Errr, I’m not sure why I said Ohio State there when I obviously meant Florida. I guess I’ve just watched too much basketball in the last two days.
… who am I kidding, no such thing, I’m just tired 
This may be the most ridiculous tournament since… last year.
I think a lot of people forgot Rule #1: Never pick Kansas to do ANYTHING.
UK scared me for a while. Any time we’re depending on Bobby Perry to give us a lot of offense, it’s a bad night. UConn, though, did not look sharp against Albany at all.
I was so hoping that the Racers could knock UNC off.
Even though it would’ve busted my bracket, I was kinda hoping Albany would knock UConn off. That would’ve been fun.
So none of the #1’s were really dominant, despite the final scores. This’ll either be a wake-up call, or an indication that they didn’t really deserve their seeding.
The only teams I’ve been impressed with so far are UCLA and Pitt.
Only two teams held the number one ranking this season: Duke and UConn. If they didn’t deserve the seeding, nobody did. Villanova and particularly Memphis got their seedings by default- they weren’t way better than the #2 seeds (except Tennessee), but nobody else stepped up enough.
Well, my Cal Bears are one-and-done, as I feared. I’ve only seen them play 5 times this year (once in person) and they lost all 5, and all by folding like a cheap lawn chair in the 2nd half.
How long until football season?
…such as reach the championship game in 2003 and elite eight in 2004? Rule#1 on who’s list?
My bracket is decent so far. I’m tied for 11th in the SDMB pool. I did happen to pick Kansas to fall to Bradley, but Kansas should not be counted out by default (or by some rule) every year. My only big mistake so far was picking Arkansas to make a run.
I am sick of hearing about Gonzaga. They aren’t better than other mid-majors in the tourney such as Wichita State or Bucknell.
Mark my words: GONZAGA IS NOT THAT GREAT AND WILL NOT REACH THE ELITE EIGHT. Each year in recent history, analysts such as Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated predict Gonzaga to make a deep run. Yet, it never happens. I think Indy will knock off the Bulldogs today. If not, then Gonzaga certainly falls in the 3rd round (likely to UCLA). Morrison is an awesome player despite the hideous mustache, but the Gonzaga team will not a play a fourth game in this year’s tourney
So, Seth Davis…please, eat your words again this year after the 'Zags fall. They will certainly not make the Final Four this year as you suggested. Gonzaga did not even reach the 3rd round as a #2 seed in 2004 when you predicted them to win it all. Gonzaga again fell flat on their face as a 3 seed in the second round last season. You expressed shock on CBS on Selection Sunday this year as Gonzaga got a #3 instead of a #2 seed. Just look at the results fo the past two seasons.
Jesus motherfucking Christ, the calls Duke gets. I avoid watching them all year because I know what I’m going to see, and then the tournament starts… it’s like you have to relearn the rulebook when they come on. Then Paulus makes a garden variety bounce pass to a wide open Williams for a dunk, and I swear to god I saw a little bit of semen shoot up in the air from the broadcast table.
Gonzaga blows, and Morrison isn’t anywhere near what he’s supposed to be. Aren’t I Mr. Positivity today? Incidentally, I was at the session two games in Philly last night – I don’t think UConn’s going to get tested again. Albany might have been the second best team in the gym, to be honest, and UConn passed them in second gear all in about a three minute stretch. This happened (probably not coincidentally) immediately after the first time the crowd started to really get into it believing the Danes had a chance.
re: Gonzaga, I don’t think they’re really THAT great this year (Morrison’s supporting cast needs another year or two before it’s ready), but they’re definitely a notch above the “other mid-majors”. It’s not because of how they are this one year - this year, Wichita St. might well be just as good as the Zags. It’s because Gonzaga can (and has for the last half-dozen years or so) recruit against the big boys, and can do this sort of thing consistently. On a year to year basis, there will be three or four mid-majors every year that are as good or better than the second-tier major conference teams… but with the reorganization of C-USA, you’re really only looking at Gonzaga and Memphis that can recruit against the high-majors and be That Good on a year to year basis. Of course, I think Gonzaga will be climbing uphill as far as the tourney is concerned as long as they are in the WCC and they get to fall asleep for the two months prior to the NCAAs.
re: Duke and the refs… well… yeah 
Some poor GW kid just got assaulted under the basket, and I think one of the refs grabbed his jersey so Duke could get out more quickly on the fast break. Also, you’re lucky you got to go to the Philly games yesterday, because it’s that much less you have to listen to Jim Nantz and Billy Packer. Is there some CBS rule that their number one announcing teams for every single have to be absolute trash? Hmph.
If you ever wondered what it would be like to watch Shaq get every single call (touch fouls on contact he creates on offense, but he can be as physical as he wants on defense)… Shelden Williams, the first half of this game.
Nah, Shaq would’ve had 60 if he was getting those calls.
Now THAT was the Duke we all know and…um…
I’m not a Duke hater (in fact, I’m probably more of a fan, as they were the first college basketball team I ever knew, after all, when I first read about them in the letters page of the old Blue Devil comic book), but I saw several sequences where a GW player got absolutely mugged…nothing.
I know there’s this thing about Duke getting all the calls, but for a stretch after those refs got suspended for the Florida State game, a lot of calls were going against them. Coincidentally (or not), that was when Duke had its losing streak.
It’s like the officiating crew decided that it was “safe” to make the calls (or non-calls) again.
And yet it makes the Washington-Illinois game look well balanced.
Haven’t really watched Duke play, but I’ll get my chance sometime Thursday (a bar I often frequent happened to schedule its invitational for the same day, it’s going to be ridiculous).
Gonzaga’s becoming a perpetual disappointment. Since people decided they were a big-time team instead of an underdog a few years ago, they haven’t gotten too deep in the tournament.
I had a great first day, but the last two have been pretty bad. I’ve lost a two Elite 8 picks (Iowa and Kansas), but so far all of my Final Four teams are still in it.
Hah, I was almost certain Omni would come back with something about the refs in that game by this morning It actually wasn’t as bad as the massive free throw discrepancy might suggest… but I don’t particularly think it was anywhere near neutral, either. Washington was creating most of the contact and getting most of the calls when they did so; to some degree teams have to try to create the contract, but I don’t think they should have been able to take the game over so thoroughly by doing so (this applies to all sorts of basketball at all levels, though, not just this game).
The Big Ten is down to Ohio State as its last hope to get a team to the Sweet 16, which has to be a disappointment given how strong the conference was this year. The Pac-10 and SEC already have two teams in each, which while not victories, have to be seen as a relief by those conferences; ditto the MVC getting Wichita St. in. Today we get to see how many of the four games in which the Big East has a higher seed that they can manage to lose.
The reffing in general seems to be a little bit more inconsistent this year than usual… but that’s just as likely the optimist in me ignoring the travesties of years past.
It looks like Bradley-Pitt in the opener is going to be a “call everything” game, which has to favor Bradley. Pitt is already in marginal foul trouble in the first half.
I didn’t even know Brad Pitt played basketball, but there I was watching the BRAD-PITT game on CBS at noon today. I had a few pans to wash, and when I lost track of the game, Bradley was ahead of Pittsburgh.
Aaaaannndddd Bradley takes down Pitt, meaning the MVC will likely match or exceed half of the majors in Sweet 16 teams. The officiating wasn’t appreciably better here than it has been in most of the other games… but that doesn’t excuse Pitt, who just missed too many shots and allowed too many extra possessions (steals and offensive rebounds). It was still sort of amusing seeing an extra second tick off the clock every time there was a stoppage in the last minute of play.
Bucknell over Memphis? Anyone want to make that pick? Anyone?
Well, see you all next year. I had Pitt in the championship, so this just about ends any hope I have of winning. sigh
I have Bucknell over Memphis.
I had Wichita State over Tennessee, too.
Now to see if my Cats can knock off Connecticut.
After losing two Elite Eight teams on Friday (Kansas and Michigan St.), things have gone about as well as I could have hoped. It still puts me in 13th out of 21 in my money pool though.
Even though I picked Memphis over Arkansas, I’ll be pulling for Bucknell. It’ll screw with alot of the people in my other pool than it will with me.