2024-25 College Basketball Thread

[micropolitan guy]

I was watching some random mid-major game this week, I think it was a Big Sky semi final. The pbp was talking about how it was a one bid league. The color guy, some old coot, said that the best thing about being a one bid league was that they didn't have to mention Joe Lunardi. It was awesome.

He does a lot of MWC games on CBSSN.

With CSU winning last night, MWC has a legit claim to four bids.

 

[Cosmo]

Joe Cravens, who became a minor legend on Reddit this week. Wish I could have stayed up to hear him describe a natural scorer as someone who "can put the brown thing in the round thing."

https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/s/iJFPBAPoQ3

Also found out he had the most underrated ejection in sports history.

That was back in my Big Sky days, so I remember watching that one live. Cravens was always a fun interview.

 

[Cosmo]

Fun storylines for today...
* America East Final: Maine at Bryant. Black Bears have not only never made the NCAA Tournament, they've never played in a postseason tournament of any kind.

* SEC semifinal: Tennessee vs. Auburn. Do the Vols have an outside shot at a 1 seed? Probably not, but a late win over Auburn would provide a compelling argument.

* MEAC final: South Carolina State vs. Norfolk State. Should be a good one. Teams split the season series, each holding serve at home. Norfolk State has an interesting resume, including wins over High Point and James Madison.

* A-10 semifinal: Loyola Chicago vs. VCU. I'm of the opinion that the Rams are an at-large lock at this point, but avoiding a loss to a team outside the top 100 would be advisable.

* MWC final: Boise State vs. Colorado State. This one will be interesting. Boise State is probably barely in at this point, but a loss here sinks them into the danger zone. As good as CSU has been of late, the Rams probably need to win here to get in.

* Big East final: Creighton vs. St. John's. Saturday night at MSG rarely fails to deliver entertainment.

* SWAC final: Alabama State vs. Jackson State. For those trying to get an early jump on scouting the upcoming Dayton games.

* Big West final: UC Irvine vs. UC San Diego. The Tritons managed to draw the only opponent that could help them get an at-large if they were to falter in the title game.

* WAC final: Kind of over Grand Canyon. Go Utah Valley!

 

[tapintoamerica]

Fun storylines for today...
* America East Final: Maine at Bryant. Black Bears have not only never made the NCAA Tournament, they've never played in a postseason tournament of any kind.

* SEC semifinal: Tennessee vs. Auburn. Do the Vols have an outside shot at a 1 seed? Probably not, but a late win over Auburn would provide a compelling argument.

* MEAC final: South Carolina State vs. Norfolk State. Should be a good one. Teams split the season series, each holding serve at home. Norfolk State has an interesting resume, including wins over High Point and James Madison.

* A-10 semifinal: Loyola Chicago vs. VCU. I'm of the opinion that the Rams are an at-large lock at this point, but avoiding a loss to a team outside the top 100 would be advisable.

* MWC final: Boise State vs. Colorado State. This one will be interesting. Boise State is probably barely in at this point, but a loss here sinks them into the danger zone. As good as CSU has been of late, the Rams probably need to win here to get in.

* Big East final: Creighton vs. St. John's. Saturday night at MSG rarely fails to deliver entertainment.

* SWAC final: Alabama State vs. Jackson State. For those trying to get an early jump on scouting the upcoming Dayton games.

* Big West final: UC Irvine vs. UC San Diego. The Tritons managed to draw the only opponent that could help them get an at-large if they were to falter in the title game.

* WAC final: Kind of over Grand Canyon. Go Utah Valley!

To this I would add Dartmouth-Cornell. The Big Green (14-13), having ended its streak of 26 straight losing seasons, seeks to ensure a winning campaign.

 

[poindexter]

America East final, always on Saturday morning, is easily my favorite tournament final. Atmosphere is always fantastic.

 

[Neutral Corner]

He was supposed to be at St. John's. He left when they canned Anderson

He stayed with Andy Kennedy after last season because he was the only one willing to offer Yax a place. He was offered a couple of bags at $1m - and stayed. He got paid here, but there's no way it was anything close to that. The nucleus of last year's team returned to take another run at the AAC championship and promptly ship the bed in the non-con to the point that it's "win the conference tournament or don't dance". And Memphis is really talented this year.

He has another year of eligibility, but I expect him to either be in the NBA or to take a big bag to go to a power school, and we won't resent it. He's a really good kid, and the UAB fans love him to death.

Forgot to mention that he was also one block away from going 5/5/5/5/5, which is ultra rare as well.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Good for Bryant, which won it all a few years ago with a lunatic coke fiend buying players left and right (back when that was frowned upon) as head coach and just returned with lifer Phil Martelli Jr. doing it the less wrong way.

 

[dixiehack]

I am going to get kicked out of heaven for complaining if I die ina tornado today and the last thing I ever saw was Auburn vs. Tennessee.

 

[micropolitan guy]

He'd have gotten a triple double but nobody could hit the shot to give him the last two ashists. Yax played in eleven games in high school.

And, no turnovers. What an amazing game.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Good for Bryant, which won it all a few years ago with a lunatic coke fiend buying players left and right (back when that was frowned upon) as head coach and just returned with lifer Phil Martelli Jr. doing it the less wrong way.

Wow. Has this coke fiend element been reported? Someone needs to write a screenplay.

 

[swingline]

And then he turned himself about.

That's what it's all about!

I think it's "turned around," though.

 

[tapintoamerica]

Lunardi has Colorado State in the bracket twice. Are the Rams good enough to be in Denver and Wichita at the same time?