2023-2024 College Basketball Thread

[MU82]

There is no doubt in my mind that UConn would win a best-of-7 series against Purdue - and it wouldn't go 7. Simply a better team, top to bottom.

[MuggsyB]

Ohio St. is on a roll!  Oh.....wait.  They had lost 9 of their last 11 before today.

I still don't trust Purdue or think the B18 is good prep for the dance. 

UCONN may just be that much better than everyone?   I think Houston and Iowa St are really good.  I think Tennessee and Zona certainly are dangerous.  After that it could be a complete crap shoot come tournament time. 

[HowardsWorld]

Ohio St. is on a roll!  Oh.....wait.  They had lost 9 of their last 11 before today.

I still don't trust Purdue or think the B18 is good prep for the dance. 

UCONN may just be that much better than everyone?   I think Houston and Iowa St are really good.  I think Tennessee and Zona certainly are dangerous.  After that it could be a complete crap shoot come tournament time.

That's why we all love the big tournament. You can expect the unexpected to happen, it's almost guaranteed. If you would have told anyone last year Kansas, Purdue, Alabama and Houston would all lose before the site 8 we would have laughed.

It happens every year. Purdue beats FDU 99/100 times except the 1 time it mattered they lost. It will happen again this year

[MuggsyB]

That's why we all love the big tournament. You can expect the unexpected to happen, it's almost guaranteed. If you would have told anyone last year Kansas, Purdue, Alabama and Houston would all lose before the site 8 we would have laughed.

It happens every year. Purdue beats FDU 99/100 times except the 1 time it mattered they lost. It will happen again this year

Absolutely.  It's  even possible we'll have two teams in the F4 (like last year) no one is even imagining.  Tons of parity.  That USF team today had a guy  in tbe first half that went bananas fron distance, off the dribble mind you, and the shots were contested.  Anything can happen in the tourney. 

[Judge Smails]

Time for some wind sprints for the Braves.

[MuggsyB]

Nailbiter at Pauley. 

[MuggsyB]

Ouch. That sucked.

[Goose]

Muggsy

We have learned over the recent past that the FF is seldom chalk. There is one, maybe two, very good teams this year followed by a nice group of 8-10 teams. After that, it really is a large group of teams that could get hot at the right time. If I had to place a bet, UConn is the only team I would take for making the FF and it would not be a crazy big wager. That is why I am still optimistic for MU having a deep a run. I am hoping that the experience they have gained over the past two years is a deciding factor in a close NCAA game.

[lawdog77]

Muggsy

We have learned over the recent past that the FF is seldom chalk. There is one, maybe two, very good teams this year followed by a nice group of 8-10 teams. After that, it really is a large group of teams that could get hot at the right time. If I had to place a bet, UConn is the only team I would take for making the FF and it would not be a crazy big wager. That is why I am still optimistic for MU having a deep a run. I am hoping that the experience they have gained over the past two years is a deciding factor in a close NCAA game.

Agree. Although, someone on MU has to step up and be the #3 stud each game. Stating the obvious here though, but MU is a lot easier to defend if its only TK and Oso.

[HowardsWorld]

Muggsy

We have learned over the recent past that the FF is seldom chalk. There is one, maybe two, very good teams this year followed by a nice group of 8-10 teams. After that, it really is a large group of teams that could get hot at the right time. If I had to place a bet, UConn is the only team I would take for making the FF and it would not be a crazy big wager. That is why I am still optimistic for MU having a deep a run. I am hoping that the experience they have gained over the past two years is a deciding factor in a close NCAA game.

The NCAA tournament shifted imo when UMBC beat Virginia. It showed that no matter what seed you were, there was no bye game anymore. Since then you have seen multiple 15 seeds beat 2 and even advance further than just the 2nd round. Purdue lost to FDU last year as the 1/16 matchup. It is not easy to even get to the sweet 16 anymore let alone the final four. I don't know if this is because of the NIL or changes in mindset where 3/4/5 star players would rather be on a lesser team if it means more playing time but something shifted recently.

Someone had mentioned in another thread not wanting to match up with Michigan St again in the 2nd round. MSU is not a great team by an measure, but if the Fans and or MU has a doubt in their mind about playing MSU in the 2nd round they might as well wave the white flag. You can get away with underperforming in the 1st round and still winning 99% of the time. Once you get to the second round you are playing a team that deserves to be there. Keep in mind for all the lower seeds especially the mid majors, this is the pinacle of their college career. They are going to give everything they have to pull an memorable upset.

[Newsdreams]

Crapshoot

[Uncle Rico]

Crapshoot

Indeed

[barfolomew]

Crapshoot

Would be nice to get a little shoot this year instead of the usual crap.

[Newsdreams]

Would be nice to get a little shoot this year instead of the usual crap.

Do you mean dung?

[Jay Bee]

Chicago St. has wrapped up their season. Lol

[Viper]

The NCAA tournament shifted imo when UMBC beat Virginia. It showed that no matter what seed you were, there was no bye game anymore. Since then you have seen multiple 15 seeds beat 2 and even advance further than just the 2nd round. Purdue lost to FDU last year as the 1/16 matchup. It is not easy to even get to the sweet 16 anymore let alone the final four. I don't know if this is because of the NIL or changes in mindset where 3/4/5 star players would rather be on a lesser team if it means more playing time but something shifted recently.

Someone had mentioned in another thread not wanting to match up with Michigan St again in the 2nd round. MSU is not a great team by an measure, but if the Fans and or MU has a doubt in their mind about playing MSU in the 2nd round they might as well wave the white flag. You can get away with underperforming in the 1st round and still winning 99% of the time. Once you get to the second round you are playing a team that deserves to be there. Keep in mind for all the lower seeds especially the mid majors, this is the pinacle of their college career. They are going to give everything they have to pull an memorable upset.

...which is why opponent matchups are so important. I mentioned not wanting to play Sparty again. Why? They are a bad matchup for MU. Back in 2015, or thereabouts when Wisconsin made the F4, they had incredibly favorable matchups in that tournament....not to mention they had help with upsets in the other brackets. WI was good, no doubt, but the opponents were tailor made for that particular Badger team. I hope MU gets that type of draw. If not, man-up and ball, but a favorable match-up, especially-so in a second rd game is really important in swinging the pendulum toward a deep run.

[Viper]

Virginia down 32 to VaTech? ...might be lucky to break 40 pts? Yikes. I know Bennett won a Nat...and lots of people in WI would love to see him replace Gard, but man, that style of ball is an acquired taste imo

[MuggsyB]

Congrats to the 3rd place team in the ACC. 

[Uncle Rico]

Congrats to the 3rd place team in the ACC.

Amazingly, they had won 9 of 10 entering tonight.  Thought they had turned a corner but woof.

[MochaJoe]

Amazingly, they had won 9 of 10 entering tonight.  Thought they had turned a corner but woof.

Running through the gauntlet that is the ACC no less.

[Uncle Rico]

Running through the gauntlet that is the ACC no less.

Still gotta win the games. 

[MuggsyB]

Do we want Houston or Iowa St?

[Uncle Rico]

Do we want Houston or Iowa St?

Houston

[MochaJoe]

Still gotta win the games.

Nothing amazing about beating up on those bums in the acc

[tower912]

Houston is a 1.  Keep Iowa St from creeping up.