March Madness Open Thread

Submitted by BoiseBlue on

I'll start with my own predictions:
Kansas over N Iowa
Tennessee over Ohio
Murray St over Butler
Kansas St over BYU
Kentucky over Wake
NMU over Washington
Baylor over Old Dominion
St Marys over Nova

Who's been the most impressive team so far? After seeing all the teams play once, what picks would you change now?

BoiseBlue

March 20th, 2010 at 1:00 PM ^

I'm going to say that Cornell was the most impressive in round one (debated Ohio but basically they got real hot against a terribly inconsistent Georgetown team). I picked Nova over St. Marys, so I would obviously change that one if I could.

Steve Lorenz

March 20th, 2010 at 1:12 PM ^

Don't sleep on ODU against Baylor and I definitely think Washington beats New Mexico. Anyone who watched that UW/Marquette game should see that those two teams were both built for a run. I can't believe Washington was an 11 seed.

TheBlue

March 20th, 2010 at 1:33 PM ^

ODU is pretty good, but some people will still choose UW because....
1) UW is doing well
2) They have no idea who ODU is.

My choice will be ODU, I think they will pull the shocker.

M-Wolverine

March 20th, 2010 at 1:40 PM ^

...but they'd just all be wrong. I've only lost one team in my Sweet 16 (Georgetown), but I'm dying from 1000 papercuts.

And Nova is sucking again, so that may change quick.

Didn't really SEE them, but Kentucky seemed pretty dominant. Syracuse looked good too for a team with a key player out. But so often the 1st round doesn't reflect how the team will play the rest of the way.

Change...? Well, right now I wouldn't have Villamova going as far as I do (which I wouldn't have anyway if the Committee could do a bracket worth a damn, and had ANYBODY good in the South). But change just one game/pick kinda thing? I'd change my pick and take BYU. Not because they were that great in double OT; just that after picking them the last few years, and having them finally win after 7 straight 1st round losses, and the fact that the ONE ten seed I pick is the only one NOT to win, it's kinda annoying me.

MH20

March 20th, 2010 at 1:54 PM ^

Villanova must be the least motivated team ever. They seem so lackadaisical and let themselves get dominated by teams they are clearly better than.

saveferris

March 20th, 2010 at 2:23 PM ^

Mach Madness Open Thread

I was really impressed how Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1 had handled themselves against the Sound Barrier in the first round. Screwed up my bracket though, I had Sound Barrier going deep into the regional.

I think F/A-18 Hornet has Yeager's number in the next round though..../nerd!

jamiemac

March 20th, 2010 at 2:25 PM ^

I am loving this so far

Gaels and the points were my first official double play of the tournament at the JCB

Loooooong way to go, though.

Should have more picks up in a few minutes

TheBlue

March 20th, 2010 at 2:32 PM ^

Villanova is actually good when they want to be, it's just as though they think they will win every game they step into without trying.

M-Wolverine

March 20th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^

...it's criminal to let him score thisamy points at the center postion in the college game. Shaq couldn't do this in the Tourney against Indiana. Haven't they ever heard of a zone? A double team? I'd be bringing guys off the bench to foul out before I let a bunch of Australian manhandle my team.

(And what happened to the Scottie Reynolds I watched in the Tourney last year?)

Blue boy johnson

March 20th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^

You should stick to musicals!
6'11" and making everything. Stopping that falls under the easy said than done category. This wasn't the kids first 30 plus game this year, give him some props. I'm sure Jay Wright tried to deny him, Samhan only took 16 shots, but he made 13. Sometimes you have to say WTF.

mrider

March 20th, 2010 at 3:04 PM ^

Samhan is a monster. This game has been awesome so far, DJ Williamson FWIW is loving it also. Talking to him via twitter he doesn't think that St. Mary's should be in the game due to lack of athleticism, but shooting, basketball IQ, and will to win easily make up for athleticism IMO.

MH20

March 20th, 2010 at 3:16 PM ^

I have Baylor coming out of this region so this doesn't hurt me toooooooo bad, but I'm so far behind that I need to basically get every pick correct from here on out to make up any ground.

On a related note, I can't wait to see Udoh pack in shot after shot on these guys. Sure, it's easy to dominate a team with no inside presence, not going to be that easy against the Big 12's single-season shot block record holder.

jamiemac

March 20th, 2010 at 3:17 PM ^

Nice work, Gaels. Great game. Hope its the start of a fun day

Onto the the next two games.

I think Murray State if for real and gives Butler a taste of their own medicine as far as team, balanced basketball goes.....they shoot better than 50 percent and allow less than 40 percent. Love those numbers. You would expect Butler to have that sort of fundamental game. Think this is decided in the final seconds.

learmanj

March 20th, 2010 at 3:23 PM ^

after the first round. I am purely rooting for underdawgs. I don't care anymore. It is kind of fun to just root for teams without the brackets blinding my inner fan (or at least I have myself talked into this.) Final four of St. Mary's, Murray St, Cornell, and Ohio would be fantastic with me.

jamiemac

March 20th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^

Murray/Butler are a combined 43-1 since Dec. 23

Somebody is going to be dealing with a rare, heartbreaking loss in a couple of hours.

Sambojangles

March 20th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^

Don't sleep on Butler. Murray State is good, but so is Butler. They have tournament experience and know how to win. MSU already had their big upset of the tournament, and I don't think it will happen again. Note: I would have said this before the game started, and the fact that Butler has been ahead for almost the whole first half only confirms it.

I'm glad I picked Baylor over Villanova. My Elite 8 is still intact, and I only lost 3 Sweet 16 teams so far.

M-Wolverine

March 20th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^

At least we won't get a bunch of "should we have hired Jay Wright instead of Beilein?" threads...