March Madness: Saturday Open Thread

Florida-UCLA in a good match. I think the Bruins are a year away, but there’s no reason they can’t advance past a flawed Florida and beat whoever comes out of the other side of the bracket.

Josh Smith vs. Patric Young has been an excellent match-up of two future lottery picks. I think whoever wins this will beat the BYU-Gonzaga winner and have a shot at making it to Houston.

Kentucky will likely have back-to-back games against schools with a hatred of couches. And nothing like winning two games for the chance to visit Newark.

Boynton has injured his ankle. Horrible loss for the Gators.

Looks like Florida is going to pull this off.

reported on ESPN that Tristan is coming back next year along with Hamilton.

I don’t think any player is going to mention he’s jumping to the NBA in the middle of March Madness.

maybe true about Hamilton, but don’t agree about Thompson. Says he’s already registered for summer classes and wants to play with Kabongo next season.

If Josh Smith had Todd Wright, he’d be illegal on the basketball court. Smith is a more skilled and instinctive Dexter Pittman, plus the 100 pounds that Dex wound up shedding during his years here.

On a different (and equally significant to me) note, those UCLA cheerleader outfits with the basketball jerseys and high socks do a lot for me. That’s all.

FYI, Horns get 1 in the 9th and 1 in the 10th, to take game 2 from K-State 4-3. Weiss scores the winning run (on a bases loaded walk) and Corey Knebel gets the win. Two freshmen that are playing huge roles in the early going. Hook ’em!

As a Kentucky fan, I’m quite glad we will never have to play against Joe Mazzulla again. Liggins was huge on D against him, though. Jorts is making my “he’s UK’s x-factor” prediction prescient. Pitino calls him the most underrated big in the country. High praise.

Horns push across a run without swinging the bat. Huckleberry says Augieball – CATCH THE FEVER!

Really enjoyed that UCLA FLA game.

Jc – Mazzulla will be back next season for his 19th season.

When Walker and Boynton are “on,” Florida is hard to beat. Hard to count on that for 4 more consecutive games, though. Especially with the bum ankle from Boynton. Would love to see Walker next to a bigger 2. Will be interested to see if Donovan starts Brad Beal over Boynton next year.

Don’t scare me like that, Drew!

I’ve said it before, but San Diego isn’t a top 10 team unless they’re playing a team they can just out-athlete.

KB, I agree with you.

They’re starting to out-athlete Temple now, but the Owls won’t be shaken
 
54-52, SDSU.
 
Butler is giving Pitt all it can handle right now. If they win, the Big East is majorly discredited two years running.

Temple ties it.
 
San Diego State’s shots on basket have been straight street ball panic down the stretch. Keep ’em off of the offensive glass, Owls.

Bad break for the Owls as the rebound hits a Temple player on the baseline. Now SDS gets the last shot.

Overtime for SDSU-Temple. Tied at 54.
 
Have to love Temple’s composure contrasted to the Aztecs freak out. Let’s see if Steve Fisher can get his guys refocused without promises of an Escalade.

61-61.
 
2OT.
 
March Madness, baby.

Come on, Temple. Your offense is killing me.

Temple is tired. Everything is short.

Legs are gone on this Temple team. Leaving everything short.

Yep. They are done. The Aztecs advance.

Way to fuck up the spread, Temple.

San Diego st -6, total 124. Biggest bailout/heartbreaker game I have ever seen in Vegas. The people that bet correctly all lost.

Yeah, bad, bad beat.

Pitt losing this game would be an IED blowing the undercarriage out of everyones’ brackets.

Fuck you and your hair Jamie Dixon.

How can Butler foul in that situation? You can’t expect the ref to just swallow the whistle and the guy had no ability to get off a real shot.
 
Unreal.

Same goes for Pitt.

They fouled Matt Howard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This is a fucking meltdown on all sides.

Did he think Howard was going for a put back? ahhahaha

And Pitt with the foul. Both the right call.

Unbelievable.  
I’ve never seen anything like this. March Madness, indeed.

At least everything ended the way it should have. Just took a little longer.

Wow- just wow- I’ve never seen an ending in an impotant game like that, ever.

Btw- the big east- after 3 days of play- is down to 3 teams left.

For me, the biggest play of the game gets lost in the (deserved) hysteria of the last 7 seconds.

Butler forced a fucking shot clock violation when they absolutely had to have a stop. Amazing.

Brad Stevens should be the first name on every AD’s list that they keep in their desk for potential hires. Aside from his ability to get the most out of his players and to keep calm during chaos of the final seconds, he had a helluva an interview. Struck the perfect tone — feeling bad for both teams but admitting that both fouls were committed.

Notice the glasses he was wearing? He wears contacts, but had a problem and so he wore glasses against Old Dominion. Heard an interview with him and he was asked if he was superstitious and he said “absolutely not.”

Was then asked if he would wear the glasses against Pitt — laughed and said, “absolutely”

BTW Butler’s last 4 games in the NCAA tournament.

2010 Final Four
Butler 52 Michigan State 50

Duke 61 Butler 69

2011 NCAA
Butler 62 Old Dominion 60

Butler 71 Pitt 70

Just amazing.

Stevens has an uncanny ability to get his teams to play above their heads in the tournament. Often he simply out foxes the other coach in these kind of close games.

You notice that his players always get great looks coming out of TOs, and they typically play with great repose in these types of situations (despite the stupid foul).

I had Pitt going out here. I just had ODU beating them.

Sorry- meant to say the big east’s best possible scenario is 3 teams advancing. If nd goes down then they only have 2 sweet 16 teams- and both would have come with big east v big east in the round of 32

Very disappointing tourney for them so far. The NO bracket just pisses me off- I look at florida who gets to wear white all the way to :Htown and can’t help bit think- that should have been us.

KB, check your e-mail.

SDSU, Florida, and Pitt all screwing up my brackets.

Anyone else hear the rumor that Barnes was offered the NCST job?

Watching them interview head of officials about Pitt Butler. Is this controversial? Both were clear fouls.

I think the NCState offer has and will be a standing offer for Barnes. Even when Lowe was there.

Barnes has had the NC State job offer sitting in his inbox since 2003. I think they just change the dates and resend every January 1st.
 
If he leaves, I hope all of you will be happy, because we’ll have to hire JOHN MACKOVIC

this wiscy-kSt affair ain’t for the faint of heart. a man’s game. right up kstate’s alley. pullen is going OFF

Heard the boosters will bring in Pat Knight if we lose Dick Barnes

I hate that NAPA know how commercial more than pro-ghadaffi Libyans. We’re supposed to hate them now right?

I’ll never forgive the Libyans for killing Doc Brown.

Frank Martin is a cowardly piece of shit. He spent nearly the entire timeout after the Pullen block dressing down Will Spradlin for not gettting a screen on the dribble hand off for Pullen. What the fuck? Everyone in America knew Pullen was taking that shot, how is that Spradlin’s fault. What a dick munch. Fuck him.

I really like Earnie Johnson’s work but he needs to shut the fuck up about the fouls at the end of the Butler-Pitt game. They were legit calls.

KState didn’t seem to play the final minutes with a head on their shoulders—a contrast to Butler beating Pitt. Didn’t KState turn the ball over twice in the final minute and a half? That’s two opportunities they didn’t even get to shoot. Somehow you expected Pullen to get blocked since everyone knew he was taking it.

Kemit, the irony is that Pullen threw the ball away on the possession before. Spradlin was Franks whipping boy with the game already decided and that’s weak.

The collective insight of the TNT studio crew on college basketball is startling.
 
I’m learning so much.

What everyone fails to talk about is Jamie Dixon’s decision to have his players up on the line in that situation. I’m not sure I’d risk a foul there for the opportunity for a tip in.

UConn could win this whole thing, guys like Kemba are so valuable in this thing. UConn will most certainly lay waste to Duke after we lose to the Blue Devils on one too many GJ turnovers.

For all that Kemba Walker does, and it’s a hell of a lot, I like watching Napier and Lamb just as much. UConn will be a tough out. They manufacture buckets as well as anyone.

Butler / Wiscy should be a great matchup. BYU beats Florida without Boynton. I’m joyous that my bracket reflects these truths.

“Brad Stevens should be the first name on every AD’s list that they keep in their desk for potential hires. Aside from his ability to get the most out of his players and to keep calm during chaos of the final seconds, he had a helluva an interview. Struck the perfect tone — feeling bad for both teams but admitting that both fouls were committed.”

If PItt makes the 2 freethrows, the internet experts are questioning Steven’s for his players dumb play.

Steven’s is this generation’s Tom Penders / Rhode Island. Feel bad for him later in his career!

Joseph, that’s a horrible take. Stevens isn’t catching lightning in a bottle here. He’s built a program.

Stevens coaches in a lousy basketball conference and his team just won 2 games on lucky plays. That is lightning not a program.

And he rode that lightning all the way to the finals last year, losing by a rimmed out shot at the buzzer. To Duke.

That’s some comical shit, man. What’s your beef with butler?

so you’re not going to give Butler any props for hanging with Pitt, Duke and others all the way up to the end to even allow lightning to strike? Chance favors a prepared mind. You must be really down on the other programs for losing.

stevens is a good coach, it’s not by accident they are in position to win every game.