NCAA Tourney

[SkenfromLMF]

Man the 1st Rd had a number of upsets...

Oral Robert's over Ohio State
North Texas over Purdue
But my Abilene Christian downing Texas was not good for my heart last night. I was happy when Texas had to go up 1 in the last minute - after what happened vs Kentucky. But to grab the win was too much to ask - make a Free Throw win the game. Clutch

Today Loyola knocks off Illinois (the team most people have knocking out Baylor)

I am glad I didn't fill out a bracket!

[mtrot]

Man the 1st Rd had a number of upsets...

Oral Robert's over Ohio State
North Texas over Purdue
But my Abilene Christian downing Texas was not good for my heart last night. I was happy when Texas had to go up 1 in the last minute - after what happened vs Kentucky. But to grab the win was too much to ask - make a Free Throw win the game. Clutch

Today Loyola knocks off Illinois (the team most people have knocking out Baylor)

I am glad I didn't fill out a bracket!

You should be glad you didn't fill one out.  Have there ever been this many bracket busters by teams that are 12 or lower seeds?   We also saw 13 Ohio beating 4 Virginia, 12 Oregon State over 4 Oklahoma State,  and 11 Syracuse over 3 West Virginia.

Mine was going poorly and then went to total crap when Sister Jean beat the Illini, because I had Illinois winning the whole thing!

[SleepingHero]

FSU all the way!

[SkenfromLMF]

FSU!!!
When I was a D-Line coach that was our break out as a position group. FSU! Stood for F-*** S-*** UP!


That would be the most appropriate Champ Ever!

[SleepingHero]

FSU!!!
When I was a D-Line coach that was our break out as a position group. FSU! Stood for F-*** S-*** UP!


That would be the most appropriate Champ Ever!

That's so funny. If only FSU's football team had a tenth of the defense the basketball team has!

I just love watching their scrappy d. Super entertaining. Realistically I think Michigan is going to mop the floor with them but hey if they can get past the Wolves they have a pretty good shot at elite four.

[SkenfromLMF]

Now that the slippers have all been broken, Houston looks legit against the most double digit seeds ever to the Final Four. 

Gotta tell you Mitchell from Baylor might make me wish Dallas had a pick.

[ClutchDirk]

Enjoying watching UCLA...hope they keep advancing...

[SleepingHero]

Realistically I think Michigan is going to mop the floor with them but hey if they can get past the Wolves they have a pretty good shot at elite four.

I'm so sad that I was correct. 

Stupid Michigan.

[SkenfromLMF]

My ranks of desired Champs among the Final Four:
Baylor
Houston 
UCLA (make ACU look EVEN better)
Gonzaga

I have to admit I hate rooting against any of these teams, this has been a fun March Madness to witness!

[HAguiar95]

Gotta tell you Mitchell from Baylor might make me wish Dallas had a pick.

I'm actually way more sold on Butler. Had him last year on my tiers for us until he declared that he was staying.

[SkenfromLMF]

Congrats to the Baylor Bears - National Champions. I thought this would be a great game, just not sure I thought they had this in them. Not only did they make it a great game, but they affected Gonzaga on all levels. They answered every run the Zags made and pushed the lead even further. Great Win!

I was in Waco 18 years ago and I am beyond happy for the program and what Coach Drew has accomplished. I rooted for them, but I would have never believed they could accomplish this...

The truth is what happened in that basketball program is way worse than what happened in the football program under Art Briles. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but it is not. (Now the role of upper administration was worse regarding the football issues, as they handled the basketball tragedy as well as possible under the circumstances - football not so much).

To my friends in Waco I am happy for you!

2nd NCAA men's title in Texas. Texas Western was the first!

[HanspardShowerVoice]

What I like about Baylor is that Drew has been there 18 years and the long term commitment between the school and a coach pays off.  Between good coaches getting fired simply because the fans/boosters get impatiently bored or coaches jumping ship for the next brass ring, it's good to see a coach and a school who appreciate what they have in each other. Baylor has consistently put a good team on the floor, though they haven't always been perennial Championship contenders (they finished 6th place in the Big XII and went to the NIT in 2018).  But if you throw your hat in the ring enough times, eventually you get one of these magical classes of kids where everything clicks.

[Chicagojk]

As a Baylor grad that was a fun game.   Drew had a knock that he wasn't a good coach in the past.  That knock was disproven a while ago.  He has had a lot of players get a lot better while at Baylor.  This years team was a mismatch of transfers that built up the core of the team.    They have 4 guards (5 if you count Mayer) who can all create off the dribble.   And all their bigs are physicals players.   No one had to be a star and each would take a backseat if someone else had it going.  

Last night, you saw something that doesn't happen much in college.  They attacked Timme all night long.  They looked to get him guarding a guard and then went at him.   That is more of an nba strategy.   Timme is a fantastic player, but I think he saw his future last night on what teams will do when he is on the floor in the NBA.   

Gonzaga is a great team.   They didn't have their best game last night but Baylor was great the last two games of the tournament and deserves the championship.  Suggs is obviously a very high pick.  He just seems to have "it".   Kispert struggled the last two games.  I didn't buy him as a top 10 pick, but he was great this year.   His poor performance shouldn't ruin his draft prospects.  He should be a real solid player.

[SkenfromLMF]

Last night, you saw something that doesn't happen much in college.  They attacked Timme all night long.  They looked to get him guarding a guard and then went at him.   That is more of an nba strategy.   Timme is a fantastic player, but I think he saw his future last night on what teams will do when he is on the floor in the NBA.   

Funny, I was thinking Kispert saw his future when the floor was loaded with players who were more athletic than his natural ability. I think he will will be a later lottery pick but to me he is a clean cut Adam Morrison who will disappoint the team that drafts him early in the lottery. Maybe he can find a niche as a knock down shooter, HOWEVER Timme has a chance if he plays in a defensive system that values guards/wings fighting through screens without depending on constantly switching and leaving him on an island when the guard isolates - BUT yeah none of those Baylor guards are exactly Steph or Dame. It would not surprise me IF Thamba ends up being the most successful big at the next level out of that game... 

I know that Butler and Suggs are the most NBA ready values out there last night, but I think Mitchell would be the perfect compliment to Luka as a ball handling defensive stopper. The one thing I would caution regarding Baylor guards not named Mitchell or Butler is that they are more like wings in how they play off those two... ultimately they will be undersized to fill that role at the next level. My point is that a couple of those guys will need to play next to a Luka type PG who can cover up the fact that they don't handle the ball like player their size usually are required and are undersized to defend 2-guards at the NBA level. I just didn't see a lot of 3-&-D sized wings in that game, maybe I focused too much in enjoying the game...

[mtrot]

Timme just couldn't operate against the stout Baylor bigs at all, couldn't go where he wanted to go.  Decent looks were few and far between for the Zags' shooters,  due to the stifling NBA level pressure of Baylor's guards.  Game over.  As Charles said in the post game, "we sure know Baylor has a weight room!"

[SkenfromLMF]

One of the things that affected Timme was the Baylor pressure meant that Gonzaga was setting up their offense further away from his comfort zone. He had to step out to get favorable passing angles then was as you said uncomfortable with the ball in his hands... I was pleasantly surprised as I thought Few would figure out an adjustment. When it looked like Gonzaga got their feet under them in the 2nd half Timme picked up fouls 3 and 4 and hit the bench - checkmate.