2014 Men's NCAA Tournament & Post-season Discussion

[SmoothPancakes]

wow what a shot. sorry but the opening days of the NCAA Tourny are by far the biggest and best sporting event in the U.S. (and that includes the super bowl)

With all of the upsets and the great games, the first two days of the NCAA Tournament, when all 64 teams are still in action, are without a doubt by far the great sporting event in the US, with days 3 and 4 with the round of 32 games a close second. The rest of the NCAA tournament is great, but when you get past the first four days, the first two rounds, where all the upsets happen, all the great underdog David vs. Goliath games are played, then it just becomes a typical weekend of basketball. After that, it's just typical nights of watching the Louisvilles, the Kansas', the Kentuckys, the Floridas, the Michigan States, etc., of the college basketball world fighting each other for another NCAA title. If the underdogs can go on a run deep into the tournament (Butler, Wichita State, VCU, etc.), it's much better and keeps the later rounds exciting, but it still never has and never will compare to the first two rounds and first four days.

[jaymo76]

Didn't need another reason to dislike However I now have one... heartbreaking loss for

Next year nation.

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, that was a "rip your heart out" loss. That's just rough.

And Louisville is in trouble right now. They're treading water with danger of going under against Manhattan.

[cdj]

[CLW]

That's why you don't duck in state schools. For YEARS now has ducked playing EVERY school in the state but the Racers. I look forward to the day when the committee puts the two together and the kitties go down.

[CLW]

never bought in on defense (apparently believing they could just outscore everyone). Nope give up 78 to a SHITTY club and C-Ya.

[skipwondah33]

They almost attempted more 3's than Mercer's FG attempts alone

[CLW]

They almost attempted more 3's than Mercer's FG attempts alone

Yep Mercer played ton of zone or almost "pac line" man. It's the way the game is played now. The shots were by and large good shots and they hit 41% of those shots. O and shots weren't the problem. Duke NEVER comitted to playing defense the ENTIRE season and they just let a borderline top 100 team put up probably 1.2 points per possession. The defense was PATHETIC as it was all year (ranked 116th in D by Kenpom).

However, the media will use the old cliche live by the bomb. That was NOT the story today. Duke's lack of defense was.

[SmoothPancakes]

Thank you god, I had Tennessee beating Duke in the next round. I've had 6 swings and a miss so far in the first round, but not a single Sweet Sixteen team lost year.

[SmoothPancakes]

Watching the highlights of the Mercer-Duke game, after Florida Gulf Coast last year and Mercer so far this year, I'm going to have to start giving the Atlantic Sun a lot more attention each year when I make out my bracket. That's two years now, with two different teams, that the Atlantic Sun has had huge wins and upsets.

[SmoothPancakes]

Well, it's not much, but so far, Wichita State is the only #1 seed to have actually played like a #1 seed, leading Cal Poly 30-8 with 5 minutes left in the 1st half. This has turned into an utter ass whooping in a matter of minutes.

[cdj]

The poor officiating wasn't the (sole) reason Nebraska lost today, but it sure didn't help.

Karl Hess led the charge (known by ACC fans as the worst ref in the country) ended up issuing a statement after the game. Something like this is inexcusable in the NCAA Tournament, so hopefully he and his crew are done for this year.

Official Karl Hess, who ejected Nebraska coach Tim Miles Friday after Miles was trying to get the officials' attention because of a shot clock malfunction, said he and his crew were in error regarding the shot clock problem.

"Prior to the second technical foul call, there was a shot clock error that both the shot clock operator and officials did not notice," Hess said in the statement released by a pool reporter. "The error should have been noticed and could have been corrected."

Regarding Miles' ejection, Hess only referred to cited rule 10, section 3, article 2, items E and F, which states the automatic ejection of a coach after he receives his second technical foul.

There were no additional statements, or opportunities for follow-up questions.

Miles watched the final 11 minutes of Nebraska's 74-60 loss to Baylor from various places in the bowels of AT&T Center, including the Creighton locker room, because the TV in the Nebraska locker room was malfunctioning, just like the shot clock.

Miles said he was never offered an explanation or apology, and the bench official didn’t say anything, either, while he pleaded his case about the shot clock problem.

“I tried to find the shot clock guy, and I assume it was the guy that just dropped his head," Miles said. "I’m assuming it was him. He didn’t give much support, either.

“I was embarrassed. Personally, you just feel like you’ve let down your team. And then there’s just this, ‘You’re kidding me, is this real?’ It was just a tough moment.”



It seems like so many refs make anticipatory calls instead of waiting to see what actually happens. It's really hurting the game, IMO. There's too many games where there's 40-60+ combined FTA.

[SmoothPancakes]

Thank you baby Jesus! North Carolina survives to beat Providence and my bracket survives for another game. Took some hits yesterday and today, but only on teams I had losing this weekend. I still have every Sweet Sixteen team alive for the moment.

Providence absolutely pissed it away. Tied 77-77 with three seconds left, UNC made the first free throw, missed the second, but Providence left the shooter completely unguarded and he was able to get his own rebound. Fouled again, with 1.8 seconds left, made the first free throw, missed the second again and while trying to get the rebound, the ball ended up going out of bounds off a Providence player with 0.7 seconds to go. Absolute total collapse by Providence, but I'll take it!

[cdj]

Kansas State has been assessed a technical during warm ups for dunking and grabbing the rim. Kentucky gets 2 FT before jump.

— Kevin Kugler (@kevinkugler) March 22, 2014

[SmoothPancakes]

Are you shitting me?

[SmoothPancakes]

You have got to be shitting me. They just showed the replay, he hung onto the rim for MAYBE a half a second, barely even noticeable outside of slow motion replay. That is the absolutely stupidest goddamn rule I have ever heard.

[cdj]

I hope that is a typo and he meant "Kentucky fan" or....

[SmoothPancakes]

I hope that is a typo and he meant "Kentucky fan" or....

The NCAA is really becoming goddamn ridiculous with all these stupid ass rules these days.

[SmoothPancakes]

Goddamnit VCU, you stupid goddamn choking sumbitches!

[SmoothPancakes]

Holy crap, Coastal Carolina leads Virginia 31-21 with 3:32 left in the first half. Still a LOT of game to go, but the 16 seed looking go so far! It would completely clusterfuck my bracket since I have Virginia making the Final Four, but to hell with it, come in #16 seed upset!!!