Running NCAA Basketball Thread 2014-15

Of all the reasons to hate Big Circus, his choice in teams is way down the list.

 

See?

 

Can someone explain Syracuse's stance on this NCAA issue? It sounds like they are saying "yes we cheated" AND "but we don't think we should be punished..." Am I right on this?

 

1993 and Chris Webber's time out might've been the peak of college basketball. After Arkansas won it in 1994 and went back to the final in 1995, interest seemed to wane.

 

Sounds about right. I think the golden era ran from about the beginning of the 80s (after the Bird/Magic 79 season spiked national interest) until around the Mid-90s. The sport's popularity was on a constant ascent during that period, but has been gradually descending ever since.

And, yeah, I' put the apex at about 93, seemed like EVERYBODY was into college hoops that season.

 

Don't know what makes you say that, but it's patently false.

 

I'm more of the old school that likes to see teams win with veterans and recognizable names so I was pulling for Kentucky to lose at some point this season.

But now they're 30-0 and I'm intrigued to see if they can pull it off. They've shown cojones several times this season.

The best storyline for a title game is Wisconsin v. Kentucky -- youth vs. experience.

I looked it up and it may not completely jibe with what I'm thinking in that regard: Kentucky's top 7 scorers have 12 years experience, Wisconsin's top 6 scorers, 18 years experience.

I used top scorer as anything above 7 points per. Kentucky goes soph, frosh, frosh, junior, soph, frosh, soph. Wisconsin goes senior, junior, soph, senior, soph, redshirt senior.

Anyway, I love this Wisconsin team as much as any non-USC or Long Beach State team that I've cottoned to over the years.

I don't care if they don't play in the title game -- so much luck is involved in that -- but I would love to see them play at some point in the tournament.

 

I think the best storyline would be Gonzaga-Kentucky. Wiltjer. Defense vs. Run and gun. Etc.

 

Wisconsin or Virginia vs. UK, just to see if Calipari falls into the sludgeball trap and plays a 46-43 game against an opponent he should beat 115-83.

If it happens, Cat fans should lynch Calipari, torch his corpse and throw his smoldering carcass in the river. Why pay for all that high-ticket pro talent if you're not going to use it? Why utterly whore yourself out for victory if you're not going to get the victory?

 

Speaking of Badgers, looking really good in Columbus today.

 

VCU having a RPI of 20 is a joke.

 

It's all about who you play, and it doesn't matter if you lose. They've got losses to 3 (Villanova) and 4 (UVA) and they beat 15 (Northern Iowa), 30 (Oregon) and 39 (Cincy). And that's before you even get to their conference schedule, which doesn't help them all that much but doesn't hurt them too badly either.

RealTimeRPI has them at 18. They're even better than you thought!