Official 2009-2010 NCAA Basketball Thread

[Heads22]

UNI's top wins are Siena and Old Dominion.

 

Neither one is justification for higher than a 9.

[Rowand44]

UNI is going to beat UNLV. I know UNLV is good, but UNI is older more experienced, and a better team.

UNLV is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more athletic. UNLV is going to give UNI fits. I think it's going to be a fantastic game but the perimeter d is going to be difference here and UNLV I think is going to take them down.

 

That game and the Butler-UTEP game should be two of the better games in the first rounds, those are 4 teams that could have at least made it to the sweet 16 with a better draw(the winner of Butler and UTEP is with out a doubt going to the s16) but they got matched up with each other.

[ZoomSlowik]

Let's also not forget that UNI lost to DePaul and Evansville.

 

I'm always leery of taking mid-majors that don't shoot terribly well from the field, don't force turnovers and don't light it up from 3-point range.

[Rowand44]

Let's also not forget that UNI lost to DePaul and Evansville.

 

I'm always leery of taking mid-majors that don't shoot terribly well from the field, don't force turnovers and don't light it up from 3-point range.

The Depaul loss is absolutely inexcusable but the Evansville loss while still a terrible one, came while Eglseder was suspsended.

 

 

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Gus Johnson will be doing the games in Buffalo.

[chimpy2121]

Woot, at least I can hear my team lose with a great announcer.

[kev211]

UNLV is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more athletic. UNLV is going to give UNI fits. I think it's going to be a fantastic game but the perimeter d is going to be difference here and UNLV I think is going to take them down.

 

That game and the Butler-UTEP game should be two of the better games in the first rounds, those are 4 teams that could have at least made it to the sweet 16 with a better draw(the winner of Butler and UTEP is with out a doubt going to the s16) but they got matched up with each other.

I stand by my statement.

[Felix]

Woot, at least I can hear my team lose with a terrible announcer.

 

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Woot, at least I can hear my team lose with a great announcer.

 

I actually think FSU will give Gonzaga fits with their defense.

 

But as for UNLV-UNI, I'm also leading towards UNLV. Their quickness and athleticisim is going to pose a major problem for UNI. I also agree that the UTEP-Butler winner will get past Vandy.

[southsider2k5]

This has all of the looks of a couple of years ago with the upsets being few, and the seed being very top heavy. once you get past the top teams, it is a clusterf***.

[danman31]

This has all of the looks of a couple of years ago with the upsets being few, and the seed being very top heavy. once you get past the top teams, it is a clusterf***.

Interesting you say that because all season long I've been thinking it's going to be one of those years with complete chaos. Kansas is the only top seed I don't think is beatable and they have a tough region.

[RockRaines]

Apparently OSU is so worried about Titus's injury that Pryor is going to replace him on the roster.

[bigruss]

Apparently OSU is so worried about Titus's injury that Pryor is going to replace him on the roster.

Titus: "Calm the Michigan down."

 

LOL I shouldve followed this guy more, every time I go read his blog it cracks me up.

[dasox24]

Titus: "Calm the Michigan down."

 

LOL I shouldve followed this guy more, every time I go read his blog it cracks me up.

Oh man, I've been a big fan of Club Tril for awhile now. It really was a great idea for Titus to create his own blog. It wouldn't have worked, though, if he wasn't as funny as he is.

 

And just for the heck of it, for anyone who hasn't seen this video and knows who Mark Titus is, it's hilarious...

[BigSqwert]

Just makes me sad to think if only DePaul had a wee bit of recruiting capabilities....

 

Chicago Area players in NCAA Tournament

[RockRaines]

Titus: "Calm the Michigan down."

 

LOL I shouldve followed this guy more, every time I go read his blog it cracks me up.

Did you watch him on camera after OSU wont eh B10 tourney? They had to walk in another camera just to get him out of the frame. HIlarious.

[RockRaines]

Just makes me sad to think if only DePaul had a wee bit of recruiting capabilities....

 

Chicago Area players in NCAA Tournament

0 fans, no gym, 0 talent. It sucks but its true.

[Palehosefan]

Just makes me sad to think if only DePaul had a wee bit of recruiting capabilities....

 

Chicago Area players in NCAA Tournament

 

Just use the Oklahoma recruiting strategy, pay players.

 

OU cheating yet again.

 

 

[bigruss]

Did you watch him on camera after OSU wont eh B10 tourney? They had to walk in another camera just to get him out of the frame. HIlarious.

Haha yea the wink, stare, creepy look thing was hilarious.

[whitesoxfan99]

Just use the Oklahoma recruiting strategy, pay players.

 

OU cheating yet again.

 

They already tried that when Pat Kennedy was there and while he got talent they still didn't really win.

[Heads22]

Instant win.

 

http://www.gusjohnsongetsbuckets.com/

[danman31]

Instant win.

 

http://www.gusjohnsongetsbuckets.com/

Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.

 

That's going to be played to death.

[ChWRoCk2]

Awesome day of College Basketball. Ton of upsets and close games. Definitely seemed like it would be a competitive year and picking was tough but one hell of a first day.

[Jenksismyhero]

Since Illinois fans are always whining about officiating, I'm going to whine for another program. Robert Morris got SCREWED against Villanova.

[southsider2k5]

This was written by the guy who does color commentary for me when we broadcast high school basketball together. He is also the Sports Editor at our local paper, and he pretty much hits it right on the head.

 

AKA Parky hits it out of the park. I love the first weekend of the NCAA's.

 

http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...2f405229594.txt

 

Greatest day of the year

 

Published: Friday, March 19, 2010 4:17 AM CDT

Adam Parkhouse

Sports Editor

 

Normally, the sound of my alarm clock gives me such a horrifying jolt, I have to restrain myself from doing major physical damage to the wake-up machine.

 

And that would be bad, because most times I use my cell phone as an alarm clock.

 

But Thursday was different. This was the greatest day of the year: the start of the NCAA Tournament.

 

Surely you’re thinking, “You had to set an alarm to wake up at 11 a.m.?”

 

Unfortunately, yes. Because I work fairly late, I get to bed really late and require an alarm to wake up any time before noon most days.

 

Truth is, though, when I know I have to get up for something (an out-of-town assignment, visit to the in-laws) I don’t sleep well. I’m scared of sleeping through the alarm, so I constantly glance up to peep the digital readout of the alarm clock in our bedroom.

 

There’s a nervous excitement for me, especially if I’m waking up for something I’m looking forward to.

 

However, I typically don’t wake up well. I’m a little (lot?) crabby and in a general daze for a good half hour or until I get out of the showwer, whichever comes first

 

But when my alarm went off at 10:30 a.m., a safe 45 minutes or so before the start of Notre Dame’s game with Old Dominion, I popped right out of bed and headed downstairs with the dogs.

 

Well, maybe I hit snooze once or twice. OK, maybe it was three. But I did make to the TV in time.

 

And boy, was I glad I did. The early slate of games Friday was insane. Four games decided by a total of 12 points, and seven of those points came from a double overtime affair.

 

The first to wrap up was (6) Notre Dame as its season came to an unfortunate close, 51-50, against (11) Old Dominion. The Irish really laid an egg in this game, especially senior Luke Harangody, who ended with four points, including two in insignificant fashion as the buzzer sounded. Great game, bad outcome for the local team.

 

My bracket impact: I had Notre Dame advancing to the Sweet 16. Drats.

 

Now is when the afternoon really starts picking up. There’s really nothing like the first two days of the tourney when three or four games are wrapping up at once. It’s completely exciting and exhilarating. Not long after the Irish finish, we’ve got overtime between (7) BYU and (10) Florida.

 

The Gators had chances to win it at the end of regulation and the end of the first overtime, all after overcoming a 13-point second-half deficit. There’s no way they were losing this game.

 

BYU 99, Florida 92, 2 OT. We also got to hear Kevin Harlan do not one, but two overtimes. For my money, there’s only one guy better, and that’s Gus Johnson. We get to hear him on Friday.

 

My bracket impact: I had Florida winning this game but losing to Kansas State in the next round. No real harm done.

 

While the first two games were going on, I had one eye affixed to the line of scores at the top of my screen. (2) Villanova was down almost the entire game to (15) Robert Morris. This had a chance to be a classic NCAA Tournament first-round moment.

 

But the Wildcats stormed back to beat upstart Bobby Mo (as so-named by several, most notably ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons), 73-70.

 

My bracket impact: HUGE. I have Villanova in the Final Four. Losing here would have been disastrous. However, I don’t find myself with any renewed confidence in Villanova.

 

Bobby Mo couldn’t give us that truly great moment, but (13) Murray State and guard Danero Thomas did.

 

The mighty, mighty Racers, who boasts former N-D reporter Jason Miller as a proud alum, took down (4) Vanderbilt on Thomas’ clutch 15-footer with two defenders all over him, setting off a raucous celebration. Great, great moment.

 

My bracket impact: I had Vandy winning, but who cares? I’ll sacrifice a non-Sweet 16 team for a moment like that any day.

 

This is why I love the tournament. It’s the greatest thing anywhere. Just imagine if college football would do some version of this.

 

When else can you sit down with absolutely no rooting interest and be so enthralled by what’s happening on your television screen?

 

It’s the greatest day in sports. I hope you enjoyed it.

 

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at [email protected] or 874-7211, Ext. 461.