Running 2011-12 College Basketball thread

They're impossibly-spoiled at UCLA. Grotesque expectations.

 

I have heard the Howland is on the outs with the West Coast AAU coaches because his style of play supposedly won't get their players to the NBA fast enough. Maybe true, maybe not, but a lot of California kids have left that program in the past couple years and are playing elsewhere at more up-tempo programs.

 

He also went 10-19 in his final season there, never won a Pac 10 conf tourney title, and only tied for regular season title once in seven years. My memory of Lavin's teams were ones that always underachieved in the regular season in relation to their talent level, would often look absurdly undisciplined and lackadaisical, but would usually turn it on in the tournament tenough to win a couple games. Even with these last couple down seasons, Howland's record with three straight final fours still easily trumps Lavin's.

 

Don't discount the Bruins winning the conference tourney and getting into the NCAA this year.

It's in their backyard, and even at 7-6, UCLA could win the rest of its Pac-12 games and earn a first-round conference tourney bye.

Somebody has to earn the automatic bid from the Pac-12!

But yeah, their 10-point home loss to Cal was a huge clunker.

 

Wow I haven't heard any groundswell of support for firing Howland out here in SoCal.

Given that they are rebuilding Pauley and given that he has the stud coming in next year, he'll be given a pass this season. Not to mention, Guerrero (sp?) just fired the FBHC.

 

He gets a mulligan year this year. Lost like half of his team to season-ending injuries from the start of the year.

 

I've heard that as well. I call bullshit. Jordan Farmar, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison had no issues with his style. Howland's fifth (on a quick count, so please correct me if I'm wrong) in terms of most former players currently in the NBA, behind Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Bill Self and John Calipari. Unlike the last three, he has no help from his previous stop, Pittsburgh.

 

Louisville and Syracuse neck and neck, proving the collegiate hardwood parity aspect even more, and that the NCAA Tornament (Raftery pronunciation) will be anyone's to win.

Kansas/KSU should be good tonight, too. (I'm picking Kansas)

 

Louisville almost winning a home game proves parity?

 

I finished building my garage using the bricks from both Big Monday games last night.

The number 2 team, 5 team, 18 team, and a team who was ranked earlier in the year, and not a damn one of them gets to 60.

 

To be fair to KU and K-State, it's harder to score when the refs are allow you knock the hell out of anybody who goes toward the basket. They were "lettin' 'em play" last night.

 

Which is probably exactly how Self and Martin wanted it.

You know going into a game against KState, that Martin wants to turn it into a Pier 6 Brawl.

So, you've got a 6-10 brut in Robinson, and a 7-footer in Withe(admittedly FAR from brut).....sure, we'll play that game.