2018 March Madness

Don't forget that they lost to a team from a "truck stop conference."

up7587 wrote:And the Pac-12 says, "you think that UCLA and ASU was bad, hold my beer."  #4 seed Arizona, with the #1 player for the NBA, gets blown out by Buffalo.  Oh for three for the conference of champions.  Where was Bill Walton when we needed him?

I was in the midst of posting about the Pac-12 and the need to rid themselves of commissioner Larry Scott, when I ran across this opinion piece that outlines even more good/bad reasons Scott should go:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk/opinion-pac-12-commissioner-larry-scott-needs-to-be-fired-immediately/ar-BBKiQWg?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

At least they have a Commissioner...

PilotNut wrote:At least they have a Commissioner...

Yea, I've been thinking the same thing during the discussion of GU and/or BYU leaving the WCC...not so much about them leaving (don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out), but about entering discussions with other schools about joining the WCC.

Last I heard there were no planned official discussion about a new commissioner until the league meetings in June, but in my limited view, the previous commissioner did little to enhance or improve the status or standing of the WCC.

UMBC. WOW.

First ever sixteen seed to beat a number one seed. That was an amazing game to watch and UMBC just had their heart in it from the start. That whole second half they were on fire and clicking. Virginia just wilted away under the pressure. What an incredible game!







Why not us?

UMBC played great tonight, but their Twitter game has been even better!

Virginia loses; Arizona says thanks, we're no longer the biggest screw-ups!

blacksheep wrote:UMBC played great tonight, but their Twitter game has been even better!

Absolutely. Check this out if you haven't already... social media at its best!

https://twitter.com/UMBCAthletics?s=09

PilotNut wrote:

blacksheep wrote:UMBC played great tonight, but their Twitter game has been even better!

Absolutely.  Check this out if you haven't already... social media at its best!

https://twitter.com/UMBCAthletics?s=09

Holy cow!


This may be the end of @SethDavisHoops

The comments during the game were brilliant!

Loyola-Chicago hits two go ahead upset shots in two straight games to knock off Tennessee. Catholic/religious/elderly memes ensue due to their 98(!) year old chaplain and good-luck charm Sister Jean.

Zags blow a 15-0 start against Ohio State and appeared to have a missing FT curse brought upon them (maybe by Hartwich?), but unlike us, they held on and pulled away, moving to the Sweet 16.

blacksheep wrote:....and will face Portland State in the Slim Gym on Saturday.

USD overcame 40 minutes of full-court pressing and a 12 point deficit to defeat PSU, 67-64, on a 3-pointer from the corner with 1 second left in the game.

USD now has 20 wins on the season and moves on to the CIT quarterfinals against an opponent yet to be determined.

PSU and first year head coach, Barret Peery, finish the season 20-14, the team's third highest win total in the school's 22 years as a member of the Big Sky.

The South Region is bonkers. Kentucky as the #5 seed is the lowest seeded team to make the Sweet 16. #9 Kansas St took out the ultimate Cinderella UMBC, #11 Loyola Chicago and their mascot nun took out Tennessee, and #7 Nevada had a huge comeback today to beat the #2 seed Cincinnati.

Nevada went on a 32-8 run to finish the game, and after being down 22 with 11:37 to play, won by two.

Calipari is the luckiest son of a gun out there.

up7587 wrote:#7 Nevada had a huge comeback today to beat the #2 seed Cincinnati.

Nevada went on a 32-8 run to finish the game, and after being down 22 with 11:37 to play, won by two.

I know he is sitting out this season, but it seems that Jazz Johnson is in a better place.

Xavier blew that game. Two #1 seeds failed to make Sweet 16.

Forgot, the Zavier loss also make GU's path a lot easier. Now they face #9 seed FSU.

Here's your Sweet 16 round-up:
Kansas St - Kentucky - two Power 5 schools, that each finished 4th in their conference, one game over .500.

Loyola Chicago - Nevada: two mid-major conference winners

Florida St - Gonzaga: an 8th place in conference at .500 P5 school against the biggest mid-major of them all.

Michigan - Texas A&M: rematch of the 1995 Alamo Bowl

Villanova - West Virginia: two top 15 teams, both 2nd in their conference

Texas Tech - Purdue: two top 15 teams, both 2nd in their conference

Kansas - Clemson: one of the best football schools vs one of the worst football schools

Syracuse - Duke: two ACC conference teams, and a conspiracy to give Duke an easier path to the Final Four.

DoubleDipper wrote:USD now has 20 wins on the season and moves on to the CIT quarterfinals against an opponent yet to be determined.

U of Northern Colorado is now 23-7 after their defeat of Drake yesterday and will face USD in the Slim Gym on Wednesday.

UNC finished 5th in the Big Sky this year with a record of 11-7, two games ahead of PSU and ISU. As a reminder, USD was 9-9 and finished tied for 4th (6th on tie breaker) in the WCC.

DoubleDipper wrote:USF beat Colgate last evening, 72-68, and will face Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the CBI.

Senior Chase Foster and junior Jordan Ratinho each scored 20 tonight in USF's 78-73 win over Utah Valley, and will play the Campbell Camels out of the Big South in San Francisco on Thursday in the CBI semi-final.

up7587 wrote:Michigan - Texas A&M: rematch of the 1995 Alamo Bowl

Bad blood still flows between these two, stemming from that game. This one could get ugly.

DoubleDipper wrote:SMC gives the WCC another chance to defend its honor against the Pac-12 by hosting UW, a winner last night over Boise St., 77-74, on Monday at 8pm on ESPNU.

In a fun game to watch that could have been a SMC blowout, UW fought back from 14 down to climb within 3 with a minute left, but SMC's free-throw shooting and Landale's stellar play on both sides of the ball with 4 fouls, held on for the 85-81 victory.

The guys behind the mic kept talking about how good SMC is a shooting free-throws, but there was no mention of how many free-throws the refs let them practice during WCC play....

The Utah Runnin' Utes gutted the LSU Tigers, 95-71, in Salt Lake City tonight and will now play SMC in the NIT quarterfinals in Moraga in Wednesday.

Tonight was the first time SMC has ever beaten UW (1-5) and the Gaels record is now 30-5 on the season, marking the first time the school has achieved 30 wins in a season.

up7587 wrote:And the Pac-12 says, "you think that UCLA and ASU was bad, hold my beer."  #4 seed Arizona, with the #1 player for the NBA, gets blown out by Buffalo.  Oh for three for the conference of champions.  Where was Bill Walton when we needed him?

After tonight, there is only one Pac-12 team left in the postseason....Utah!

Tonight in the NIT:

#2 Utah trounced #3 LSU, 95-71, in Salt Lake City.
#3 Stanford lost to #2 Oklahoma St., 71-65, in Stillwater.
#5 Washington lost to #1 St. Mary's, 85-81, in Moraga.
#1 USC lost to #4 Western Kentucky, 79-75 in L.A.

Saw on Twitter that the list of schools who have been to the Sweet 16 four years in a row is pretty shirt: Gonzaga.

A look at why more mid-majors should be in the tournament:
https://www.sbnation.com/2018/3/20/17138598/college-mid-majors-group-5-ncaa-tournament-football-playoff

With all the talk about Gonzaga joining the Mountain West, I began thinking about what the MWC has to gain...and to no one's surprise, it's easy money!

As reported by up7587, GU has been to the Sweet 16 four years in a row, and of course they've now been to the NCAA Tournament 20 years in a row, 19 under Mark Few, I believe.

I have no idea what the payout to the WCC/GU has been over the last 19 years, but by reaching the Sweet 16 this year it is expected the WCC and Gonzaga will divvy-up $3.4 million....and of course even more if GU can keep winning.

Nevada's buzzer beating victories have already netted approximately $3.4 million to the MWC....at least as much as the Pac-12 will receive after having three teams bounced from the tournament.

All that money helps explain why the American Athletic Conference lured tournament-regular Wichita State from the MVC last year, despite the Shockers not having a football team....just like the MWC is apparently attempting to do with GU....