Running 2023-24 NCAA Basketball Thread

Not the least bit sad. I don’t know how they got the plane to fly at the very last inch of runway (they all but brought their golf clubs to the bench at the SEC Tournament) but by God they did it.

 

I am as spoiled as they come, and I understand that past triumphs make what I'm about to write a lot easier for me to tolerate.

But UNC running out of gas and losing the NCAA Championship to Kansas two years ago has never been sad to me. Beating Duke in Coach K's final game at Cameron and then again in the FF (thank you, forever, Caleb Love) give me such fond feelings of memories that I imagine being able to put myself right back in those moments will never go away. UNC played a perfect first half against Kansas, led at the half, and gave it away in about two seconds after halftime. But it doesn't pain me.*

(*Kris Jenkins in 2016 pains me, mostly though, more for Marcus Paige. I loved watching that kid play, and his double-clutch 3 from the wing to tie it before Nova's winning play is largely forgotten. But even then, UNC came back and won it all a year later. And as much as I hated losing to Alabama in the S16 this year, I really enjoyed watching Carolina play this year, win the ACC regular season and beat Duke twice. It was an easy team of guys, including the coach, to root for.)

Congrats on an incredible run, N.C. State fans. Nine straight wins at the best time of year. Amazing.

 

OK, let's have a great game.

 

Well, Iowa scoring 200 points would certainly be memorable.

 

Incredible first 5 minutes. Officials letting them hack, err, play.

 

Aliyah Boston has been out of college for like half an hour and already looks and sounds like a 10-year veteran on the halftime studio set.

 

Unless Clark goes for 25 this half - and she might - I don't know how Iowa stays with South Carolina's size, depth and talent.

 

Looked at ESPN gamecast and it was 57-55. Looked away for a minute and refreshed and SC was now up by 10. That’s insane

 

South Carolina is really good, with a lot of damn impressive players.

 

So many smoked layups...

 

Women’s basketball has come along way and this tournament is emblematic of how far it has to go. Almost all these teams play five players for 39 1/2 minutes every game. Has Iowa even subbed in this game? Outside of South Carolina, there is no depth whatsoever. Which means there is not much of a talent pool underneath at the high school level. Maybe this recent exposure and excitement over Clark will get some more girls excited about playing.

 

Ass Kicking Chickens indeed.