NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

[sdcforever]

Mizzou played well but it wasn't enough.  This is hard to admit, but it's obvious the better team won today.  Being out-rebounded and not being able to make a good percentage of our free throws really did us in.  Also props to UConn for being able to play our style of basketball and win.  Now comes the big question:  Will Coach Anderson stay or go?

[Swoosh]

The better team did not win today - the better team was given the gift of a victory by the refs.  Hard to win a game when it is 8 on 5.  Last time I checked, you have to dribble the ball when you are moving around the court with the ball -- not the case today.  Could have sworn I was watching an NBA game as anytime UConn went to the lane they took at least 3-5 steps.  PATHETIC.

Anderson is staying.

[Zephon]

Gotta agree, Swoosh.  Toward the end of the game, that one UConn guard slammed into Carroll while he was just standing there and instead of getting a charge called, which would have put us in the bonus, he gets called for traveling.  The guy stopped, expecting a whistle, and took a step or two while holding the ball, and then the whistle came.  And that's just typical of the calls that weren't made.

Oh well, I had really hoped we would win, had a real chance to.  The Pitt/Villanova game was pretty good as well.

[sdcforever]

I disagree with you both and think UConn is better than Mizzou, but that's okay.  

Man, that Villanova win over Pitt was exciting last night!  Whew!

Oklahoma is really struggling against North Carolina right now.  I'm really hoping OU wins so the Big 12 is represented in the Final Four. 

[sdcforever]

Man, I was really hoping for a Big 12 team to make the Final Four.  Better luck next year!

On a side note, I did terrible with my Final Four picks.  I had Memphis, Louisville, Pitt, and North Carolina.  And I just found out that Obama had the same picks.  He and I also have the same national champion pick (North Carolina).  At least we're still alive in that respect.

How'd the rest of you do with your Final Four picks?

[Zephon]

Well, it's a good thing I don't make picks for money, otherwise I'd be out a bunch.  I thought it would be Louisville, Oklahoma, Villanova, and Mizzou making it to the Final Four.  Mizzou was a sentimental pick, sure, but there you go.  Only Villanova made it.  But I'm very proud of Mizzou.  Of the three Big 12 teams to make it to the Sixteen, they made the best showing by far.  They really gave UConn a run for their money.

The Final Four

[KBCraig]

I was rooting for Louisville today. Bummer. Glad NC won, though.

In the Mizzou/UConn game, I was glad the refs let them play. It was a physical game, but I hate it when they whistle every time somebody gets brushed against. Yeah, I noticed some traveling, and that's why I don't watch NBA.

[Swoosh]

Well I officially lost intrest in the NCAA tournament today.
No Boomer Sooner, No M-I-Z, and no Rock Choke.

I guess I can cheer for Michigan State.  Sure as heck don't want UNC or UCon (yes with one "n") to win.

[sdcforever]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was UConn and North Carolina in the national championship game.

[saladdays]

The old adage about refs screwing one team or another...probably unfair calls/non-calls, as there almost always are. I'm sure UConn fans probably thought they were getting screwed somehow...it's the nature of the beast when the game is that close.

[Swoosh]

Yes they (UConn) definitely got screwed by not having fouls called on them the second half and never allowing Mizzou to get into Bonus 

[saladdays]

Yes they (UConn) definitely got screwed by not having fouls called on them the second half and never allowing Mizzou to get into Bonus 

Yankees fans think ESPN is against them at times, while most the rest of baseball fans think they are homers for the team. There's always another side of the story.

Taking away any foul controversy, UConn just played slightly better overall. Mizzou played very good, and definitely could have won the game, but I think UConn was the better team that night. Perhaps not every night, but at least that one.

[Swoosh]

Even all things considered IDK if you can say one team played better than the other as both teams have two different philosophies on how to conduct themselves in a ballgame.

UConn is very old school set up the play
Mizzou is organized chaos

Can you really even compare the two?  I mean each team was getting it done in their own way and honestly the refs took Mizzou out of the game.  I can say that because the foul to team ratio was very one-sided.  On any given play you can call at least 5 fouls.  They are there if the ref chooses to call them -- and since only one ref was calling anything (the other two enjoyed nice courtside seats) there in point is still my beef.

Doesn't matter, Michigan State is going to beat them anyway.

I just hope the NCAA board doesn't come down too hard on UConn when they go through their investigation on "illegal stuff" here in the next few months -- would hate for that team to get a "black eye" out of it.

[sdcforever]

Very happy to see Anderson accept the 1.3 to 1.5 million extension for 7 years.  Can't believe Georgia offered him 2.1 million a year without even interviewing him!

I'm not entirely sold on Calipari leaving the cozy domination of C-USA to coach at Kentucky.  He was without scrutiny at Memphis; he'll be under a microscope at Kentucky.  I hope he understands that they have no patience there as well; they only gave Gillespie two years.  They're going to expect his success at Memphis to instantly translate to Kentucky.  I believe they not only expect him to guide Kentucky to the NCAA tournament next year--I think they expect a tournament win or two as well.  Anything less will be a disappoint.

[saladdays]

Even all things considered IDK if you can say one team played better than the other as both teams have two different philosophies on how to conduct themselves in a ballgame.

UConn is very old school set up the play
Mizzou is organized chaos

Can you really even compare the two?

IDK...it seemed to me that UConn was playing a bit of Mizzou's game, at least toward the end.

I mean each team was getting it done in their own way and honestly the refs took Mizzou out of the game.  I can say that because the foul to team ratio was very one-sided.  On any given play you can call at least 5 fouls.  They are there if the ref chooses to call them -- and since only one ref was calling anything (the other two enjoyed nice courtside seats) there in point is still my beef.

So are you you saying that the refs were biased against Mizzou? You do mention that both teams have different philosophies. Could not that be a reason why there were a disproportionate amount of fouls? Having reffed games myself at the grade school/middle school level, even I know that you can only call what you see, and you sometimes only see certain types of fouls. You sometimes have to call the most egregious foul during a play if you even call any at all. This is obviously not the only game were one team had more fouls called against it than the other.