Selection Sunday-NCAA tournament thread

Coaching in college basketball is so much more than X's and O's. And Tom Crean is great at a lot of those other elements. Thad Matta is not a particularly savvy in-game strategist, either. Ohio State fans bitch about it as often as Indiana fans bitch about Crean.

Recruiting and player development are the hallmarks of elite college basketball coaching right now. You have a much better shot winning a title with Matta or John Calipari than Tom Izzo, who seems to scare off the highest echelon of recruits.

 

Much better might be overstating it considering Izzo gets some pretty good players and has had a ton of success, but I am with you on the basic overall point.

 

You're right. "Much" applies to Matta vs. Bo Ryan.

 

When I looked at this matchup, my first though was, why during the rush hour? Then I remembered it's about TV, not getting asses in seats.

Could holding the games on Easter weekend be hurting attendance as well??

 

Sounds like your Knight in shining armor.

 

Zeller shot 3-11 with 6 of his shots blocked. That is Yinka Dare/Montross stuff right there.

 

Does Zeller stay another year? I wouldn't. He needs to develop. He needs to hear another voice. He just plays so small.

 

But all the draft boards have him rated so high!

 

Sure, and if he stays that high, he certainly should leave. But after last night, I have my doubts.

 

I tried to root for Wichita State last night. But they kept showing Gregg Marshall. And then I remembered why I just can't root for the Shockers.

 

Speaking of pricks: Steve Alford held his season-wrapping presser yesterday, and it sounded like it was textbook Alford throughout.

This was my favorite part, when a reporter couldn't even finish the question about the timing of the announcement of his 10-year contract extension coming the day before the NCAA game ...

Question: Was the timing of the contract news, the day before the NCAA Tournament …
Alford: “See Paul Krebs. … I gave a lot to stay here. I took away incentives that I’ve made for five consecutive years. Six consecutive years. I took those out of my contract. I think it was a pretty big commitment, not only on the school’s part, but it was a pretty big commitment on my part especially what’s out there and the opportunities that are out there to show my loyalty to UNM and how much I appreciate UNM and how much I want to continue to build this thing.”

So the Boy Wonder loses to Harvard for his second career 3 vs. 14 loss in the NCAAS, a day after the bizarre timing of this contract announcement, and it's the AD's fault for the timing of it, and Alford is hung up on the incentives he gave up and how he's making so many sacrifices in getting a 10-year deal that pushes his guaranteed income to nearly $2 million a year, because there are so many other opportunities out there for him.

Steve Alford = True Humanitarian

http://www.abqjournal.com/sports/2013/03/28/alford-final-loss-shouldnt-define-season.html

 

He will be a lottery pick. There's no way around it. He should have left after last season.