with none of the blue bloods, 3 newcomers, the contrasting styles of play, the personalities of the coaches, the injuries to key players, the backstories, etc.
It’s refreshing.
It’s refreshing.
One of the most interesting FFs I can remember...
- Thread starter thebadby2
- Start date
Agree. Izzo is a good coach but, I really don't care for him and his program. I would like to see Texas Tech or Virginia win. I like their teams and their coaches are good and seem to be nice people as well.
What is it about Izzo and his program that you don’t like? I guess you know something the rest of the college basketball world, including every coach (even his archrival Beilein), all of his former players, current players, media members who deal with him on a regular basis, his bosses, and the vast majority of the college basketball viewing world don’t.
Definitely the least excited I have ever been for the FF. The coaching types are interesting though:
The Legend (Izzo)
The Prodigy (Beard)
The GOAT pound for pound (Bennett)
The Cheater (Pearl)
If I had a choice of any current college coach in the tournament, Izzo is near the top. He is a great coach, and knows how to win in March, ok April.
I took Virginia over Auburn. It might end up being closer than a 6 point spread.
The thought of Pearl playing in the championship Monday or winning it would make me ill.
He is a first class cheater and the fact that Auburn is where they are to me proves he cheated again
The thought of Pearl playing in the championship Monday or winning it would make me ill.
He is a first class cheater and the fact that Auburn is where they are to me proves he cheated again
I agree. I'm very interested to see how this thing plays out. I think the contrasting styles between AU & UVA makes for an interesting matchup. I don't think AU is going to have much luck turning UVA over and speeding the game up. I still think they hang with them regardless.
I don't see a clear cut favorite and I can see any of these teams cutting the nets down Monday night.
I don't see a clear cut favorite and I can see any of these teams cutting the nets down Monday night.
I'm all in on UVA. I hated the they can't win in March narrative. It just took time to recruit better players.
Bennett
They wrote their own narrative. All teams do.
I’m still not buying them. Their road to the Purdue game was as easy as it possibly could have been and Purdue, a 3 seed and the 3rd best team in the conference so many on this board love to hate and demean, had them beat.
If the end up cutting down the nets in the final game, I’ll be convinced. Anything short of that and I’ll stay skeptical. They now play at 4 seed that lost their best player.
FWIW, it’s not their style of play I don’t believe in—quite the opposite. It’s the quality of their personnel.
For UVa to get to the Final, they will have beaten a 16, 9, 12, 3, and 5. That would have to rank up there as one of the easiest paths in history.
While the first rounds were mostly chalk, with the number of ultra-close games in this tournament I see nothing to change my long-held opinion that a single-elimination basketbsll tournament ends up with any of about half of the teams as possible champions.
The free-flowing style played by many of these teams minimizes the input of the coaches. It's not like when a Dixon or a PJ Carlisimo used to call the play on every possession. Yeah, coaches draw up basic sets and motion sequences, but the actuon requires wuick decisions , made almost more by reflex than by learned plays.
They are pretty darn talented. Their size, length, and athleticism are special. And Dikite is such a special defender/shot-blocker/rebounder.
Look at the teams that Auburn beat. Pounded carolina, they may have been a 5 seed but didn't play like one. As for Purdue, Carson Edwards was lights out the entire tournament and when they knocked off a quality Tennessee team he got help from Cline who was busting deep 3's like they were layups, the shots weren't even touching any rim. Despite the seed path, don't be mislead. Purdue and Auburn were seriously tough outs. Virginia is known for defense but they are scoring just enough to win. Give Bennett and the team credit. Close games happen, but, you don't make the title game by accident.
Hoping Texas Tech can pull another upset. Would be one of the more improbable champions of my lifetime, especially given where they were a few years ago.
Cline was money down the stretch of that Tennessee game. I think Purdue was down each time he buried a 3.
One of many great games in this year's tourney.
They’ve also lost the last two games that they played, yet by nothing short of two one in a million miracles they are in the championship game. Maybe Bennett’s bible thumping is paying off. I’m sure God saw Jerome’s double dribble at the end of the Auburn game, even if the refs pretended they didn’t.
If there’s any such thing as karma, they get donkey punched tonight.
I don't think that will go on the banner. You can only beat the teams you play.
