T1B

We'll finalize the Sweet 16 today.

This group of games should yield some more wild results than what we'll see Saturday. Scoring was so out of control Friday with 3 teams going over 100 including Tennessee going "Loyola Marymount" on Long Beach State.

It's really nice blend of games...a few mid-major teams in action in games they are very capable of winning. Wisconsin looked ripe for any early exit yesterday and I can see the Rebels taking them down on Sunday. The Badgers look out of gas.

Funny to see USC and Texas meet up in the tourney after their classic battle of the gridiron last January. That should be an up and down affair.

Picks:
Tennessee over Virginia
Florida over Purdue
UNLV over Wisconsin
Southern Illinois over Virginia Tech
Oregon over Winthrop
Kansas over Kentucky
Nevada over Memphis
Texas over USC

Damn Shoalzie, I like every one of your picks. Va Tech - SIU will really be an interesting game. Didn't SIU already beat them this year?

Wisconsin over UNLV
VaTech over SIU
Winthrop over Oregon

That's where I differ with you Shoalzie.

None of those results would shock me if they went the other way...it is literally a 50/50 proposition right now picking these games. There aren't a lot of clear cut favorites and picking these games against the number would be a nightmare.

Got us a finish in Chicago...the Rebels need to get a hand in the face of Taylor.

Florida escapes Purdue playing substandard basketball.....very lazy effort. They finally decided to show up with three minutes to go. They can be beaten very easily.

props to UNLV, they said on Thursday that was their first NCAA win since 91 or something. jeez. they've been bad, but 16 years.

who designs their uniforms, the Nazi party?

Shoalzie wrote:Picks:
Tennessee over Virginia
Florida over Purdue
UNLV over Wisconsin
Southern Illinois over Virginia Tech
Oregon over Winthrop

$ so far, Shoalz.

I had UNLV beating Wisconsin in this round, before the tourney started.

Btw, RACK Purdue for a hell of an effort against Florida. A few more made free-throws and Purdue could have pulled it off.

Looking forward to the KU-UK game here. The last time those teams played in the tourney it was a 3-6 matchup ... went into double OT if I remember correctly. Probably in the top 5 of the best college basketball games I have ever seen. I doubt this game will be as good, but we'll see.

Props to UNLV. Southern Illinois is looking quite strong as well.

I like this mix of teams moving to the Sweet 16. We don't have that oddball like George Mason but see these middle conference powers going against the major conference powers. Nice distribution of the major conferences as well...3 out of the SEC, possibly 3 out of the Big XII, 2 from the Big East and Pac-10 and then one from the Big Ten and ACC. I think we'll have a nice weekend of hoops coming up.

RadioFan wrote:

Shoalzie wrote:Picks:
Tennessee over Virginia
Florida over Purdue
UNLV over Wisconsin
Southern Illinois over Virginia Tech
Oregon over Winthrop

$ so far, Shoalz.

I had UNLV beating Wisconsin in this round, before the tourney started.

13 for 13 with three games left today...I'd be tearing it up in a round-by-round bracket contest. I could end up with 13 of 16 on the Sweet 16 and all 8 of my Elite 8 remaining after this weekend...I haven't done that well in a while. Chalk for the most part has held up and not many of the first round misses have cost me much.

Great, Nance is already waxing with the obvious cliches. Time to mute this shit and turn on the radio.

RadioFan wrote:Great, Nance is already waxing with the obvious cliches. Time to mute this shit and turn on the radio.

You read my mind...I've got my WMP on shuffle while I'm working on my laptop in front of the TV.

The Westwood One guys are really, really good. My local affiliate is about 5-6 seconds behind the TV broadcast, though. Don't care. I'll take what's going on in the game over "Well, Jim, the Kentucky players just didn't realize what a tall young man Julian Wright is." Jesus Christ.

Btw, wtf is up with CBS' TV scoreboard? Kentucky is "UK," but they've got KU as "Kansas."

Either spell out both or abbreviate both. Annoying.

Durant is a non-factor early on...USC putting it to the Horns.

Texas, WTF??? I know it's a 4/5 game and "anything can happen" and all that, but I really REALLY thought Texas would win this game.

I guess I can say goodbye to my first Final Four team.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Texas, WTF??? I know it's a 4/5 game and "anything can happen" and all that, but I really REALLY thought Texas would win this game.

I guess I can say goodbye to my first Final Four team.

Me too and I've got them in the title game losing to Florida...this single game might eliminate me from both pools I'm in.

RumpleForeskin, your thoughts?

Yeah, as if that shit troll is going to chime in, about now.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Texas, WTF??? I know it's a 4/5 game and "anything can happen" and all that, but I really REALLY thought Texas would win this game.

I guess I can say goodbye to my first Final Four team.

Made a fool out of me as well. Freshman don't really do that much come tourney time.

I shooda' known better, and I am a dumbass.

War Wagon wrote:

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Texas, WTF??? I know it's a 4/5 game and "anything can happen" and all that, but I really REALLY thought Texas would win this game.

I guess I can say goodbye to my first Final Four team.

Made a fool out of me as well. Freshman don't really do that much come tourney time.

I shooda' known better, and I am a dumbass.

I think some of us were thinking Durant could pull a Carmelo Anthony and carry his team deep into the tourney...maybe not win it all though.

They're a high scoring team that would likely go down when their shots stopped going down. They aren't very good defensively and have a mediocre to poor low post game. I said it during the second Texas-Kansas game, they'd go down if a team could defend the perimeter shot...they shot 37% from the field and 25% from outside. They also thrive on fast starts and instead, the Trojans rolled them up in the first half and had them down by as much as 18 in the second half. The shots wouldn't fall and they couldn't mount a rally.

If they can get Durant for another year, they're a sure-fire top 10 team next season but this team just wasn't polished and complete enough to contend.

Durant is gone...potential number one pick.

I think he is gone just b/c I dont see what more he to prove on this level. I would love to see him stay but he is hands down the best player in the nation. I am sure he would have liked to go deeper in the Tourney, but I think since Oden is leaning towards staying in schol, Durant would be the first pick.

OSU makes the FF, I would gamble he's gone. It's one thing to come back and improve your draft stock....remember Matt Leinert....cost himself millions. You would hate to see an injury.

defensively I think he is ready...but offensively he is not very polished...but who knows...we'll know the answer in a couple weeks I am assuming...

although 3 NBA teams were fined for talking about Durant and Oden...

Why not get polished AND PAID at the same time? It doesn't make sense.

NBA doesnt polish IMO. He will get better instruction at the collegiate level.

Gee, tough call on Durant.

Since Swooshy has allegedly offered him a $50 million endorsement deal if he comes out this year...


Hmmm....tough call for him.


And Oldman surely doesn't want the gauranteed money that comes with the #1 pick. Better to stay in school and risk a knee injury, in an effort to lift your draft position from #1 to #1.


:yup,it'sarolleyes:



Anyone who thinks either Durant or Oldman is sticking around should really seek help for their crack-smoking addiction.


But those kids are sure talking a mean game about staying, ain't they?

Dinsdale wrote: And Oldman surely doesn't want the gauranteed money that comes with the #1 pick. Better to stay in school and risk a knee injury, in an effort to lift your draft position from #1 to #1.

I laughed out loud.

Durant to me looks like the second coming of McGrady if he comes out now...great scorer but no defensive game. I think he could use a second year to round out his game some more...it's not like he'll become awful for not leaving now. This whole idea of leave now or blow out your knee is such a tired cliche...how many guys has that happened to? Staying a second year could only help him.

Oden could become Tim Duncan with an edge but I think he needs another year where he's got both hands for the entire year. Same thing with him...staying a second year to polish his game and learn a little more can only help. Going into the NBA next year and playing for a lottery team and getting his brains beat in by more established guys won't be that much fun. Both guys can stay a second year and they'll be on national title contending teams and they'll stay in the spotlight as pro prospects. Their stock will only go up if they stay longer. Honestly, would you rather play with Ohio State and Texas next year or the Celtics and Bobcats?

I think both of them would rather play with Cal...

Shoalzie wrote: Their stock will only go up if they stay longer. Honestly, would you rather play with Ohio State and Texas next year or the Celtics and Bobcats?

Go up? From where? Like DInsdale said....from #1 to #1??????

How can your stock go up when you are the best already?

Polish your skills in a new Ferrari while getting paid. Stay and RISK injury(not a cliche) or go pro and get paid while learning on the job.

Hey I wouldn't blame either of them if they came out or stayed...but Rex Noah, Horford, et al would have made millions had they come out last year and they stuck around...not apples to apples but still they were riding a wave of emotion and their stock was pretty high last year...


by the way Leak...nice quote...we turned the White House into the Swamp...very cool...

The dynamics for those three are beyond believable.....of the three only Brewer comes from a poor background. Horford is the son of a former NBA'er. Noah's parents are a former tennis pro and swedish model(hard to get that one). They ALL live together and made the decision TOGETHER not individually. Good luck finding circumstances like that ever again.

^^^^^^^

yeah that is unbelieveable...I mean considering they all would have been at worst mid first to end of first round guys...I mean that is what it takes to repeat (TALENT) and a little luck and good fortune...they obviously have the talent ala the two Duke teams in 92/93 I believe (who benefited from some luck with the huge shot Lattner hit) and FLA got tested against Purdue and fought back and wore them down...they needed that and that could be the boost...

I like tOSU's chances against UT now...with a better Oden in the lineup and with Lewis and Butler having found their confidence along with Conley who is playing incredible ball right now...one game at a time...beat UT and then move on...

T REX wrote:

Shoalzie wrote: Their stock will only go up if they stay longer. Honestly, would you rather play with Ohio State and Texas next year or the Celtics and Bobcats?

Go up? From where? Like DInsdale said....from #1 to #1??????

How can your stock go up when you are the best already?

Polish your skills in a new Ferrari while getting paid. Stay and RISK injury(not a cliche) or go pro and get paid while learning on the job.

If your family is hurting for money RIGHT NOW, I can understand but he'll be the best player in the draft next year and every additional year he stays in school. It's all about how urgent they are to play in the NBA and get paid. I wouldn't bash them for either decision...they make the college game exciting and selfishly I'd rather they stay another year because I'm not much an NBA fan. If they bolt for the money...I don't blame them but the issue isn't an open and shut case. It's easy for all of us average schmos to say "go for the money" when we aren't the ones with the freakish talent. The money will be there for them whenever they want to leave. You can play in college for only 4 years and once you leave, you can't go back. If these guys like the college hoops experience...let 'em stay.

I agree Shoalzie. If they arent hurting for money, why grow up earlier than you have to? College is a blast especially if you are a superstar athlete.

Cicero wrote: College is a blast

Sin,

I didnt go to school w/ Crown, Indy. He didnt go to FSU.