Could this be "the" year...?

the_ouskull · Post by **the_ouskull** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:47 pm

The year that, for the first time ever, NO #1 seed makes it to the Final Four? There seems to be a lot of parity, and, as you get later in the regionals, good matchups. OSU could take out Illinois. 'Cuse could take out Duke. UConn could take out UNC. Hell, Pitt could take out Washington, much less some of those other teams...

What do you guys think about the probability of this happening...?

the_ouskull

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:58 pm

Considering I have Oakland, Eastern Kentucky, Fairleigh Dickinson and Winthrop in my final four, I'd say pretty good.

-jtr

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:37 pm

Probably the best year for it to happen. Each #1 seed could face a pretty daunting opponent in the later rounds, so it could happen.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:25 pm

I think it could happen primarily because every top team has shown an ability to lose to inferior competition. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to have none of them in the Final Four.

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 3:28 am

I only have one #1 seed making the Final Four (Carolina). I have Illinois losing to Oklahoma State, Washington losing to Louisville and Duke losing to Syracuse.

My Final Four is:

OkSt, Wake, UNC and Kentucky.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:40 am

Good question but I think at least one #1 seed will get in. My picks:

UNC
Duke
Wake
Arizona

Buried_Nick · Post by **Buried_Nick** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 3:20 pm

[like this matters]

I got:

OSU
Louisville
Kansas
Mi. St.

btw- the reason no #1's might make it, is because the comittee let the last couple games of the weekend determine #1's. Which I've heard they haven't done that before. So they threw Duke and Wa. in there, when if you look at overal body of work; OK St. and Wake (even Loisville!) deserve the #1's.

I think this year, even a #5 or higher, may be in the Final four, there's that much parity.

MuchoBulls · Post by **MuchoBulls** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 3:58 pm

Oklahoma State
Louisville
Syracuse
UConn

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 7:05 pm

MSUFAN wrote:
I got:

Mi. St.

Nice pick, homer. They've beaten... what... one top 25 team in nearly three seasons and you expect them to beat two or three of them in a row.

quacker backer · Post by **quacker backer** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 10:57 pm

Ok State
Wake Forest
Fla
Dook

Adelpiero · Post by **Adelpiero** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:29 pm

OU is going to lose to Utah.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:29 am

Rack Fu wrote:
MSUFAN wrote:
I got:

Mi. St.

Nice pick, homer. They've beaten... what... one top 25 team in nearly three seasons and you expect them to beat two or three of them in a row.

RACK...that team shits itself in every close game. If ODU or Syracuse take them down to the wire...the Spartans will be home by the end of the weekend. Atleast they do well in the classroom though.

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:49 am

Rack Fu wrote:
MSUFAN wrote:
I got:

Mi. St.

Nice pick, homer. They've beaten... what... one top 25 team in nearly three seasons and you expect them to beat two or three of them in a row.

Buried_Nick · Post by **Buried_Nick** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:53 am

Rack Fu wrote:
Rack Fu wrote:
MSUFAN wrote:
I got:

Mi. St.

Nice pick, homer. They've beaten... what... one top 25 team in nearly three seasons and you expect them to beat two or three of them in a row.

Nice catch, Fu. I gotta give ya that one. :wink:

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:58 am

MSUFAN wrote:
Rack Fu wrote:
Rack Fu wrote:

Nice pick, homer. They've beaten... what... one top 25 team in nearly three seasons and you expect them to beat two or three of them in a row.

Nice catch, Fu. I gotta give ya that one. :wink:

Well, based on this year's regular season and the last couple of seasons...you're boys haven't beaten the top dogs. Gotta give them props though for this weekend slaying two of the mighty in Duke and Kentucky. You gotta go through North Carolina next...yikes.

Buried_Nick · Post by **Buried_Nick** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:22 am

Yep. And probably one of the top coaches today, maybe the tops, when you look at his only 10 years on the job, has 6 full days to prepare for Mr. May. The other two good guys they have don't really scare me as much as say, a Head and a Williams of Ill. I like the feeling of this next game. May vs. Davis will be huge!

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 12:48 pm

State has proven to be as athletic as any team in the country when you see the stuff that Ager does above the rim and the way they can run the floor. Carolina is nothing but athletes.

At point, the Heels have the veteran in Felton and the Spartans have the freshman in Neitzel. He's looked like a freshman for most of the season but grew up quickly in this tournament. I'd still take Felton in this matchup but Neitzel probably won't make the freshman mistakes he made earlier in the season.

State is one of the best teams from the line and we saw in the game on Friday and Sunday that they can hit those shots to ice the game away if they're ahead late. Carolina better hope they don't fall behind late to State by a 4 or 5 points because the free throw shooting will make that lead stick.

We saw yesterday against Wisconsin that Carolina can go ice cold from the floor and if they can't rebound the ball on their end, they're vulnerable to a big run by the other team. Wisconsin made that big push at the end of the first half and for the first couple of minutes in the second half. Rebounding will be so important because of each teams transition games. Each team has to convert on offensive rebounds and they have to avoid careless mistakes. The veteran Spartans won't make as many mistakes so the pressure will be Carolina from that standpoint.

To be honest, I don't see this being more than a 4 or 5 point bulge either way. This game will go down to the end like the games this weekend. I want to say Carolina because you know how much seeing State make a run pains me. The Heels have been vulnerable for most of the tournament while State has been the better team in all four of their games. It may come down to coaching and the fact that Izzo has gotten the job done while Roy hasn't.