College Basketball

[xaxat]

 

[AimingforYoko]

Geno Auriemma tests positive for Covid.

[Carey]

All the best for Geno, but UConn will probably win by 150 instead of 200

[mojoween]

COVID is making a mess of everything and the tourneys haven’t even started yet.

[xaxat]

The fact that they are effectively "bubblized" has given NCAA players a lot of free time and they are being productive.

College basketball players push for NIL reform using #NotNCAAProperty message

Quote

A group of college basketball players competing in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament are using March Madness' bright spotlight to push for changes in NCAA rules and federal laws that will provide more protections and opportunities to make money for college athletes.

Good for them.

[mojoween]

Watched so much sports over the last year without fans in attendance, and hands down the tourney seems to be the one most affected, especially when they show clips from other years.

[mojoween]

A kid from Drake just straight up murdered a kid from Wichita St.  He had absolutely no regard for that man’s family.

[AimingforYoko]

Dude's a little small for a long snapper:

 

[xaxat]

This is such a disgrace that you have wonder if it was an intentional insult to the women.

ETA Oh, it gets worse.

Quote

Officials apologized for providing inadequate facilities for the women’s basketball players, but later acknowledged they were also receiving cheaper, less sensitive coronavirus tests.

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by xaxat

[AimingforYoko]

And my bracket doesn't even survive the afternoon session.

[emmawoodhouse]

10 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

And my bracket doesn't even survive the afternoon session.

tOSU going down had to bust some brackets.

[Carey]

Ohio State's best shot at winning another championship is if they were scheduled against Michigan for each and everyone of their games

[mojoween]

Cade Cunningham gave an interview yesterday where he was like “when you are the champion you’re always the champion and the banner is always in your building” and oh to be that young and innocent again.

[Calvada]

Wow.  Wisconsin Badgers, where has that been all year?  Just a great overall game, with good shooting and defense, definitely their best game of the season.  One of their former players (Brian Butch) tweeted that you never bet against seniors in the tournament.  

And how enjoyable to beat Roy Williams and North Carolina.  Any long time Badger fan will understand that feeling.  

[Carey]

Boy did I get that North Carolina / Wisconsin pick wrong.  So the Big Ten isn't crumbling like the Big East did a decade ago, but I did not see a 23 point beatdown.  While I didn't have UNC beating Baylor, the Bears/Badgers game should be rather interesting!

 

 

Man, Syracuse better not lose.  That is all

[DrSpaceman73]

Two big upsets for big ten, ohio state and purdue.  

[Lady Whistleup]

Rutgers won its first tournament game in 38 years.

[emmawoodhouse]

10 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Rutgers won its first tournament game in 38 years.

One pick I got right. 😂

[Carey]

Things looked like 2011 Big East for the 2021 Big 10, but they actually didn't do too bad.  It's about .500 thanks to Rutgers & Wisconsin.  I also picked Rutgers (along with Big 12 WVU, giving us a classic Big East game on Sunday); I did not pick Wisconsin since I can't see either the Badgers or the Tar Heels knocking off Baylor

[mojoween]

SU made SDSU look like they weren’t sure what a basketball was for.  It’s amazing that the zone was THAT confounding.

The funny thing about Cade Cunningham’s comments is that I found out after the fact that OK St. is only in this tourney because of an appeal.  If they win, those banners just might not be permanent.

[Popples]

 

[LexieLily]

That sucks for the VCU players. 

[emma675]

Apparently there were multiple positive tests among VCU players and staff.

[mojoween]

It’s just not cool for teams in a tourney to get a pass without playing.  And what happened to the backup teams?

[ebk57]

33 minutes ago, mojoween said:

It’s just not cool for teams in a tourney to get a pass without playing.  And what happened to the backup teams?

Backup teams were deadlined out as of this past Tuesday.  After that, it's a forfeit. I guess they didn't want to make 4 teams travel "just in case." 

[ebk57]

Yay Terps! For once, they didn't fall totally apart in the second half, like in all the other games I sorta watched this season. 

[Calvada]

Lots of brackets torn up.  College basketball can be lots of fun and terribly heartbreaking all at once.

Of course, the best thing today happened on a sheet of ice.  On Wisconsin!

[xaxat]

Welp, I guess we got that last perfect bracket thing out of the way.

 

 

[Carey]

Illinois has fallen (to Loyola).  I don't think that many brackets were torn up from that upset, but only because their brackets were already torn up prior to the game.

 

It's official: 2008 Kansas, 2008 Memphis, 2008 UNC, and 2008 UCLA can now pop the champagne!

[emmawoodhouse]

Mr. Woodhouse's bracket was busted by the Illini. I told him he watches the B1G Network too much! 🤣

[AimingforYoko]

Loyola has a Twitter star and it's not Sister Jean:

 

[Lady Whistleup]

Heartbreaking loss for Rutgers 😞 

[Carey]

For real.  Rutgers had them beat, but it's never over until there are complete zeros on the scoreboard.

 

Houston is a better team, but it's still a heartbreaking loss.  Probably not the case for Florida; I don't think many people had them beating Ohio State had the Buckeyes survived against Oral Roberts.  Now we have our second-ever 15 seed in the Sweet 16.  

 

While Oral Roberts will have their hands full against another SEC team in Arkansas, they have a fair enough chance to make history.  The Razorbacks will have a little more time to prepare, actually more than normal given an extra day due to the schedule, and the lack of travel

[AimingforYoko]

I have never said this before, in any context...but I'm kinda rooting for Oral Roberts.

[Silver Raven]

Loyola has an unfair advantage, they have God on their side.

 

[Carey]

9 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Loyola has an unfair advantage, they have God on their side.

 

So does Notre Dame

[emmawoodhouse]

Gonzaga is a good Catholic school. 

[Carey]

Coincidentally enough, someone elsewhere asked how these religious schools often if not always have God on their side.  You may or may not hear it on television, the radio, or the media whenever someone says ones gods have prevailed in terms of success & victory.

 

"Their god? Is God."

 

As mentioned and in response to that, I borrowed from the late great Yul Brynner: "His god...is God."

[shoregirl]

7 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Gonzaga is a good Catholic school. 

So is Villanova

[mojoween]

As far as competition goes, so far these first two games today have sucked.  Also I have become vehemently anti-Gonzaga so there’s that too.

[Carey]

Oregon and Iowa was a pretty good game until the buzzer foul.  The fact is half time momentum is a big deal

[mojoween]

I’m going to play a drinking game and take a shot every time they show the (presumably) injured Wolverine on the sidelines.

[AimingforYoko]

And Michigan upholds the honor of the Big 10! ♫Now don't feel sad. 'Cause one out of nine ain't bad.♫

[Carey]

I think I would have laughed if the Big Ten got wiped out prior to the regionals (while the Pac-12 remained perfect).  It'll be tough to knock off Kansas and Florida State, but if that happens, that's great.  Bill Walton would be right.  Of course, someone has to go (USC and Oregon both can't get to the Elite Eight.

 

Anyway, hats off to Michigan.  Not sure what'll happen to Maryland, but I can't say I'd be happy if Maryland was the lone Big 10 represent

 

[Lady Whistleup]

USC vs Kansas was one disappointing blowout. 

[mojoween]

SO many blowouts yesterday.  What’s up with that?

Anyone else feel like there are going to be 1000 points scored in Villanova vs. Baylor?

[xaxat]

 

[Popples]

I would absolutely watch a sports recap show if the highlights were always in MS Paint.

[Carey]

I know it seems like "Prediction Hedging", but I think Oregon State and Villanova will both keep it close.  They'll cover but not win.  For one, I think Baylor is the second best team in the dance, and while Oregon State has the defense, so does Loyola (without penalty)

[mojoween]

These games would be even more fun if the fans weren’t in the stands on the same side as the TV cameras.