2009 NCAA Men's Hoops Tourney

[hawing]

I don't like the 'home court' that the higher seeds get these days. Villanova, UNC, Duke, etc. etc. Way to stack the deck to the big programs, NCAA. I think Kansas had two games in Kansas City last year.

How often has Duke or UNC had to actually leave their region for a non-final four NCAA game? (I'm curious, though not quite curious enough to find the answer myself.)

[Gobias Industries]

And is it me, or does the Sweet 16 seem pretty dull? I am sure the games will be good, but the only Cinderella is . . . Arizona? They are the un-Cinderella Cinderella ever.

I thought the first two rounds were very dull as well. Sure, there were several exciting games, but even those were very poor basketball for the most part.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

It's a shame that Marquette lost on a middle school hoops-type violation, but it was the absolute correct call. It just shouldn't be a mistake that a Division I basketball player should make--ever.

I really, really disagree with this. He was going to pass it to Jerel, but then Jerel turned the other way at the last second. Hayward's momentum carried him forward, it's not a mental mistake in the least. It was comitting a turnover while trying to avoid throwing the ball away. Stuff like this happens, it just sucks that it happened when it did.

[RU Rah Rah]

And is it me, or does the Sweet 16 seem pretty dull? I am sure the games will be good, but the only Cinderella is . . . Arizona? They are the un-Cinderella Cinderella ever.

I don't like the 'home court' that the higher seeds get these days. Villanova, UNC, Duke, etc. etc. Way to stack the deck to the big programs, NCAA. I think Kansas had two games in Kansas City last year.

I was really appalled to see Villanova playing in Philly -- here are two home games, courtesy of the NCAA!

[Glennron]

They knew they'd play there before the season started if they played well. The rules say if a team plays 4 or more games at one arena, they can't play there in the tournament. Villanova scheduled 3 games at whatever the site was (can't think of the name) for the regular season.

[bucks2281]

I was really appalled to see Villanova playing in Philly -- here are two home games, courtesy of the NCAA!

Villanova should have been docked a couple of seeds for getting to play at home. IIRC, that's what happened to the Badgers in '04.

 

How often has Duke or UNC had to actually leave their region for a non-final four NCAA game?

It seems like there's a first-round site in Greensboro, Charlotte, or Raleigh every year, and both UNC and Duke (and Wake Forest on occasion) don't have to leave North Carolina. Was it last year that UNC didn't have to leave North Carolina until the Final Four?

[homer]

They knew they'd play there before the season started if they played well. The rules say if a team plays 4 or more games at one arena, they can't play there in the tournament. Villanova scheduled 3 games at whatever the site was (can't think of the name) for the regular season.

 

Right. They played one game at the Spectrum (which is across the parking lot from the Wachovia Center) in order to get those home games.

[JJHardy7]

I really, really disagree with this. He was going to pass it to Jerel, but then Jerel turned the other way at the last second. Hayward's momentum carried him forward, it's not a mental mistake in the least. It was comitting a turnover while trying to avoid throwing the ball away. Stuff like this happens, it just sucks that it happened when it did.

 

Agreed. There are NBA players that this happens to also. It's not common, but it does happen.

[Glennron]

Slightly off topic, but what's up with the women's tournament being played on the team's home court? Better yet, why did 9th seeded Michigan State get a home game against top seeded Duke? Are they trying to make it more interesting by increasing the likelihood of upsets or something.

[TheCrew07]

Money. There just isn't the fan interest to fill arenas like there is on the men's side. Even playing on home courts in many cases the attendance looked to be about 1/3 capacity on the wide shots, and there aren't many, they really stick to the court for obvious reasons. 2 of my family members coach girls basketball so I've seen quite a bit of the ladies tourny over the years. I only watched the UWGB game though this year, I've always had a soft spot for Harty having watched her since High School.

 

edit. I believe they said during the game that the women's tourny had 16 sites for the first round now. It's the pod system I think? Something about team playing regional to keep the costs down if I recall correctly.

[bjkrautk]

Pitt-Villanova may have been one of the best basketball games that I can remember seeing in a long time.

 

 

(Granted, it helps that I picked Villanova to make it to Detroit....it helps quite a bit. :D)

[davego]

I had Pitt, but it was a good game. Villanova hit FT's and Pitt didn't.

[CrewDood]

Morning!

Newbie here....Have they always played some rounds 3/4 in domes and/or football venues? IMO, watching the views we were seeing from University of Phoenix stadium was not what the NCAA prefers to project. I admit I did not look for the attendance figures there but am thinking they should have blocked off the back areas where they did not sell seats/fans were sitting. Place looked mostly empty.

 

Maybe it is the economy....

What say you?

[pitchleague]

Welcome to the boards!

 

Usually the regional semis and finals are pretty well attended and, thus, the NCAA usually mandates that they hold a more than usual (for basketball) amount of fans. I, too, noticed that on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this weekend that attendance seemed WAY off from normal. And as you said, it didn't look all that good on television.

 

Suffice to say, the NCAA charges a LOT for the tickets to these games. High ticket prices for the Final Four I can understand; but regional semis and finals cost just about as much, which probably prohibited many fans from purchasing. I thought of going down to Phoenix for the games but I found out ticket prices were $50 and up in most parts of the stadium. Forget that.

[Schlitz001]

Maybe it's been mentioned already, but Jerry Smith (34) of Louisville has a giant Brewers ball and glove logo tattooed on his right bicep over the state of Wisconsin. Pretty cool.

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/b8e152958769cc3e7d812e14a59a7fdeb805584.jpg

 

EDIT: You can kind of make it out in this pic.

[TSack27]

This probably doesn't explain all the empty seats, but what I did notice was there were different empty seats between the early and late games (lower level). Based on the colored apparel worn by the fans that did fill those seats, they were there to only see one of the two games. I believe some of the ticket packages included buying both games. Personally, I'd watch the other game that my team wasn't in, but could understand there are others that might not for whatever reason (or I'd try to sell off the games I couldn't make in that ticket package... and maybe that's where the economy comes back into the discussion).

 

Yup, Pitt-Nova was a great game to watch. I had Pitt making the Final Four in all my brackets (except the one the lets you update after each round... switched to Nova after watching their first weekend games) Being their last two really close losses, seeing Villanova and Missouri tournament performances makes me really wonder what Marquette could have done with a healthy James down the stretch????

[davego]

If M St beats Louisville; that will be pretty funny. Going to destroy my bracket, but still...

[homer]

Way to represent the Big Ten, MSU. I can't stand Izzo and Suton might be my least favorite player on a Big Ten roster but it's nice to have a team in the Final Four.

[GormanHarvey]

I'm not sure Louisville could have played a worse game

[CrewDood]

Gotta give CBS credit for using the game screen properly.

Case in point, they have the score and time towards the bottom of your screen and leave an area open below it for when they want they decide to throw out a crawler, but when they do the crawl it does not scrunch up the screen.

Other networks would be wise to follow suit http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Glennron]

Way to represent the Big Ten, MSU. I can't stand Izzo and Suton might be my least favorite player on a Big Ten roster but it's nice to have a team in the Final Four.

I hate Izzo as much as the next Wisconsin fan, but 5 Final Fours in 11 years is pretty awesome.

[JJHardy7]

Way to represent the Big Ten, MSU. I can't stand Izzo and Suton might be my least favorite player on a Big Ten roster but it's nice to have a team in the Final Four.

 

I never understanding this reasoning. It's not directed at you homer. The SEC fans are the worst when it comes to this. A team could have a crappy year, but since Team A and Team B did well SEC fan seems content. I really support Marquette the most in terms of basketball, but I was hoping all the big east rivals of theirs would lose right away.

 

A guy I work with who graduated from Ohio State agrees more with my logic. He says during football season he makes it a point to cheer for two teams. Ohio State and whoever Michigan is playing.

[Godspeed]

I really support Marquette the most in terms of basketball, but I was hoping all the big east rivals of theirs would lose right away.

 

Having 4 Big East teams in the Elite Eight and 2 in the Final Four validates the idea that the Big East was a superior conference this season. Doesn't rooting for all the other teams to lose sort of undermine the success Marquette had?

[Fatter than Joey]

I never understanding this reasoning. It's not directed at you homer.

 

There are a number of reasons --

 

1.) $$$$ -- If MSU wins the National Championship, Bucky gets paid.

 

2.) Recruiting -- If you have a strong conference, you are bound to get more televised games and attention -- Look at Memphis, when was the last time they had a nationally televised conference game (in a relative comparison). Marquette benefits from the perception of playing the brutal Big East, The Big East had 4/8 and 2/4 -- you don't think Marquette will benefit if the 2009 title game will showcase 2 Big East schools? Marquette is going to get a lot of national attention, by playing all the Big East teams that did well in the tournament -- I don't think that there is any ESPN big-wigs clamoring for more primetime Memphis v. C-USA in 2010.

 

3.) Someone mentioned Izzo has 5 FF's as impressive -- which it is -- coming into this year, Bo Ryan has beaten Izzo and MSU 11 of 14 times. I am sure that little factoid gets thrown around at recruits, and yes, it does make me feel good to see Bo's whipping boy get some attention.

 

4.) Familiarity -- I primarily and almost exclusively watch Big 10 hoops -- I know the players, and while many of them are guilty of pissing me off just a few weeks ago, it is easier for me to get behind a team I am familiar with, than say, a UNC or Duke.

 

At the end of the day, MSU played better than Bucky did, and just because Bucky ran out of steam doesn't mean that I want MSU to lose.

 

I am directing this at Homer.

[homer]

I suppose if it had been Minnesota I might feel differently since I hate everything about that school and state. But MSU I have no qualms with really other than their coach is a tool and their big immigrant is a dork.

 

I am directing this at the group.