College Basketball Thread 2014-15

[lcbj68c]

still rooting for Wichita State and Utah to keep advancing. These two--despite being in the Top 10 for much of the year--haven't gotten any love this tourney.

 

To be completely honest, I think the selection committee gave them the 7 seed as a gift. "Kansas keeps ducking you? Alright. Win your first round game, and you guys get them in round 2."

 

Wichita St is, in essence, the 2 seed now.

 

I'm ignorant...do you think the selection committee takes into account "geographical spats" and awards favors or requests?

[DHonks]

RoCo, I'd love to think that. My gripes on selection Sunday were primarily that N. Iowa should have been a 2-4 (not 5), Utah should have been a 3-4, and Wichita St should have been a 3-5. Everyone that watched basketball this year knew that Kansas was a vulnerable 2. It's amazing how many Kansas fans in Vegas last week were betting New Mexico St. My point is that their opponents need to respect these schools for their intense defense and solid play rather than view them as lower/weaker seeds.

[brewers4eric]

I've got 10 of the 16 teams. Being an Iowa State alumni, I fell into the popular trap of picking the Cyclones for the final four. They fooled me with all of their comeback wins at the end of the Big 12 season. I did pick Wichita State to beat Kansas, but I would have never guessed that West Virginia would be one of the last two Big 12 teams left in the tournament.

 

My sister is a Northern Iowa grad that moved to Louisville when she got married. Her husband worked in the athletic department for several years, knew Denny Crum, and their wedding reception was on the Louisville campus. She said that no matter who won, it was a loss for her.

 

I saw Georgia State play Iowa State in Ames early in the season. Georgia State was a great story, and I wonder how far they would have went if Harrow was healthy. It was ironic that their coach couldn't move around after his injury, he would routinely be on the court shouting instructions during the game to the point where he was almost a sixth player on the court.

 

I drew out a bracket for the wife and kids with the remaining 16 teams. The winner gets a dinner at the restaurant of their choice. My 7 year old son has Wisconsin, so I'm guessing we're headed to Chuck E Cheese again.

[FVBrewerFan]

I'm ignorant...do you think the selection committee takes into account "geographical spats" and awards favors or requests?

 

Even the cynical side of me doubts they award favors or special requests. I do think they look for interesting match-ups. Coach vs his former team, Father/son coach vs each other, geography, etc. It just seems to have happened too often over the years to be a coincidence.

 

I don't think they fool around with the seeds, but if you have a 10 seed that makes more of an interesting match-up in a certain bracket, they will move them there. I think I may have even heard a committee chairman admit that in the past, but not sure.

[lcbj68c]

Tired of watching the Badgers unwilling to defend the 3. They stand 2 feet inside the arc, seemingly scared to death of somebody driving the lane to their inside help? Predictably, NC buries the uncontested 3's. You'd think after the Kentucky loss last year that they'd guard the opponent beyond the arc, but they don't.

[stalton]

We can't buy a 3 to save our lives.

[LouisEly]

UNC 7-10 from 3, UW 7-21. Reminds me of the UNLV game from about 10 years ago when UNLV shot 70% from 3. UW the better team, UNC getting lucky.

[LouisEly]

Make that 8-11. Ridiculous.

[lcbj68c]

Good Lord. Sticking a hand near their chest after the ball is gone while you are crouched away isn't defending. Get out on the man for crying out loud.

[craigharmann]

This just in: Sam Dekker is goooooooooood!

[LouisEly]

UNC shot 61% from 3 (including a few last-second heaves at the end), turned the ball over 4 times... and UW won.

 

This just in - UW is good.

[fondybrewfan]

UW keeps winning despite shooting the 3 terribly. One of these games......

 

Showalter with a couple big plays and if Kaminsky broke out in the tourney last year; Dekker might be breaking out this year. He kept us in the game.

 

Need better games from Koenig and Hayes on Saturday

[Funketown]

Wisconsin is really good, that was probably UNC's best 3-shooting performance of the year. I'd consider myself a UNC fan first and then a Wisconsin fan, but I found myself pretty much indifferent between which team won; there's just no way UNC could have kept winning. Wisconsin can beat Arizona, and they can beat Kentucky, and they can beat dook (but hopefully dook loses).

[DuWayne Steurer]

Has Dekker improved his stock in this tourney to the point where he may consider leaving? He's been really good in this run. Really really good.

[fondybrewfan]

If Dekker wants to leave I think someone will draft him in the middle to late 1st round. The question is does he want to leave or does he want to stick around like Kaminsky did. I have to believe his stock is rising right now.

 

Selfishly I want him to stick around; a potential lineup of Koenig, Dekker, Hayes, Stone and some SG could be pretty darn good next year. But I won't fault the kid for cashing in if that is what he wants to do. He still needs to work on his shot; but an NBA team will draft him knowing that shot is a work in progress.

[davego]

Dekker is close to a lottery pick, in my opinion. I'd like him to stay as well, but if he can get paid, obviously he should. I'm not sure what Sam has left to prove at Wisconsin.

[Outlander]

I was hoping Dekker would stay another year but with the tourney he is having there is pretty much no chance now. Don't think Hayes has done enough to justify taking the risk and enter the draft though. Should be interesting to see what he does when he is the first option.

[fondybrewfan]

Hayes definitely needs some more work. Kind of crazy that this team currently has perhaps 4 potential NBA players if you include Koenig and Hayes.

 

We are definitely getting spoiled with the success of the team the last couple years; just sit back and soak it in because who knows how often UW basketball will be in this position.

 

Saturday's game is going to be tough as hell. But really every game from here on out will be. UW could face the gauntlet of Arizona, Kentucky, and Duke if they keep winning. Only the 3 best teams in the country other than UW. It will be disappointing if they lose to Arizona but man they have had one heck of a run and are probably the best team UW has ever had.

 

And I am just not sure if Wisconsin or anyone else can really beat Kentucky. You sure as hell don't try doing what West Virginia did. It would seem UW's style would lend to a close game. A limited amount of possessions and minimal turnovers could at least make the game close to the end. UW doesn't get blown out by anybody; if they can have a lights out shooting game maybe they have a chance but I would expect to lose going against them.

[RobDeer 45]

Great win last night! Boy was I stressed out from that one. This next game will be a battle!

 

As for Dekker, man it will be tough for him to stay if he has another game or two like the last ones. I won't blame him at all for leaving but would be awesome to have him around longer.

 

Go Badgers.

[FVBrewerFan]

I said several pages ago Dekker needs to step up in the tourney, and boy has he ever. That was Carolina's best shot, while UW didn't play their best and still won. I highly doubt it, but I wonder if Bo plays some 1-3-1 zone after how poorly A handled that. Pretty tough to throw in a defense in one day, just would be interesting.

[davego]

If Bo plays any 1-3-1 on Saturday, the earth will crash into the sun (not that I'm against the 1-3-1).

[fondybrewfan]

I don't know that Bo has played a minute of zone in his entire career. I would put Gasser on the freshman Stanley; he will make him miserable.

 

Arizona doesn't have a great post game; very athletic but not really good finishers. The key is to stop McConnell, Stanley, and York. I think Gasser can handle whomever he is guarding but Koenig and Jackson will have their hands full with McConnell. York can be deadly too; I might put Gasser on him if he is in the game. Kaleb T, Jefferson, and Ashley are all extremely athletic but the only guy with any ability outside of 5 feet is Ashley and he isn't spectacular by any means. Limit their 3 point makes and UW will most likely win.

[brwrsfan]

The Badgers will 100% NOT play a zone of any kind. Not a single minute of it ever under Bo Ryan.

 

Arizona is a tough matchup, and the fact that it's very near their campus is kinda BS, but it was last year too....

 

The Badgers are incredibly overdue for a game where they shoot the ball well and their opponent doesn't. Every game in this post season, we've seemingly struggled on offense, missing tons of open looks for at least an entire half...meanwhile teams shoot out of their minds against us. Overdue to just explode on someone sooner or later.

 

This is a tough game though, AZ has been thinking about us for an entire year - much like we have with KY. Could be a real battle, just hope we can somehow find a way to win.

[LouisEly]

Dekker doesn't have a good enough shot from outside to go in the top half of round 1 (31.6% from 3). Lots of guys in the NBA are athletic; the differentiators are the ones who can shoot. Back half of round 1, yes, but not a lottery pick.

 

On the other hand, Hayes has improved his outside shot enough (37.5% from 3) to be a late lottery pick/1st round teens. He will go higher than Dekker (even though Dekker is more athletic). I wouldn't be surprised if Dukan makes a NBA roster; he understands playing his role, has a decent outside shot (a stretch 4, kind of in the Ilyasova mode, but I think more athletic), certainly understands the NBA game, and the reason he isn't starting is simply because he's playing behind three first round NBA draft picks (Kaminsky, Dekker, Hayes).

[brwrsfan]

Well per his twitter account, Diamond Stone has picked Maryland over WI. Just don't get it (unless it's grades). After all the recent success, the fact that he's from WI and his dad is close with Bo...and we still can't get him. And we don't lose him to Duke or Kansas or UNC, but Maryland??

 

I really thought with the timing of it, it was going to be the Badgers, adding to the great weekend (so far). But this is a pretty big downer. Ugh.