands on ot when an opposing player fell on him and smashed his face into the court.   And the first to the floor player with the smashed face got called for the foul.

[MU82]

The call that galled me was where the player was first to the floor diving for a loose ball.  He was getting his hands on ot when an opposing player fell on him and smashed his face into the court.   And the first to the floor player with the smashed face got called for the foul.

Very inconsistently adjudicated, too. Some refs will let those situations become mini-war zones, while others will call fouls on almost no contact. It's more often the former, and injuries can and have occurred.

But it's a continuing trend in sports where "safety" compromises the game.

I like safety. I prefer athletes not get maimed because of old-school techniques.

[brewcity77]

The consistency was the problem throughout that Creighton game. Was it a foul at the end? Certainly. Were more egregious calls let go all day long? Certainly. It was the right call, but if calls of that nature been made consistently for 40 minutes the outcome would've likely been wildly different.

That said, McDermott was horrible in the final minute. Never should've given the sixth foul, especially not with that much time on the clock. Your defense was set and SDSU had shown they couldn't score all game long, why not play it out or, if you're going to foul, do it with under 3 seconds? Then using their last timeout before the free throws? What are you thinking? You know you have 1.2, just yell to your team to inbound to halfcourt and then call timeout. That's enough time to catch and call TO, then get the inbound from midcourt where you can set up an actual play. Finally, the play you draw up is just to bomb it the length of the floor? Get it to a player running toward the basket. At least that gives you a legit chance. Expecting to outjump this physical SDSU team, bring it down, and get a shot back up was just too much. All in all, a terrible finish for him.

[NickelDimer]

Very inconsistently adjudicated, too. Some refs will let those situations become mini-war zones, while others will call fouls on almost no contact. It's more often the former, and injuries can and have occurred.

I like safety. I prefer athletes not get maimed because of old-school techniques.

Lol

[TallTitan34]

Dan Hurley's wife was on the Field of 68 and it was very entertaining. 

Goes off on a-hole UCONN and Providence fans at 5:15.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fupUxdv0uYM

[pbiflyer]

Where have we heard this before?

Dusty May on returning to Florida Atlantic: 'I learned you never mess with happy'

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2023/03/31/dusty-may-returning-to-fau-because-money-has-never-been-his-motivation/70067736007/

"Dusty is certainly not motivated by money," Anna said. "We have learned that over the years, it's not always greener on the other side."

"I learned a long time ago you never mess with happy," he said. "And so I know what makes me happy, and right now at this point in my career I couldn't be any more pleased and happy with where we are."

[CountryRoads]

Where have we heard this before?

Dusty May on returning to Florida Atlantic: 'I learned you never mess with happy'

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2023/03/31/dusty-may-returning-to-fau-because-money-has-never-been-his-motivation/70067736007/

"Dusty is certainly not motivated by money," Anna said. "We have learned that over the years, it's not always greener on the other side."

"I learned a long time ago you never mess with happy," he said. "And so I know what makes me happy, and right now at this point in my career I couldn't be any more pleased and happy with where we are."

Let's see how these statements hold up the next time the Indiana job opens up.

[Scoop Snoop]

Let's see how these statements hold up the next time the Indiana job opens up.

His response is probably a lot like Shaka's after he decided to return to VCU after not taking the Marquette job. I think Shaka was very happy with being at VCU and certainly was not going to make a statement like "well, not this year, but maybe next...I'm moving on. Being happy where you are but then taking another job are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

[cheebs09]

Where have we heard this before?

Dusty May on returning to Florida Atlantic: 'I learned you never mess with happy'

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2023/03/31/dusty-may-returning-to-fau-because-money-has-never-been-his-motivation/70067736007/

"Dusty is certainly not motivated by money," Anna said. "We have learned that over the years, it's not always greener on the other side."

"I learned a long time ago you never mess with happy," he said. "And so I know what makes me happy, and right now at this point in my career I couldn't be any more pleased and happy with where we are."

Easy to say when no good jobs are open. Also, it's probably not too bad living in Boca Raton.

[MuggsyB]

Hawkins apparently missed practice yesterday.   That could be a big prob for the Huskies. 

[Uncle Rico]

Hawkins apparently missed practice yesterday.   That could be a big prob for the Huskies.

He had diarrhea

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

He had diarrhea

Well, I've been told basketball is a game of runs...