NCAA Sweet 16 Open Thread

Submitted by M-Wolverine on
It's Big Ten night in the Tourney, and the Badgers are off to a good start. Torn between my pool and teams I hate.

Statefan1

March 22nd, 2012 at 10:05 PM ^

I hate it how when u Michigan fans always make fun of Michigan state for loosing but then when u People lose its fine and u guys aren't made fun of. But that just Shows who the nice people r. And if ur a Michigan fan u r probably to dumb to get that but that is saying that u r guys r rude. And plus instead of talking about stupid Wisconsin talk about how Michigan is doing. I yea that's right u can't cause there out of the tournament!! Hahahahaha losers!!!

wlubd

March 22nd, 2012 at 7:56 PM ^

Wisconsin having tons of problems with the zone. Was able to stay in it when they were 4/7 from 3 pt. range. Shooting gone cold and just like that they're down 10.

JBE

March 22nd, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^

MSU may have problems with the Louisville press, and then if MSU moves on and Marquette beats Florida, with Marquette's aggressive and quick defense as well. There aren't two defenses like them in the B1G. Both really atheltic and both get after it. MSU will lose to one or the other.

M-Wolverine

March 22nd, 2012 at 8:42 PM ^

I pulled them out of the Championship game when Melo was out, and other people have them going further, so in te grand scheme them losing would probably help. But I have them winning this game. And others took a flyer on the Badgers. So it's best possible bracket vs. getting rid of the teams that can beat me.

M-Wolverine

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:12 PM ^

Nice call. I have 6. But MSU may be choking that away (I'll live with it). I had them beat Missouri (rather than the other way around which seemed popular. And I stupidly had Duke, even though I knew Baylor was a better team. But whenever I pick Duke to get bounced early, they make a "surprise" Final Four run, and when I pick them to live up to their seed, they get bounced early. So I'd rather be wrong and have them lose than be wrong and have them win.

LSAClassOf2000

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:08 PM ^

....a shade over 25 minutes of regulation play before someone broke 30 points. 31-25 Louisville with 13:46 to go. 

Michigan State inbound pass with the sincere hope of missing that last shot, right?

mackbru

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:16 PM ^

Having watched Wisky fail to get off a good shot at the buzzer, I am so sick of seeing teams utterly change their game-plans in the final minute: dribbling aimlessly, then chucking up a prayer. Just run the damned offense.

JClay

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:17 PM ^

Syracuse annoys the crap out of me. They're constantly heralded as a Super-Elite Basketball power like Kentucky, UCLA, or North Carolina, but it's a total Emperor's New Clothes situation. Syracuse has 1 NCAA Tournament Championship, and 4 Final Fours. This is an elite basketball program? By this logic, Michigan, Cincinatti, and Maryland must be 3 of the 5 greatest programs in college basketball history.

JClay

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:25 PM ^

Michigan has the most wins and highest winning percentage in the sport. They're one of the top teams in Championships. Syracuse basketball is... close to New York City.

This is their first time past the Sweet Sixteen in 10 years. If everything else about Syracuse was the exact same but they were located in, oh, Missouri, they'd have the same profile nationally as Arizona. Total media creation.

JBE

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:35 PM ^

IMO, Syracuse is usually portrayed as one of those second-tier teams in the media. With UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, UCLA, always dubbed as the historic and/or current powerhouses. So I wouldn't say the media usually slates Syracuse as "Super-Elite." There consistently good, yeah, like UConn and MSU, and usually the media reflects that, and seperates them from those first-tier teams.  

JClay

March 22nd, 2012 at 9:41 PM ^

I respect your opinion but I couldn't disagree with that more. I completely feel like the media puts Syracuse on the same level as "UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, UCLA" and well ahead of UConn or MSU (both of which, you know, actually win occasionally). You really think Sparty gets as much play nationally as the Orange?

I would even argue they get talked about far more frequently nationally (discounting scandals) than Kansas.

In reply to by JClay

maizedandconfused

March 23rd, 2012 at 9:04 AM ^

you are overlooking the fact that Syracuse has won either the Big East regular season or Tourny title 5 of the last 10 years.  The Big East is one of the power 4 conferences (B10 BE B12 and ACC)  and being on top of that conference is worth being noticed nationally )
And 2 years ago, their best season in a while, they lost their starting senior center to a torn quad, and lost by 2 to Butler when they went to the title game.

They won a national title (as a 3 seed no less) and in the last 3 years have been a 1 seed twice.

Some of their programs in the 80s were absolutely stacked with talent, and there was legitimate rumblings that Boeheim just couldnt win it all until he did.