Running 2023-24 NCAA Basketball Thread

Why take a quick, bad shot when you can burn half the clock and take an even worse shot?

 

Their problem. If they had had their way, Keatts would have been gone long ago. Then would this run have occurred?

 

When I watch this team play, I don't understand how it wasn't the third-best team in the ACC. How did they lose anything? They're clutch across the board.

 

I eagerly await Texas and Oklahoma being absolutely dreadful in every sport possible in the SEC.

 

Because - except for DJ Burns and occasionally DJ Horne and Casey Morsell - they spent the entire season running up and down the floor. Plus the team had a fast start in the ACC, then had the drought and the buzzards started circling.

Now, they play with purpose, play more in the moment and have improved dramatically in the clutch. The players not named Burns, Horne and Morsell seem to better understand their roles. Diarra has transformed ... about all most know of him was that he got tossed in the Wake Forest game (later than when Keatts ran out on the floor and picked two quick techs to get tossed). Middlebrooks and Burns do a stellar job platooning in the post.

I've seen Wes Moore-coached teams flip a switch like this. But a Keatts team? It's nice.

 

I get what the women’s tournament is trying for with the doubled-up regionals, but man does it make for clunky marketing. “Let’s go to Region 3.” Great, what the fuck is a Region 3?

 

Many years ago, I was covering an early season nonconference D1 college hockey series on the road. The officiating was more than a little rough. Between periods of the second game, they introduce a former national championship team. One of the former players, listed in the program by only a first initial and last name, was reffing the games. I’m not saying he was biased toward his alma mater, but I’ll bet he was having a great time post-game of both games with his old buddies and maybe wasn’t super clear-headed for his officiating job. The next week, I asked the coach of the team I covered about it, not really for an article, more out of curiosity. “I oughta have my fucking head examined,” he said. “Why?” I asked. He proceeded to tell me that the head of officiating of his conference (who, I believe, scheduled the refs for the other conference) called him prior to the series and asked if he had any objection to letting that guy ref that weekend, since he’d be up there anyway for the reunion. The coach, trying not to ruffle any feathers, said it would be fine. Never should have been put in that position, but that was the Mickey Mouse conference administration in place that led to the league’s eventual demise.

 

PAC-12 after dark, one more time.

 

Oregon first ft attempts of game with under 30 seconds left

 

This game is fucking great.

Also why do Greg McDermott and his wife look alike? Are they the Van Houtens of college hoops?

 

Nessler just poured another drink.