what wash state fans think of us

[daytonahoya31]

It's pretty infuriating.....I had to actually read a few paragraphs just to be sure this guy was serious.


I've got Belmont over Georgetown, so they aren't even an issue in my bracket. Belmont has the size to defend GTown, go 9 deep, lead the nation in 3 point fg defense, and have won 10 of 11.

I think Belmont's guards get hot, as GTowns guard's are their weakness. Don't be fooled by GTown's top 10 FG defense; that's because of their interior D, not their guard D.

This year, everyone seems to think that the top 8-9 teams (UCLA, Florida, NC, OSU, Wisc, Kansas, A&M, GTown, and you could add Memphis I suppose) are a huge step above everyone else. I think one of those teams loses in the first round. I am picking GTown, as it would probably be the biggest plausible upset of those teams.


So Cougs beat Oral Roberts, GW, Belmont, and lose to North Carolina. Belmont gets to the sweet 16 because BC and Texas Tech always suck in the tournament. North Carolina over Texas because Texas is too young, much young than Syracuse was when they won, and NC is still one of the 2 most talented teams in the nation, despite recent losses.

[hoyaLS05]

Aaron Gray had the size to defend Georgetown, doesn't mean he came anywhere near being able to do it, and he's 2x first team all-Big East.

Needless to say, I disagree with whoever this is. I hope he enjoys watching Caleb Green and Ken Tutt send his team to an early exit.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

That's funny. I have the Cougs losing to ORU ...

[jacko]

I have ORU because they're tourney tested and mad tough if they play well, although that was one of my hardest first round picks.

I've picked Georgetown to win the NCAA tournament. I KNOW they can, and I THINK they will. But I'm willing to acknowledge that THINKING they will win is partially due to wishful thinking. I can't tell what portion that is though. In any case, GU's potential is what makes me confident.

I think this poor WSU fan is under the influence of more wishful thinking than he'd care to acknowledge.

At this point I have us playing Vandy in the 3rd round. I'm keeping my bracket the same, but I'll be cheering for WSU now because I want to play them - just because of this post.

[washingtonhoya]

I didn't need another reason to hate Wazzu and their delusional fans, I'm just happy to have one.

Personally I think they'll squeak by ORU and then get bounced by Vandy.

[bubbrubbhoya]

Wait, Washington is a state?

[HoyaSpirit]

bubbrubbhoya said:

Wait, Washington is a state?

That would be a good sign if we play em:

Washington is a state?

[VelvetElvis]

Here is some more analysis (I watched zero Pac-10 games this year):

Without question, the backbone of Washington State's success this season has been the defensive system developed by Dick Bennett. Throughout his career Bennett built a reputation as a defensive innovator. In fact, in a 1998 SI poll of Division-I coaches, Bennett placed third when they were asked, "If you could go to only one coaching clinic, whose would it be?" They certainly wouldn't be there to learn the offense that his Wisconsin team scored 41 points with against Michigan State in the 2000 Final Four. The Bennett Defensive philosophy is sometimes referred to as a pack-line defense. Alternatively, UCLA swingman Josh Shipp refers to it as "kind of weak." The basic idea is to pressure the ball and force it in the middle, while all other defenders stay within 17 feet of the basket; at practice they tape a line on the floor three feet inside the 3-point line. If the defensive system is working effectively, you will see no penetration to the baseline, quick traps by the other big man anytime the ball goes inside, a lot of forced, heavily contested jump shots and frustrated looks on the opponents' faces. If it's not working effectively, you'll see Wazzu lose, as they simply don't have enough firepower to succeed otherwise.

-by the huge staff of analysts at Deadspin

[HoyaFanNY]

wsu is a fraud IMO, as is usc. i think stanford is as good or better than both. i'm not sure oru is disiplined enough to beat wsu, but it will be a very close game.

[ExcitableBoy]

daytonahoya31 said:

Belmont gets to the sweet 16 because BC and Texas Tech always suck in the tournament.

At least he made an attempt at rationalizing Belmont over us. But if he or she honestly believes Belmont will then ALSO beat BC or Tech, well I guess I'm not even close to worried about his/her opinion.

[GIGAFAN99]

The "Baby Fish Mouth" quote of the tourney has been had:

"Belmont gets to the Sweet 16 because BC and Texas Tech always suck in the tournament."

Oh, but Belmont's sweeping the nation?

[FLHoya]

velvetelvis said:

In fact, in a 1998 SI poll of Division-I coaches, Bennett placed third when they were asked, "If you could go to only one coaching clinic, whose would it be?" They certainly wouldn't be there to learn the offense that his Wisconsin team scored 41 points with against Michigan State in the 2000 Final Four.

Oh right, I forgot about that night in March 2000 when Dick Bennett and Tom Izzo almost single handedly killed college basketball. Most un-watchable game EVER.

Any of the four teams in that pod could legitimately make it to E. Rutherford, there's plenty of upset potential there. I (tentatively) gave it to Wazzu though b/c of the west coast venue...although I've changed my mind five times while writing this sentence.

[VictorSkyPage]

gigafan99 said:

The "Baby Fish Mouth" quote of the tourney has been had:

"Belmont gets to the Sweet 16 because BC and Texas Tech always suck in the tournament."

Oh, but Belmont's sweeping the nation?

hahaha... seriously - this blurb is one of the most asinine things i've ever read...

I'm wavering between picking Oral Roberts or Wazzou, (I still like the Conan O'Brien year 2000 joke about ORU changing their name to Anal Roberts U, after being accused of discriminating based on sexual orientation)...

this might lead me to pick them out of spite

[VelvetElvis]

David Dupree just picked Wash St. to beat us and to advance to the sweet 16 on the Kornheiser show.

[FrazierFanatic]

I'll be surprised is WSU makes it to us - they don't have the experience, and somewhere along the line you need to be able to score. After a BignEast season, I don't think we'll be too intimidated by a PAC - 10 defense if they do survive the first 2 rounds.

[vamosalaplaya]

This year's WSU turnaround reminds me of the jobs that JT III and Gillespie did two years ago; the young Bennett took a team that was going nowhere and really turned it. If you look at how WSU did this year, one of the things that jumps out at you is what they didn't do - and that is lose to bad teams. They had one bad loss early at Utah, they beat Arizona, USC, and Washington twice each, they beat Gonzaga, Stanford, and had a three point loss at UCLA and a five point loss at Oregon. I saw them obliterate Washington at home, but that was when Washington was without their big game.

Combine that with the fact that if GU sees WSU, it will be when WSU has four days to prepare - that game would be a meat grinder. Alot of folks seem to have WSU bowing out early, I think that is because nobody knows anything about them. The record says they will give big problems to any team because of their defense and tempo. It may be ugly, but it wins games.

[HoyaFanNY]

utah and gonzaga were the only reasonably decent teams they played ooc. boise state almost beat them at wsu. i think if they beat oru, vandy's athletes on the perimeter might be too much for them.

[YB]

If we play WSU, the score might be in the 40s. But, I like our chances, having a frontline as we do. We can defend them- but can they defend us?

[Filo]

Sounds like their defense is the strong point, so they probably would do a decent job defending us. I think they would have time getting points though. Vandy worries me far more than Washington State, but those potential games are not even on the radar yet...

[SFHoya99]

If there is fraud in the Top 12 teams, Washington State is it. I've seen them. They're scrappy. They're gonna get killed.