Arena The Madness Has Begun!: NCAA Basketball Discussion

I'm good with Ohio State winning it all as a five.

 

I'd say Ohio State's likelier to be #5 on the S-Curve than a 5-seed, but in the Big Ten, who knows. That conference is scary this year.

 

Can't see them that high B1G is scary this year. 5 league losses puts them at a seven loss season. Not exactly a profile for a 2 seed. And five is the minimum I anticipate.

 

I'm not saying I think they will be a 5 seed, mind you, I just don't see them falling all the way to a 5 seed. That said, who knows?

 

Wow, I think today was one of the worst shooting performances I've ever seen. South Carolina was truly awful, something like 23%... its a miracle we were still remotely close. If Vandy was actually a decent team it would have been a blowout.

 

We can go back to being friends after basketball season

The Big Ten isn't doing that well this year, in general. I think Wisconsin is the only team unbeaten in conference play (oh, IU. Such a sad second half. And not a great first half, either.) I'll be very interested to see the rankings come March.

 

I caught some of the Purdue - WVU game before hockey started. Purdue looked pretty good.

 

Heckuva game going on right now in East Lansing. Bucks and Sparty tied with about three to play

 

They've only got 6 teams in the top 25, 4 teams in the top 11-12 (depending on which poll you use), and are widely considered the best conference in the country this year, even by people (myself included) who don't like the Big Ten Plus Some.

Yeah, not so well, I guess.

 

Damn.

The Big Ten is so stacked this year.

 

Fine, not as well as they could be doing, based on the way some of the games have been going. Several teams have had some surprising upsets.

Though, really, it's hard to have a perfect season, and even the teams that win banners have pre-conference losses. Could be a lot worse.

 

Much better day for me yesterday.

South Carolina fell behind to Arkansas 15-3, Frank Martin called a timeout... and it was all USC after that. 40-11 run to close the half, and Arkansas never really made a run. Though I have to give an Un-sportsmanship Award to Coty Clarke of Arkansas for, in a game where his team was down by more than 20 and had long since given up, stealing the ball from the guy just letting the clock run out and dunking with 1 second left. Well, the award wasn't for that. Had that been all, it would have just been eye-rolling, but he hang on the rim longer than I think I've ever seen anyone hang (back and forth, back and forth, etc).

Meanwhile, Duke bounced back from that game-that-shall-not-be-mentioned to cruise over Maryland. Really need Ryan Kelly back, though.

 

It was a pretty good day for me, too--I don't think Tom Crean has beaten former boss Tom Izzo until today! (If only I'd gotten to watch the game; it sounded thrilling ).

And Crean's brothers-in-law will face off during the Superbowl.

 

I'm still not happy that UNC lost to NC State.

 

I'm happy to say I was one of the few really questioning Kentucky before the season - their struggles this season really haven't surprised me.

I also thought UNC might have been too high in the preseason poll... but I thought that was much closer. Didn't see them having the struggles they've had this year.

 

Carolina's been up and down this season. They're clearly missing the guys from last year, and haven't come into their own yet.

 

So Ohio State just beat Wisconsin. And managed to send Wisconsin to the free throw line a total of ZERO times. Crazy.

 

I'm pretending that South Carolina didn't have a game last night. Pretty sure the players weren't aware of anything on the schedule, at least.

 

Irmo High School could've put up more of a fight against Florida than the Gamecocks did last night.

In happier news, Duke finally won a conference road game!

 

Half the high schools in the state could have done that.

Duke at Florida State tomorrow. FSU has not looked good this year at all, but still could be a trap game.

 

ESPN Gameday, IU vs. Michigan at Assembly Hall. Eight minutes in, and IU is playing like crazy. IT's really awesome to watch.

 

And another 1 bites the dust ... A #1 gone yeah a #1 gone ... Another 1 bites the dust

Always glad to see Michigan lose.

 

I think it would be hilarious and fitting if someone turned in a ballot this week with 2-25 filled out and #1 blank.

 

Woot Wisconsin!

 

Seriously...no one wants to be number one.