Sports: NCAA Basketball

[Yodaking]

Originally Posted by japes

How may teams in this tourney have wins over more than one top 2 seed.

I believe there are only 4 other schools to make that claim this year.

Providence beat both Villanova & Xavier (both 1 seeds), which is why I didn't have them losing in the first round in my bracket.

Arizona State beat both Xavier & Kansas (both 1 seeds), didn't make it out of the play-in game for an 11 seed. I didn't pick them though.

N.C. State beat Duke & UNC, also lost in the first round. I picked Seton Hall in that one.

MSU beat both #2 seeds Purdue & UNC, they were given a 3 seed and are the only one on the list to win a game in the tournament.

I'll have to keep this in mind for future brackets.

[japes]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

I believe there are only 4 other schools to make that claim this year.

Providence beat both Villanova & Xavier (both 1 seeds), which is why I didn't have them losing in the first round in my bracket.

Arizona State beat both Xavier & Kansas (both 1 seeds), didn't make it out of the play-in game for an 11 seed. I didn't pick them though.

N.C. State beat Duke & UNC, also lost in the first round. I picked Seton Hall in that one.

MSU beat both #2 seeds Purdue & UNC, they were given a 3 seed and are the only one on the list to win a game in the tournament.

I'll have to keep this in mind for future brackets.

Very interesting information. Thanks for tracking that for me.

Also I didn't realize UNC was a #2 seed....Virginia Tech beat them also this year so that's 3 wins.

[Yodaking]

That would make VT the only team to have beaten 3 different 1 or 2 seeds during the regular season then as I know NC State couldn't beat Virginia. Outside of the ACC, not sure if anyone else even played 3 different 1 or 2 seeds.

[kevindola]

Dysole is the smartest of us all!!!

[japes]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

That would make VT the only team to have beaten 3 different 1 or 2 seeds during the regular season then as I know NC State couldn't beat Virginia. Outside of the ACC, not sure if anyone else even played 3 different 1 or 2 seeds.

Well it also shows just how unimportant the NCAA regular season is...NCAA basketball is headed to NCAA baseball zone...(I love NCAA baseball but for different reasons).

If not for the tournament I doubt NCAA Basketball would have one tenth of the viewership.

Once NBA eliminates the one and done rule with there G-League proposal we may see a lot less talent in the NCAA...

[Tornado]

Woah, close one.

Go Blue.

[Yodaking]

I would disagree with that Japes. I don't watch the NBA anymore, have not watched for more than a decade now. Still watch every single game I can of my Terps though. Big Ten Network has been fantastic for that. I just love watching the kids play more. They haven't made it yet and are so hungry to be a part of something, I got sick of watching NBA guys take nights off. Some All Stars have been known to take the first half of the season off and only 'turn it on' after the All Star break knowing they can still make the play-offs. No interest at all in watching the G-League.

Watching a player develop over the course of a 4 (or 5) year career can be quite satisfying. One of my favorite players to watch on last years Terps team was Damonte Dodd. He was never going to be an NBA player, an unheralded recruit from the Easter Shore who red shirted his freshmen year in order to bulk up. Watching his minutes go up every season as he took on more and more of a role was great. A fantastic glue guy who did all sorts of the little things a team needs done in order to win. I cheered like crazy every time he threw down some points.

I think the college game will actually get better once all the one and done's are gone. Senior and Junior heavy teams are great to watch play. They know the system and each other so well that it is fun to watch. There is a lot to be said for experience and team chemistry when it comes to winning the big dance. Just how many of these one and done's have actually won or even played for a National Title? Carmelo Anthony comes to mind (and that was before the rule was in place since King James skipped college), but since I don't watch the NBA anymore I can't say about more recent draft picks. I know that LSU kid who was expected to be a lottery pick from the get go didn't even get his team into the tournament and Wisconsin's 4 year player Frank Kaminsky still got drafted in the first round (9th overall) after being named player of the year and getting his team into two Final Fours and the Championship game (which they lost).

For me the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament is the best sporting event out there and it isn't even close. A single elimination tournament with 68 teams invited where any one of them can be immortalized is so exhilarating. Did you see that Loyola vs. Tennessee game? That 98 year old lady in the wheel chair was beaming from ear to ear, and across the court that 9 year old girl in Tennessee orange was sobbing. I love the passion the college fans have and exhibit. Those kids a UMBC are living the dream for 24 hours. None of those players are NBA bound but I loved watching them play the game with their hearts on their sleeves.

[kevindola]

Yeah that Michigan game was incredible last night. Purdue pulled one out despite a terrible overall performance by Carsen Edwards. My expectations are definitely tempered after Haas went down, but very excited to pick up that win and be headed back to the Sweet 16.

[Yodaking]

I had Purdue winning it all this year, but now that Haas went down I'm not sure they will be able to pull it off. Nova is going to be pretty hard to beat without him, if they get that far.

[Yodaking]

Wow, Loyola in the Final 4! I kind of hope they win it all.

[Dysole]

Um.

I have no idea how my random generator got 2/4 on the final four.

Scratch that. I was looking at the wrong game for Duke. Still I'm in a very good place for this to be true.

~Dysole, who'd actually stopped paying any kind of attention until she saw Loyola won

[Tornado]

Go Blue!