# NCAA Tournament Predictions/Picks **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 15, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571 "2010-03-15T18:58:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/181 "2010-03-28T04:00:28Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Well, WVU hasn’t been raining threes…but UK hasn’t made even ONE! And they can’t hit free throws…ugh… > > Worst showing by the UK offense in quite awhile, and not very timely, either. > > I can’t recall a game where on team has shot over 20 threes and hasn’t even made ONE! I seem to remember Free Throws being a problem for Calipari’s Memphis team a few years back. I hate that guy, happy to see him lose, disappointed to see Kentucky and their fans lose, however. Nothing against them. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/182 "2010-03-29T01:04:54Z")
And Duke is the last #1 standing. HAHA **HA!** ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/183 "2010-03-29T02:00:59Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > And Duke is the last #1 standing. HAHA **HA!** Good for them. I hope they can shoot the three (traditionally, Coach K’s teams CAN, unlike the uneven perimeter shooting MY team generally exhibits since Pitino left). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/184 "2010-03-29T04:36:27Z")
With Scheyer, Smith, Singler and Dawkins, odds are that at least one of them will be on from outside. Of course, they defied those odds in the first half of the Purdue game so… ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/185 "2010-03-29T13:21:20Z")
So, am I just an old curmudgeon, or has anybody else noticed that driving to the basket in the NCAA is increasingly becoming an NBA-style “two steps, three steps, four steps, multiple changes of direction after you’ve picked up the ball, it’s all good as long as you shoot at the end” ? I mean, you’re still allowed to play defence in the NCAA, which is why it’s so much more fun to watch than the NBA, but this seems to be a troubling trend. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/186 "2010-03-29T15:25:24Z")
Well, my hat’s off to Duke for doing what they needed to when it mattered. Their 3 point and FT percentages were just too much for my Bears. I don’t know what was up with Lomers, 5 fouls in 9 minutes gave them way too many 2nd shot opportunities. Oh well, there’s still Mulkey, Griner and the Lady Bears. They just outed #1 seed Tennessee Saturday. Once more the call goes out to “Beat Duke.” ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/187 "2010-03-29T18:24:52Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > So, am I just an old curmudgeon, or has anybody else noticed that driving to the basket in the NCAA is increasingly becoming an NBA-style “two steps, three steps, four steps, multiple changes of direction after you’ve picked up the ball, it’s all good as long as you shoot at the end” ? > I mean, you’re still allowed to play defence in the NCAA, which is why it’s so much more fun to watch than the NBA, but this seems to be a troubling trend. Absolutely, one of the reason I stopped watching the NBA is the lack of the travel call. And it is definitely permeating down to the NCAA. I don’t know how many times I reviewed (via DVR) a drive to the basket and watched players take 3+ steps after picking up the dribble on a drive to the basket. The Duke/Baylor game had the most physical and hard contact that I had ever seen in a NCAA basketball game. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/188 "2010-03-29T21:46:53Z")
[Somehow, Duke, MSU, and WVU managed to incorporate non-game aspects into their game, with great success.](http://sports.espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/9486/offensive-rebounding-wins-the-day) Weird, wacky stuff. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/189 "2010-04-03T20:52:28Z")
Threads dead and they are playing the final 4 games in a few hours? 😕 I can’t help but hope Butler takes it against Michigan. I normally pay little attention to teams outside the south. But, I like a scrappy underdog. 🙂 Duke for the win against W Va. I can’t root for a Huggins’ team. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/190 "2010-04-03T21:29:32Z")
**go duke!!!** ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/191 "2010-04-04T01:14:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Threads dead and they are playing the final 4 games in a few hours? 😕 > > I can’t help but hope Butler takes it against Michigan. I normally pay little attention to teams outside the south. But, I like a scrappy underdog. 🙂 > > Duke for the win against W Va. I can’t root for a Huggins’ team. And, Butler won. Yea. I’m a Duke fan==well, ACC fan. Have to root for them. But I live in Akron OH. Huggins developed the Akron U team into quite a good one. He’s truly one good coach. Everywhere he’s been. Mixed emotions. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/192 "2010-04-04T01:36:01Z")
And, now that I’ve watched the Butler/MI St. game, and the first part of the Duke/W. Va. game–no contest. Whoever wins this last game is gonna win. No contest. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/193 "2010-04-04T01:51:59Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > And, now that I’ve watched the Butler/MI St. game, and the first part of the Duke/W. Va. game–no contest. Whoever wins this last game is gonna win. No contest. If you really think that strongly, Duke/WVU will be a 4-5 point favorite over Butler. At least according to the article I read earlier this week. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/194 "2010-04-04T02:07:56Z")
Congratulations to Butler. They barely got by Michigan. They’ll have to drastically improve their shooting to have any chance in the final. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/195 "2010-04-04T02:13:19Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > If you really think that strongly, Duke/WVU will be a 4-5 point favorite over Butler. At least according to the article I read earlier this week. Probably so. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/196 "2010-04-04T03:22:53Z")
Once again, ACC in the title game, as they have been 15 of the last 30 years. Big 10- 10 times SEC - 8 times Big East - 10 times (none since 2004) ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/197 "2010-04-04T03:47:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Congratulations to Butler. They barely got by Michigan. State Michigan State. Not Michigan. Huge, huge, huge difference. (Sorry, this has been bothering me for the whole tournament.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/198 "2010-04-04T04:06:20Z")
Turns out West Virginia wasn’t so tough. Those Duke big men nobody has to worry about kept them off the offensive boards. Really hated to see Da’Sean Butler’s knee injury, though. Touching moment when Huggins was comforting him on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/199 "2010-04-04T04:08:15Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > **go duke!!!** Ouch. Wrong shade! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571/200 "2010-04-04T04:15:59Z")
That’s the best game I’ve seen Duke play since I don’t know when, and all three of their main guys played well. I like their chances against Butler- I don’t see them slowing the game down enough to stop Duke, and they shot so well in this game. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tournament-predictions-picks/532571.md?page=11)