2024-25 College Basketball Thread

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Also, that fun monstrosity that is the Sun Belt Tournament begins Tuesday. The top two seeds won't tap into it until Sunday, the tournament's sixth day.

That thing is grotesque, especially for a league with a four-way tie for first. There's basically no difference between the top four teams, but I'd bet two of them lose their first games b/c they've been sitting for six months.

 

[Flip Wilson]

I totally get one-bid conferences protecting their top seeds. But maybe they should just not have a full field. Like top six go or something. I'm sure the coaches want everyone in though for at least one more game or whatever.

I was an SID for a Sun Belt school in another career, and for the first few games of the tourney, there was almost nobody in the stands. There were the teams that were going to play later in the day and maybe a handful of fans from out of town, but it was almost an empty arena. And then if the team hosting the thing didn't make the championship game, the celebration - with confetti and balloons and everything - was just sad.

Of course, there was excitement that one year when indoor fireworks or sparklers or something sent hot ashes down on some of the fans and sent them scrambling. That was fun.

 

[dixiehack]

If you are a one-bid league 95-100 percent of the time, you should probably invite no more than eight teams. And if you have a neutral site it better be an easy drive for several schools.

 

[Della9250]

Was curious about this, but teams who are unbeaten at home this year:

VCU (15-0)
Duke (16-0)
St. John's (18-0)*
Yale (11-0)*
Akron (15-0)
Southern (10-0)
St. Thomas (14-0)
Utah Valley (12-0)*

*-denotes home schedule is complete.

St. John's would be the only team playing at home in its conference tournament. I thought the Ivy went to the top seed but it's at Brown's home court this year.

they changed the rule and St. John's Big East Tournament games don't count as home games any more. They are neutral site now because of the ticket dispersal

 

[swingline]

How did this Michigan team win 22 games? They look awful.

 

[Della9250]

How did this Michigan team win 22 games? They look awful.

everything they win is close — their last nine victories are all by four or less and they have 11 total

 

[Batman]

That thing is grotesque, especially for a league with a four-way tie for first. There's basically no difference between the top four teams, but I'd bet two of them lose their first games b/c they've been sitting for six months.

The top four teams will go either eight or nine days between games. The Sun Belt normally plays on a Saturday-Wednesday/Thursday-Saturday schedule, so they're basically getting one playing date and only one or two extra days off from their normal routine.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

That NCSU's women earned a co-championship for the regular season in a brutal ACC is impressive. Also get the No. 1 seed for the league tournament based on beating co-champion Notre Dame in their only regular-season meeting.

(Also went unbeaten at home. At Reynolds Coliseum. Staying home was smart, eh?)

 

[swingline]

I want a Starch Madness T-shirt.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

OK, I'll say it:

This is March.

 

[tapintoamerica]

I suppose the numbers may go down as the competition gets tougher, but at this moment, Duke (+39.08) and Auburn (+37.64) have the two highest KenPom overall ratings this century. Only Duke in 1999 (a staggering +43.01) has posted a higher number.

 

[micropolitan guy]

If KU keeps losing the system is so rigged they'll work themselves up to a # 3 seed. They had big wins in November!