Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 11, 2007 22:04:53 GMT -5
I have to be honest that I'm not particularly surprised that the Big East got a bit mistreated here (I suggested this to Brasky last night if he remembers). As much as we want to focus on what's happened in the last two months, the committee always worries about "full body of work" and as some of you have pointed out, we talked at length early in the year about how badly the Big East performed out-of-conference. We didn't exactly help that either.
Cuse can complain all they want, but when you lose at home to Wichita State and Drexel, plus lose at MSG to Oklahoma State and these are your toughest (by far) OOC games, how can you complain? Boeheim knew he'd have a young team and rather than take the JTIII approach and test the team early he set up a soft non-conference schedule.
He can eat it now that it backfired on him.
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Post by sleepyjackson21 on Mar 11, 2007 23:14:22 GMT -5
Boston College does not scare me. If they had Sean Williams then yes, BC would be a tough second rounder but without him they have NO INSIDE threat. Texas Tech is a very tough 10 seed but Bobby Knight plays exclusive man to man defense. I'd rather play against a man to man than a zone. I'll take my chances with Tech.
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Post by hoya90 on Mar 11, 2007 23:26:38 GMT -5
Okay: Call me superstitous, but with all of the talk about winning the Big East regular season and the BET for the first time since 1989, does anyone look at this bracket and think about 1989? That year, we were the 1 seed, and played a top-seeded ACC team (they were 2; we were 1) in the round of 8. That game was at the Meadowlands (I had the misfortune of being there). I'm still scarred by the image of Laettner slamming over Mourning. Even 18 years later, I'm not sure I'd be able to make it back to East Rutherford again...
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DonkDonk
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Post by DonkDonk on Mar 12, 2007 0:07:13 GMT -5
i really wanted to avoid an ACC team in the second round. would MUCH rather have faced any of the other 7s (Indiana, UNLV or Nevada). you just never know with an ACC team that is so thoroughly battle-tested (even if BC didn't win most of their really tough games) and athletic. they've got some personnel that can flip a switch when they want to.
Big 10 is just not a good conference after Wisc / OSU and they are overrepresented. Michigan State will lose by at least 10 to Marquette. And see ya Purdue and Indiana. Illinois got SO lucky not only to get in but to draw an overrated VA Tech team.
some of those Big 10 tourney games were ATROCIOUS to watch. First team to 50 wins.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Mar 12, 2007 0:22:56 GMT -5
Okay: Call me superstitous, but with all of the talk about winning the Big East regular season and the BET for the first time since 1989, does anyone look at this bracket and think about 1989? That year, we were the 1 seed, and played a top-seeded ACC team (they were 2; we were 1) in the round of 8. That game was at the Meadowlands (I had the misfortune of being there). I'm still scarred by the image of Laettner slamming over Mourning. Even 18 years later, I'm not sure I'd be able to make it back to East Rutherford again... We've already exorcized past ghosts from the BET, we can do the same in the NCAA |
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FOTP
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by FOTP on Mar 12, 2007 7:52:56 GMT -5
No one in our region scares me. Anything can happen as evidenced by games like Cuse and Old Dominion, but no one in our bracket does something that scares me or can take something away from us.
You have to beat some good teams to win the whole thing. I still think Marquette can beat NC...and then Texas can beat NC too.
If we play our game in our side of the bracket I can truly see us getting to the finals. Sounds cocky, but we're playing well.
Just keep Green out of foul trouble and keep playing Hoya Defense and we'll be fine.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Mar 12, 2007 8:00:42 GMT -5
Roy has to watch dumb fouls as well. He has made one in each of the last few games where he was behind a guy and reached to block a shot. This is where V. Mac is going to be huge next year as he will improve his size & game this offseason and be able to replace Roy without missing a step.
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FOTP
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Post by FOTP on Mar 12, 2007 8:11:42 GMT -5
I agree, but I just feel like (and I know this sounds crazy) we can replace Hibbert much more easily than Green. I get violently upset when Green picks up fouls. When Roy does I just don't worry as much.
We have better depth this year to make up for it and if another team plays a style that takes him out of the game (see ND) then we can still win.
I like our match-ups this year in terms of Roy too. I was worried about playing really athletic smaller run and gun teams, but if you look through our bracket I don't see a team taking Roy out of the game with a certain style.
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njcoach
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Post by njcoach on Mar 12, 2007 8:25:51 GMT -5
You have to beat some good teams to win the whole thing. I still think Marquette can beat NC...and then Texas can beat NC too. Yup. And, honestly, if NC was the second overall seed, I think they got screwed. Having to face Texas in their half of a bracket? Wow. Texas is playing more like a 2 or 3 seed now. |
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rhman
Century (over 100 posts)
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Post by rhman on Mar 12, 2007 8:42:56 GMT -5
I agree, but I just feel like (and I know this sounds crazy) we can replace Hibbert much more easily than Green. I get violently upset when Green picks up fouls. When Roy does I just don't worry as much. PE Jr has been a big part of this in the last half of the season. When he comes in to replace Roy, we may be smaller, but we haven't missed a beat on the offensive end. I am looking forward to Macklin getting more run, but PE Jr gets a lot of credit from me for stepping up and helping us be successful! |
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FOTP
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Post by FOTP on Mar 12, 2007 8:49:06 GMT -5
When you really think about it NC really got the shaft for being the #2 overall. They potentially get a Marquette team that was underseeded at #8. They should have been a 5/6. Even Mich St. would be tough with Izzo.
Then a Texas team that is a #3 at least. They then would potentially get the Hoyas who are arguably a #1 or at least the hottest and best #2. Tough draw for them.
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sleepy
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Post by sleepy on Mar 12, 2007 10:35:56 GMT -5
Yes, NC did get shafted a little. Just remember we will most likely be playing BC/TT in a very hostile environment in Winston Salem. I really had hoped for a 2 seed in the Buffalo pod. While BC/TT is a toss up, I am already sick about playing BC and Dudley. they are very comfortable playing a grind it out, scratch and claw type game. They will send 4 or 5 to the offensive boards but usually have trouble with people runniong on them which is or has not been or forte to date. Ewing,and Summers will need to bring their A game defensively and on the boards.
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YB
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Post by YB on Mar 12, 2007 10:46:40 GMT -5
Let's not weep too much for poor old UNC. They won a title 2 years ago, that was their time and this is ours. If GMU could take this team down last year we can do it this year.
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Big Dog
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 12, 2007 11:39:48 GMT -5
When you really think about it NC really got the shaft for being the #2 overall. They potentially get a Marquette team that was underseeded at #8. They should have been a 5/6. Even Mich St. would be tough with Izzo. Then a Texas team that is a #3 at least. They then would potentially get the Hoyas who are arguably a #1 or at least the hottest and best #2. Tough draw for them. Marquette without McNeal was not underseeded at #8. UNC will have no trouble with them. But MSU will win that game anyway. Let's not be so certain that the Big East will make up for being "disrespected" (if you even agree with that position in the first place--note that its possible to think that the conference is underrated without believing we were disrespected b/c what one knows to be true based on what something looks like on paper are two different things). The fact is that by getting lower-than-some-anticipated seeds the task is made that much harder. I indeed believe ND and Louisville could be in real trouble, and that doesn't mean I don't think they're better than a 6 seed. Winthrop and Stanford are very capable of winning those games. |
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FOTP
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Post by FOTP on Mar 12, 2007 11:47:17 GMT -5
I thought McNeal was going to be fine to play...maybe I was wrong. Totally agreed he's key to them.
I agree that ND/L-Ville etc are facing tough games. Brutal actually.
I actually think outside of us and maybe Pitt the league was down this year.
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FOTP
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Post by FOTP on Mar 12, 2007 11:57:58 GMT -5
How about Texas A&M and the screw job they got. Congrats on the #3 seed now go play in Lexington potentially against Louisville...basically a home game.
Why do #6 seeds get preferential treatment? wow.
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Big Dog
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 12, 2007 12:55:30 GMT -5
How about Texas A&M and the screw job they got. Congrats on the #3 seed now go play in Lexington potentially against Louisville...basically a home game. Why do #6 seeds get preferential treatment? wow. This happened a few years ago when Pitt was seeded 3rd but required to beat Wisconsin in Milwaukee. To my delight, Pitt took care of business. |
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Post by VictorSkyPage on Mar 12, 2007 13:44:19 GMT -5
I heard a pretty entertaining theory about Kentucky fans potentially buying up tix to the Louisville games so that Cardinals fans can't go and make themselves at home...
that would be priceless -- true loyalty
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hoyaLS05
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Post by hoyaLS05 on Mar 12, 2007 16:09:32 GMT -5
Not sure if this is posted elsewhere and I missed it or what, but does anyone know who the two recruits were that came to the selection show viewing in Leo's yesterday. I'm not talking about Austin and Chris. One was a 6'6ish black kid who was sitting with Coach Burke, and the other was probably 6-7 or 6-8 and white with spiked blond hair. Any ideas? Has this already been discussed?
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Big Dog
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by Big Dog on Mar 12, 2007 16:14:15 GMT -5
i really wanted to avoid an ACC team in the second round. would MUCH rather have faced any of the other 7s (Indiana, UNLV or Nevada). you just never know with an ACC team that is so thoroughly battle-tested (even if BC didn't win most of their really tough games) and athletic. they've got some personnel that can flip a switch when they want to. Big 10 is just not a good conference after Wisc / OSU and they are overrepresented. Michigan State will lose by at least 10 to Marquette. And see ya Purdue and Indiana. Illinois got SO lucky not only to get in but to draw an overrated VA Tech team. some of those Big 10 tourney games were ATROCIOUS to watch. First team to 50 wins. Donk, you've been living in ACC country for too long. And BC is hardly an ACC school in any event. I'll take my chances with JTIII against Al Skinner any day of the week, especially when Skinner's team is fresh of losing 5 of 7. Yes, they get a fresh start in the NCAAs and sometimes that's all a team needs. Yes they're a major conference team that has had success before. And yes, we could lose to them. But it will take a BC team raining 3s and us shooting particularly poorly or struggling badly with foul trouble. The thing these days is that even when the offense is sluggish the defense is so good and keeps us in it. In any event, don't discount Bobby Knight pulling the mild upset. Bobby knows what he's doing. He just wouldn't know enough to play a zone against us if it worked out that way. |
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