Bracket Challenge

RamblinRed

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I'm thinking about getting a ticket for the Final in Atlanta Saturday. First ever match up between a 9 and a 11 seed in Tourney history. Got to think there will be plenty available with all the KY fans likely headed home.

It's also something to think about what the run Loyola is making means to a conference like the MVC. They are guaranteed 4 units. That about $11MM. That's over a $1MM per school. For smaller conferences getting upset wins means alot of extra money for the conference schools that live on small budgets.
 

RamblinRed

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Another note on the teams that are advancing. Alot of upperclassmen getting alot of min.
Almost all the main players for Loyola except kurtwig are Jr and Sr.
K St big players are mostly JR.

Since KY and Duke embraced the one and done model starting a decade ago, both have 1 title.That's great, but it also shows that just having the most talented team is not enough to win the title consistently. Though Duke can still get to #2 in this Tourney.
Both UNC and Nova had talented rosters, but both also had quite a bit of experienced players as well.
 

Deleted member 2897

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RyanS12 said:
Makes me sick to think Uga north (Michigan) is probably heading to the Final 4. Maybe even the finals. What a cake walk that road has been for them.
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Michigan in the Final Four is the only thing different I probably have left. Kentucky losing last night ruined me. I have Villanova and Duke on the other side, which like 10 million other people have to. Need me some Michigan Final Four points!
 
LargeFO

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RamblinRed said:
I'm thinking about getting a ticket for the Final in Atlanta Saturday. First ever match up between a 9 and a 11 seed in Tourney history. Got to think there will be plenty available with all the KY fans likely headed home.

It's also something to think about what the run Loyola is making means to a conference like the MVC. They are guaranteed 4 units. That about $11MM. That's over a $1MM per school. For smaller conferences getting upset wins means alot of extra money for the conference schools that live on small budgets.
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Where would we look for some? Was considering it as well.
 
jeffgt14

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The tournament is just a strange time. FSU is actually playing smart basketball instead of just trying to be more athletic than anyone else. Some great ball movement from them.

The upper classmen thing is huge. Loyola-Chicago has continuously hit the big shot in crunch time, K-State made the clutch bucket, and Kentucky’s freshmen crumbled at the FT line and couldn’t get hit multiple shots to put them over the hump despite having every physical advantage in the world and K-State’s top player sidelined. Bruce Weber absolutely coached the **** out of Cal last night.
 
CuseJacket

CuseJacket

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Glad to be wrong re: FSU. Similar to what @jeffgt14 mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised about how under control FSU played while still being aggressive. They made the Zags look like a mid major athletically.

For the first time in a looong time I did not do any standard pools for money, so it doesn't bother me too much having one of my finalists (Gonzaga) knocked out. Much prefer the ACC send more money our way. Really good outcome for the ACC perception-wise too.

I'm not convinced that missing free throws is a freshman thing. We know that first hand at GT from years past that upperclassmen are perfectly capable of being incapable on the line as well. But in any case I'm glad to see UK go down. They didn't "drink the poison" and still got exposed for what they were... a fringe top 25 team. And from a perception standpoint it's another case of too much stock being put into a conference tourney run, imo.
 

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jeffgt14 said:
The tournament is just a strange time. FSU is actually playing smart basketball instead of just trying to be more athletic than anyone else. Some great ball movement from them.

The upper classmen thing is huge. Loyola-Chicago has continuously hit the big shot in crunch time, K-State made the clutch bucket, and Kentucky’s freshmen crumbled at the FT line and couldn’t get hit multiple shots to put them over the hump despite having every physical advantage in the world and K-State’s top player sidelined. Bruce Weber absolutely coached the **** out of Cal last night.
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Yea, losing by 3 when you miss 14 free throws is disgusting. Kansas State only shot 35% from the field. Kentucky had a +10 rebound advantage over them. Utterly ridiculous they couldn't win. This could have been my year picking a crazy team like them to win it all and take the pick'em with all the upsets out there and they blew it. That entire half of the bracket was wide open for them.
 
Peacone36

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CuseJacket said:
Glad to be wrong re: FSU. Similar to what @jeffgt14 mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised about how under control FSU played while still being aggressive. They made the Zags look like a mid major athletically.

For the first time in a looong time I did not do any standard pools for money, so it doesn't bother me too much having one of my finalists (Gonzaga) knocked out. Much prefer the ACC send more money our way. Really good outcome for the ACC perception-wise too.

I'm not convinced that missing free throws is a freshman thing. We know that first hand at GT from years past that upperclassmen are perfectly capable of being incapable on the line as well. But in any case I'm glad to see UK go down. They didn't "drink the poison" and still got exposed for what they were... a fringe top 25 team. And from a perception standpoint it's another case of too much stock being put into a conference tourney run, imo.
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Saw that earlier with Bama as well who played well in the SEC tournament but then got curb stomped in the dance
 
CuseJacket

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Unfortunately the surprise factor of the triple option 2-3 zone is gone tonight. The remainder of the region has played against it this year, if not also prior years in ACC plays. And simply, Duke should win. It's going to take more than just Syracuse mind-****ing another team, even though Syracuse held Duke to a season low 60 points once already. Duke needs to play bad on their own. Or out of nowhere 2 of the big 3 for Cuse get hot. Don't see Syracuse winning, though I'm surprised they're an 11 point dog. Hoping that's the Duke hype. Hard to win by 11 when you Cuse slows it down to about 13 possessions a game.

Reeeeeally would like to see Clemson win tonight. I think it's doable. Their guards have proven capable of playing well in big moments. Elijah Thomas can get after it on the glass and is sneaky athletic. Devonte Graham is still going to be the best player on the court, however.

While I picked Purdue to the Elite 8, I'd prefer to get to watch Keenan Evans for at least one more game, especially if Nova slides through tonight. Evans vs. Brunson/Nova guards would be a fun watch.
 
CuseJacket

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Injured Purdue center Isaac Haas has elbow brace cleared by NCAA
Although the NCAA announced Friday that it had altered the interpretation of a rule to allow Haas, who fractured his elbow in the first round against CSU-Fullerton, to compete with an approved brace and left the final decision with Purdue, coach Matt Painter is still not convinced Haas is fit to play.

Painter told ESPN on Friday morning that the NCAA's move has not altered the status of the 7-foot-2 center, who earned all-Big Ten third-team honors this season and is averaging 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

"He needs to show he can do basic things to play," Painter said via text. "[He] has not been able to do those things."
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RamblinRed

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FWIW, KY fans seem to be dumping their tickets in Atlanta.
I've seen tickets on Stubhub for less than $30 for the Regional Final tomorrow night. Given you have 2 low seeds from across the country this could be one of the lowest attended Regional Finals ever.

On the other hand it is a historic one as it is the first NCAA Tourney game to ever feature a 11 seed playing a 9 seed.
 
orientalnc

orientalnc

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Just in case we start feeling really smart, almost 18,000 people had Loyola-Chicago meeting Kansas State in the Elite 8 today. Why would you do that?
 
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