Running 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament thread

To me, it was a great story, the game was back and forth all the way, and it nearly had the greatest ending ever.

 

Wow, Hayward 2-for-11 and Veasley 1-for-9 and they still had two shots to win it in the final five seconds.

 

I think that was what made the game so interesting. Butler's shooting was the kind that usually leads to a 20-point or more loss, and yet they had two potential game winners in the last five seconds. You have to be REALLY good at all the other phases of the game and be extraordinarily mentally tough to hold a rival to a one-possession game while shooting under 40 percent in December, let alone during the national title game.

 

NO, the missed shots were not due to "sloppy" play in any way, they were because it's, you know, kinda tough to shoot well when you're facing bone rattling defense in a FOOTBALL stadium in front of 70,000 with everything in the world on the line. But the number of turnovers in that game was amazingly low for such an uber intense game with that kind of defense on both sides. The level of defensive intensity on both ends was off the chart, as was the amazing way both teams remained composed in the face of it. That was a very well played game, regardless of the low shooting percentages.

 

Getting better players is a double-edged sword. Yeah, you have more talent but the big question is, can you coach it?

Stevens has done a tremendous job with what he's had to work with at Butler. But the kids he's bringing in aren't one-and-doners who are just using college as a rest stop on their way to the NBA. Coaching those type of kids is entirely different than coaching kids who come in expecting they'll be with you for 3-4 years.

Coaching at the college level carries a certain amount of ego so I would expect most guys don't even stop to consider if they can coach those type of kids.

But they should.

 

The Big Ten has four as well don't they?

Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois? -- Illinois is the one I am not sure about.

 

Oh bullshit. What the hell were you watching? He didn't go driving in with the intent to shoot an off balance fadeaway. He did so because the 7'1" Zoubek came charging at him with arms extended, and he didn't want the shot to get blocked. Good defense is ABSOLUTELY the reason he was forced to shoot it that way. Are you under the impression that he had the uncontested layup but instead took the fallaway just to show off? How asinine.

 

Stoney's right. Was a prototypical example on how the height differential
really hurt.

 

To a certain degree, I suppose.

But I would like the chances of UM's teams from 1987 or 1989 or Notre Dame 1990 or Nebraska 1995 against 2009 Alabama.

And without bothering to look up the relative sizes of the players and all that . . .

I'll definitely take the 1985 Bears over the 2006 Steelers (and seveal other SB champions in the recent era, for that matter).

 

Illinois does not. Loyola is the only team from the state with a national title.

Wisconsin, however, does ... albeit in 1941.