[The Horrible Esthete]

I like MLB, NCAA football and the NFL more than I like NCAA basketball; however, I also think the NCAA tourney might be the best single event in sports. I'm surprised there is no hipase talk!

Anyone a fan of a team amongst the Sweet 16?

Even though I thought UConn was vulnerable coming into this tourney, I was still shocked to see San Diego take 'em out. I knew SD was a nice team, but still....

Same goes for Georgetown. I didn't think they were 2-seed caliber, but thought they could beat a Davidson. They just choked that one away.

In my bracket, I had my Muskies taking Duke out, but WVU beat 'em to the punch. Strangely enough, I fear WVU more than I feared Duke. :?

[ron]

i 've picked Memphis for the last 3 years and this year I think i have a chance to have it right.

[Phantom51]

I got rocked pretty good the first two rounds, Still have Kansas, NC, Memphis and UCLA in the final 4 though.

[d_alex_d]

I'm heading to Ford Field this weekend to check out the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games. It's going to be absolutly sick!!! 80,000 screaming fans, i cannot wait!!!

I went to the opening round games a couple years ago in Buffalo and that was the most insance experience of my life and it was only 20,000 or so, I don't think I can imagine what 80,000 ppl will be, wow!!!

Im psyched to see the rest of the tourney unfold, its been such a mess so far.

[john cage]

In my bracket, I had my Muskies taking Duke out, but WVU beat 'em to the punch. Strangely enough, I fear WVU more than I feared Duke. :?

What about your Buckeyes? Not following the NIT? :mrgreen:

GO STATE

[The Horrible Esthete]

What about your Buckeyes? Not following the NIT?

Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on them, but the NIT would take a backseat even if Xavier wasn't alive in the NCAAs.

Remember, last year I had the rare opportunity to see Xavier play OSU in the tourney...and I was torn....but I rooted for OSU since they had a better shot at advancing to the Final 4 (which they did). This year, if the same situation would have arisen, I would root for Xavier instead. But OSU didn't get a bid, so that won't be an issue.

Props to Sparty. I always root for the Big 10 when I can (except this weekend when I had to root against Purdue :wink: ) I think MSU has a shot at beating Memphis this week. Memphis is loaded with athletes, as Calipari's teams usually are....but for some reason, they don't seem to play well as a unit when they face good, physical defenses come tourney time. They might sqeak by MSU, but they will not win it all, imo.

[prz]

MSU impressed during the first weekend, finally playing how they should of played all season long.

I think they have what it takes to beat the Tigers.

Go State!

[The Horrible Esthete]

Yeah, it's so fashionable to rip the Big 10 these days. Listening to the blowhards, you'd think that the Big 10 is Division II caliber, and the Pac 10 is a step below the NBA.

It was sweet watching Cal get absolutly SUFFOCATED by the Buckeyes last night in the NIT....

[sullivand]

I grew up 30 minutes from Lawrence with parents who both went to Kansas, so KU basketball is in my blood. Been fortunate enough to see them in person a few times this season. When they're on, they're fantastic. No clue if they'll win it all this year. Anxious to if they can win two more, and North Carolina can win two more, and we'll finally get the Roy Williams vs. Kansas game that would never happen outside the tournament.

So d_alex_d ... you get to see KU's next game in person. Nice! You cheering for Villanova or Kansas?

[The Horrible Esthete]

I grew up 30 minutes from Lawrence with parents who both went to Kansas, so KU basketball is in my blood. Been fortunate enough to see them in person a few times this season. When they're on, they're fantastic. No clue if they'll win it all this year. Anxious to if they can win two more, and North Carolina can win two more, and we'll finally get the Roy Williams vs. Kansas game that would never happen outside the tournament.

I wish KU were in the South and Memphis were in the Midwest...so that a UNC/KU championship game was a possibility. We'll see how it plays out, but it seems to me that KU & UNC are the best 2 teams in the tourney...

[colinjardine]

My friend is a WVU alum and former Mountaineer mascot, so he and I went to Washington DC this past weeked to see the game against Duke. What an unbelievable experience. The crowd was so anti-Duke is was awesome. I liked Duke back in the Hurley-Laetner days, but they've become a bunch of whiny spoiled kids (IMHO).

We had seats in the second level, right at the foul line. Couldn't have been a better time, unless you took away the 17 hours driving in a day and a half.

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[sullivand]

it seems to me that KU & UNC are the best 2 teams in the tourney...

Agreed -- but I can see how KU ended up with the fourth No. 1 seed, and thus are matched with the top No. 1 seed in the semifinals. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let's see how Detroit treats the Jayhawks first...

[john cage]

Memphis is loaded with athletes, as Calipari's teams usually are....but for some reason, they don't seem to play well as a unit when they face good, physical defenses come tourney time. They might sqeak by MSU, but they will not win it all, imo.

Agreed. Athleticism can only get you so far. They cannot shoot free throws to save their lives. Tourney lives, that is.

[The Horrible Esthete]

They cannot shoot free throws to save their lives. Tourney lives, that is.

Yep, that's another big weakness of theirs.

Many "experts" are generally downplaying that weakness, but in a game like this next one vs MSU, they could find themselves at the free throw line quite a bit instead of getting the amount of buckets in the paint.

[The Horrible Esthete]

WOOHOO!!








As I see it, Xavier could just as easily beat UCLA as the other way around. Could we be talking X to the Final Four??

:jump :jump