With all the tumbleweeds blowing around the NCAA Basketball season thread, let's hope we can get things going with what is looking to be a pretty spectacular year for March Madness. I may be biased now that Michigan State has earned its first #1 seed since 2001, but I am excited as hell. I'm hoping Duke get's throttled in an embarrassing way and that whatever John Calipari accomplishes this year gets vacated as usual. Focus: Discuss the games, list final four picks, talk shit to people, etc. We don't have the bullshit that comes with BCS selections with March Madness, this is do or die, and is in my opinion the greatest sporting event in America. My picks: Kentucky, Michigan State, Florida State, and Kansas for the final four Michigan State over Kansas for the championship (totally objective). Links to schedules and brackets: <a class="postlink" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6310874" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6310874</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://a.espncdn.com/i/ncaa/12mens_bracket.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://a.espncdn.com/i/ncaa/12mens_bracket.pdf</a> Heres to not getting any work done at the office for the next three weeks. Have at it.
I too am biased towards MSU....seeing as I went there for four years, went to every single home basketball game, sat front row for all of them, and was one of those obnoxious fans who painted themselves Green and White with my friends. I was one of those assholes that you heard about when the news agencies reported Michigan State students were rioting and the police had to shoot tear gas cans at to disperse the crowds back when we got handled by UNC in the Final Four. We had a sick, and most difficult, schedule this season, starting unranked and ending as the B1G Champs and a #1 seed. I am super pumped as our bracket doesn't seem too difficult at this moment, and hopefully stays that way when we play each team. We have a definite shot at the Title, but those last few games ie: 8: Mizzou, 4: Kentucky, and I have no idea for the final, are going to be the toughest. We have the talent, we gotta keep the drive going. Go Green, Go White, Go State!!
Shit, you were there for that? I was there too, that was my freshman year. You probably even ran me over as we ducked for cover from the ELPD's valiant efforts to restore law and order. I wouldn't be surprised Diablo if this thread just turns into you and me talking about how awesome Michigan State is. We've had some pretty good March Madness threads in the past, I hope this one is up there. As an aside, me and some co-workers are calling a meeting tomorrow morning before the all-staff Monday morning meeting and it's to discuss "the effect of free market principles on our nation's colleges" (I work on Capitol Hill).
I'm going to catch flak from you guys, but I see MSU as the weakest of the #1 seeds. Granted, two of their losses came in that brutal opening, but I had the misfortune of catching the Illinois game (thanks Big Ten network!). It just seems that when they get cold they get cold as a team, but any team coached by Izzo is always dangerous, and their side of the bracket looks to be pretty weak for the first two games. I can't believe Gottlieb is picking UF to the Final Four. I love the Gators, but if they're not hitting their threes, good luck. Their rebounding is atrocious because of their penchant for jacking up the three ball. FSU could make a run, but again I see them going cold at some point and losing some ugly game that's in the 50s. I hate saying it, but we might be watching that smug asshole Calipari cut down the nets on this go-around.
So am I the only one who feels like there is a shockingly low level of talent in the field this year? Looking at the top level teams (meaning top 3 seeds), I feel like half of them were better last year. A 1 seed and a 3 seed started the year unranked. UNC seems like the only team with truly remarkable talent level in a historic sense, with UK being close. That being said, my picks are UNC, FSU, UK, Marquette, with the final being UNC over UK. Neither MSU or Mizzou have wowed me this year (both have been consistently pretty good), and Marquette's 2-headed beast is something to see. I may be biased against Syracuse, being a Georgetown alum, but I feel like they don't have an exceptionally high talent level. Lucky for them, they don't face many talent-rich squads in their region. Having UNC as my champ is worrying due to their maddening inconsistency. They're so clearly the best team on paper (at least early-to-mid first round draft picks, plus reserves as talented as most team's starters) but they can't seem to keep their heads in the game, take high-quality shots, and buckle down on defense in big games. Who knows whether they show up to play on a given day. yeah, the thing about reliance on the three is that it works out on average, but leaves one susceptible to the occasional terrible game. For me, some of the tough calls (excluding round 1, I-don't-know-shit-about-either-of-these-mediocre-teams games) were Mizzou-Marquette, MSU-Marquette, GU-KU, Vandy-Wisconsin, FSU-SU, and UNC-UK.
Michigan State is the only #1 seed with 5 league losses, to start the season unranked, and who didn't win their reg season conference title outright. You're not that off base to say they're prob the weakest #1 seed. That being said, I don't think I'm alone in that it's never a good idea to bet against them or Izzo in March. They had a couple of crap games against two teams that didn't even make the tourney (UofI and NU), but they're the only #1 seed with 11 wins against the RPI top 50, with 6 wins againt the AP top 25, who won the title and tournament in arguably the nation's toughest conference, and with the POY and COY to boot. No other top seed can say all of that. And I gotta disagree with the poster before me, I think there is a good chance this year's tourney is more exciting than last year's. It may not have the talent, but keep in mind everyone fell early in 2011, we had no #1 seeds in the FF, and a pretty weak UConn team beat Butler in what might have been the worst championship game ever played (what did Butler shoot, like 18 percent?) Let's hope we don't go back there again. This year should be much better.
Holy shit, for the first time ever I can care about this March Madness thing. Iona College vs. BYU. If they make it deep, people won't ask me if my school is made-up like they currently do. Or even worse, crack the joke "Wait, you own a college?"
Haters gonna hate, Duke fan here so fuck y'all Although that loss to Florida doesn't inspire confidence, still hoping they make a deep run. Syracuse is gonna choke big, not saying they will lose first round but they are not as good as people think they are.
The fact that you don't know the difference between Florida and Florida State shouldn't fill you with confidence either. Florida has no front court depth. They have guards out the ass, but a shallow front line. Every game they say they have to dump the ball in to Patric Young more, but I think the opposite would serve them well in the Tournament.
And we are a go. Maybe we can just spend the next three days talking about how much Dook sucks? <a class="postlink" href="http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/03/duke_basketball_the_18_most_hateable_moments_in_the_history_of_blue_devils_basketball_.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sp ... ball_.html</a> Although I'd much rather reserve that hatred for Michigan. I fumed for days over that three way tie for the big ten. If Ohio pulls off another upset as the 14 seed, I will laugh my ass off.
Respect the props from a Gtown fan. With Marquette being a 3 this year, instead of a 6 or 11 the last few years, I am now terrified of underachievement, despite the positivity for this team around the talking head crews. I will bitch and say I don't love that as a 3 seed they are going to be potentially playing a road game against Murray St in the second round. Protected seed my ass. I wouldn't be scared of them on a neutral court, but in Kentucky with all the UK faithful and assorted UL fans behind them and their fans that made the drive, its gonna be a road game. Not fucking cool. That being said, I would LOVE a shot at Mizzou if only for the potential to shut up the coworkers I have that have been so obnoxious all year. How a program that has no FFs in their history can attempt to take so many shots at KU for being overrated and whatnot, I have no idea. I was branded a Jayhawk fan last week because I hoped Mizzou lost after being harassed constantly for Marquette losing in the BE tourney. Screw them.
Shaboom, I too have Ohio beating Mich if only for the fact that they beat us by one fucking point in the last second. Oh well. And I can't wait to see the Spartans take it to the very end and knock off Kentucky in the Championship...hopefully. I'm currently having trouble picking the 16 and the 8. I don't want to, but I may have to pick top 5-6 ranked teams for everything from the 16 on. I'm definitely going to have to do my research this weekend before I make my final picks. As for the "riots", hahaha...definitely a good time dodging the tear gas cans and running from the riot police.
Re: Re: Commence the Madness: 2012 NCAA Tourney Thread First round loss to UNC-Aville would be perfect, wonder what he did to fuck up that bad.
Did you mean in the final four? Looking at the bracket I don't see how Sparty plays UK in the championship....
Re: Re: Commence the Madness: 2012 NCAA Tourney Thread So much shady shit going on up there. Besides the Bernie Fine stuff and this new drug related situation, Melo was declared academically ineligible after first semester, but then magically became eligible for the second half again, but now is ineligible again. Sounds like some attempted grade scrubbing.
Re: Re: Commence the Madness: 2012 NCAA Tourney Thread I mean, it's not like anyone ever accused Fab Melo of being smart.