The Official NCAA Tournament Thread

[marc]

Originally Posted by SWardle

I don't know, they've averaged right near an "Elite 8" finish under Coach K for the past 30 years (averaging nearly 3 wins in the tourney every single year; a full win better than UNC, UK etc.. over the same span). They've been to 6 title games, won 3. 10 or 11 Final Fours spanning back to 86, I believe. Seems pretty friggin' dominant to me. Kentucky can't claim that. UNC can't. UCLA can't. Not over the past 30 years, anywho. UCLA obviously had the most dominant span ever in college hoops.

Just about all of these acheivements have occured in the last 15-17 years, not 30. UCLA dominated the 70's and there were lots of stronger programs in the 80's.

Not taking anything away from Duke but they haven't been dominant since the mid 70's.

[PerfectMisnomer]

Originally Posted by SWardle

I don't know, they've averaged right near an "Elite 8" finish under Coach K for the past 30 years (averaging nearly 3 wins in the tourney every single year; a full win better than UNC, UK etc.. over the same span). They've been to 6 title games, won 3. 10 or 11 Final Fours spanning back to 86, I believe. Seems pretty friggin' dominant to me. Kentucky can't claim that. UNC can't. UCLA can't. Not over the past 30 years, anywho. UCLA obviously had the most dominant span ever in college hoops.

Calm down, it was only one loss. Once Paulus leaves you'll be fine.

[darthpb]

Originally Posted by PerfectMisnomer

Calm down, it was only one loss. Once Paulus leaves you'll be fine.

Gee, Paulis has 25pts 5a 3s
Where was Nelson/ 8pts 5 TO and Scherer's shot was MIA

[PerfectMisnomer]

Originally Posted by darthpb

Gee, Paulis has 22 pts 5a 3s
Where was Nelson/ 8pts 5 TO and Scherer's shot was MIA

Yeah, because scoring points is all you need to do in college basketball. The man he was guarding, Maynor, scored 22 points with 8 assists, as he took over the game. Forgot to add Paulus' 6 turnovers to his stat line, didn't you? Six turnovers to four assists is quite amazing, let me say. Or he could have hit more than 60% of his free throws...

Paulus is known as a point guard who cannot handle athletic point guards (Maynor), and is known for turning the ball over when under high pressure. He should spend more time working on being a point guard, and maybe Duke would do better. Tonight was an example to why he's nothing more than a whiny player, as marc and I have come to know.

[darthpb]

Originally Posted by PerfectMisnomer

Yeah, because scoring points is all you need to do in college basketball. The man he was guarding, Maynor, scored 22 points with 8 assists, as he took over the game. Forgot to add Paulus' 6 turnovers to his stat line, didn't you? Or he could have hit more than 60% of his free throws...

Paulus is known as a point guard who cannot handle athletic point guards (Maynor), and is known for turning the ball over when under high pressure. He should spend more time working on being a point guard, and maybe Duke would do better. Tonight was an example to why he's nothing more than a whiny player, as marc and I have come to know.

So you're killing him and given Nelson a pass. We all know Paulis is more guts than talent my opinion is Demarcus is more talent than guts so there

[PerfectMisnomer]

Originally Posted by darthpb

So you're killing him and given Nelson a pass. We all know Paulis is more guts than talent my opinion is Demarcus is more talent than guts so there

I can't compete with that logic...

*bows down*

For what its worth, I never gave Nelson a pass. From Paulus' play, he'd have a hard time giving Nelson a pass as well.

[magnet]

'

[SWardle]

Originally Posted by PerfectMisnomer

Calm down, it was only one loss. Once Paulus leaves you'll be fine.

I guess anyone who speaks the truth _must_ be a Duke fan, right? I happen to be an Arizona Wildcat fan born and bred. I played college ball at Northern Arizona. So, I have _zero_ allegiance to Duke. I'm just a huge college hoops enthusiast and it drives me batty when people make ignorant statements about the best college basketball program of my lifetime, and subsequently, most people here. They took an early exit from the tourney this year... ok? Well, there's a lot of words to describe Duke and their program... and "sucks" certainly isn't one of them.

[Big Hugg]

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the Drew Lavender "I grew up wanting to go to Ohio State and you guys didn't offer me a scholarship" show on Saturday.

The Jim O'Brien era isn't quite done messing with us yet. Him refusing to offer Lavender a scholaship because he had the amazing Brandon Fuss-Cheatham might be my favorite O'Brien blunder of all.

[twins15]

Originally Posted by PerfectMisnomer

I thought this was already common knowledge?

DUKE IS GONE!!!! YESSSSSSSSS

Primadonna's losing to a team that actually plays hard. Justice is served.

Wait a minute, Duke doesn't play hard? I mean, I realize they're not athletic and they don't have much offensive skill, but since when do they not play hard?

(not a Duke fan)

[SWardle]

Originally Posted by PerfectMisnomer

Yeah, because scoring points is all you need to do in college basketball. The man he was guarding, Maynor, scored 22 points with 8 assists, as he took over the game. Forgot to add Paulus' 6 turnovers to his stat line, didn't you? Six turnovers to four assists is quite amazing, let me say. Or he could have hit more than 60% of his free throws...

Paulus is known as a point guard who cannot handle athletic point guards (Maynor), and is known for turning the ball over when under high pressure. He should spend more time working on being a point guard, and maybe Duke would do better. Tonight was an example to why he's nothing more than a whiny player, as marc and I have come to know.

I don't know where the "whiney" thing comes from. But I agree with most of this. Paulus is far better suited to play SG. He has no trouble scoring. He's good getting to the rim, he's a good slasher, a good mid and long range shooter. He just can't run an offensive effeciently. He's like the Michael Vick of point guards. He plays out of control and too fast to think and if he has a guy wide open five feet away, he'll throw a 100 mph rocket right at his feet instead of taking his time.

If Duke had a good PG they'd have been a _far_ better team this year. A lot of McRoberts scoring troubles had to do with their shoddy PG play. McRoberts had to handle the ball far too much for a big man and couldn't be properly used down low because of it. And there's always the fact that Paulus couldn't even get him the ball consistently even when McRoberts would camp down low against inferior big men.

Throw in the fact that Paulus throws the ball away consistently, turns the ball over like just ate a bucket of fried chicken and well... it's no wonder that Duke's season turned out the way it did. Paulus would be far better at SG.

[Vris]

I missed ODU, Oral Roberts, and Duke yesterday. I had Duke in the S16, so that hurts the most. Otherwise, I'll take a 9/12 day as long as don't lose my E8 and F4 teams.

[PerfectMisnomer]

Originally Posted by SWardle

I don't know where the "whiney" thing comes from. But I agree with most of this. Paulus is far better suited to play SG. He has no trouble scoring. He's good getting to the rim, he's a good slasher, a good mid and long range shooter. He just can't run an offensive effeciently. He's like the Michael Vick of point guards. He plays out of control and too fast to think and if he has a guy wide open five feet away, he'll throw a 100 mph rocket right at his feet instead of taking his time.

If Duke had a good PG they'd have been a _far_ better team this year. A lot of McRoberts scoring troubles had to do with their shoddy PG play. McRoberts had to handle the ball far too much for a big man and couldn't be properly used down low because of it. And there's always the fact that Paulus couldn't even get him the ball consistently even when McRoberts would camp down low against inferior big men.

Throw in the fact that Paulus throws the ball away consistently, turns the ball over like just ate a bucket of fried chicken and well... it's no wonder that Duke's season turned out the way it did. Paulus would be far better at SG.

The whiny part is just something myself and a few others have come to think of him, after watching him play in a few games. It's more of a dislike for him, then anything else.

[PerfectMisnomer]

Originally Posted by twins15

Wait a minute, Duke doesn't play hard? I mean, I realize they're not athletic and they don't have much offensive skill, but since when do they not play hard?

(not a Duke fan)

You're right, I shouldn't have said play hard, because they do give it their all.

[marc]

Originally Posted by Big Hugg

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the Drew Lavender "I grew up wanting to go to Ohio State and you guys didn't offer me a scholarship" show on Saturday.

The Jim O'Brien era isn't quite done messing with us yet. Him refusing to offer Lavender a scholaship because he had the amazing Brandon Fuss-Cheatham might be my favorite O'Brien blunder of all.

I'm probably the biggest basher of Jim O'Brien recruiting blunders but the problem with Lavender was not only did we have Fuss-Cheatham coming but we had a few transfers in the fold also in Tony Stockman and JJ Sullinger.

On top of that, coming out, him and his teammate Brandon Faust were a package deal. Faust got booted off the team at Oklahoma and Lavender transferred back to Xavier when that happened.

Damn, all this Brookhaven talk makes me think about the serious talent that school has produced over the last decade.

[marc]

Originally Posted by Vris

I missed ODU, Oral Roberts, and Duke yesterday. I had Duke in the S16, so that hurts the most. Otherwise, I'll take a 9/12 day as long as don't lose my E8 and F4 teams.

There were 16 games. If you were 13-3 you did very well. My target is usually 12-4 each day in the 1st round. I got killed yesterday going 10-6 and losing Duke who I put in the elite 8. I need a big day today, if I can go 13-3 or 14-2 and not lose any sweet 16 teams I'll be just fine.

[Cooleyvol]

12-4 yesterday in the Gridiron Glory pool. I'll take that, but want at least a 14-2 day today.

[marc]

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

12-4 yesterday in the Gridiron Glory pool. I'll take that, but want at least a 14-2 day today.

Ugh, forgot to sign up for that.

[andymac]

I went 14-2 in both of my brackets. However, in my main one I lost sweet 16 teams George Washington & Duke.

In my "Pomeroy" bracket, I only lost Marquette & BYU...both teams I had losing in the 2nd round.

Interestingly, my Pomeroy bracket has Texas losing today...so GO AGGIES!!

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by FrancoeurFranks7

With the first seven games having the higher seed win(assuming A+M hold on), I think the odds would be favoring an upset in the last game of the afternoon action(#11 G.W. vs #6 Vandy).

LOL