2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

[EnochRoot]

I just fucking hope this all means an NBA team makes Wright an insane offer.

Is he a practicing Catholic?

[Nonlinear FC]

I legitimately no joking no sarcastically admire CBS/TBS restraint in only showing Sister Jean like three times during the game.

I watched last night on TBS and it was the MI Teamcast.

It was nun-free and it was glorious. I hope they do the same feed on Monday night. I hate how the national feed starts to line up behind the underdog, despite how the game is going and they just pitbull the damn situation instead of just calling the game. I have no idea how much they did that last night, but given how the game went until about 10 minutes left, I'm sure I would've been driven nuts.

I know it's as cliche to ppl that have been watching/listening to this tournament, but it is INSANE for a MI fan to watch a team claw it's way through terrible shooting with their defense.

If MI can come anywhere close to how it shot in the BTT or against A&M, they have a real chance. Nova is a beast on offense and more athletic overall.

[Joe K]

I win a pool as long as the total doesn’t go over 159 on Monday, so Michigan better not shoot like they did against A&M! Even though 159 is well above the Vegas O/U, Nova’s performance last night has me a bit worried. Kansas’ defense isn’t nearly as good as Michigan’s but that was still a damn impressive offensive display.

[Brontoburglar]

I legitimately no joking no sarcastically admire CBS/TBS restraint in only showing Sister Jean like three times during the game.

It was nun-free and it was glorious. I hope they do the same feed on Monday night. I hate how the national feed starts to line up behind the underdog, despite how the game is going and they just pitbull the damn situation instead of just calling the game. I have no idea how much they did that last night, but given how the game went until about 10 minutes left, I'm sure I would've been driven nuts.

that really didn't happen at all

[sancarlos]

I legitimately no joking no sarcastically admire CBS/TBS restraint in only showing Sister Jean like three times during the game.

It was nun-free and it was glorious. I hope they do the same feed on Monday night. I hate how the national feed starts to line up behind the underdog, despite how the game is going and they just pitbull the damn situation instead of just calling the game. I have no idea how much they did that last night, but given how the game went until about 10 minutes left, I'm sure I would've been driven nuts.

that really didn't happen at all

Yeah, I never see the anti-Michigan bias that Michigan people often perceive. I used to work for a company based in Ann Arbor, and to watch a game up there, I'd have thought that the announcers, referees and hot dog vendors all had a grudge against their teams.

[teeteebee]

I just fucking hope this all means an NBA team makes Wright an insane offer.

Word I’ve heard for a bit now is the only job he’d seriously consider is the Sixers. Other than that, it’s a high probability that he stays put and expands his legendary status on the Main Line.

But if the Sixers finding themselves in need of a coach, he may just find an exit.

[Joe K]

I just fucking hope this all means an NBA team makes Wright an insane offer.

Word I’ve heard for a bit now is the only job he’d seriously consider is the Sixers. Other than that, it’s a high probability that he stays put and expands his legendary status on the Main Line.

But if the Sixers finding themselves in need of a coach, he may just find an exit.

Since the Sixers stock with Brett Brown (and, for that matter, he stuck with them) for the entirety of The Process, I doubt they’ll be looking for a coach anytime soon.

[HaulCitgo]

Notre Dame girl. Goodness. Charlotte Smith. Twice?

[Joe K]

Notre Dame girl. Goodness. Charlotte Smith. Twice?

I’m probably forgetting someone but I can’t think of anyone having comparable last play heroics in consecutive games on such a big stage.

[Ryan]

Link that, if clicked, goes to the Wikipedia page for the 2004 American League Championship Series

[Rex]

Byung Hyun Kim

[Joe K]

Byung Hyun Kim

Kim was actually the first thing that came to mind for me but he was an equal opportunity offender who gave up huge hits to Martinez, Brosius and Jeter. And while Ortiz is a decent comp, the Red Sox still had to win Games 6 and 7 (and also the World Series). So, in my mind, that would be more analogous to someone hitting consecutive buzzer beaters in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

[Nonlinear FC]

I legitimately no joking no sarcastically admire CBS/TBS restraint in only showing Sister Jean like three times during the game.

It was nun-free and it was glorious. I hope they do the same feed on Monday night. I hate how the national feed starts to line up behind the underdog, despite how the game is going and they just pitbull the damn situation instead of just calling the game. I have no idea how much they did that last night, but given how the game went until about 10 minutes left, I'm sure I would've been driven nuts.

that really didn't happen at all

Yeah, I never see the anti-Michigan bias that Michigan people often perceive. I used to work for a company based in Ann Arbor, and to watch a game up there, I'd have thought that the announcers, referees and hot dog vendors all had a grudge against their teams.

I'm talking about a pretty specific thing, which is slanting the narrative of the coverage towards the underdog. If it didn't happen on Saturday, yippee, I was glad not to have to deal with anything other than guys pulling for MI to win.

I don't need objectivity in my sports casting. Analysis and reporting, yes. Not when I'm going insane with stress and anxiety in the middle of the game.

(And I'm not going to deny that MI fans tend to think we're being screwed by refs, that the coverage pulls for the other team, and that the dog-catcher is out to snare our pets. It's taken me moving out of the state to drop some of that mentality, but it surely does exist among that fan base. It's just not what I was talking about.)

[Pruitt]

I did a total of 10 minutes research and watched half of one game this season.

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

Miracles do happen.

[Jerloma]

I did a total of 10 minutes research and watched half of one game this season.

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

Miracles do happen.

A miracle would be if I pay you by July.

(Just kidding)

[Pruitt]

I did a total of 10 minutes research and watched half of one game this season.

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

Miracles do happen.

A miracle would be if I pay you by July.

(Just kidding)

Huh?!

[L-Jam3]

So how you feeling, Brian? The Logans got some serious D.

[brian]

So how you feeling, Brian? The Logans got some serious D.

Nonlinear’s the guy you should be feeling sorry for. I really don’t give a fuck about Michigan.

[L-Jam3]

Jeez. That was an ass-whooping. Great season, Nonlinear. I would’ve rooted for Michigan personally if Nova got knocked off earlier, 1989 be damned.

[Gunpowder]

I did a total of 10 minutes research and watched half of one game this season.

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

Miracles do happen.

I watched 0 seconds and had a bracket that finished 9,313rd overall on ESPN.com.

[wlu_lax6]

I don't know if anyone's commented on it yet, but it's freaky how the benches sit below the floor.

Doesn't Vanderbilt have the same setup at their gym? Yeah feels extra dangerous.

[A_B]

I don't know if anyone's commented on it yet, but it's freaky how the benches sit below the floor.

Doesn't Vanderbilt have the same setup at their gym? Yeah feels extra dangerous.

The players sit on the endline at vandy, but the fans start below the court, yes.

[Joe K]

I’ll admit that I may have some reecency bias but this Villanova team has to rank pretty damn high on on the list of all-time college basketball teams if you were picking who would win a head-to-head matchup. If you can play a lineup where all 5 guys have range to the 3-point line, it’s nearly impossible to defend. And it really didn’t seem like they had any significant defensive or rebounding vulnerabilities as a result of playing such a shooting-heavy lineup, which is the normal tradeoff.

[L-Jam3]

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

I think KVH graduated a year early before that Final Four Utah team. Like an early example of the Ewing Theory by [that fucking guy].

[Jerloma]

I did a total of 10 minutes research and watched half of one game this season.

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

Miracles do happen.

What did you want to withhold for a commissioner's cut?

[Joe K]

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

I think KVH graduated a year early before that Final Four Utah team. Like an early example of the Ewing Theory by [that fucking guy].

I call it the “Actually Andre Miller was a Much More Valuable Player than Van Horn But Was Underrated for His Entire NCAA and NBA Career Theory.”

[L-Jam3]

Good point, Joe K. I guess I, like everyone...



...Forgot about Dre.

[Pruitt]

I did a total of 10 minutes research and watched half of one game this season.

If Villanova wins, I take a March madness pool - first time in the money in one of these pools since Keith Van Horn to the final game in '98!

Miracles do happen.

What did you want to withhold for a commissioner's cut?

The standard vig is fine.

I should also point out that I went in to last season's pool with the same amount of preparation and was eliminated before dinner on the first Friday.

[mister d]

This dude couldn't go an hour after the game without thinking about us ...

[HaulCitgo]

I’ll admit that I may have some reecency bias but this Villanova team has to rank pretty damn high on on the list of all-time college basketball teams if you were picking who would win a head-to-head matchup. If you can play a lineup where all 5 guys have range to the 3-point line, it’s nearly impossible to defend. And it really didn’t seem like they had any significant defensive or rebounding vulnerabilities as a result of playing such a shooting-heavy lineup, which is the normal tradeoff.

All time? Maybe we should start with this decade.

[A_B]

Jay Wright will be next coach at Duke.

[mister d]

Knowing what I know about him from following local basketball and 3rd hand semi-insiders, that won't happen. The only way he's leaving is for the NBA and even that is seen as unlikely.

[L-Jam3]

Yeah, I don’t know if this Nova team keeps it close with ‘90 Vegas unless they are really shooting it.

(That’s my default for the best college team I ever saw.)

[A_B]

Knowing what I know about him from following local basketball and 3rd hand semi-insiders, that won't happen. The only way he's leaving is for the NBA and even that is seen as unlikely.

If Sixers job opened up in 2-3 years, I would agree.

[govmentchedda]

Yeah, I don’t know if this Nova team keeps it close with ‘90 Vegas unless they are really shooting it.

(That’s my default for the best college team I ever saw.)

That team was so great. I love my 05-07 Gators, but they'd get stomped by the Runnin' Rebs.

[Joe K]

Yeah, I don’t know if this Nova team keeps it close with ‘90 Vegas unless they are really shooting it.

(That’s my default for the best college team I ever saw.)

That team was so great. I love my 05-07 Gators, but they'd get stomped by the Runnin' Rebs.

I think a lot of the historically great teams would have no clue how to guard a modern team like Nova that has 5 guys capable of hitting 3s. How many teams playing in 1990, 2000, or even 2010 had players like Bridges and Spellman who could guard big men while also having legitimate 3-point range? Spellman started at the 5 for them and made 43.3% of 3s on nearly 4 attempts per game. This is the same reason why Golden State wrecked the NBA when they started playing Draymond Green at center in crunch time beginning in 2015. Lineups with that much speed and shooting are so hard to play against if they don’t have any major defensive holes.

[Joe K]

ETA: That 1990 UNLV team made 6.5 3s per game, at a 37.7% rate. While that was really good for 1990, this year’s Nova team made 11.5 3s per game at a 40.1% rate. That’s a really big advantage in Nova’s favor.

[brian]

I'm going to renew GPJ's argument against comparing teams of different eras using cherry-picked statistical information when the real reason a team from 30 (or 40 or 60) years ago would never have a chance is probably more to do with modern conditioning, nutrition, weight training, etc.

If you somehow put the 2008 Lions or 2017 Browns in 1972, either one of those teams would have gone 17-0 that season instead of the 1972 Dolphins.

[Joe K]

I'm going to renew GPJ's argument against comparing teams of different eras using cherry-picked statistical information when the real reason a team from 30 (or 40 or 60) years ago would never have a chance is probably more to do with modern conditioning, nutrition, weight training, etc.

If you somehow put the 2008 Lions or 2017 Browns in 1972, either one of those teams would have gone 17-0 that season instead of the 1972 Dolphins.

That’s all obviously true but my point was less about cherry picking stats than it is that strategic knowledge in just about every sport improves significantly over time. And Villanova’s coaches and players are doing the best job of any college program of using the modern offensive philosophy — whether you call it Moreyball or something else — of heavy shooting/spacing and relying on 3s and drives to the rim to maximize offensive efficiency.

[brian]

Yeah, the implication there was same with the NFL analogy. A team with knowledge of modern football strategy (high completion percentage passes, better blocking techniques, stunting and blitzing) would make the best team from 35 years ago look absolutely stupid.

Hell, this Michigan team last night which is a very good team, but obviously nowhere near as good as Villanova and maybe about the 6th to 10th best team in college basketball this year, would probably still be a favorite to beat the UNLV team from 1990 in a seven-game series.