Running 2023-24 NCAA Basketball Thread

Some years ago we had a huge state youth soccer tournament in town. It was something like 200 teams involved, which necessitated scheduling some games at 6:30 a.m. Sunday to get them all in. I did a fun little feature going out and interviewing some of the parents who were there to watch little Montana and Dakota scramble around the field at the ass crack of dawn.

 

It was just kind of weird as hell to me that they had a game tipping off at 10 p.m. local time. Isn't this why you have a western bracket and stuff? I have no idea how common this was in the past - I'm guessing common, and I'm just noticing now because I'm 40 and typically go to bed around 9.

 

They always have the late tip off at the east coast venue tentatively scheduled for "9:40" or "9:50" and you know damn well that if the first game runs late it isn't starting until after 10.

 

Pod system confused everything.

Gives the committee the flexibility to put North Carolina in the West, but without any guilt because its first two games are in Charlotte.

 

That stinks, too, but it also kind of shows the flip of this. And maybe even another eff you to the Salt Lake teams. Most western teams have played multiple games like that. I have attended far too many 9 p.m. tips in my fandom (this year nothing was later than 8:30, but there were like four of them). I guarantee you Gonzaga and Arizona have experienced such things. And now are in a place that gets to tip before 11 a.m.!

 

Being on Central time really is a blessing. The latest tip in the regular season is 8 pm. The one time I went to Rupp was a 9 Eastern start on a weeknight and I don’t see how those people do it. Even if you are watching from home, an emotionally invested fan doesn’t get to sleep two minutes after the final horn.

 

When Calipari was at UMass in the '90s, he'd do anything to put the team on national TV. So at ESPN's behest, more than one of his games against Temple (awesome blood feud rivalry BTW) tipped off at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Some fun driving back through Western Mass. to Boston at 2-3 a.m.

 

FAU-Northwestern is a fart noise on a basketball court

 

Boo Booie is no Jack Gohlke.

 

So Dusty May is the guaranteed solution to every high major opening huh?

 

Put it this way: Baylor scored 54 points in the first half today.

NW and FAU combined to score 39 points in the first half.

At least CBS announcers aren’t trying to push the “great defense” line.

That being said, the Wildcats have opened up strong in the second half.

 

Colgate getting pasted by Baylor. Bears brushing them aside.