NCAA Basketball 2017: In the March of Madness

[sperry]

7 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

I still can't believe Minnesota crashed and burned so badly this year. We were a top 20 preseason team, and ended up almost dead last in the Big Ten. 

Ugh

Rick Pitino Jr. really earning those chartered flights. Who would have thought that a scumbag would have a scumbag kid. Surely he gets fired this offfseason, correct?

[Rhom]

Have you seen the new rules in the NIT?  I’m watching UofL and NKU (go Norse!!!) and I think I like them mostly.  The goal is obviously to increase scoring and I think they will do that.

Three point line is further back.

Game is played in 4 ten minute quarters.

Free throw lane is widened to NBA width.

Shot clock starts at 35 as usual, but on an offensive rebound it only resets to 20.

 

[Joe Pesci]

43 minutes ago, Rhom said:

Have you seen the new rules in the NIT?  I’m watching UofL and NKU (go Norse!!!) and I think I like them mostly.  The goal is obviously to increase scoring and I think they will do that.

Three point line is further back.

Game is played in 4 ten minute quarters.

Free throw lane is widened to NBA width.

Shot clock starts at 35 as usual, but on an offensive rebound it only resets to 20.

 

I'm on board with this experiment 100%.

[mushroomshirt]

2 hours ago, Rhom said:

Not too late to change your brackets folks!

Key freshman reserve DeAndre Hunter of Virginia is out of the tournament with a broken wrist.

Arizona and Kentucky are both licking their chops.

Oh no!

[RedEyedGhost]

1 hour ago, Rhom said:

Shot clock starts at 35 as usual, but on an offensive rebound it only resets to 20.

35??

I'm in favor of pretty much all of those potential changes.  It sounds like it would be two years before they would implement them in the regular season.  How many fouls before bonus FTs?  Did they do away with the 1 and 1?

[sperry]

The 3 point line should not be moved back. It's the equalizer that allows less talented teams to compete with the one and done armies.

[Rhom]

50 minutes ago, RedEyedGhost said:

35??

I'm in favor of pretty much all of those potential changes.  It sounds like it would be two years before they would implement them in the regular season.  How many fouls before bonus FTs?  Did they do away with the 1 and 1?

Should have said 30.  Sorry.  I’m still a few years in the past!  

Bonus is at 5 and resets in the new quarter.  I honestly wasn’t paying close enough attention to realize if there was a 1 and 1.

47 minutes ago, sperry said:

The 3 point line should not be moved back. It's the equalizer that allows less talented teams to compete with the one and done armies.

I think moving it back in conjunction with widening the lane is entirely to spread the floor.  Opening up the lane like this inherently favors the more athletic team.  Ditto to the faster pace of play that increases the number of possessions.

[Rhom]

12 minutes ago, Triskele said:

UCLA goes down to St. Bonaventure.  Some Bruin fans will be salivating at the chance to use this as an excuse to fire Alford.  My hunch is that he returns though.  

Almost certainly Aaron Holiday's last game.  Kris Wilkes was late for the bus today...might be his last game too.

Was just gonna say... time for me to go lurk at Bruins Nation.  

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

14 hours ago, sperry said:

Rick Pitino Jr. really earning those chartered flights. Who would have thought that a scumbag would have a scumbag kid. Surely he gets fired this offfseason, correct?

I’m the wrong person to ask. I oddly don’t follow my school’s sports, even though I had season tickets for football every year I was there and went to as many basketball games as possible.

[Fez]

I entered my bracket. I briefly considered having Buffalo go all the way, or at least hit the Sweet 16. But I decided to be a bit more realistic and just have them upset Arizona before losing to Kentucky. I legit think they can beat Arizona too, if they can play the game they want to play. From what I gather, Arizona has a slow, measured pace and relies on defense and some real tall players to win. Buffalo likes playing extremely fast and relies on really good guards to make up for their lack of height; they also just try to out-score opponents rather than stifle them. If Buffalo can get into a shooting match, and the shots are dropping the way they have most of the season, they can win.

Fun fact: By RPI, Arizona's best win was against Texas A&M which is ranked #29. Buffalo is ranked #26. (Granted, Buffalo lost against Texas A&M this season, but I'm focusing on the positives here).

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, Fez said:

I entered my bracket. I briefly considered having Buffalo go all the way, or at least hit the Sweet 16. But I decided to be a bit more realistic and just have them upset Arizona before losing to Kentucky. I legit think they can beat Arizona too, if they can play the game they want to play. From what I gather, Arizona has a slow, measured pace and relies on defense and some real tall players to win. Buffalo likes playing extremely fast and relies on really good guards to make up for their lack of height; they also just try to out-score opponents rather than stifle them. If Buffalo can get into a shooting match, and the shots are dropping the way they have most of the season, they can win.

Fun fact: By RPI, Arizona's best win was against Texas A&M which is ranked #29. Buffalo is ranked #26. (Granted, Buffalo lost against Texas A&M this season, but I'm focusing on the positives here).

I hadn’t looked that close at Zona’s wins... Jesus, the PAC12 was hot garbage this year.

[Ded As Ned]

On 3/10/2018 at 9:49 PM, Ded As Ned said:

2018 Westeros Bracket Challenge is up!  I already sent invites to those who played last year.

Password: GRRM

Bumping to latest page

[Ded As Ned]

@Rhom I added my sons' bracket as well.  This is my 9 year old's 2nd year, but he and his younger brother picked these together.  They actually made reasonable picks, other than having Lipscomb in the sweet 16... 

[S John]

45 minutes ago, Triskele said:

ASU loses a close one to Syracuse.  So if one doesn't count the play-in game (and one shouldn't), the Pac-12 has only one team.  When they lose those two play-in games it's hard to think they deserved any better.  Utterly disgraceful, and coming off of the historically disgraceful bowl season for the conference's football teams.  

Must be all them marijuana’s y’all got out there.

[RedEyedGhost]

"You miss these free throws, and we gonna win this game."   

 

1 hour ago, Triskele said:

ASU loses a close one to Syracuse.  So if one doesn't count the play-in game (and one shouldn't), the Pac-12 has only one team.  When they lose those two play-in games it's hard to think they deserved any better.  Utterly disgraceful, and coming off of the historically disgraceful bowl season for the conference's football teams.  

Conference of Champions!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

There’s still time to sign up. Call out the gutless cowards who haven’t yet:

@Pony Queen Jace

@Jaime L

@Ser Scot A Ellison

Also, @Theda Baratheon, fill out your bracket! You've got an hour! 

[Ded As Ned]

Let the games begin!!

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

There’s still time to sign up. Call out the gutless cowards who haven’t yet:

@Pony Queen Jace

@Jaime L

@Ser Scot A Ellison

Also, @Theda Baratheon, fill out your bracket! You've got an hour! 

In my 46 years on the planet I’ve never attempted a bracket:  I don’t know enough to try.

[Theda Baratheon]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

There’s still time to sign up. Call out the gutless cowards who haven’t yet:

@Pony Queen Jace

@Jaime L

@Ser Scot A Ellison

Also, @Theda Baratheon, fill out your bracket! You've got an hour! 

I've been on local radio today! I have an excuse for missing it! 

[S John]

38 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

In my 46 years on the planet I’ve never attempted a bracket:  I don’t know enough to try.

Nobody does, which is the beauty of it.  I have watched like 60 college basketball games this year and I have no idea who will win the tournament.  Especially this year where I think there are more teams than usual that can do it.   Just don't pick 1's, 2's, and (usually) 3's to go out in the first round, but after Rd. 1 its a free for all.