You’re halfway there!
I remember a brief discussion on Davidson earlier in the year here as well, but I doubt any of us would have said “Oh, yeah, they’re a Final Four (or even Elite 8) team.”
Stephen Curry is just one of a handful, less than 5 I think, of players who have averaged at least 30 points in his first 4 NCAA tourney games. Three played this year and one last year. Big Dog Robinson is on that list, too.
The four best teams all year long have made the Final Four. Very compelling.
I like the idea of a Cinderella crashing the party - George Mason in 06 - but when it comes down to it I’d rather see power schools rich in tradition beat the shit out of each other. This is like Colts vs. Patriots, Yanks vs. Sox.
What matchup would I most like to see next Monday? UCLA vs. North Carolina. Love vs. Hansbrough. The two most storied programs in NCAA history. Both teams have guys that are extremely athletic.
What matchup do I think is going to happen? Memphis vs. Kansas. Powerful, big, long teams duking it out.
Although when all is said and done, any matchup will be great. I think CBS is in line for its highest ratings in perhaps 10 years. They badly need it, too.
Memphis / UNC for the championship.
If Kansas plays at all like they did yesterday, UNC is going to destroy them!
And I UCLA can’t ever seem to finish strong. Memphis is going to have their way with them I think
Memphis will beat UCLA, I’ve got a strong feeling of it.
I’m not sure on the other game. I’ve thought all year long pretty much that Kansas and UNC were the teams to beat. I’d like to see UNC win it though. To the best of my knowledge UNC and Memphis have not ever played each other so that would be badass.
Although, if its Memphis and Kansas, I’ll lock up our OhKeePa Bracket Challenge regardless of what happens in the championship.
Either way, I’ve said it all year long and I won’t back down now. My Tigers will take it all.
UNC should have played Memphis (State) in '85 at the Final Four, except the Heels choked their chickens and lost to Villanova in the Elite 8.
How did Purdue do that year?
I said do do!
Your right Ghost we are a crazy bunch. Any inside information on the coaching situation? I don’ t think Skiles is the answer, but you piqued my interest with Mike Montgomery. Good call.
What has our program sunk to. Tony Bennett is turning the job down. You’d rather stay in Pullman, Washington (BFE) than coach a prestigious university with a storied reputation. I don’t get that. His sister even coached the ladies from 2000-2005. I think she was in a really bad car accident if I remember correctly.
Also Jamarcus Ellis and Armon Bassett are leaving the program. Okay. Not a big surprise there. I expect to see Jordan Crawford, Eli Holman and Brandon Mcgee follow as well. Whatever were starting over. I get that. The plus is that the college game has changed so much. You can turn a program around in 2 years. Get a couple of key recruits and your right back in it. I’m thinking 3 years though. I see bad bad times in Bloomington until at least 2010. Oh well we’ll survive. And I bet we make a headline move coaching wise.
“Leaving the program” is an awfully nice way to put it…
I saw where Bennett and Pearl have said thanks but no thanks. If they don’t go with Skiles, I think Montgomery would be a good fit. He’s got experience with a major college program as well as dealing with asshats in the NBA.
Purdue went through some horrible years from 04-06…now it’s IU’s turn, damnit!
Don’t worry guys…Isiah said he’s not interested but I think you can get him to change his mind. Isiah in 09!!!
Stevo
If there’s one thing that IU fans will blindly support, its an “in-house” guy taking the reigns, regardless of their questionable past coaching/personal history.
Zeke could murder a guy and IU fans would still make a case to hire him because “he’s an IU guy.”
Welp, it’s official: Dan Dakich out, Tom Crean in.
I’m indifferent either way…although Crean did a nice job at Marquette.
I thought the search would take longer than it did, though. I guess they’re rearing to get going, perhaps for recruiting purposes.
Something tells me Ellis and Basset will be reinstated.
Wow, so much for Izzo and Crean not scheduling games against each other. The only thing that’s weird is how Crean runs a version of Izzo’s system and philosophy in his teams…and you would think that Izzo would use this knowledge to own his teams when they play (MSU demolished his Marquette team last year in the tourney). I wonder if this trend will continue considering Izzo taught Crean everything he knows. Should be interesting.
Not a bad hire though but, maybe it’s me, but Crean’s never really done that great in the tournament except for Dwyane Wade’s last year.
Stevo
This just pisses me off:
NEW YORK (AP) – In a locker room outburst equal parts joy and angst, Jamar Butler finally dropped the charade Ohio State had been playing for nearly three weeks and revealed its main motivating factor for a roughshod run through the NIT.
“This is what happens when you put an NCAA tournament team in the NIT,” Butler yelled, surrounded by his teammates after beating Massachusetts 92-85 in the title game Thursday night. “Write that down and send that to the committee.”
Really, Jamar?
You think OSU is an NCAA-tournament team?
What a towel!
LOL! I love NIT-smack talk. That’s the absolute best.
So you guys won a VERY close game against UMass and now that makes you an NCAA team? If they’re such a great team that wins all these tournament games, maybe they could have won ONE Big Ten tournament game. Hilarious stuff. At least when UofM won the NIT a few years ago, we didn’t hear any of that crap. So kudos to them.
Hilarious!!
By the way, am I the only one who watched the NCAA 3-point/Slam Dunk competition last night? I don’t know why but I’m a sucker for that stuff. They had some pretty sweet dunks. That dude Weekes from Arkansas won and had a Dr J-esque dunk from the free throw line and Ewing’s kid had this sick behind-the-back dunk.
Check it out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovfwYrLNIw8
Stevo
I didn’t see it…I can’t get into that sort of thing for whatever reason.
That is a sick dunk…I don’t recall ever seeing a dunk like that.
What about Giddens’ “Fresh Prince” dunk that had the great Steve Lavin all cornfused?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqUoFxDNzlk&eurl=http://www.awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/
Yes I’m very excited about the hiring of Tom Crean. It will definitely be interesting to see how he matches up with Izzo and State, but the program is going to take a couple of years to get back on track. I’m okay with this and I feel we got a good guy to lead the program.
Tom Crean has/was: Never had any prior NCAA infractions. Mentored by a great coach. Revitalized a program and made them a national contender year after year. Recruiting pipelines in Indiana. Wins and Loses with class.
On a sidenote Eric Gordon declared for the draft. No big shocker there. I"m just crossing my fingers that the Pacers aren’t stupid enough to draft him.
WOOOHOOO GO TIGERS!!!
Damn, Memphis looked good.
UCLA is the only one of the Final Four teams, I think, that can’t really “get out and run.”
Both KU and UNC can, and Memphis certainly can.
So Monday’s game will be a great one.
Damnit!
Scott Martin is transferring from Purdue. Probably back to his hometown school of Valparaiso.
Fuck beans, this is bad news. He was their 6th man and could have started next year on the wing with Hummel.
Goddamnit.
I love when ESPN does lists like this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3481014
I think they’ll do 31-40 today and finish with the top-10 on Friday.
I can pinpoint the top-7, I think…in no particular order:
UCLA
Kansas
Duke
North Carolina
IU
Kentucky
Georgetown
Who are the remaining three?