2025 NCAA Tourney Thread

[HutchwasClutch]

Love it too how this tournament makes relative unknown names to casual fans at least, to nationally known such as Clayton. What a clutch and impressive player he is.  Love watching him. 

[tower912]

Yes it is getting old both ways. Shaka not taking transfers that are studs to help the team advance further is getting old also.
Lets see how he does next year  owning that philosophy and playing with his own developed guys. What any coach did three years ago vs. Where the team is currently is what is really relevant. Look at the landscape Shaka and adjust, rather than waiting for lightning to strike once or maybe twice(as Stevie Nicks would say) As Tower would say "Saddle up or die" Shaka. Adapt to the landscape.

The quote was 'Saddle up.  Ride or die'.  The implication was that I was all in on the team.

[MUDPT]

If you recall when they were up 14, Houston had a 6 point possession.  Why?  Gillis made a moronic decision elbowing a guy.  Big turning point in the game. 

It's a rule, but that was a box out, not a moronic decision. It changed the game.

[The Sultan]

I really hope Sampson and Houston pulls this out on Monday. The work he has done in Houston ranks as one of the best, and yet completely underated coaching jobs of the last few decades. Houston was a disaster when he took it over - they had made one tournament since 1992. (Backed in by winning the CUSA tournament in Tom Penders' final year in 2010.)

Right after he took the gig, he stood next to me in the trams at the ATL airport with his "UH" shirt on. Completely anonymous and flying commercial to recruit somewhere. And a decade later he's playing for a championship.

[Jay Bee]

I really hope Sampson and Houston pulls this out on Monday. The work he has done in Houston ranks as one of the best, and yet completely underated coaching jobs of the last few decades. Houston was a disaster when he took it over - they had made one tournament since 1992. (Backed in by winning the CUSA tournament in Tom Penders' final year in 2010.)

Right after he took the gig, he stood next to me in the trams at the ATL airport with his "UH" shirt on. Completely anonymous and flying commercial to recruit somewhere. And a decade later he's playing for a championship.

Sampson is good at cheating. Sure, he's been caught for some of it and essentially banned for five years, but he's gotten away with a lot. Crown him.

[The Sultan]

Sampson is good at cheating. Sure, he's been caught for some of it and essentially banned for five years, but he's gotten away with a lot. Crown him.

Yeah, I don't care about any of that. The last few years has shown that was always folly.

[AlienWarrior]

The new basketball climate with the transfer portal has made the college game more one-sided. Now the top teams like Duke and Connecticut can get several five-star freshman and compliment them with experienced transfers the same year. Calipari with Kentucky didn't have that luxury but now he does at Arkansas assuming he gets the top freshman. Cryer the Houston guard won a championship at Baylor and has a chance to to duplicate that with Houston. Making the NCAA tournament sure but getting to the final four will be much more difficult

[The Sultan]

The new basketball climate with the transfer portal has made the college game more one-sided. Now the top teams like Duke and Connecticut can get several five-star freshman and compliment them with experienced transfers the same year. Calipari with Kentucky didn't have that luxury but now he does at Arkansas assuming he gets the top freshman. Cryer the Houston guard won a championship at Baylor and has a chance to to duplicate that with Houston. Making the NCAA tournament sure but getting to the final four will be much more difficult

And Cryer played a total of 8 minutes, all in mop up time, in Baylor's NCAA tournament run. If you can recruit well, develop well, and hold onto your players, you can get talent.

[Scoop Snoop]

And Cryer played a total of 8 minutes, all in mop up time, in Baylor's NCAA tournament run. If you can recruit well, develop well, and hold onto your players, you can get talent.

Wait! I thought it was established that the correct phrase is mope up time. 

[Scoop Snoop]

Kudos to Houston for their phenomenal comeback W. Sampson built that team. And I love solid defense.

[MuggsyB]

I would think Sampson gets into the Hall of Fame.  I get his issues from the past but you do have to admire what he's done.  It's crazy to think they've lost one gane since the conference schedule, in the B12, and that was in overtime.  I was impressed with Houston's relentless tenacity and poise.    That said, Duke had a cataclysmic meltdown.  The last time I remember something sort of like this was Memphis with that Derrick Rose team vs Kansas. 

[ATL MU Warrior]

I would think Sampson gets into the Hall of Fame.  I get his issues from the past but you do have to admire what he's done.  It's crazy to think they've lost one gane since the conference schedule, in the B12, and that was in overtime.  I was impressed with Houston's relentless tenacity and poise.    That said, Duke had a cataclysmic meltdown.  The last time I remember something sort of like this was Memphis with that Derrick Rose team vs Kansas. 

That's why I liked Houston last night.  Duke is very young and I expected that if it came down to the wire, they would not be able to execute as well as the more experienced team. I also liked the physicality of Houston but Duke surprised me in that regard. Two really good teams.

[Markusquette]

Congrats to the lineup of 25-year-olds

[Billy Hoyle]

And Cryer played a total of 8 minutes, all in mop up time, in Baylor's NCAA tournament run. If you can recruit well, develop well, and hold onto your players, you can get talent.

Cryer played two more years at Baylor and was their leading scorer. It's not Ike he came to UH as a bench warmer, he was all-conference when he left Baylor.

Uzan was also a transfer after two years at Oklahoma where he started every game last season and 24/32 as a freshman.

They also had Mylik Wison who transferred in as a senior after being at two schools and has been a key bench contributor all season and during this tourney run (last night was his worst game of the tournament).

Both Cryer and Uzan said they took less money because they believed in what Sampson could do for their development. And here I've been told it's just about going to the highest bidder.

[wadesworld]

Cryer played two more years at Baylor and was their leading scorer. It's not Ike he came to UH as a bunch warmer, he was all-conference when he left Baylor.

Uzan was also a transfer after two years at Oklahoma where he started every game last season and 24/32 as a freshman.

Both said they took less money because they believed in what Sampson could do for their development. And here Ive been told it's just about going to the highest bidder

Hey look! Another post from Billy about good players who transferred! Maybe this is the one that'll convince Shaka to take transfers!

[The Sultan]

Cryer played two more years at Baylor and was their leading scorer. It's not Ike he came to UH as a bunch warmer, he was all-conference when he left Baylor.

I never claimed he was a bench warmer when he came to Houston.

[Scoop Snoop]

I never claimed he was a bench warmer when he came to Houston.

But that's not what Billy said. He specifically said "bunch" warmer. And he clearly has helped Houston a bunch.

[nyg]

I would think Sampson gets into the Hall of Fame.  I get his issues from the past but you do have to admire what he's done.  It's crazy to think they've lost one gane since the conference schedule, in the B12, and that was in overtime.  I was impressed with Houston's relentless tenacity and poise.    That said, Duke had a cataclysmic meltdown.  The last time I remember something sort of like this was Memphis with that Derrick Rose team vs Kansas. 

Didn't help that the Duke guy you have been slobbering about for the past two weeks, 7ft 2, 260lbs Malauch, played 21 minutes and did not record a single rebound.  Thats terrible.

[tower912]

Perhaps he was told pregame he was being deported.

[willie warrior]

The quote was 'Saddle up.  Ride or die'.  The implication was that I was all in on the team.

Fine. I am also suggesting that it also applies to Shaka's current portal policies. If you are all in on the team, it dies with the New Mexico loss and season ending flameout and the team being Shaka's weakest since year 1. Surely you can see that. Saddle up Shaka, adapt or die. Next year looks like more of a slide, right now, until Shaka changes.

[MU82]

Didn't help that the Duke guy you have been slobbering about for the past two weeks, 7ft 2, 260lbs Malauch, played 21 minutes and did not record a single rebound.  Thats terrible.

100%.

The two main Duke-related things that really hit home while watching the game:

++ Malauch was overmatched. He was bullied down low all game, couldn't box out anyone, and often looked exhausted even though he didn't play that much. He'll still be a high draft pick on size, youth and potential, but he needs a lot of work to become an NBA impact player.

++ Proctor, as mentioned by several Scoopers, absolutely killed Duke. He went from video-game Steph in Duke's first couple of NCAAT games, to OK Jop in the next two, to Jon Starks in this one. By the end, he was passing up wide-open 3s (when he wasn't missing a crucial FT).

Meanwhile, Cryer, who was 3-for-13 from 3 in the previous two games and was especially bad as Houston nearly lost to Purdue, was absurdly hot and had a great game that included a 6-point possession.

And that's how a game decided on a razor-thin margin swings to one team.

[MuggsyB]

Didn't help that the Duke guy you have been slobbering about for the past two weeks, 7ft 2, 260lbs Malauch, played 21 minutes and did not record a single rebound.  Thats terrible.

He played poorly and was also officiated poorly.  Although I may be biased. 

[nyg]

He played poorly and was also officiated poorly.  Although I may be biased. 

Your obsession with refs, calls, non calls and hundreds of posts in almost every game thread, MU or not is well known.  The refs did not affect him grabbing a basketball. He was just non existent for his team last night.  He will declare for draft and some team will take a high flyer on him because he does have skills and the height.

[Nukem2]

Your obsession with refs, calls, non calls and hundreds of posts in almost every game thread, MU or not is well known.  The refs did not affect him grabbing a basketball. He was just non existent for his team last night.  He will declare for draft and some team will take a high flyer on him because he does have skills and the height.

He was boxed out regularly and was was outphysicaled in a game the refs really let contact go.

[Dish]

I think Big Cat tweeted it, but I thought the same thing last night.

Coach K was probably thrilled with what happened last night.