March Madness 23

[MICHHAWK]

last years ff: duke, unc, nova. KANSAS

this years ff: fau, sdsu, uconn, miami

[pdub]

Three of those programs had major turnover.
One of them didn't and I'm not sure what happened.

[randylahey]

Would like to know how many hamburgers are left in the final 4.

They all got sent. They lost to these guys. Or lost to the guys that lost to these guys.

These guys were men playing against boys (burger boys)

The best college players typically aren't mcdonalds all Americans anymore. Its 22 year olds that have stayed in school and developed

[jfish26]

Would like to know how many hamburgers are left in the final 4.

They all got sent. They lost to these guys. Or lost to the guys that lost to these guys.

These guys were men playing against boys (burger boys)

The best college players typically aren't mcdonalds all Americans anymore. Its 22 year olds that have stayed in school and developed

Sort of.

But, this is also a weird shoulder year, in between the "don't a$k don't tell" past, and the NIL-powered future. I hope, for college basketball's sake, that we don't regularly have multiple US-born, non-college-playing top 10 picks.

[DrPepper]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

[NewtonHawk11]

Like 8 of the 12 games this weekend were within like 7 or 8 points. That's been fun.

UConn destroying everybody has not been fun. Glad we didn't play them, because I think they would have smoked us and I'd be more upset with that compared to a 1 point loss to an 8 seed with a collapse attributing to that loss.

[MICHHAWK]

it's all fun and games until you get a ff consisting of: fau, sdsu, uconn and miami

thanks transfer portal and nil.

[jfish26]

it's all fun and games until you get a ff consisting of: fau, sdsu, uconn and miami

thanks transfer portal and nil.

Please connect the dots for us - how was this the portal's or NIL's doing? I read this morning that this is the second unlikeliest Final Four since seeding began in 1979 (the other being 2011). Seems more likely than not that - as unsatisfying at this explanation is - it might just be a weird year. Just like last year (all bluebloods or close) was a weird year.

[jfish26]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

If you were to invent things from scratch, you might do this tournament over the holidays, and then a much more focused (8-16 teams, series of at least three games) championship at the end of the season.

The tournament is great fun, but it doesn't do a very good job of identifying the best team in the sport.

[KUTradition]

it's all fun and games until you get a ff consisting of: fau, sdsu, uconn and miami

thanks transfer portal and nil.

Please connect the dots for us - how was this the portal's or NIL's doing? I read this morning that this is the second unlikeliest Final Four since seeding began in 1979 (the other being 2011). Seems more likely than not that - as unsatisfying at this explanation is - it might just be a weird year. Just like last year (all bluebloods or close) was a weird year.

i think this has more to do with covid, personally

[twocoach]

I’ve posted this before so with adequate warning……I completely agree with the loss of the mid-range shooting. One of the most effective plays is what we used to call the “free-throw jumper”. On just about every possession a shooter is open for a viable period within a few feet of the free throw line, for longer against the zone.

It was very interesting that Miami completed their comeback against Texas without shooting a single three, not even attempting one for several possessions!

Texas had a dunk with 8:55 remaining to go up 70-60. With 5:26 to go, Miami converted an and-one to take the lead at 73-72. So a 13-2 run in 3:29 of clock time. A couple layups, a few jumpers and some free throws and they erased the Texas lead.

Texas picked a bad time to stop playing defense, rebounding and turning it over a bunch. They went 0-2 from the floor and 2-2 from the FT line with 2 turnovers and 2 fouls during that 3:29 while Miami went 5-7 from the floor thanks to multiple offensive rebounds and those two Texas turnovers. The two Miami shots they missed were both three point attempts.

[pdub]

Other than Miami, who bought Nigel Pack, this just seems like an odd year.
I'm not sure having teams like FAU and SDSU is because of NIL -- NIL will shift the power to the big programs not the small.

[twocoach]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

If you were to invent things from scratch, you might do this tournament over the holidays, and then a much more focused (8-16 teams, series of at least three games) championship at the end of the season.

The tournament is great fun, but it doesn't do a very good job of identifying the best team in the sport.

I don't think it's designed to do that. Because there are so many teams from so many different conferences (with such radically different schedule strengths) all you can do is create a tourney weighted via seedings to try to give props to those who "accomplished" more in the season and let them fight it out for the title. It's the most exciting tourney in sports in my opinion because it isn't about crowning the best. It's all about giving teams a chance to prove who is best equipped to handle such a wildly unpredictable tourney right now.

[jfish26]

Other than Miami, who bought Nigel Pack, this just seems like an odd year.
I'm not sure having teams like FAU and SDSU is because of NIL -- NIL will shift the power to the big programs not the small.

Hard to say. I think we need several years of data. Because there's also a logical case to be made that NIL will democratize things a lot, especially in basketball.

Whatever your feelings on whether NIL is good or bad, it's certainly true that it's a more efficient way of money going from the spenders to the producers. In theory, NIL takes away some of the institutional advantages that come with history and prestige and profligate facilities spending, etc.

[jfish26]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

If you were to invent things from scratch, you might do this tournament over the holidays, and then a much more focused (8-16 teams, series of at least three games) championship at the end of the season.

The tournament is great fun, but it doesn't do a very good job of identifying the best team in the sport.

I don't think it's designed to do that. Because there are so many teams from so many different conferences (with such radically different schedule strengths) all you can do is create a tourney weighted via seedings to try to give props to those who "accomplished" more in the season and let them fight it out for the title. It's the most exciting tourney in sports in my opinion because it isn't about crowning the best. It's all about giving teams a chance to prove who is best equipped to handle such a wildly unpredictable tourney right now.

Oh I absolutely agree. All I'm saying is that there might actually be a place for BOTH the madness, AND the crowning of a more-true champion.

[pdub]

I don't see the case.

Not as much media dollars going to smaller schools that can be funneled into NIL. Not enough booster/alum money at smaller schools that can be funneled into NIL. Bigger companies will flock to established school names. Only the very top athletes, guys who probably could be pro, will command large enough NIL contracts that aren't tied to the brand and recognition of the school.

Bigger schools will get partnerships with bigger brands. Those brands will be presented in the guise of licensing opportunities as if that individual person is worth the value to promote said product when it really is attaching itself to the lifelong brand of the University and the alumni's attachment to it.

That said, i'll stop here.
There's a thread for this.

[hoopla]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

If you were to invent things from scratch, you might do this tournament over the holidays, and then a much more focused (8-16 teams, series of at least three games) championship at the end of the season.

The tournament is great fun, but it doesn't do a very good job of identifying the best team in the sport.

thank you! maybe the winner gets a qualification into the end of season championship round?

[hoopla]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

If you were to invent things from scratch, you might do this tournament over the holidays, and then a much more focused (8-16 teams, series of at least three games) championship at the end of the season.

The tournament is great fun, but it doesn't do a very good job of identifying the best team in the sport.

I don't think it's designed to do that. Because there are so many teams from so many different conferences (with such radically different schedule strengths) all you can do is create a tourney weighted via seedings to try to give props to those who "accomplished" more in the season and let them fight it out for the title. It's the most exciting tourney in sports in my opinion because it isn't about crowning the best. It's all about giving teams a chance to prove who is best equipped to handle such a wildly unpredictable tourney right now.

ok, but then we call the winner of the crapshoot the national champion and the entire season is only ever remembered for that 1 team. does it not feel strange to you to place so much importance on a paradigm that "isn't about crowning the best"?

[jfish26]

I don't get it those who do not enjoy it. The basketball on my tv has been close games, super skilled team play, playing all out. I don't care about your brackets and bets. This is good entertainment. Multiple interviews coming up lately saying they are playing for the love of the game.

If you were to invent things from scratch, you might do this tournament over the holidays, and then a much more focused (8-16 teams, series of at least three games) championship at the end of the season.

The tournament is great fun, but it doesn't do a very good job of identifying the best team in the sport.

thank you! maybe the winner gets a qualification into the end of season championship round?

That'd be fun as hell!

[TDub]

its perfect....please don't fuck with it anymore. No added teams, get rid of the play in, no weird ties to previous in season tournaments. no.