Running 2023-24 NCAA Basketball Thread

And, truthfully, this one is even better:

 

I went to U of H, but had left school because I had a two month old baby. My wife worked as a typesetter and copy editor for a family owned print shop, and it burned down when she was about seven month pregnant. No one was going to hire her, and neither of us really wanted her to try to find a job at that point. I was around Cougar High for Phi Slamma Jama and for the Pardee run 'n shoot as well. That was a long time ago, though, and I also had been forced to come to terms with UH being in C-USA with UAB. It's not that tender. It's more that I've seen that clip in March Madness commercials for decades now. It's kinda like a sore toe getting stepped on yet again, and the clip is only four or five seconds long. It still catches me off guard sometimes given how quickly it flashes across the screen.

I really respect the way that Hakeem has comported himself over the years.

 

I really feel for this kid, too. He worked very diligently to get to this point, and then hurts his ankle and it was all over in an instant.

 

I think the order of rooting goes:

NC State -- the underdog of this group by far, a truly amazing run

Clemson -- the second underdog, would drive the other ACC powers crazy if the pulled it off

Purdue -- chance for redeption like Virginia, lotta people hate Edey

Tennessee -- SEC hate, do I want Rick Barnes to break free from his Rick Barnesness

Alabama -- residue from the off-court stuff last year

Illinois -- Shannon Jr. and his off-court issues

Duke --- obvious

UConn -- who wants to see a repeat / Hurley is not likable and continues to be more with their continued success

 

Chris Washburn says hello. Glad to see he is still with us. Really.

 

Purdue really hasn’t won much of anything outside of women’s hoops once 24 years ago.

 

Purdue went to the foul line 48 times against Tennessee in November.

 

An Elite Eight of all blue-bloods.

Can't say that thrills me, but whatever.

 

Maybe, but would you consider Kansas vs. Kentucky in the college football title game to be a battle of bluebloods?

 

Mulkey story just dropped. Gift link:

https://wapo.st/4cBAM4A

 

Holy crap, that's 21 pages in Word. (And I'll be reading all of it.)

 

That was disappointing.

The worst accusation is that Mulkey is homophobic, but even that has rebuttal from multiple sources. A chunk of it rehashes Brittney Griner's memoir, with no new information. And there's some stuff in there where she treats her players like shit, but it's painted as just trying to keep up with coaches like Geno, while also acknowledging her record "She gets results!"

Mulkey got that upset over that?