NCAA Basketball 2010-2011 Season Discussion Thread

[cdj]

Are there even any good power jobs open at this point? (NC State is a 'no.' I don't think many coaches want to go there now with Duke and UNC currently on pretty big upswings.) I can see Stevens taking the Indiana job if Crean gets canned in the next year or two. Otherwise, I think he'll be at Butler for the foreseeable future.

Missouri has very good facilities ('amazing' is the adjective that keeps getting thrown around), but despite some great players, teams, and seasons have never made a Final Four. Haith may have some success at a school that wants to win in basketball and doesn't have to compete with a bunch of other in-state schools like the Canes did. On the surface, it doesn't look to be a very impressive hire, however.

Martin to Miami does make some sense. I can see that one happening.

Did they tighten up those rims tonight or what? I can't stand when they have the rims/hoops mic'd up and every miss comes across as a loud 'CLANG!' That makes a bad shooting night even more unbearable to viewers IMO.

[JBHuskers]

And down goes Butler in the championship game for a second straight year, one of the worst games I have ever sat through in my life.

I'm glad I had this game on the other TV while I was watching WWE

I coulda swore that they were going to take the rims down and install peach baskets after the half.

[jaymo76]

That game was absolutely awful in every way shape and form. After a great tourney, to end like that is really dissapointing.

[SmoothPancakes]

That game was absolutely awful in every way shape and form. After a great tourney, to end like that is really dissapointing.

Yeah, it was really horrible. If I had been one of those idiots spending $5,000-10,000 for a seat, after sitting through something like that, I would have been demanding my money back at gunpoint.

[CLW]

That game was just AWFUL. Both teams defenses were good (Note not great). The shooting by both teams was HORRENDOUS. Butler had a ton of open looks. NONE of them fell. UConn wasn't any better shooting the basketball but got away with it due to its superior size/athleticism.

Many have said (and I believe correctly) that this was/is the worst field of teams in the history of the tourny. Perhaps, it was fitting that this perhaps was the worst championship game in history. I certainly cannot recall seeing both the winning and losing teams playing so poorly.

[psusnoop]

FUGLY! yes 3, 3 freaking 2 point baskets made the whole game.

[morsdraconis]

That game was just AWFUL. Both teams defenses were good (Note not great). The shooting by both teams was HORRENDOUS. Butler had a ton of open looks. NONE of them fell. UConn wasn't any better shooting the basketball but got away with it due to its superior size/athleticism.

Many have said (and I believe correctly) that this was/is the worst field of teams in the history of the tourny. Perhaps, it was fitting that this perhaps was the worst championship game in history. I certainly cannot recall seeing both the winning and losing teams playing so poorly.

You know, it REALLY pisses me off when you say this is the worst field of teams in history. I mean, WTF? Just because all the #1 and #2 seeds got blasted by teams playing better team basketball, it's the worst ever? Yes, the championship game wasn't exciting. I KNEW it wasn't going to be before it even got started. Why? Connecticut had more size (thus able to switch off on Butler's screens and cause their gameplan to be tough to execute) and Butler plays NASTY defense. It knew it was going to be a low scoring affair (of course, I didn't think they'd shoot as poorly as they did). But you can't tell me that it wasn't exciting to see VCU made the Final Four. That it wasn't intriguing to see Butler win somehow no matter how poorly they played against some pretty good teams.

I'm pretty sure that this year's tournament broke the record for most individual viewers ever for the tournament so I'd hardly say that it was a failure and the worst field in history.

Jesus, and you guys think I over-exaggerate things. :/

[psuexv]

Well Mors I'm going to disagree with you.... Sort of. The field itself was the worst field in history.... from a historical statistical perspective. This field had the most 10 loss teams ever. Now, is that because they were bad teams or because of the parity that is taking place in college basketball today. I would like to say the latter. I think college hoops is in a great position with how all teams are starting to come closer to level playing fields. Yes you will still have your traditional powers that will always be, but it truly has become a anyone can beat anyone on any given night.

So yes, historically worst field ever.... overall, one of the most exciting tournaments ever.

[JBHuskers]

Yeah it's definitely one of the worst fields ever....the one and done rule is taking the superstars out of the college game. If your team is full of seniors, that's not really a good thing anymore.

[CLW]

You know, it REALLY pisses me off when you say this is the worst field of teams in history. I mean, WTF? Just because all the #1 and #2 seeds got blasted by teams playing better team basketball, it's the worst ever? Yes, the championship game wasn't exciting. I KNEW it wasn't going to be before it even got started. Why? Connecticut had more size (thus able to switch off on Butler's screens and cause their gameplan to be tough to execute) and Butler plays NASTY defense. It knew it was going to be a low scoring affair (of course, I didn't think they'd shoot as poorly as they did). But you can't tell me that it wasn't exciting to see VCU made the Final Four. That it wasn't intriguing to see Butler win somehow no matter how poorly they played against some pretty good teams.

I'm pretty sure that this year's tournament broke the record for most individual viewers ever for the tournament so I'd hardly say that it was a failure and the worst field in history.

Jesus, and you guys think I over-exaggerate things. :/

Well Mors I'm going to disagree with you.... Sort of. The field itself was the worst field in history.... from a historical statistical perspective. This field had the most 10 loss teams ever. Now, is that because they were bad teams or because of the parity that is taking place in college basketball today. I would like to say the latter. I think college hoops is in a great position with how all teams are starting to come closer to level playing fields. Yes you will still have your traditional powers that will always be, but it truly has become a anyone can beat anyone on any given night.

So yes, historically worst field ever.... overall, one of the most exciting tournaments ever.

Yeah it's definitely one of the worst fields ever....the one and done rule is taking the superstars out of the college game. If your team is full of seniors, that's not really a good thing anymore.

Mors appears to not see the distinction between "worst field of teams ever" and "exciting". The two are NOT one in the same.

Crappy teams can provide "excitement" with a ton of upsets; close games; buzzer beaters; etc... Just b/c a tourny has a ton of that does NOT mean the field of teams are "good"/"great" college basketball teams from a historical perspective.

I could go on all day listing past Champions (and other teams that didn't win a title but made the Final 4) that would absolutely DESTROY this year's field.

Examples) 1968 UCLA; 1976 Indiana; 1982 UNC; 1992 Duke; 1996 Kentucky.

Jay Bilas gave tons of FACTS re: this argument. More 14+ loss AT-LARGE teams in this year's field that the past 25 COMBINED. Most or tied for most losses combined in this year's final 4. Etc...

Today's best teams are no where near as good as they were in the past. Moreover, today's 2nd tier clubs are no where near as good as 2nd tier clubs where in the past. This has allowed for the VCU; Butler and George Mason's of the college basketball world the opportunity to go on "magical" runs if they get "hot" and play "out of their minds".

Does that = "more excitement". Perhaps. One could argue that this year's tourny was one of the most "exciting" tournys ever.

However, my point was/is that the teams today are (1) less talented and (2) play worse basketball than the teams of the past. I really don't think that is up to much debate.

EDIT: BTW assuming everything goes pretty much as expected with early NBA draft decisions. Next years field could be every bit as bad if not worse than this year's field.

[JBHuskers]

Another point is VCU was one of the if not THE last team to be selected for the tourney.

[CLW]

Another point is VCU was one of the if not THE last team to be selected for the tourney.

And didn't deserve to be the last (one of the last) at-large team selected. However, that is another argument previously had in this thread.

[cdj]

"George Mason AD Tom O'Connor tells Wash Post that Jim Larranaga called him this morning to say he's taking Miami job."

Very surprising. When he didn't leave shortly after their Final Four run, I thought he'd stay there for life.