NCAA Hoops 2007-2008

[tower]

Once again MSU jumped out to a nice lead and then didn't seem to finish well. We won, and Ohio State is a good team (not great) but man we're inconsistent.  The good news is still that we have several scoring options...the bad news is that they seem to not fire at the same time.  I still look for Izzo to improve them by the end of the season, he always seems to get more from them as the season progresses.

[ycartrob]

 I still look for Izzo to improve them by the end of the season, he always seems to get more from them as the season progresses.

That's why I always pay attention to Michigan St b/c they often pop up in the late rounds of the tourney and I'm like, "Who are these guys?" A lot of that is Izzo.

[ycartrob]

ggg, usually "teams of destiny" have a bad game, like last nights GT game, and win anyway.

Or, is there a chink in the Tarheel Blue armor?

[primushead]

ggg, usually "teams of destiny" have a bad game, like last nights GT game, and win anyway.

Or, is there a chink in the Tarheel Blue armor?

I hate to have said this in two of the last three games, but I'm glad we got out (escaped, rather) of there with a win.  I really didn't think our offense was that bad, but our defense was very BLAH.  And Georgia Tech's perimeter game was ON last night.  They were hot.  Not to mention Georgia Tech thought it was a football game out there.  Not that I'm bitching or anything, but come on...they got away with a lot.  Did you see Hansbrough's face at the end of the game?  Boxers don't usually look that bad after a match.  But, that's the ACC for you.  If any team has a target on its back (i.e. #1 UNC) they can expect to get everything thrown at them.

You can pretty much throw any records out during conference play, because anything can happen.  I'm not saying the other conferences are 'less prestigeous', but of the three games I watched last night, 2 of them (VT vs. Vir and UNC vs. GT) were won by one point.  Dook was down by 4 with 3 minutes to play at Florida State and somehow came back...so the upsets are brewing and WILL happen.  Carolina WILL lose a couple of games in conference play.

So is this the team of destiny?  The bad wins do happen, as do bad losses...look at the 2005 championship team with its first loss to Santa Clara...but do I expect Carolina to win the NC?  If last nights game was any indication, I'd say no.  Final Four, yes, but if we're going to play like that and let GT walk all over us, it's not looking good.  

But, for now, we're 18-0 and still have almost two months until Selection Sunday.  So there is PLENTY of time left to improve.  


Here are my picks for the top 5 as of today:

1.) Kansas
2.) UNC
3.) Memphis
4.) Tennessee
5.) UCLA

[primushead]

P.S. --- Nice article on Ole Miss here Tracy...

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10581396

[aMD]

UofL plays Marquette tonight on ESPN.  Should be a good game.  UofL has looked paltry in some outings this season but I have a good feeling about this team come tournament time.

[primushead]

What happened to Louisville anyway?  They were a preseason top 5 team...and they've fallen hard.  I'll take Marquette to win this one, although I would love Louisville to win it.  I like Rick Pitino a lot.

[aMD]

What happened to Louisville anyway?  They were a preseason top 5 team...and they've fallen hard.  I'll take Marquette to win this one, although I would love Louisville to win it.  I like Rick Pitino a lot.

injuries happened. pitino's teams are always late bloomers anyways, good at the end of the season and in the fourth quarter.

how'd ya like UofL's 20 point blow out of Marquette?  They're lookin healthier every day.

[tower]

When UL shoots well they always have a shot but the way Pitino's offense is set up if they can't shoot from the outside they're pretty much screwed.  This roster is inconsistent, they'll win some games like this but lose some they shouldn't.  Makes for a dangerous team though.

Indiana pulled out a  very close one again last night!  Illinois and Minnesota should have beaten them but they squeaked by.  Was hoping for one of them to be losses to help MSU in the Big Ten race since they laid an egg in Iowa last weekend.

[aMD]

When UL shoots well they always have a shot but the way Pitino's offense is set up if they can't shoot from the outside they're pretty much screwed.  This roster is inconsistent, they'll win some games like this but lose some they shouldn't.  Makes for a dangerous team though.

Indiana pulled out a  very close one again last night!  Illinois and Minnesota should have beaten them but they squeaked by.  Was hoping for one of them to be losses to help MSU in the Big Ten race since they laid an egg in Iowa last weekend.

You're right about pitino's offense living or dying by the 3. Which is why I'm nervous about next year, since they're moving the three line back and all.  I really think this team is going to make some waves by the end of the season though.

[primushead]

Weak ass first half against Maryland.  We can't shoot.  We aren't running.  Blah.  We better make a strong showing coming up. :P

[primushead]

[size=72]FUCK[/size]

[ycartrob]

NC taking too many down to the wire. Looks like Memphis is #1

[primushead]

Yup.  UCLA lost to USC too, so there will be quite a mixup in the top 10.

[bowl of soup]

[size=72]FUCK[/size]

Well, I've been waiting for some time to gloat in this thread this year and finally my time has arrived.  A victory in Chapel Hill helps ease a little of the pain (we lost to American among other giants of the sport this year).  Maybe this will right the ship a little.

This tough stretch is good for NC though.  

[primushead]

Gloat away, Bowl.   It is deserved :-/

[bowl of soup]

Gloat away, Bowl.   It is deserved :-/

Something tells me that you'll get the last laugh.  We are a tough match-up for you guys though.  We have 3 large athletic bodies to throw at Hansborough and we make him play D.  Our guards make or break us.

[EAZYE]

Kansas is looking pretty money, if they can get by when they play at Texas I'm not sure they don't run through the Big 12 undefeated?  Someone might suprise em', wasn't us as they toyed with us and won by 30, but they'll be favored in every game.  If they get past the first round of the tourney watch out!  

[primushead]

Kansas is looking WAY better than Memphis in my opinion.  I see Kansas getting to the Final Four very easily because they've had some tests thus far and have passed them nicely.

Memphis is a great team, don't get me wrong, but all of this praise about John Calipari's "Tough" scheduling is a joke.  Both of their 'tough tests' were at home.  I know, Memphis handled Georgetown nicely, but until you get some experience playing in a very hostel crowd, you don't have a chance going deeper than the elite eight...which, right now, is as far as I see Memphis going, especially after seeing their heralded offense only scoring 57 last night against Tulsa.  Tulsa.  Honestly.

[tower]

And I still can't believe how many people say Calipari is a GREAT coach...good recruiter, not a great coach...not even close. Reminds me a little of Pitino, except not as good.

I do think Bill Self is a good coach from what little I know of him.

Looking forward to MSU - Northwestern tonight at home. It'll be nice to have what "should" be an easy one, especially since Nietzel may have got himself going with five 3's in the second half against a very solid Minn team.  Minnesota is much better than KY right now, IMHO.  Tubby's offense looks pretty good, especially compared to the stagnant thing he was running at UK!