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Who are you picking to win it all?


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They have some issues, but I'm going to pick Texas.

 

'Nova's too small.

UConn's got too many streaky players.

Duke has speed issues (plus, some smart coach will put a Brian Randle-like guy on Redick and that'll be the end of that)

Memphis is too young.

 

This is going to be a fun year...no clear cut overwhelming teams.

 

The Big Ten usually shows well in the tourney. They'll lose a couple of teams, but I could see one of the teams making it to the Final Four. They are coming from arguably the best conference where really only one team is a pushover (Purdue), and they really aren't that much of a pushover.

 

I can't wait. And neither can Vegas...they are going to make A LOT of money off of the losers this year.

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QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Mar 1, 2006 -> 11:20 AM)
They have some issues, but I'm going to pick Texas. 

 

'Nova's too small.

UConn's got too many streaky players.

Duke has speed issues (plus, some smart coach will put a Brian Randle-like guy on Redick and that'll be the end of that)

Memphis is too young. 

 

This is going to be a fun year...no clear cut overwhelming teams. 

 

The Big Ten usually shows well in the tourney.  They'll lose a couple of teams, but I could see one of the teams making it to the Final Four.  They are coming from arguably the best conference where really only one team is a pushover (Purdue), and they really aren't that much of a pushover. 

 

I can't wait.  And neither can Vegas...they are going to make A LOT of money off of the losers this year.

 

I disagree on a lot of your asessments, probably most on Texas. I can't see them beating good teams later in the bracket. They have virtually no depth and Daniel Gibson is not playing all that well. He has been very streaky the whole year and usually takes too many shots. Their advantage in the front court is nulified by their vulnerability in the backcourt. Any team with strong guard play or a front line that can hold their own against them should knock them out.

 

UConn's players aren't as streaky as you'd think. Rudy Gay has been playing very well for quite some time. He hasn't had what I would call a bad game in some time. Marcus Williams also has helped solidify the team with his playmaking. His scoring is a little streaky, but he makes up for it with his passing. Armstrong also gives them pretty consistent play. The rest of their guys do have some issues, but those 3 give them a very solid foundation combined with several other talented players. The only guy I would call very streaky is Brown. Anderson is usually pretty solid, and Boone's only real problem seems to be foul trouble.

 

Villanova has gotten by with their smaller lineup all year. Unless they play someone with similarly dangerous guards that also has a stronger frontcourt, it shouldn't be an issue. They probably won't face a team like that until the Final Four.

 

Memphis is young, but they are extremely athletic, maybe more so than anyone but UConn. They wouldn't be the first young team to win it all. The bigger concern is probably their heavy reliance on the perimeter shot. I have more faith in them than others because of Washington and Carney, and Williams isn't your average freshman.

 

The only Big Ten team I see with any chance at the Final Four is OSU, and they have to shoot better than they have of late. I agree with you on Duke though, I've said that in this thread already.

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Quick question for the board... why are so many people so sure there wont be a Big 10 rep in the final four this year? I agree there isn't a dominant team in the Big 10, but there is so much parity this year that I think a ton of teams have a shot. Beyond UCONN and Nova, name me a team that looks really good. The Pac-10 is weak, the Big 12 has Texas, but I dont think Texas is overwhelming, and KU is young, the ACC has Duke, but Duke as has mentioned often, has the problem of being completely reliant on 2 players. Tennessee, BC, they both have talent, but I dont see them being any better than the top of the Big 10. Memphis, Gonzaga and GW all play in very weak confrences, so who knows how they will react in March (my guess is poorly). So again, why not the Big 10? With the way Illinois and Iowa play defense, they could go if the matchup is right. OSU has Dials and great three point shooting. Hell, if the brackets go right, Wisky could even make a run. Of course, all this is contingent on the way the brackets get drawn up.

 

Note, please don't consider this to be me drinking Big 10 kool-aid, I just really fail to see anyone other than Nova and UCONN that I think is that much better than anyone else. End of rant.

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QUOTE(illinilaw08 @ Mar 1, 2006 -> 04:42 PM)
Quick question for the board... why are so many people so sure there wont be a Big 10 rep in the final four this year? 

 

Because the only team in the league that is really good is Ohio State, and if you can throw big bodies at Dials and defend the perimeter, they all of a sudden aren't quite all that potent either.

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QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 1, 2006 -> 05:46 PM)
Because the only team in the league that is really good is Ohio State, and if you can throw big bodies at Dials and defend the perimeter, they all of a sudden aren't quite all that potent either.

 

I didn't say the Big 10 had great teams, I just said that the rest of the country doesn't have great teams, and I don't see anyone beyond UCONN and nova being that much better than the best of the Big 10. This is more an indictment of the rest of the teams in the country than it is an affirmation of the Big 10.

 

As far as about Ohio State, I can point out weaknesses about the rest of the country as well. I want to see some comparisons of other teams, not just that the Big 10 doesnt have a great team, I've already acknowledged that point.

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The only team in the Big Ten I really give any real shot is OSU. The problem is that the Big Ten teams aren't very accomplished outside of their home stadiums and can't score consistently enough to keep up with better teams. Good defense helps, but you're typically going to have at least one team put up a good total against you in your bracket, and you need to be able to counteract that. Here's my list of teams that have any kind of shot at making the Final Four (this will change based on the brackets):

 

Big East- UConn, Villanova, Pitt, West Virginia, Georgetown

ACC- Duke, BC, NC State

SEC- Florida, Tennessee, LSU

Big Ten- OSU, Illinois, Michigan (they have to be healthy)

Big 12- Texas, Kansas

Pac 10- Washington, Cal (a bit of a stretch, but they are playing fairly well)

other- Memphis, Gonzaga, GW

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QUOTE(aboz56 @ Mar 2, 2006 -> 04:50 PM)
Teams who won't win it all:

 

Kansas

George Washington

Gonzaga

West Virginia

Memphis

LSU

 

The only one I remotely disagree with on that list is Memphis. They need a lot of things to go right for them, but I can see it. If they can avoid turning it over too much and get the ball inside more instead of settling for 3's, there aren't a whole lot of teams I see stopping them. Those are genuine concerns though, so who knows.

 

I also like GW, but I don't think they can beat most of the other top seeds.

Edited by ZoomSlowik
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