Other 1st round games.... DISCUSSION THREAD

[Bando]

So how about those Jackson State...er...whatever they ares! They're playing their hearts out right now. I can't believe they're only down 6 at the half.

[Big Dog]

I really want Nova to win tonight. Man. Scottie Reynolds looks better with every game. Imagine him in a Hoyas uni.

[mikeylikesit]

can't believe nova is blowing this, kentucky is really mediocre this year. ugh, i can't accept a 3-3 big east first round when the big ten is ****ing 5-1.

[vamosalaplaya]

Nardi just killing Villanova in the last two minutes. Missed at least three three-pointers in a one minute span, wide open looks.

[Big Dog]

its an ominous sign about the strength of the conference. i do think ND, Nova, and Marquette had particularly tough first round games, but what are you going to do? We'd better take care of business tomorrow.

The total absence of any major first round upset probably means there's going to be a lot of surprises this weekend. Let's hope we're not one of them.

[Bando]

Well I spoke too soon.

[NickSixers]

I think VCU beating Duke is somewhat major, but I agree. It's been too chalk so far. Let's hope the major upset is MSU over UNC.

[Big Dog]

usually there's at least one that nobody saw coming. i heard the talking heads pumping up both VCU and Winthrop ever since the brackets came out. And this is the first time in how many years that no no. 12 seed won?

Keep in mind we're going to face a hostile crowd tomorrow. I'd expect the UNC fans to cheer heavily for their ACC counterpart, especially against the no. 2 seed in the region.

[RDF]

bigdog said:

usually there's at least one that nobody saw coming. i heard the talking heads pumping up both VCU and Winthrop ever since the brackets came out. And this is the first time in how many years that no no. 12 seed won?

Keep in mind we're going to face a hostile crowd tomorrow. I'd expect the UNC fans to cheer heavily for their ACC counterpart, especially against the no. 2 seed in the region.

UNC fans cheering for BC is strictly because they know they'd wipe the court with those morons--it has nothing to do with them supporting their conference--they don't do that in ACC and never have--UNC and Duke think they OWN this tournament and just want Hoyas to kick BC's butts and then get UNC on Big East turf and return the "love" they've shown us in Winston Salem.

[hoyarooter]

I've been bagging on the Big Ten all year. I still think the conference stinks, and I'm not even impressed with OSU or Wisconsin. But guess which major conference had the best first round, and which had the worst? I don't see how we can deny that the Big East was down this year. Hopefully we'll just prove to be the exception -- along with Pitt and Louisville (although I still like A&M - have liked them ever since I saw them play UCLA inthe Wooden Classic).

[MCIGuy]

The Big East was sdown early. But in the last eight weks it turned into a pretty good conference. Unfortunately by then it was too late and the conference's teams got crappy seeding. Villanova, and Marquette should ahve all gotten better seeds. With that said sometimes you have to get a lemon and make lemonade. ND should have won, especially since all the experts were picking Wimthrop. I won't fault Marquette much other than for its inexcusably bad start to its game against MIchigan State. And by the way this is I think the second staright year that the Warriors have lost in the first round of the NCAA tourney despite being (albeit not by much either time) the higher seed. I knew Villanova wasn't going to win (#1 Tubby's teams don't lose in the first round, #2 Kentucky can definitely play the grind-it-out style of ball that Nova's known for this season, #3 I knew Randolph Morris would have his way with Nova's interior players and #4 Nova can't shoot).

The only way for the BE to save face is for all three remaining teams to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Pitt's gonna be the fave but of course the panthers can lose that agme if they are not sharp. Does Pitt want to finaly amke the Swet Sixteen? Well, here's a golden opportunity. If they fail I don't want to ever read or hear anything about Pitt being a post-season threat again. Louisville will be the underdog against Texas A&M. But I had Lousiville fgoing to the Elite 8. One bad opening to the second half in the BE semifinals is the lone reason for their only loss in the last eight or so games. The Cards CAN pull this off and I hope they do.

Of course that leaves Gtown which will be playing in a hostile environment. It irks me that 4th seed maryland gets to play two mid-majors (eevn if ODU had won the Terps would have still played two mid-majors) while the 2nd seed Gtown faces a major conference team like BC that has been ranked for most of the season. Still, the Hoyas have to represent their conference against perhaps the team that the BE hates the most. And that team just so happens to play in the dreaded ACC.

[RockawayHoya]

I think key injuries have hurt the BE teams this year so far in the Dance. Jerel Mcneal missed the MSU game completely, and while Nardi did play last night, you could tell he was ineffective and not even close to full strength (if he has his legs and a couple of those late 3's go down, Kentucky is choking that game away).

No excuse for ND, though. When you shoot 4 for 13 from the line (those not named Rob Kurz combined for 1 for 10!), you have no one to blame but yourself for any game that could've been had in the final 2-3 minutes.

[Big Dog]

mciguy said:

The Big East was sdown early. But in the last eight weks it turned into a pretty good conference. Unfortunately by then it was too late and the conference's teams got crappy seeding. Villanova, and Marquette should ahve all gotten better seeds. With that said sometimes you have to get a lemon and make lemonade. ND should have won, especially since all the experts were picking Wimthrop. I won't fault Marquette much other than for its inexcusably bad start to its game against MIchigan State. And by the way this is I think the second staright year that the Warriors have lost in the first round of the NCAA tourney despite being (albeit not by much either time) the higher seed. I knew Villanova wasn't going to win (#1 Tubby's teams don't lose in the first round, #2 Kentucky can definitely play the grind-it-out style of ball that Nova's known for this season, #3 I knew Randolph Morris would have his way with Nova's interior players and #4 Nova can't shoot).

The only way for the BE to save face is for all three remaining teams to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Pitt's gonna be the fave but of course the panthers can lose that agme if they are not sharp. Does Pitt want to finaly amke the Swet Sixteen? Well, here's a golden opportunity. If they fail I don't want to ever read or hear anything about Pitt being a post-season threat again. Louisville will be the underdog against Texas A&M. But I had Lousiville fgoing to the Elite 8. One bad opening to the second half in the BE semifinals is the lone reason for their only loss in the last eight or so games. The Cards CAN pull this off and I hope they do.

Of course that leaves Gtown which will be playing in a hostile environment. It irks me that 4th seed maryland gets to play two mid-majors (eevn if ODU had won the Terps would have still played two mid-majors) while the 2nd seed Gtown faces a major conference team like BC that has been ranked for most of the season. Still, the Hoyas have to represent their conference against perhaps the team that the BE hates the most. And that team just so happens to play in the dreaded ACC.

MCI, the Panthers always made the Sweet Sixteen under Howland it seems to me. But the last two years they've gone out early.