College Basketball 2011-2012

[jjfanec]

I thought Gasser would average 10 ppg this year. This is the guy who had a triple double in a conference game last year... as a Freshman? He had a nice game against Penn St. for sure, but he's disappeared quite often this year. I thought he looked aggressive offensively last year, and we've hardly seen that from him at all this season. Gasser, Bruesewitz, and Brust have all been disappointing this season.

 

Gasser's defense has been really good so that is a positive. I wonder if he is tired from guarding the other teams best guard. He is not overly quick but still gets to the rim at a high percentage when he is aggressive.

 

I had low expectations for Brust coming into the year. His non-conference shooting gave me a lot of hope and now he is doing about what I expected.

[brwrsfan]

Yeah we don't have a limit on how many teams you can buy or how much money you can spend. Sure a team could show up with $10,000 and buy every good team but what would be the point? They aren't going to win any money.

 

each team comes in with a budget; some will spend only a couple hundred bucks and look for upset specials; other teams will come in with $2-$3,000 and really try to get a couple #1,2, and 3 seeds. Its all a matter of strategy and funds available

 

Usually the top seed (Like Syracuse or Kentucky this year) would go for $1,200 or so in my auction or you can get a #8 seed for about $20 (Since they would have to beat a #1 seed in the 2nd round to make any money). But if you pay $1,200 for a team; that team has to make it to the Final 4 otherwise you are out a lot of money. Risk/Reward. The champion last year paid out like $3,300. Obviously the more money involved the more exciting it is (Although I enjoy being on a team that has a big budget but my contribution is manageable)

 

Wow, that's real money you're talking about? Not fake auction money? So someone might really shell out a grand to get someone in an NCAA pool? Thats just stunning to me. I guess people just have more gambling money to lose than I do. I do like the idea though. I might try to do it with some buddies, but we'd do it FF style. 20 entry fee and 100 fake dollars or something like that.

[stoutdude04]

One of my 3rd grade students wrote a letter to Jae Crowder. Basically told him that he was his favorite athlete and love to imitate him. Well, Crowder sent him a letter back with VIP tickets for tonights game in the 5th row and they are going to hang out after the game. Needless to say, he is pretty excited. His dad has been sending me photos all night. I'm hoping this gets more of my children wanting to write a bit more!

[fondybrewfan]

Yep real money. I know a ton of people that gamble and have no problem laying out that amount of cash; me not so much. Keep in mind that most teams have 4-5 guys so if you spend say $2,000 on 4-5 teams then everyone is really only spending $400-$500 each.

 

This is the only sort of "gambling" I ever do so I usually just save some extra money over the course of the year to do it.

[brwrsfan]

Anyone know why MU is playing WV on a Friday night? Both teams kinda got hosed there. They both played last night - WV was at ND. Both then have to travel to WV and play a game tomorrow night? That just seems very, very odd. It's a game MU needs to win, WV is a tough place to play but MU is certainly the better team. WV has it's back against the wall though and is at home so this could be a dogfight.

[thebruce44]

Anyone know why MU is playing WV on a Friday night? Both teams kinda got hosed there. They both played last night - WV was at ND. Both then have to travel to WV and play a game tomorrow night? That just seems very, very odd. It's a game MU needs to win, WV is a tough place to play but MU is certainly the better team. WV has it's back against the wall though and is at home so this could be a dogfight.

 

Yea, especially when MU just had a whole week off. Oh well, time to get ready for Tourny action so hopefully its good for MU?

[brwrsfan]

It just didn't need to happen. One day off between games is very rare during the CBB regular season. Obviously it happens a lot in tournaments and whatnot, but during the regular season, at least in the major conferences, this stuff is pretty easy to avoid. At least both teams are even in that they both played last night and have to travel to WV but still. Why not just play this one on Saturday?

[thebruce44]

It just didn't need to happen. One day off between games is very rare during the CBB regular season. Obviously it happens a lot in tournaments and whatnot, but during the regular season, at least in the major conferences, this stuff is pretty easy to avoid. At least both teams are even in that they both played last night and have to travel to WV but still. Why not just play this one on Saturday?

 

Hopefully they can keep up with their studies!

[patrickgpe]

reports are that temple is in talks to join the big east, which would be pretty huge for the big east. I still would like to see xavier to join too. Can't think of why the upper echelon A-10 teams wouldn't want to join the big east and have much more exposure. Those are the 2 only schools that one would make the case helps the big east.

[fondybrewfan]

Are we talking aobut Big East for all sports or Big East just for basketball. The Big East for football might as well be a 1-AA conference. Basketball is still respectiable but still won't be what it used to be. The league is getting too watered down IMO.

[Glennron]

Anyone know why MU is playing WV on a Friday night? Both teams kinda got hosed there. They both played last night - WV was at ND. Both then have to travel to WV and play a game tomorrow night? That just seems very, very odd. It's a game MU needs to win, WV is a tough place to play but MU is certainly the better team. WV has it's back against the wall though and is at home so this could be a dogfight.

 

Just curious, but why do you think that? Marquette's not going to win the conference, but they're very likely to get a top 4 spot so they earn the double bye. Obviously it'd help their seeding if they can win against a pretty good team on the road (in a tough place to play like you said), but it's far from must-win or anything.

[LouisEly]

1. How the heck is Iowa 6-8 and 14-13?

 

B. Where has this Rob Wilson been the last three years?

[Glennron]

^Watching Iowa the last two games you'd think they're about 12-2 in conference.

 

It probably helps that Gatens is now 14-19 on 3's in his last two games. Sometimes it's just bad luck when you run into a guy that hot.

[Funketown]

Er, this is the basketball thread.

 

I don't think I've ever seen Hawkeye-Carver-Carter-whatever it is actually excited. I think I may have heard they gave away some of the student tickets for free.

[LouisEly]

I love how the announcer said that this is "the best officiated game" he has seen this season. Well, the officials badly missed a goaltending call on Iowa in the first half, and now refused to call a flagrant foul on Marble who shoved Taylor from behind. So this game was, in effect, decided by the officials, which makes it one of the worst officiated games of the season.

[Baldkin]

Not to mention the turnover on Bergerren (I think - might've been Bruiser) when he got shoved onto the baseline and they called him OB.

[Oldcity]

Who rushes the court when they beat the #15 team?

[brettac1]

I'm pretty sure Badgers fans did in 2000 when they beat Indiana in the last home game to get to 8-8 in the conference.

 

"On March 5, 2000, in a game no Badger fan will ever forget, Wisconsin needed a home win over the Hoosiers on the final day of the regular season to lock up an NCAA tournament berth. The Dick Bennett-coached Badgers squeezed out a 56-53 win on national television, and thousands of crazed UW fans stormed the court."

 

I don't recall what IU was ranked at the time, but I don't think it was very high. It was Al McGuire's last game as a broadcaster as well as the last time Bob Knight coached against the Badgers, plus Duany Duany had an awesome game. It's possibly my favorite Badger game ever.

 

EDIT: Looks like IU was 14th in the AP poll at the time of the game.

[brwrsfan]

Anyone know why MU is playing WV on a Friday night? Both teams kinda got hosed there. They both played last night - WV was at ND. Both then have to travel to WV and play a game tomorrow night? That just seems very, very odd. It's a game MU needs to win, WV is a tough place to play but MU is certainly the better team. WV has it's back against the wall though and is at home so this could be a dogfight.

 

Just curious, but why do you think that? Marquette's not going to win the conference, but they're very likely to get a top 4 spot so they earn the double bye. Obviously it'd help their seeding if they can win against a pretty good team on the road (in a tough place to play like you said), but it's far from must-win or anything.

 

I should rephrase I guess. I don't think it's a "must win", but I think it's a loss that can potentially hurt their seeding. WV is decent, and it wouldn't be a horrible loss, but it's not a good loss persay either. Considering that they still have Georgetown and play at Cincy, I think this is arguably their "easiest" game left. It's entirely possible they could loss this one and stumble some with those other games coming up. I think it's also important to keep the momentum going with how well they are playing right now. To me, MU is playing great right now and this is a game that they should win.

 

As far as Wisconsin...it's hard to believe they lost to Iowa twice. It doesn't help that Iowa just flat out couldn't miss yesterday and put up over 40 in the first half (compared to like 25 in the second half). Calls can certainly be argued after the fact, but the missed Goaltending call was really, really bad and that is 2 points we sure could have used. Obviously you can't say it cost them the game, but you just never know. Those two losses are going to really, really hurt their seed in a couple of weeks here. Another loss is likely coming against OSU this weekend too, so they won't exactly be rolling along.

[Menotti80]

So djo, cadougan, blue and mayo are all suspended for a half tonight. What the heck?

[brwrsfan]

Pretty stupid regardless of what they did. As expected, MU was horrible in the first half without three starters. It also doesn't help that they seemingly are playing against 8 guys out there. Every single 50/50 call....block/charge, out of bounds and a number of very of calls made against MU that weren't made so far against WV. MU has been called for a number or reaches and bodying fouls, and WV is just slapping away. Stunningly, it's only a 7 point game as a type this.

[Menotti80]

And somehow they are winning...

[Menotti80]

And now they might blow it

[brwrsfan]

Well they got the win somehow. Though they really tried hard to lose. They were under 50% from the FT line. What was DJO doing? They were up 3 with 40 seconds left. They could just run it down, take the violation and be up 3 with 5 seconds left. WV was pretyt clearly not fouling. Instead DJO forces a shot, misses. WV scores. Stupid. Then Cadugan misses 2 FT. Played solid defense the last possession at least and got the W in a tough road venue.

 

Solid win, but man did they not play well down the stretch. I would have to think without the suspensions they probably win easily, but a win is a win. Showed a lot of character and poise though. Played through the suspensions, playing in a tough environment with a lot of bad plays down the stretch and still got the win.

[berniebrewer4life]

I have to admit, i loved the two step Buzz did at center court after the game. It REALLY pissed off the student section, but who cares, they will just go and burn more couches.