College Hoops 2018-2019

[Captain Hate]

Here's my cheering preferences

Auburn
Texas Tech
Virginia
Michigan State

[walto]

Here's my cheering preferences

Auburn
Texas Tech
Virginia
Michigan State

Do you have a sense what's behind that ordering?

[Captain Hate]

I really loved how Auburn just torched and exposed the Holes and their resilience against Kentucky. Texas Tech just because they're somebody new. Virginia because they were embarrassed by losing to a 16 seed before and show they weren't a one year flash. Even though I respect Izzo he's stuck around so long he's as annoying as K.

[walto]

I think in my own case, I hate Pearl so much that it infects everything and puts him at the bottom. I really didn't want him to be the guy to get Auburn to its first Final Four. I just want him to fail always--see the link I posted about him a couple days ago about his contribution to the rot of college hoops. My newbie/underdog love puts Texas Tech (a team I haven't followed since they had the coach who was certifiably crazy) at the top. I like both Izzo and Bennett so they're tied in the middle for me.

[Captain Hate]

Nobody weighing in on the call at the end of the Auburn game? It was technically a correct call but really ran against how the game had been called up to that point with a *lot* of contact on both sides being overlooked. Plus aren't the zebras supposed to swallow their whistles down the stretch to not become more of the story of the game than the players?

Overlooked in all of this is what a well drawn up play it was by Bennett and what a cool customer the Hoo was at the line. Go Tech!

[jon abbey]

they missed a blatant double dribble right before that.

kind of a terrible Final Four from my perspective, upperclassmen and team defense and very little future NBA talent. Virginia is very effective but is as painful to watch as Wisconsin ever was.

[walto]

I agree about the double-dribble call. I think, though, that both teams have two NBA prospects, and I enjoyed the Final a lot. I was hoping for a game that went down to the last shot.

[walto]

what a cool customer the Hoo was at the line. Go Tech!

I don't remember ever seeing anybody as confident and unconcerned at the line as Guy. Up a point or two, down a point or two, time running out on the season, people screaming--Guy was goofing, grinning and.....money. Never even the shadow of doubt for a second.

I'd love to be like that.

[jon abbey]

I agree about the double-dribble call. I think, though, that both teams have two NBA prospects, and I enjoyed the Final a lot. I was hoping for a game that went down to the last shot.

truly awful basketball for long stretches, as bad as I can remember in a final. Texas Tech scored 7 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, and were pretty inept to start the second half. I enjoyed the women's final four much more.

and Hunter and Culver will be high picks but both are very inconsistent college players, totally invisible for a half or a full game. Virginia was the first team in a long time that won a title without having to beat a #1 or a #2, they definitely got some nice breaks in the draw.

[Harold Baines]

I agree about the double-dribble call. I think, though, that both teams have two NBA prospects, and I enjoyed the Final a lot. I was hoping for a game that went down to the last shot.

truly awful basketball for long stretches, as bad as I can remember in a final. Texas Tech scored 7 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, and were pretty inept to start the second half. I enjoyed the women's final four much more.

and Hunter and Culver will be high picks but both are very inconsistent college players, totally invisible for a half or a full game. Virginia was the first team in a long time that won a title without having to beat a #1 or a #2, they definitely got some nice breaks in the draw.

What you call "awful basketball" I call "defense." Good on Tony Bennett. Worked on the UWGB campus when he starred there (knocking out Jason Kidd's Cal in the tourney), and did a couple of PSAs with him and his dad.

you'd have to go a long way to find two more decent people than Tony and Dick Bennett.

[jon abbey]

What you call "awful basketball" I call "defense."

exactly, but as we all know, great offense trumps great defense in hoops every time.

[The G Man]

What you call "awful basketball" I call "defense."

exactly, but as we all know, great offense trumps great defense in hoops every time.

No it doesn't.
Texas Tech ranked # 107 in offense and #1 in defense and they were almost national champs. Great offense didn't beat great defense when they beat MSU by 10.

[jon abbey]

What you call "awful basketball" I call "defense."

exactly, but as we all know, great offense trumps great defense in hoops every time.

No it doesn't.
Texas Tech ranked # 107 in offense and #1 in defense and they were almost national champs. Great offense didn't beat great defense when they beat MSU by 10.

my point was there was no great offense among the final four teams because there weren't any unstoppable offensive players, and when defense is the prevailing factor in hoops, it generally is because of shitty offense, not superior defense. it's not an accident that Tony Bennett's teams never made a final four before and lost to a #16 team last year.