Monday Night Championship Basketball Open Thread
I simultaneously made the same thread so let's consolidate. The only thing I have to add is we want Oakland to beat South Daktoa State because they are a former oponent.. Then we can delete my thread.
May not do us any good at the end of the day, but I think we'd like to see St. Mary's (close to a lock) beat Gonzaga in the WCC final tonight. Gonzaga is at 62 in RPI and a loss could bump them off the bubble (though some folks seem to have them solidly in the tourney). I think St. Mary's has to win if the WCC is going to stay a one-bid league.
Man, I was fired up after getting back from the gym to start my own bubble thread since I was too busy at work and then listening to Valenti to post at the JCB or a Diary here. lol
Yes. We are pulling for Old Dominion. VCU is a BID THIEF, and they're a very good team, so they are armed and dangerous. And, while ODU is up 8 now, this game will get crazy in the second half. The CAA is one of my favorite tournaments every year.
It's already a 2-bid league. George Mason and ODU are both unanimous in the Bracket Matrix. And, both are seeded on the 8-line. Read that again. Even after their semifinal loss to VCU over the weekend, Mason is still on everyone's ballot and they arent even hanging by a thread. ODU, which has a better OOC resume that Mason, would not be in jeopardy either should they lose.
VCU might be a good at large candidate with back to back wins over Mason and ODU, but if they do that they get the Automatic Bid, so it's not really a debate.
This is a 2-bid league, that becomes a 3-bid league if VCU wins.
And, the chances that Michigan makes it with a loss on Friday becomes smaller. How much so, we'll keep learning as the week goes on. But, let's not think about that. Michigan is winning anyway on Friday. Book It. But, in the spirit of proper scoreboard watching, we should also pull for ODU
Hopefully ODU can continue to take care of business.
Definitely want ODU to win, but I think the WCC probably has two teams in just because Gonzaga is close and has been a consistent NCAA tourney team. Might be wrong, but perception does have an effect on this stuff.
Oakland is running South Dakota St. out of the building. Nice resume boost there.
I tweeted at the JCB that my two picks early were Oakland to win on the cheap moneyline (line was -3) and VCU +5
This CAA game has got interesting
11-0 run, cut lead down from 18 to 7.
ODU 5 turnovers the last 7 possessions
Whoops, make that 6 TO's in the last 8 possessions.
Heading into the under 12 timeout, VCU has cut it to 7 and has the ball.
Between pulling for whats best for Michigan and the VCU play, I'm feeling a little mixed here.
Do I hear the ODU band playing "Temptation"?
Hey when its the best rivalry in Virginia, anything goes
ODU is falling apart. And, when they are on, there is no more a relentless team than VCU. Monarchs are in trouble. VCU dominating the offensive glass against one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country.
I think it was mentioned above the second half in this one would get crazy
This game is awesome. Like the last 8 buckets combined by both teams have been exciting.
Both these teams can win at least one game next weekend, btw.
I can't wait to watch the Fab Five documentary. That's going to be awesome. Beilein should tell all his recruits to tune in.
Here's the Sunday agenda:
5:30: Watch Michigan cut the nets down after winning the Big 10 Title
6:30: Michigan announced as a 7-seed. Everybody labels them a sleeper, hyping Beilein's March W/L record. Interview with the BEEZER ensues
7:00-9:00: Jalen Rose twitter bombs the nation hyping the Doc, but also the current team. Calls THJ as exciting as Jimmy King. Says D-Mo is the best PG the school has ever seen. He's heading to their tournament games
9:00: More than 20 years later, the FAB FIVE captures the nation attention again
Monday Morning: BEEZER's phone blows up. So does Alexander's and Jordan's. Recruits--all of them 6/9 who can jump through the building--are calling them. Non stop. All day. It leaves Bacari in a heap of HALOL.
I'm pretty sure this is how its gonna go down.
I just HALOL'd in my pants, repeatedly
Watching Saint Peter's try to play against Iona's full court press reminded me of my middle school basketball team. A win is a win, though
I feel like I'm the only one watching now, sweating out this +5. Stinkin' lane violation
she was a trooper, though. You've got to give her that. She still did it down 5 with <10 seconds
sounds like my ex wife on football Saturday, when I am trying to watch the game and she wants to go shopping for lightbulbs.
Well played oddsmakers. Well played. I'm sure you had that lane violation factored in the whole way.
You know, about one third of the refs in the world would have been vigilant to the very end and call a shooting foul there at the end on that last second VCU heave. Where are those refs when I need them?