Running 2011-12 College Basketball thread

Probably is the worst senior class he's been associated with.

 

Meanwhile, with Vandy's win over Florida...if the Gators lose to KY and the Vols win out (all of which is very doable) then Cuonzo Martin's team finishes second in the SEC. And yet they still might not make the Big Dance.

 

UT would still need Bama to lose once, which is entirely possible Saturday in the roach motel that is the Tad Pad.

 

Better tell that to the News-Sentinel.

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2012/feb/27/cuonzo-martin-we-are-fighting-for-our-lives/?partner=popular

 

Apparently the shit is going to hit the fan tomorrow. Some sort of expose by Dohrmann in SI about Ben Howland and UCLA basketball and drug use.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/02/28/report-sports-illustrated-expected-to-release-highly-negative-article-on-ucla-basketball-program/

 

The News-Sentinel could figure it out if their agate guy wasn't off interviewing all the time. [/crossthread]

 

My understanding is a four-way tiebreaker is determined by head-to-head records of tied teams. In the scenario of a four-way tie at 10-6 for second place in the Southeastern Conference, it would get a little more complicated because of a tie between Tennessee and Vanderbilt with 3-2 head-to-head records against the other three teams.

The tiebreaker then between Vanderbilt and Tennessee is record vs. the top team, but neither beat Kentucky. So the next tiebreaker would be against the next-highest team in the standings, which would be Florida. Tennessee swept Florida and Vanderbilt split against Florida, so Tennessee wins that tiebreaker. Here's the results:

• Tennessee would be 3-2 against Alabama (0-1), Florida (2-0) and Vanderbilt (1-1) and the second seed.
• Vanderbilt would be 3-2 against Alabama (1-0), Florida (1-1) and Tennessee (1-1) and the third seed.
• Florida would be 2-3 against Alabama (1-0), Tennessee (0-2) and Vanderbilt (1-1) and the fourth seed.
• Alabama would be 1-2 against Florida (0-1), Tennessee (1-0) and Vanderbilt (0-1) and the fifth seed.

.
That, at least, is my understanding of the rules. It's definitely how the rules played out in when the league had a divisional format, and I think they've stuck with those rules.

 

More on the Howland story:

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/29/story-paints-ben-howland-an-uncaring-coach-who-ignored-players-coddled-to-stars-and-ignored-issues/

 

Ben Howland is a classic example of an excellent coach who was promoted one level above his level of competency.

I said it when he was hired. I said it when he had a few great recruits early and went to Final Fours. And I'll say it again - he is a terrible fit for UCLA and he doesn't have the star power to successfully be that school's coach.

First, his defensive style is not what players on the West Coast want to play and it is not what Showtime Hollywood fans want to watch.

Second, his style is predicated on guys buying into a system and developing over four or even five years -- except to win at UCLA you better get some one and two-and-done type kids. This means his grand plans for building teams are always changing.

The guy he mentored, on the other hand, Jamie Dixon will miss the tournament this year, but it is the first time in eight or nine seasons and the reason is he never has a young team. He never has to rebuild as he loses usually two or three seniors but has seven or eight other guys who have played lots of minutes already ready to step in and they almost all have been in his program for three or more years.

That works at Pitt and if Jamie Dixon never makes a Final Four or even another Elite Eight but keeps winning a lot of games and going to the NCAA Tournament he will be at Pitt for life cause it is good enough.

It isn't good enough at UCLA.

Ben Howland will likely be let go at some point, maybe not this year but soon enough and when he does it won't shock me if he resurfaces at a job like, oh I don't know, Oregon State or something and he will have a lot of success cause he will be able to run his program his way.

People can rip John Calipari all they want but he is the kind of guy UCLA needs - someone who can be bigger than what seems to be a larger than life job and can handle the expectations like he has at Kentucky.

 

Colorado State upsets UNLV. First time in school history Rams have defeated three ranked teams in a season. Great to see for Tim Miles. As long as CSU doesn't slip up at Air Force this weekend (which has an amazing chance of happening), that should lock up an NCAA Tournament bid.

 

lol fourth court storming of the year (CU, SDSU, UNM and UNLV). A little excessive, but the Rams being successful at anything other than volleyball, well, it hasn't happened in a while. I'm here in Arkansas, but I may have to text Tim in a few to say congrats.