College Basketball

[mojoween]

Oh my god you guys the commercials.  I don’t actually mind Lily but is AT&T the only major sponsor?  And my local bank has trotted out an ad that starts with a plinky-plonky piano, and I don’t normally mind plinky-plonky piano, but not every single break.

[Lady Whistleup]

Well. Baylor is out.

[emmawoodhouse]

2 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Well. Baylor is out.

The Good UNC team has shown up (well, aside from blowing a 25 point lead to cause OT). Very Jekyll and Hyde team. I had Baylor in this matchup, even though the Heels are my team. 

[Carey]

To be fair, the refs engineered the blown 25-point lead

[emmawoodhouse]

Gonzaga, you in danger, girl. 😃

[Carey]

Gonzaga is back to being Gonzaga.  At least for the duration of the game.

 

Meanwhile, if Saint Peter makes the Elite 8.  Wow.  Probably might have a shot if Texas can upset Purdue

[Lady Whistleup]

Well Gonzaga pulled it out. I really can't believe Chet Holmgren is the consensus first pick of the draft. He doesn't look like a first pick to me.

[emmawoodhouse]

Gonzaga heard my cry! My bracket lives to see another day. 😀

[Crashcourse]

I tore my (useless) sheet up last night, so now I'm just gonna relax and enjoy the games.

[AimingforYoko]

I actually thought for a second that Coach K's story was going to end in the second round. I shoulda known better.

[Carey]

I was sorta scared for a second minute that Coach K's story was going to end in the second round.  I didn't know better!

[Lady Whistleup]

Well I'm glad MSU lost. They're a total trash school that sheltered Larry Nassar for years. They should have been permanently banned from NCAA sports.

[Carey]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Well I'm glad MSU lost. They're a total trash school that sheltered Larry Nassar for years. They should have been permanently banned from NCAA sports.

That point is fair enough.  I'll disagree since I don't believe Izzo would have been involved in such awful, pathetic behavior.  I'm not a fan of Michigan State so their fall is good enough.  The fact is there's no part of Planet Earth history that would have Michigan State banned for life from the NCAA before Penn State, period.

Quote

Oh my god you guys the commercials.  I don’t actually mind Lily but is AT&T the only major sponsor?  And my local bank has trotted out an ad that starts with a plinky-plonky piano, and I don’t normally mind plinky-plonky piano, but not every single break.

Mojoween this is pretty much the same case as 2021.  The longer the games go, the more the breaks come.  So that means a ton of Lily!

However, the other overrun ads include: Capital One (with Barkley, Sam Jackson, etc), State Farm, Progressive (not much Flo FWIW), and Geico.

BTW, those mid-half interviews that they've been doing is not a big deal.  It gives the sideline reporters more camera time (or close to more participation that Pierre McGuire or Todd McShay got on the "sidelines").  After all, if a team had a lousy first half or game, the head coach might not want to talk so get them mid game instead

 

 

[Lady Whistleup]

It's always the most fun to watch March Madness with an eye for the draft picks.

This is supposed to be a very weak draft class and ... I kind of see it. Like the consensus top picks (Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith) seem like unfinished products and not quite NBA-starter ready.

There's no one who can really take over a game. 

[estellasmum]

23 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Well Gonzaga pulled it out. I really can't believe Chet Holmgren is the consensus first pick of the draft. He doesn't look like a first pick to me.

He looks like an even skinnier, easier to push around Zach Collins. As a Trail Blazers fan, I'm legit scared that at the rate we are going, we will end up with the first pick and use it on him. Because that is TOTALLY SOMETHING WE WOULD DO.

[Lady Whistleup]

1 minute ago, estellasmum said:

He looks like an even skinnier, easier to push around Zach Collins. As a Trail Blazers fan, I'm legit scared that at the rate we are going, we will end up with the first pick and use it on him. Because that is TOTALLY SOMETHING WE WOULD DO.

Sam Bowie and Greg Oden have entered the chat ...

[estellasmum]

1 minute ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Sam Bowie and Greg Oden have entered the chat ...

That's why we can't have nice things. Actually, I hope we have the first pick, because we would probably trade up to get him.

On a side note, has anyone else set fire to their bracket? I almost have, but my husband has Baylor, Arizona, and Iowa in the final 4, and I have Baylor and AZ out in the 2nd round, so there's still some hope, although AZ is looking like that is going to get me, now. Oh, well, you can't say it hasn't been an entertaining ride for the most part so far . . . 

[DawnDavenport]

6 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Well I'm glad MSU lost. They're a total trash school that sheltered Larry Nassar for years. They should have been permanently banned from NCAA sports.

Umm. Penn State says HI! If Mark Emmert and the NCAA blow up Penn State football, they weren't going to doing anything to MSU basketball.

In MSU's defense, there's no evidence that the basketball program had anything to do with Nassar whereas Sandusky was directly involved in Penn State football and Paterno was directly involved in covering it up. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by DawnDavenport

[DawnDavenport]

2 hours ago, estellasmum said:

That's why we can't have nice things. Actually, I hope we have the first pick, because we would probably trade up to get him.

On a side note, has anyone else set fire to their bracket? I almost have, but my husband has Baylor, Arizona, and Iowa in the final 4, and I have Baylor and AZ out in the 2nd round, so there's still some hope, although AZ is looking like that is going to get me, now. Oh, well, you can't say it hasn't been an entertaining ride for the most part so far . . . 

I didn't even bother this year. As soon as Gonzaga, the most overrated basketball team in NCAA history, got the overall number 1 seed I knew the whole bracket was trash and the results so far have borne this out. 

Every number 1 seed struggled in the 2nd round. Baylor was almost gifted a win with that uncalled for ejection of Manek on Saturday. The Wildcats won that game by hook and crook! 

Thank the lawd I'm in good health, I've been close to having multiple heart attacks this weekend watching this tournament. I wouldn't be surprised if Purdue wins it all this year.

[anyanka323]

I was pulling for MSU over Duke because once March Madness starts, I root for any Big 10 teams left.  It's better for the conference to have teams advancing.  Plus, Izzo is more tolerable than Krzyzewski, who's a sanctimonious hypocrite.  His year long farewell tour was just the cherry on the sundae of his phoniness. 

Plus, Duke and other elite programs has been taking top recruits from the Midwest for nearly 15 years now.  It's inevitable with the rise of club and AAU teams playing nationally and players transferring high schools, both in and out of state, based on their AAU teams.  I live in Wisconsin and Jalen Johnson, the top recruit in the state in 2020, went to 3 different high schools during his HS career, 2 in Wisconsin and 1 in Florida.  He ended up transferring to a powerhouse private school in the Milwaukee suburbs after a stint at IMG Academy in FL.  It wasn't a shock that he played less than a full season for Duke. 

I've been critical of the Big 10's expansion of basketball tournament sites out east in both Washington, DC and NYC.  At the time in the mid 2010s when the decision was made, it was justified as a way to use it to expand subscribers to the Big 10 network in those areas.  Now, with increasing cord cutting, it's harder to explain.  I'd be fine with having a rotation but with Minneapolis, Detroit or Milwaukee replacing NYC and DC in addition to Chicago and Indianapolis.  Maybe, that would help keep future players the caliber of Chet Holmgren, from Minneapolis, or Jalen Johnson playing for a Big 10 team, especially with programs starting to develop NIL partnerships. 

[shoregirl]

Maybe they should stop giving Gonzaga such high seeds. They consistently have great regular seasons than disappoint in the tournament. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Having a big audience for March Madness really makes a huge difference.

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, shoregirl said:

Maybe they should stop giving Gonzaga such high seeds. They consistently have great regular seasons than disappoint in the tournament. 

Holmgreen did not have himself a good showing in this game. He is the consensus number one pick?

[Lady Whistleup]

4 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Holmgreen did not have himself a good showing in this game. He is the consensus number one pick?

Yeah I don't see it. I see a guy as skinny as Kevin Durant who doesn't have the superhuman scoring abilities of KD.*

*KD was just as good in college. You look at the mixtapes and this guy was incredible even in high school

[Carey]

KD > Holmgreen.  The latter does have a chance to prove me wrong, but it might take his entire career (and KD would have to suck going forward)

I'm not sure giving Gonzaga a lower seed changes anything.  If so, it'll mean a faster exit.  FWIW, I don't think I'd overrate the Zags right now.  It's not easy to win the NCAA Tournament.  Other than Villanova, no one has had as much success over the past 6 years.  HM to North Carolina, Virginia, and Baylor since they won.

Still it's easier said than done to win the dance.  Mark Few still doesn't have a championship, but FWIW, Coach K won 5 in over 4 decades, while Boeheim has been the guy at Syracuse for close to a half century but only one title during his tenure

[LexieLily]

16 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Yeah I don't see it. I see a guy as skinny as Kevin Durant who doesn't have the superhuman scoring abilities of KD.*

*KD was just as good in college. You look at the mixtapes and this guy was incredible even in high school

That was the first thing I thought when I saw him; man, he's going to need to bulk up if he wants to make it. 

My Rockets are probably going to get the number one pick if not the second so I'm somewhat paying attention to March Madness. And this Duke game for the Banchero kid.

Edited March 25, 2022 by LexieLily

[Lady Whistleup]

4 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

That was the first thing I thought when I saw him; man, he's going to need to bulk up if he wants to make it. 

My Rockets are probably going to get the number one pick if not the second so I'm somewhat paying attention to March Madness. And this Duke game for the Banchero kid.

It's not just the skinniness. There are a lot of skinnies in basketball. I think it's more like I just don't see much awesome skill from him. He seems like a middle of the first round pick rather than a consensus top pick.

[Lady Whistleup]

Meh. Duke lives another day. K's retirement tour continues. I have to admit that Paolo Banchero seems like a nice kid and more of what I'd think a #1 pick should play like. 

[Popples]

[LexieLily]

That little toddler they kept showing towards the end of the St. Peter's game puked up in his jacket, poor kid :(

[Lady Whistleup]

Holy shit the Purdue/Saint Peter's game was amazing. 

[Carey]

3 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Holy shit the Purdue/Saint Peter's game was amazing. 

It was beautiful!

[festivus]

Damn, that was great.

[AimingforYoko]

First 15-seed in a Regional Final. We have an actual Cinderella, not a fifth-place team from a power conference.

[Carey]

This isn't an actual Cinderella Yoko.  It's Just Saint Pete. You don't bet against Saint Pete

[twoods]

Tourney salivating over a possible UNC/Duke Final Four rematch.

[Lady Whistleup]

This is a cute picture of Roy Williams watching UNC beat UCLA:

 

[Carey]

I'm not going to say college hoops is scripted tonight, but based on the second game, if the Peacocks are up 10 points, to leave with success, they have to truly behave as if they're trailing.  Unless they truly believe their Regional Finals matchup isn't 8-5 but actually FIVE-ON-FIVE!

[AimingforYoko]

Coach K is going out like Wooden and McGuire, isn't he?

[emmawoodhouse]

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

Coach K is going out like Wooden and McGuire, isn't he?

I hope not. 

ABD! 😁

[SunnyBeBe]

Is It going to be Carolina against Duke?    Omg, I’m a North Carolinian, so this is huge!  
 

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/one-more-final-four-duke-beats-arkansas-will-play-winner-of-unc-st-peter-s/20207107/

 

[Carey]

I sorta hope it's North Carolina advancing.  Though I'd clinch the victory in my bracket I believe if St. Pete makes it to the Superdome.

Saint Peter's winning out (knocking off the combo of UNC/Duke and then Kansas if not Nova or the U) is a possibility.

It's doubtful, but while it would be special, I'd be a little pissed.  I had the money to bet on the Peacocks to win the NCAA Tournament.  A $1700 bet for then winning 6 games would have been very good

[Lady Whistleup]

Something I've noticed about K: he seems to have a genuinely close relationship with his players and ex-players. Yet when he talks to the media I see the biggest asshole who ever assholed. There must be a side to him that we never see.

[cambridgeguy]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Is It going to be Carolina against Duke?    Omg, I’m a North Carolinian, so this is huge!  

It'll be hilarious.  Days and days of Carolina/Duke coverage that will irritate all of the people who dislike/don't care about those two teams, and really piss off the other F4 teams who are going to be an afterthought.  The championship game will be a letdown although if Duke makes it there we'll see two very rigid camps: I love Coach K (living legend, should go out with a W!) and I hate Coach K (screw that bastard).

[SunnyBeBe]

One of my best friends is a Duke alum.  Another one of my best friends is a Carolina alum. 🤣. We hang out virtually, every week. Not today though. Lol   If they play each other……….it’s not going to be pretty!   I’m the type who can handle it…rare trait for an ACC fan.  😆. 

[Lady Whistleup]

19 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

One of my best friends is a Duke alum.  Another one of my best friends is a Carolina alum. 🤣. We hang out virtually, every week. Not today though. Lol   If they play each other……….it’s not going to be pretty!   I’m the type who can handle it…rare trait for an ACC fan.  😆. 

One thing I always did find unfair was how Dean Smith was endlessly praised for doing things the "Carolina way" and fostering a close relationship with his players. I don't doubt all that. But he also was in the center of an embarrassing academic scandal. So the Carolina program was not squeaky clean at all.

[Carey]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Something I've noticed about K: he seems to have a genuinely close relationship with his players and ex-players. Yet when he talks to the media I see the biggest asshole who ever assholed. There must be a side to him that we never see.

That's pretty much the case with everybody on television.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

9 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

One thing I always did find unfair was how Dean Smith was endlessly praised for doing things the "Carolina way" and fostering a close relationship with his players. I don't doubt all that. But he also was in the center of an embarrassing academic scandal. So the Carolina program was not squeaky clean at all.

Omg……UNC….on so many levels……don’t get me started.  Breaks my heart.  😔

[AimingforYoko]

Damn, Kansas remembered they were a 1-seed, I guess.

[Carey]

Meanwhile, I'd put a very short video of Scrooge McDuck diving into (one of) his vaults/pools of pure golden coins as if to come up with an opinion of who a CBS/TBS/NCAA exec might be emulating tonight in the aftermath of the Regional and the prelude to the Final Four.

Instead, I'm getting a head start on my report for the NCAA Tournament and next week's game.  I guess I get the hate for it, but TBH, it should make for some competitive games (or not).  The ratings might top the record.  Well, viewership, but I don't know about Bird vs Magic