Running 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament thread

This is a misconception. WVU plays mostly man and played it for the most part last night. They use the 1-3-1 as a relief defense in spots. They played it longer against Kentucky because Ky. didn't make shots. They hounded some good perimeter players like Isaiah Thomas from Washington with Ebanks. In general, they probably don't guard the 3-point line as well as Butler, but it's not correct to say they are a zone team. Huggins is always mainly man and switching every screen - Duke abused those switches last night.

 

The matchup that jumps out at me is Zoubek and Howard. Howard might have a ton of trouble with Zoubek's size, but I have a feeling Zoubek is going have more trouble with how much Howard moves in the post after he catches the ball. The kid is great at taking the shot as far away from his pivot foot as possible.

Also, if Zoubek guards Howard, I high screen with Howard and Heyward all night long. Basically, I am pulling Zoubek away from the basket with that weave all night.

I would not be suprised if Zoubek does not play 15 minutes Monday night.

 

Butler has doubled on that perimeter screen all season. They'll do it again with Scheyer and Smith handling the ball. If Duke's "other guys" can hit 15-footers all night, it will be a long game, if not Butler can keep it close.
Also, as much as people talk about Butler's 'D', Duke's isn't bad either.

 

Butler has already beaten three of the top offensive-rebounding teams in the country in Syracuse, Kansas State and Michigan State. No reason it can't be Duke, whose numbers are similar to those three.

 

If the CBS announcers provided 1/10th of the intelligent basketball analysis that goes on in this thread, every tournament game would be a joy to watch.

 

You could tell Clark Kellogg was getting tired by the end of the second game yesterday. He started to provide insight into the game, rather than just fluffing every player on the court, the assignment that has made him CBS' number one analyst.

 

I hope Duke wins by 30.

 

This field is indeed mediocre and it is something I've been saying since the start of the season in case you haven't been paying attention and it has nothing to do with Butler advancing anywhere. Butler is a good basketball team, not a great basketball team and not a historically good basketball team. They are a good basketball team in a bad year for college basketball and if you can't concede that you are lying to yourself.

I haven't made one single excuse for Butler's wins. They've earned them, but there have been factors in each of the past three that have helpbed them - and if you don't think that having Arinze Onuaku - a guy who provided ten points of interior scoring -- was a factor then you just aren't being honest because when all those shots are missing, it really helps to have an inside presence to rebound a few of them and put them back in the basket or score from closer than five feet.

But even with him, was Syracuse, or Kansas State or Kansas or Kentucky - or any team from this field a great team? Not even close - they all had flaws and most of them had major, major flaws, which is why we have a Final Four of ragtag teams that we do.

There isn't a single team in this field as good as the top seven or eight teams from even a year ago.

Not one.

And that is all I ask people like you who love to gush all over these mid-majors like Butler to concede - that this is a down year for college basketball and that none of the Final Four teams stack up with most Final Four teams historically.

Butler is a nice story. They are a nice team. They play hard and they play well. They are nowhere in the conversation of a great team - nor is WVU or Michigan State or Duke - and that's what the Final Four is supposed to be a showcase of - great teams and greatness.

 

You did say that they were the 159th ranked Final Four team in the 64-team era, ahead of only George Mason. Fair to bump them up to 158th after last night?

 

One other thing about this year's Final Four -- I keep hearing about the great "defense" by all these teams but a big part of that is college basketball is so devoid of legitimate and experienced NBA talent right now that a lot of teams suck at playing offense.

Maybe it is a trend, maybe this what we are going to see from now on (God I hope not) but the hyperbole surrounding just how great Butler is at playing defense is getting thick.

Again, it is a very good basketball team but if you can't concede that their story is at least in part due to the state of college basketball this year then you aren't being very honest.

 

I don't know, if they played Michigan State in a seven game series methinks they'd lose.

But they won the game that counted and so yes, if you want to move them up to 158th that's fine.

But here is the larger point - West Virginia is probably about 152nd and Duke is probably about 145th, though I'd be hard pressed to find 15 teams I think are worse than Duke.

 

Oh and one other thing - so Florida it is your testimony that if you were an NBA general manager with one of the first three picks in the draft -- or first ten for that matter - you'd take Gordon Hayward?