March Madness 2024

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I still think the way to beat Purdue is to single cover Edey. He might get 50, he might foul out your entire frontline, but you can't let those guards get open threes. Speed them up, and trust your bigs. Both UCONN and Bama would likely do that, at least in terms of trying to speed them up. 

Tennessee basically played it right, I thought. They just needed Ziegler to get a few more buckets, to shoot better from the line, or to just grab a few more boards. I have seen Purdue lose that game before (to Wisconsin, Northwestern, and even FDU last year). They just didn't lose it today.

The matchup with NC State will be fun, but I have a hard time seeing how the Woflpack get past 65, and they'll probably need 70 or 80 to win.

I do wish Edey got whistled for more 3-second calls. I get that that rule isn't enforced, but like, it is sometimes a 10-second rule, and that is absurd. Edey is great--but that's one advantage no one should have.

[BrewerFan]

20 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

I'm picking Tennessee to win, but just the thought of Edey going up against Clingan intrigues me. It'd be like one of those bad Japanese monster movies from the 60s. Godzilla vs Whoever.

From the 60s!?!

Don't they make one of those every year now?

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

From the 60s!?!

Don't they make one of those every year now?

They might. But I'm partial to the ones where the dialogue is a second or two ahead of the video.

On second thought, maybe the new ones still feature that, too.😜

[stoutdude04]

On 3/30/2024 at 12:05 PM, young guns said:

I had a disastrous sweet 16.  Went in with 7 of my elite 8 teams still playing and I went 2-5 with one of the picks being a team I picked to lose in the elite 8 and the other being my champion, but I'm already behind the other person in my group to pick them so second place is my highest possibility.  Buy still some fun game ahead so it's whatever.

I am right there with you.  Purdue cake walking to the final is going to knock me out of the money in every bracket.  Frustrating, but that's the way it goes!

[stoutdude04]

12 hours ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

I still think the way to beat Purdue is to single cover Edey. He might get 50, he might foul out your entire frontline, but you can't let those guards get open threes. Speed them up, and trust your bigs. Both UCONN and Bama would likely do that, at least in terms of trying to speed them up. 

Tennessee basically played it right, I thought. They just needed Ziegler to get a few more buckets, to shoot better from the line, or to just grab a few more boards. I have seen Purdue lose that game before (to Wisconsin, Northwestern, and even FDU last year). They just didn't lose it today.

The matchup with NC State will be fun, but I have a hard time seeing how the Woflpack get past 65, and they'll probably need 70 or 80 to win.

I do wish Edey got whistled for more 3-second calls. I get that that rule isn't enforced, but like, it is sometimes a 10-second rule, and that is absurd. Edey is great--but that's one advantage no one should have.

Edey gets more calls/non-calls than anyone I have ever seen.  It is embarrassing.

[MrTPlush]

A nice set of Final Four teams. Goliath, Edey, Bama has been elite for a few years, and NC State is a nice Cinderella from a P5 conference.

I’d prefer an Alabama and UConn ‘ship…but obviously that can’t happen. Please no NC State, give me UConn and Purdue.

[yourout]

1 hour ago, stoutdude04 said:

Edey gets more calls/non-calls than anyone I have ever seen.  It is embarrassing.

The fact he didn't pick up a foul until the middle of the second half tells me it was bad.

[stoutdude04]

4 hours ago, MrTPlush said:

A nice set of Final Four teams. Goliath, Edey, Bama has been elite for a few years, and NC State is a nice Cinderella from a P5 conference.

I’d prefer an Alabama and UConn ‘ship…but obviously that can’t happen. Please no NC State, give me UConn and Purdue.

UCONN NC State for me. For financial reasons only. ha

[Jim French Stepstool]

17 hours ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

 

I do wish Edey got whistled for more 3-second calls. I get that that rule isn't enforced, but like, it is sometimes a 10-second rule, and that is absurd. Edey is great--but that's one advantage no one should have.

The way the rule is enforced in college hoops, You can have one foot in the lane, and one outside, and that will start the 3-second count. However, if one foot stays outside, you can simply lift the other foot (the one in the lane) and that terminates the count. When he drops it back down in the lane it starts over again. Not saying he doesn't get more than his share of calls, but the 3-second claims are largely false.

Don't shoot the messenger.😬

[owbc]

I know I'm supposed to hate on Purdue and I could have won my family pool if Tennessee beat them, but I'm honestly pretty happy for them. That's a huge monkey off the back of Matt Painter. 

 

[Fear The Chorizo]

UConn looks like the obvious choice to win twice more and cut down the nets....which is why I'm taking the field.  For as dominant as the Huskies have been through most of the season, they've still found a way to lose 3 games.

[MrTPlush]

4 hours ago, stoutdude04 said:

UCONN NC State for me. For financial reasons only. ha

I wouldn’t mind that, if it ended up a good game, but I’d be nervous that would turn into a bit of a joke final. There have been too many of those in recent year.

[RedStickBrew]

Great game between LSU and Iowa women tonight

[Samurai Bucky]

2 hours ago, RedStickBrew said:

Great game between LSU and Iowa women tonight

Clark was throwing it up from all over tonight.  She also had some nice dimes, too.

During the game, I asked my daughter, "Why do women feel the need to wear false eyelashes during a basketball game?"  She had no idea -- neither did my wife.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

17 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

The way the rule is enforced in college hoops, You can have one foot in the lane, and one outside, and that will start the 3-second count. However, if one foot stays outside, you can simply lift the other foot (the one in the lane) and that terminates the count. When he drops it back down in the lane it starts over again. Not saying he doesn't get more than his share of calls, but the 3-second claims are largely false.

Don't shoot the messenger.😬

No shooting happening here! I am interested in where this comes from, though.

I have read the rule a few times and seen that the count can be "suspended" if the player attempts to leave the lane or begins the shooting motion. I have seen nothing about lifting a foot starting the count over? It's also a little tough for me to believe that officials are consciously watching for that, given all the million other things at play. In other words, if that is the rule, it seems like it essentially just means we shouldn't have three-seconds at all (which would be fine, I guess) since players lift their feet constantly and in small, impossible to notice ways.

I know the NCAA has emphasized 3 seconds in the past, though I almost never see it called either. I'd love to know where this info is coming from because I'm interested in it in the same way I'm interested in baseball's "the batter must make an attempt to get out of the way of the incoming pitch" rule. If we're not going to enforce it (even though it's there for a good, philosophical reason, namely preventing players with physical advantages from asserting them constantly and in impossible-to-stop ways), then let's get rid of it.

 

[homer]

10 hours ago, Samurai Bucky said:

Clark was throwing it up from all over tonight.  She also had some nice dimes, too.

During the game, I asked my daughter, "Why do women feel the need to wear false eyelashes during a basketball game?"  She had no idea -- neither did my wife.

Women can't win. Look up "Caitlin Clark ugly" on twitter. If she put on a bunch of makeup people would complain about her wearing makeup.

[RedStickBrew]

45 minutes ago, homer said:

Women can't win. Look up "Caitlin Clark ugly" on twitter. If she put on a bunch of makeup people would complain about her wearing makeup.

Absolutely gross. Check out the Angel Reese story from after the game too

[Fear The Chorizo]

58 minutes ago, homer said:

Women can't win. Look up "Caitlin Clark ugly" on twitter. If she put on a bunch of makeup people would complain about her wearing makeup.

An awful lot of the Caitlin Clark hate is actually coming from women.  It's tough for women to 'win' when they're constantly kneecapping each other.

[MrTPlush]

There was a post about her popularity and NIL money if she had the talent she does and looked like some other player. I can't recall who it was, but think Cavender twins. Sad, but true. I don't know....I don't care about Clark and women's basketball either way. It quite frankly is pretty insufferable to watch. Sometimes I think the hoop for women's basketball should be lowered and it might help make the shots/layups easier. 

[nate82]

20 minutes ago, MrTPlush said:

There was a post about her popularity and NIL money if she had the talent she does and looked like some other player. I can't recall who it was, but think Cavender twins. Sad, but true. I don't know....I don't care about Clark and women's basketball either way. It quite frankly is pretty insufferable to watch. Sometimes I think the hoop for women's basketball should be lowered and it might help make the shots/layups easier. 

Hoop lowered plus making the court a little bit shorter length wise would make the game play a bit faster.  It would be closer to the Men's play if they did that.   My main criticism of women's basketball is that it is played so slowly compared to men's basketball.  It is like time traveling back to the 1920's and watching that type of basketball now. 

It is extremely boring to watch.  There is just not enough explosive plays and the pace is played so slowly.  I truly believe lowering the hoop and shortening the length of the court by a few feet should make the game more watchable on the women's side.

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 hours ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

No shooting happening here! I am interested in where this comes from, though.

I have read the rule a few times and seen that the count can be "suspended" if the player attempts to leave the lane or begins the shooting motion. I have seen nothing about lifting a foot starting the count over? It's also a little tough for me to believe that officials are consciously watching for that, given all the million other things at play. In other words, if that is the rule, it seems like it essentially just means we shouldn't have three-seconds at all (which would be fine, I guess) since players lift their feet constantly and in small, impossible to notice ways.

I know the NCAA has emphasized 3 seconds in the past, though I almost never see it called either. I'd love to know where this info is coming from because I'm interested in it in the same way I'm interested in baseball's "the batter must make an attempt to get out of the way of the incoming pitch" rule. If we're not going to enforce it (even though it's there for a good, philosophical reason, namely preventing players with physical advantages from asserting them constantly and in impossible-to-stop ways), then let's get rid of it.

 

Yeah, the 3 sec rule for mens college hoops is unique to other levels & genders as far as I know.. The rule was well-intentioned when first implemented, trying to keep the Mikans & Chamberlains from simply camping out 2 feet from the basket. It was also (IIRC) created pretty much in junction with the widening of the lane. Look at old clips of basketball in the late 30s & 40s. What came to be known as the 'paint' was really, really narrow. 

Anyway, the suspension of the 3 second count by lifting the foot only works if the other foot is outside the lane. I suspect the Purdue staff are masters at ingraining stuff like this, since they've done so well at developing big men to their advantage. And I guess part of it is knowing what you can get away with, because as you said there's so much going on the refs aren't going to see everything. If you google "college basketball 3 second rule" there's some stuff that specifically mentions Edey & explains it pretty well.

Don't get me started on batters standing there crowding the plate with their padding & body armor. I give credit to guys like Don Baylor & Ron Hunt, who would at least take one for the team without being layered up like they were training attack dogs. 

[Fear The Chorizo]

2 hours ago, MrTPlush said:

There was a post about her popularity and NIL money if she had the talent she does and looked like some other player. I can't recall who it was, but think Cavender twins. Sad, but true. I don't know....I don't care about Clark and women's basketball either way. It quite frankly is pretty insufferable to watch. Sometimes I think the hoop for women's basketball should be lowered and it might help make the shots/layups easier. 

The ball is already smaller, so I don't think lowering the hoops/shortening the court to further congest things would improve the aesthetics of watching women's games very much - and it may make it even more awkward and limit the opportunities for skill to show out.  Trying to alter things to resemble the gameplay/pace of a D1 or professional men's game is never going to work and never draw more eyeballs to the television.  They are two completely different games due to the difference in athleticism, and they should be viewed as such.  

I'm not certain about what Clark is making by being all over TV commercials at present and any NIL funds, but it's way more than any WNBA salary.  I think the highest WNBA salaries are around $250K per year right now, and the #1 overall draft pick starting salary is like $80K - last I checked Clark has over $3M per year in NIL money.  Only LeBron's kid, Deion's kid, and Olivia Dunne make more in NIL money than Clark.

[Jimbo]

17 hours ago, Samurai Bucky said:

Clark was throwing it up from all over tonight.  She also had some nice dimes, too.

 

Twelve assists to go along with her 41 points.  It's not just the sharpshooting, it's her passing as well that sets her apart.  The 50-foot pass to her streaking teammate was right there.  95% of the time it ends up out of bounds.

 

I watched the national title game last year and saw the conclusion.  So I had this on my radar and tuned in just as Iowa was making its run.  Kind of surprised at how everyone was chill at the end.

 

[yourout]

How this game is officiated will go a long way towards deciding the winner

[yourout]

What a dreadful shooting performance by NC State.