ZoomSlowik

I gotta assume that you guys will crush the 8th graders unless they are freakishly big or freakishly good. They gotta have at least 2 guys around 6-6, and the way I remember grade school basketball there were like 2 guys in the division that big. I know that would have been ugly comparing my grade school to my high school, we had two all-staters on varsity my freshman year, and one of them was Corey Maggette.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Mar 15, 2005 -> 03:12 PM) Nc State plays defense, Charlotte on the other hand doesn't. I don't think that's an accurate statement. Charlotte does allow several points per game more than NC State, but a good chunk of that can be attributed to their offensive style. NC State runs the Princeton offense, which is designed to work the clock and get quality shot. That shaves off several possessions for the other team. A better indicator would be the oppenent's field goal percentage, which is .432 to .438. That's not that much of a difference. Considering that Charlotte scores about 5 points more per game, that should at least equalize whatever gap there is on defense.

It appears you are getting way too much. Bonds is a stud, but Cabrera is only a decent SS, Carpenter is okay assuming he is healthy (big assumption), and Wickman is one of the weaker closers. I'd be surprised if he took it.

I got Charlotte over NC State. I don't really see why NC State has so much support, they've underacheived all year. Their only major accomplishments were beating another underacheiving team twice in Georgia Tech, beating another major underacheiver in Maryland, and beating Wake without Chris Paul. I know Charlotte hasn't had any major victories either, but they had considerably fewer opportunities. I'm pretty confident Basden will seriously slow down Hodge, and the rest of NC State's team is a collection of mediocrity.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Mar 14, 2005 -> 05:03 PM) OK so not a very good comparison. How Davis, Turiaff or Maxiel? I'd say the closest is Turiaf. Davis doesn't have the same, stamina, rebounding, or shot blocking ability, and Maxiell isn't as tall or agile. considering that Turiaf had 12 and 9 when his ankle was bothering him a bit, and they played only 3 days earlier in Washington where he put up 40 and 11, I wouldn't take that much comfort in that comparison.

I really don't think Duke will get out of the Sweet 16, whether it's Syracuse or MSU. Cuse's zone will make it tough for Williams to be a major factor, and one would assume that they will clamp down on Redick. If they can do both of those with some success, I don't think Duke's other players can win it for them. As for MSU, despite the fact that Duke beat them earlier, I think they can take them now. They were keeping up with Duke most of the game at Cameron, and Redick and Ewing shot the lights out in that game. On a neutral court without Dockery, I think MSU's depth gets them the win.

I really think Louisville can beat anyone if things are going their way. I think they are really similar to the Illini, although not as good in the ball handling department. They can absolutely kill teams from the perimeter, and their guys inside are good enough to slow down the other team's studs inside and pick up some easy baskets every once in a while. However, because they don't have that true PG, I got them going down to the Illini. I really can't believe they got a 4 seed, I thought they were a lock for a 3 with a potential 2 going into the last weekend.

I got this as my bracket where all the wierd s*** happens. I got Utah getting by UTEP and beating OU. After that, I think it gets really wierd. I have absolutely no faith in Kentucky, and I think they go down if they play Cincinnati. Both teams play some decent defense, but I like Cinci's scoring potential better. Hicks and Maxiell are tough inside, and I think they'll get enough scoring from the perimeter. I see Hayes and Azubuike struggling, so unless Sparks comes up with another monster game, I think they go down. I got them taking Utah also, but I have Cuse taking everyone on the other side of the bracket and going to the Final Four.

I actually have UNM in the Sweet 16. I like their diversity of scoring, and Grainger is pretty solid. Villanova can definitely be beat if they're not hitting their 3's, and if Walsh or Roberson are off Florida is very suspect. I got UNC steamrolling everyone except UConn in the final, where I think they will win a fairly close one.

I put Louisville in the Final Four. I like their chances against everyone they face in that bracket. Very few teams can match the scoring ability of Garcia, Dean, and O'Bannon on the perimeter, and Myles and Palacios are decent players inside. They can definitely keep up with Washington, and I think they can slow down Wake enough to take it.

Radenovic isn't really that much of a threat. He's more of a perimeter player anyways, kind of like Wilkinson only not as effective. I'd much rather have Frye than Wilkinson, if they give him the damn ball he can finish around the rim. Arizona would be a tough game, but I personally think the Illini would win because Arizona doesn't have very much diversity in their scoring. If you can stop Stoudamire or Frye from getting 20 you stand a decent chance of beating them, because the rest of their team is somewhat inconstent in scoring. I personally think the Illini match up well against Oklahoma State. Powell and Graham are very similar players, although Graham is much more skilled. They are both very athletic and have similar size. I highly doubt that Graham gets more than about 12 if they happen to meet in the regional final. McFarlin is decent in the post, but he is not a scoring machine in the Wayne Simien/Sean May mode, so I think Augustine will handle him because he is more athletic. That basically leaves Lucas who Dee can definitely keep up with. Their other players like Curry, Bobik, Crawford, and the other Graham are not major threats. If the Illini can score 65 or more, I think they win fairly easily.

My average ended up being between .25 and .3 every time, but I'm at least partially blaming my poor times on my mouse.

Thank god I was using my headphones.

NU over Michigan Iowa over Purdue OSU over PSU Illinois over NU Indiana over Minnesota MSU over Iowa OSU over Wisconsin Illinois over Indiana MSU over OSU MSU over Illinois (not happy about it, I just have a feeling)

That's really good news for UNC that McCants is getting back on the court. They haven't lost without him, but I personally am not sure they could have made the run through the tourney without him. It seemed like they really missed his outside shooting. With him, they are obviously a major threat to win it all.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Mar 7, 2005 -> 10:34 PM) Not that I think Maryland or gtech would beat Illinois but both those teams could be pretty dangerous, imo. Maryland has to get in first Yeah, I think they are dangerous, but not to the Illini, and probably not to UNC.

My god, that is terrible! What's even worse is their logic on some of these picks. Picking a WR #1 to steal headlines? Taking an unproven cover corner basically because of the Bailey deal? Just assuming that the Vikings are going to take a WR because Moss is gone, even if it isn't Williams? That's some major crap.

First weekend loss my ass. One loss to OSU on the road wipes out what they did against probable #1 seed Wake, #4 seed Gonzaga and MSU, #6 Cincinnati and #7 seed Wisconsin? Who the hell is going to beat them on a neutral court that is going to be in the 8-9 game? Maryland? Georgia Tech? Please.

That draft info is slightly different than what I have been reading (Chad Ford on ESPN). He has Deron ranked the #2 PG, behind Paul and pretty much even with Felton and figures him to go somewhere in the middle of the first. They also have Gerald Green ranked a lot lower, I read mid-first at best, and the same for McCants (their comment was something like top 10 talent, but character issues and being slightly undersized would push him to the mid to late first). I also don't see Marvin Williams or Rudy Gay on that list, who both project to be somewhere in the top 10, with a high potential for both of them to go in the top 5.

I used to bowl on my school team, but I was never any good. I barely held on, I did it more for fun than anything. My average was like 110 when I started, then I got to like 125 my sophmore year, around 140 my junior year. For some reason I started sucking horribly senior year and quit. I had no consistency, I'd bowl like a 160 or so, then I'd bowl like a 97 after getting all kinds of splits. One thing I really miss is the Score Celebrity Bowl-a-Thon that they used to run. Those were a blast. My Dad and I participated several years in a row, but unfortunately they stopped because one of the hosts (Marcus Robinson) left the team and the guy that organized it left the Score. I think it was like 100 bucks a bowler, and there were two celebs on every two lanes. They had a decent mix of celebs. Evander Holyfield was there one year, as was Jerome Bettis. There were a ton of Chicago people, pretty much anyone that played for the Bears (Urlacher was even there one year), Gale Sayers, Chris Chelios, Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Bob Love, plus a good chunk of the Chicago sports media people (and obviously pretty much everyone from the Score). They bowled a series with the celebs rotating every game, it was catered, and there was a raffle and auction. I really wish they would bring it back now that I could drink, half of the people there were plastered. Some of the players were even betting on the games for the next round of drinks.

UNC-Duke was an incredible game. I thought Duke had it, they played some great post D and hit some big outside shots, but Carolina just came up with some buckets inside when they needed them, even though they weren't playing their best game. It looked like Duke really missed Dockery, the ball handling was not as solid, and he's a better FT shooter than Nelson. Those missed free throws from him and Williams really hurt. They still look like they'll be a tough tourney out, as does UNC (although I'd feel a lot better about them if McCants gets back in the game).

Everything I have read said it would take a monster collapse by Illinois to lose their great tourney route, like losing 3 of their last 5 or something like that. Even assuming they lose in the Big Ten Tourney, they'll still only have two loses. As someone said, UNC making a monster run still wouldn't force them into Illinois' pod.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 02:45 PM) GT will make it based on the committees belief that with Elder back, they will be a tough team to contend with. Will they be right? Probably not, GT has struggled all year long, with or without Elder. They made their run throught he tourney last year without Elder, and have looked like crap alot even with him in the lineup. Basically its Jarret Jack and 4 bystanders on the floor. Schenser is extremely soft, Muhammed can't shoot, Elder is still inconsistent, Bynum is an enigma, and you never know what you are going to get from the bench. I have no doubt GT will make the tourney almost solely on reputation from last year and the image that GT is much better off with Elder back. I do think they have to win atleast 1 game in the tourney to deserve an invitation. Same thing with Maryland and Virginia Tech. You're probably right, and Maryland (not that impressive a team outside of a Duke sweep, altough they are much more likely to get in) is in the same boat. Both of those teams are a nasty 8/9 seed to potentially play. Would any of us have the balls to pick them over Illinois? I'd be tempted, but I couldn't really do it.

QUOTE(Rex Hudler @ Mar 6, 2005 -> 02:30 PM) Ok, Mr. Bracketologist, who would you put in the tourney instead? While the resumes of Indiana, Minnesota and Iowa aren't without flaws, what other teams would you put in? Make a case for somebody else, rather than just a blanket "I agree and don't think any should get in." It's really hard to say who should go in ahead of them because you don't know what quality teams from smaller conferences are going to need to take an at large bid because they lost in the conference tournament. Quality mid-major schools that deserve to be in like Gonzaga, Nevada, Pacific, and Southern Illinois might end up in consideration for at-large bids instead of the assumed autobid.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 5, 2005 -> 05:23 PM) This is from a league I am in with some old college buddies. I picked last in the first round, which sucked, but I like some of my late picks. I am really weak up the middle though. C J. Lopez (Bal - C) 2B J. Uribe (CWS - 2B,3B,SS) 3B H. Blalock (Tex - 3B) SS B. Crosby (Oak - SS) OF I. Suzuki (Sea - OF) OF H. Matsui (NYY - OF) OF C. Wilson (Pit - 1B,OF) Util P. Nevin (SD - 1B) T. Nixon (Bos - OF) BN R. Durham (SF - 2B) BN A. Pierzynski (CWS - C) BN K. Greene (SD - SS) BN J. Dye (CWS - OF) BN J. Crede (CWS - 3B) SP M. Prior (ChC - SP) SP R. Harden (Oak - SP) SP M. Buehrle (CWS - SP) SP D. Wells (Bos - SP) RP J. Nathan (Min - RP) RP D. Kolb (Atl - RP) RP T. Gordon (NYY - RP) P B. Penny (LAD - SP) P S. Linebrink (SD - RP) P O. Hernandez (CWS - SP) T. Glavine (NYM - SP) I believe you are missing a 1B.