Running 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Thread

Loyola was in the Final Four and Sweet 16 within the past 3-6 years. South Carolina is at least generally competitive. No big fan of Clemson but when you schedule these games you don't figure they will be quad 4 opportunities.

Everybody schedules a few patsies. Duke also played Bellarmine, UMES and SC Upstate. Carolina played Gardner-Webb and The Citadel.

 

Loyola in Maryland - not the other one. Although oddly enough, they played Loyola (Chicago) as well, who are having a rebuilding year, but Clemson is one of their seven wins. They also played the Citadel; I think before the year, it wasn't much of a stretch to figure a bunch of these games would be worthless from a NET standpoint. They're 67th in KenPom, and have the 121st toughest schedule by that metric, so I think they might be due for some regression here.

 

That’s three in a row over the Tarholes.

 

Not a coincidence by now. And Jeff Capel's seat is much more comfy.

Cannot believe NCSU is up 37-8 on Florida State. Sort of like the Duke game. The shooting will probably cool down - it can't do much of anything else - but the Seminoles haven't done much with the ball.

 

Mizzou already with nine threes with about 7 minutes left in the first half. Up by 16-18 vs LSU.

 

Problem is that Clemson, as usual, didn't play much of anyone non-conference, and because the ACC isn't what it usually is, they are where they are.

If the "NET"- or whatever the kids call it these days - is so iffy, why not go back to RPI? There's no perfect way to compare and contrast, but I don't recall nearly the number of issues with it. Maybe I'm supposed to follow with "get off my lawn," but anyway ...

 

Now ... how much will Duke and Chapel Hill suffer with the NCAA tournament committee because the ACC is down ... and how much will they suffer because K, Dean or Roy aren't on the bench?

 

And, just like that, it’s down to 9. Sumbitch.

 

As orange as my blood might run, it's hard to quibble with the argument that in a "normal" year for the ACC, a Clemson team of this caliber ain't gonna be atop the standings. But they're still pretty good. I figure they'll get in (and avoid the dreaded First Four), so that's a really good year for them.

 

Spelling notwithstanding.

 

This was after he did the same thing at the end of regulation.

 

I won't say that about Clemson this season ... won't even imply it. Brad Brownell has been a stellar coach ... a friend of mine attended UNCW when Brownell was hammering away there, and while he acknowledged that Brownell was good, he also said the coach was clearly full of himself. If he could find more players with a higher ceiling and/or guys like Jaron Blossomgame at Clemson, how much better could this program consistently be?

Thing is, what is usually the high end of the conference just isn't there ... and it's not just the blue schools. Virginia hasn't been there like in most previous seasons. Florida State is as mediocre as it has been in years. The middle is better, perhaps because there's less separation up top and perhaps because 2-3 programs haven't really separated themselves from the rest. Louisville, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame are bringing up the rear.

While I'm not going to stick my foot in my mouth Billy-Packer-about-Saint-Joseph's style, I seriously doubt Clemson will have to play in Dayton.