Running 2023-24 NCAA Basketball Thread

Grant Nelson went from North Dakota to Alabama. At least he'll have a doctorate in hillbilly.

 

I once covered a Division II football playoff game between Delta State and North Dakota State in Mississippi. Delta State was up big in the fourth quarter, the fans were feeling it, and speakers on the sideline were playing Hank Williams Jr.'s "A Country Boy Can Survive" at peak volume.
I kinda felt like saying, "Um, you know that North Dakota is probably even more country than Mississippi, right?"

 

Now all I can hear is him as Lurleen Lumpkin on the red carpet of the Krusty comeback special.

"I spent last night in a ditch."

 

Elliot Cadeau’s mother from the top rope on Twitter/X after Hubert Davis decided it was a good idea to bench his point guard for the final 15 minutes of the game:

“That was an unexpected turn of events.”

Blowing up a well-established rotation in the second half in the Sweet 16 is certainly a choice. I’m pretty sure Hubert Davis isn’t it.

 

Maybe Tennessee and Purdue think that, too.

 

Too bad the game isn't on Monday. Maybe the Vols can shoot better than 30% if they ever get to play in April.

 

I hate both of those teams, but am a Midwest guy, so I watched. Just about had an anxiety attack from everything about the way it was played.

 

It was probably fine in context, but switching over from the Bama game felt like going from 78 to 33 RPM.

 

Will give the NCAA credit with scheduling. There are two standalone games today ahead of the men's tournament -- Oregon State-Notre Dame at 230 and South Carolina-Indiana at 5. Same tomorrow with LSU/UCLA and Iowa/Colorado going on before the men get started in the evening. There's still some overlap with the men, but it's nice that some of these games will get their own viewing windows.

 

Thoughts on Hubert Davis's shutdown routine in the presser?

Respect to Cormac Ryan for attempting to cover for his coach.

 

It’s so weird to see Clemson vs Alabama in NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament