College Basketball Thread 2015-16

[FVBrewerFan]

Wisconsin is so used to playing in close games at the end, that really seems to be the difference.

 

Nevermind.

[RobDeer 45]

Boy I didn't think this had anything to do with the refs. I thought it was a couple mistakes that ended us. Hayes put that ball out in the open an it was sitting there between two players. Could they have called a foul? Maybe, but that was a loose ball in my opinion. Then it was a straight steal on the next possession. I think there were some bad calls but I also think we got away some too. It was heart breaking for sure, but it was on us, not the refs. I'm disappointed that we loss but excited for the future.

[MKE81]

Issue on the Hayes play is Badgers are up 1 and can run clock out for W so ND will be playing overly aggressive on defense and when there's contact it's called a foul. That didn't happen. Regarding Koenig's play. Him being called for the foul was atrocious. Game speed ND hit the ball the same time he hit Koenig while cutting in front of him. That's a foul all day every day based on the contact. You can slow motion plays like that all day but it doesn't change the fact that it's a foul. Badgers gave this away regardless. Their turnovers were that of a grade school team. ND didn't make any great defensive plays where you tip your cap for their hustle. They were literally unforced by the Badgers on horrendous decisions and/or execution. Sweet 16 is a great run this year considering how the first couple months went

[MrTPlush]

The Hayes play is debatable from all the college basketball I have watched this year. They don't like calling fouls like that at the end of games and the big difference maker was the fact no one had the ball. For most Refs they let it be a free for all. To be honest it was a good no call like it or not.

 

Notre Dame played great defense at the end of the game and forced the Badgers to make mistakes. To win tight games you have to beat the press and the Badgers could not do it.

[stoutdude04]

The Hayes play is debatable from all the college basketball I have watched this year. They don't like calling fouls like that at the end of games and the big difference maker was the fact no one had the ball. For most Refs they let it be a free for all. To be honest it was a good no call like it or not.

 

Notre Dame played great defense at the end of the game and forced the Badgers to make mistakes. To win tight games you have to beat the press and the Badgers could not do it.

 

Maybe, but his arm getting raked right before he lost could have been the reason he lost it too.

[fondybrewfan]

The refs didn't decided that game. They had a ridiculous amount of turnovers plus a bunch of other stuff.

 

1. Immediately after the Brown 3 they let ND score. What maybe 4 seconds

2. In bounds play Nigel could have just held the ball if he wanted. We had timeouts and possession. Instead he tried stepping through basically a triple team and really started losing the ball before a potential foul happened. Plus Koenig was open on the inbounds and I feel better about him making FT's then Nigel.

3. Koenig missed what should have been a go ahead lay up. It was contested but he should have made it

4. Even though ND was trying to foul Koenig before the last shot, I found that Koenig was pretty lackadaisical bring it up the court anyways. Plus it wasn't a guarantee that with 1.5 seconds left or whatever that we would have tied it up. They certainly wouldn't have let Koenig take the last 3.

 

All in all it was a good season. They progressed a ton and made it farther than most people could have hoped. They should be even better next year with improvement from everybody plus Pritzl and Van Vliet. Maybe Hayes wants to get paid in Europe, that is his prerogative. But I think the team could still be really good without him.

[Baldkin]

0 fouls on Notre Dame the last 8:21.

 

The Badgers still had a chance to win, still should've won... but that stat just shocks me.

[homer]

The Hayes play is debatable from all the college basketball I have watched this year. They don't like calling fouls like that at the end of games and the big difference maker was the fact no one had the ball. For most Refs they let it be a free for all. To be honest it was a good no call like it or not.

 

Notre Dame played great defense at the end of the game and forced the Badgers to make mistakes. To win tight games you have to beat the press and the Badgers could not do it.

 

UW committed some really uncharacteristic turnovers the whole game. Losing Happ (their primary inbounder) didn't help matters at the end.

[DHonks]

If anything, I'm a Badger hater. So I'll throw in my perspective. Very nice game again for the undermanned Badgers. They really are hurting with scoring. This team turned it around and made a remarkable run this season despite an impotent offense. Thoughts from end of game:

-sloppy ball handling

-Koenig needs to learn how to dribble. If I were an opposing coach, I'd harp on his palming of the ball. With refs looking for it, he'd probably get it called 2-3 times per game. In last 2 minutes, each time he dribbled he could have been called. That's saying something in the modern day of dribbling

-Happ was a bit lucky on the dive that resulted in his 5th foul. He didn't just dive over the ND player (normally a no-call for some inexplicable reason), but his weight slammed into the players' head. In the NFL it would have been a personal foul, and I'm kind of surprised the officials didn't go to the monitor to determine a flagrant-1 (given how frequently they've gone to monitors in recent seasons).

-Notre Dame with a lucky play on a strategical mistake. The steal of Koenig near half-court should have been played differently with the defender committing the foul up 3. Purdue (lost) and Iowa (went to OT) need to get with the times and learn to foul when up 3, at least until the NCAA moves the 3-pt line back. Given that Wisconsin seems to make several game-tying or game-winning 3-point heaves each season, I'd rather not let them have a chance to shoot. Having said that, maybe Koenig expected the foul which therefore allowed the clean steal.

 

That said, Wisconsin will be in great shape next year with everyone back and a year older.

[brewcrewdue80]

0 fouls on Notre Dame the last 8:21.

 

The Badgers still had a chance to win, still should've won... but that stat just shocks me.

 

Wasn't the Duke game about the same?

 

Biggest play to me was Happ scoring. ND loses the ball in the scramble Hayes is shown diving for the ball but is shoved as he prepares to dive for the ball, overshooting it, and the ND guy that should have had foul called instead lands on the ball, Happ happened to land on his head sadly getting his 5th foul to foul out. Wonder the outcome had that play been called correctly. Badger ball w/o made free throws and Happ still playing.

[MrTPlush]

Here is my view:

 

Lets pretend there is no contact on that steal and the Wisconsin player doesn't fall/flop. Who is getting that loose ball? Notre Dame easily and the same result ensues. It isn't like the Wisconsin player was going to get that and instead was shoved out of the way.

 

Really you guys are mad your team wasn't saved by the refs.

[pacopete4]

Here is my view:

 

Lets pretend there is no contact on that steal and the Wisconsin player doesn't fall/flop. Who is getting that loose ball? Notre Dame easily and the same result ensues. It isn't like the Wisconsin player was going to get that and instead was shoved out of the way.

 

Really you guys are mad your team wasn't saved by the refs.

 

 

Can't speak for everyone but my comment about the refs was as to how they called the entire game. It was officiated differently than every game I watched this season and I mean that for both sides. I think part of the reason that play was so sloppy was because of how the refs allowed the game play to be. Now, am I mad at the officials? More so disappointed in lack of consistency. Mad at the Badgers? A little. Only because they blew a golden opportunity at playing a 1-seed in the elite 8.

[superfly]

Here is my view:

 

Lets pretend there is no contact on that steal and the Wisconsin player doesn't fall/flop. Who is getting that loose ball? Notre Dame easily and the same result ensues. It isn't like the Wisconsin player was going to get that and instead was shoved out of the way.

 

Really you guys are mad your team wasn't saved by the refs.

 

 

The officiating was horrific the entire 2nd half, there were also a few calls that benefitted UW that were really bad, but it was by far tilted toward ND.

 

That said, I was over the loss in about an hour. There's nothing to be ashamed of with regards to what these kids did this year, and the best part is they will all be back next year, plus Van Vliet and Pritzl will join them. Illikanen and Iverson will also be sophomores...both of which flashed during their limited time.

 

Better days than the Sweet 16 are ahead in the next couple years, i'd wager on a final four so long as nobody bails early.

[stoutdude04]

Here is my view:

 

Really you guys are mad your team wasn't saved by the refs.

 

Not mad at all. I saw a few replays and it looked poorly officiated. I was on a plane during the game so I only saw the major plays at the end.

[MrTPlush]

Reffing in general is pretty inconsistent. Every officiating crew is going to call it a different way. Sometimes you are going to be on the good end and sometimes on the bad end. I feel most conferences have refs who are all pretty similar, but once you get into tourney play good luck. It is going to be a whole different ball game. There were questionable calls that entire game for both sides we just remember the last ones that unfortunately went against Wisconsin.

 

It surely isn't the only game this tourney ending a bit questionable.Actually most games recently have has some questionable things happen at the end of the game. The ref that came screaming from half court to say he stepped out of bounds(Syracuse in the Sweet 16) and then the Kansas game last night was a bit messy at the end.

 

I mean I could go on for days. The officiating is not consistent in CBB. This game doesn't stand out one bit.

[fondybrewfan]

I am over it already. Tough loss but they will come back strong next year. Its not like the team would have had a prayer against UNC anyways.

 

The thing that bugs me the most is immediately after the Brown 3 UW just let ND waltz down and get an uncontested layup. If they can get one lousy stop there the game is probably over. Do anything other than just give up an easy 2.

 

Anyways I have Oklahoma over Villanova and UNC over Syracuse. Virginia and Tony Bennett really crapped the bed the last 10 minutes; far worse than Bucky. It was a 1 vs 10 and the 1 completely blew it and tightened up. Brogdon had a horrible game.

 

Not sure who I would take between UNC and Oklahoma. If Heild and Oklahoma shoots like they have been I don't think anyone can beat them but they are playing in a football stadium which may make outside shooting harder. If that ends up being the case it is a big advantage to UNC.

[LouisEly]

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. They made the Sweet 16. It was probably very unlikely that they would have beaten UNC to make the Final 4, but you never know.

 

The silver lining is that the season ends with a little poop in their mouth - that bad taste they've been left with will motivate them this offseason to not let that happen to them again next year. Hayes hopefully realized that it is a little different when teams are focusing on you instead of you being thought of as the 3rd/4th best option, and that will hopefully guide his preparation for next year.

 

Four starting seniors, a(nother) year of experience under the belt for Happ, Hill, Iverson, Thomas, and Illikainen, plus the addition of Pritzl and Van Vliet. Not unrealistic to have a 3rd Final Four in four years.

[fondybrewfan]

1 or 2 of this year's freshman should probably redshirt next year if Pritzl and Van Vliet are as advertised. It seems to me that one of Illikainen and Thomas should redshirt for sure. Illikainen seems like the most logical one; he really only played out of necessity this year and for the most part was very overmatched. Thomas at least has the body already and use his strength down low.

[DHonks]

Hoping 'Nova makes it to the finals. That's the last circle I can get on my bracket. The other side got blown up long ago. Oklahoma is playing really well. Shocking after how iffy they looked in the last 6 weeks of conference play. Love has more depth and talent, so I hope it's their time.

 

Cuse is always fun to watch, even if they are overachieving and coached by an evil genius. My hatred of UNC is very strong....exponentially more than my hatred of Bucky. Really, the only school left that I like is Nova...so I pray they pull it out!

[fondybrewfan]

Syracuse and UNC can both suck it if you ask me. Boeheim is a turd who cheated and UNC is a sham school where there athletes took classes that weren't really classes. Got nothing against Villanova except that they play Oklahoma and my wallet very much wants Oklahoma to win the NC.

[AKCheesehead]

I always root for Wah Williams to lose every game no matter what.

[DHonks]

Glad to see Nova come through after the let-downs the last few years. Such a solid program, good kids, and fun system to watch with the 4 wing attack. They were clearly the best team I saw all season, but I just couldn't bring myself to have them over Michigan St in the Finals. Shocked to see UNC do this well, after how vulnerable they looked at times. Great run, great game

[DuWayne Steurer]

What a great game...... I mean if you're just a fan of college basketball, that was a great game, and an amazing finish. Paige drills the off balance circus 3 with less than 5 seconds to tie, and then Jenkins cans the 25 footer for the win at the buzzer. The only way that could have even been scripted better was if the UNC basket had given them a lead instead of a tie. Possibly one of the best college BB games I've ever watched.

[JohnBriggs12]

During that game last night Bill Raftery made an off the cuff reference to the O'Brien twins from Seattle University, then followed it up with, "probably nobody remembers them". Thanks to the internet age, I looked it up. Johnny and Eddie O'Brien were stars on Seattle U team in early 1950's, then signed by the Pirates and went straight to the major leagues as 2B/SS combo in 1953. Amazingly, they were just 5'9". They were the only guys who played both in the major leagues and the NCAA basketball tournament.

 

Johnny O'Brien has Milwaukee baseball connection having been with the Braves in 1959. He was part of a revolving door at 2B filling in the year Schoendienst was battling TB. He's still around at 85, though his brother Eddie passed away in 2014.

[DHonks]

Can't find the 1993 NCAA tournament box score, but Santa Clara's Randy Winn played on the basketball team (knocked off #2 seeded Arizona), however, given that he played only 5 games that year, I'll bet he didn't get into the upset win.