Saturday College Hoops Open Thread
This is for anyone who's like me and has been on their couch since noon flipping between games. Currently on TV (that I know of):
- Pitt at UCONN (ESPN)
- VMI vs UNC-Asheville (ESPN2) [Big South Championship]
- Nebraska at Minnesota (BTN)
- Memphis at Tulsa (CBS)
- George Washington at Dayton (CBS Sports)
Let the couch cushion shaping continue.
Additionally, UNC-Asheville has a player named Matt Dickey who is apparently the Big South POTY. The 12 year old in me approves of this.
Additionally important for NU today is Murray State winning the OVC championship. If they lose they're pretty much still in so Tennessee State would be stealing a spot.
They also need Wichita State to hold on. Right now they're tied in their conference tourney game in the second half.
Marquette v. Georgetown is on ESPN3. Good game.
I think we're rooting for ISU over Baylor and Marquette over G'Town. With a win tomorrow we might be able to sneak up to the third or even second spot among the 3s.
Baylor and Georgetown are definitely within reach for M to leap over for a higher 3-seed. Marquette is probably a lock to be either the highest or second-highest 3-seed.
Plus, an Iowa State win makes our victory continue to look better and better. The Mayor (Fred Hoiberg) is doing a great job in Ames.
Northwestrn down 28-20 at Iowa with 8 minutes left in the first half.
I know its probably more popular to root for Northwestern. However if we (hopefully) get the 2seed we play the winner of the 7vs 10 game. Whoever wins this game gets the 7 seed and plays Minnesota who clinched the 10 by beating Nebraska earlier. I'd rather play Iowa than Northwestern. Thoughts?
Either way we'll play a tired team on Friday. So I don't mind rooting for Northwestern.
That was a wild first half. Iowa led by 15 midway through but now NU is up seven at halftime. The second half should be fun.
Murray St is losing by 2 with one minute left. 2 free throws coming for Murray St.
Murray State survives, 54-52.
Wow, John Shurna misses the front end of a one-and-one twice in the last two minutes! Northwestern is not a clutch team.
They need Creighton to win the MVC tournament now though. If they don't, that conference gets three bids.
I meant to add, after "pending bubble team controversy", and other mid-major tournament controversy; such as MVC and OVC (even Ivy League) upsets that would displace teams like Northwestern.
And Iowa becomes the latest Big Ten team to lose on Senior Day. That day seems to be a curse for the home teams. Let's hope it continues for PSU/MSU.
I really have to applaud Northwestern for coming out and fighting after having two heartbreaking losses in their last few games. I don't know if they get to the show or not, but I really like their toughness and resolve. Hats off to them.
OT - How do the women of Wichita State feel about their mascot being the "Shockers"? Are they in the stands shouting "Go Shockers! We want more Shockers!"? Do they make the sign with their fingers ? ? ?
I have actually seen a picture on mgoblog of one of their cheerleaders doing that sign at a game. She seemed like she was really into Shockers.
I wanted NW to win. I'd love to see them make it to the NCAA tourney this year. Yeah, I don't want them to beat Michigan, but I'd like to see them win the first game in the Big 10 Tourney. And they always play Michigan tough.
Go Orange!
They got blown out in Columbus early in the B1G season. Since then, they had four games against the top 3 in the conference. They went to OT twice with Michigan, lost to Ohio in the last few seconds, and beat MSU. They can hang with anyone, and if they get in they'll surprise people. They remind me of the Princeton team that knocked off defending champ UCLA in the mid 90s. I would love to see them in a 12-5 matchup.
All I personally keep hearing is UNC UNC, from tv personalities, friends, etc. Maybe I just keep missing the Duke love, but I don't get where such confidence of going into Cameron Indoor and winning comes from. I have Duke by 4. Should be a doosy!
Duke can't buy a bucket early.
As I type this they hit a second one in a row, but jeez, maybe try something else when you're 0-7, and using a little shot clock t run an offense is bad why?!
Ryan Kelly is a fantastic flooper.
Duke doesn't seem very athletic. They do the little things well, but they don't seem to have national championship athletes.
I can see duke getting beat by MSU or IND. Rebounding is really important. One team needs to have a dominate center.
(Not enough points to start a new thread)
There is a nice article on the NY Times website on Beilein's reconstruction of the basketball program. Stu Douglass is compared to the Dalai Lama, an analogy that probably has not occurred to many people.
The assistant Bacari Alexander has been trying to share a little of the Michigan attitude online, through his Twitter account. He has written more than 12,000 entries in two years at Michigan, with more than 5,100 followers getting his “Wolverine Revolution”-themed posts.That is some prolific Tweeting.
I respect the Big Ten and all, but I wish we could play more games in our league at the pace of a typical ACC game. If a Big Ten team has 41 points with 14 minutes left, it'll probably be tied or even slightly ahead. Duke has that many tonight and they're down 18.
The Cyclones take down Baylor, 80-72. With an RPI of 30 and a surefire lock to be in next week's top 25, that win just keeps looking better and better.
That also hurts Baylor, who was 9th in the RPI entering today (we were 12th). With Wichita State (10th entering today) also losing, we should be in the top 10 tomorrow if we beat PSU.
UDM knocked off Cleveland State in the Horizon league semi and will meet the winner of Butler vs Valpo for a possible NCAA bid. Go Titans. McCallum and Simons are as good a back court as any you'll find in the BIG
I do not want to be in the same bracket with NC
every dominate team has atleast one dominate center. I can see MSU is going to be dominating in the tourny just by out rebounding the opponent. I wish I can tell Jordan Morgan that he needs to step up to his best.
You either haven't seen Missouri or don't consider them a dominant team Do you really consider MSU to have a dominant Center?
No, i don't consider Missouri a dominant team cause they lost to KSU twice, their Rebounding ranks 281st in the nation. well, when i said atleast one dominant center i meant by a center can protect its own board and attack the Off.board. You've seen Michigan@MSU Mich had 15 Tot.board, MSU had 39(12Off.Board) .
P.S. MSU might not have a dominant center but sure has plenty good ones. I like Nix, he improved his game, can move his feet really quick.
So I guess you don't consider MSU as a dominant team, although you do expect them to dominate in the NCAA tourney.
as much as i hate MSU, i have to say that they're a final four team.
Do you know the difference between dominate and dominant?
Also, neither Derrick Nix nor Adreian Payne is a dominant center.
ok, fogive my autocorrect. it's dominant.
Have you ever read damnyouautocorrect.com? That shit is hilarious.
Downvotes galore!