Final-4: March Madness Open Thread
by Nestor on Apr 3, 2010 2:07 PM PDT
in Basketball
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Since we have threads up during this tourney all along might as well keep this going. Four teams left: Butler, Michigan State, West Virginia, and Eastern Sports Programming Network's favorite program. The first game between the Bulldogs and Tom Izzo's Spartans should be a dream for Ben Ball junkies who appreciate ferocious, intense, inside-the-jersey AA defense grounded in fundamentals and efficient offense.
The sentimental favorite I am assuming is going to be Butler since everyone wants to live the Hoosier fantasy through Brad Steven's team. Coach Wooden is rooting for his home state team:
I would actually like to see Butler win it. But, of course, there's something to be said about every coach and program that's in it.
Yet for some reason there is something about Izzo you can't help admire (which Coach also referenced in the link above).
As for the second game don't think we have expand much on the emotions around this community based on Duke Vitale's favorite team. Should be fun games to watch (if you are tuning in).
The first game tips off around 3:07 pm PST. March Madness On-Demand has all the games online again and you can grab it in the widget below.
Also don't forget our baseball team trying to take the rubber match from Stanford. Ryan has the UCLA baseball open thread below. Have fun with it everyone. Fire away.
GO BRUINS.
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Butler or MSU?
Like them both but want the team with the best chance of beating Duke to win.
Problem is, I’m not sure which team has the best chance of beating Duke.
Who should I be rooting for?
sjh
Cheer for West Virginia
Hard-nosed defense.
Strong rebounding.
Fundamental offense, nothing flashy.
A coach that would bite your face off if you didn’t hedge on a P&R.
Sound familiar?
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
This just in...
Duke has been awarded 4 FTs already, and leads the game, before tip-off, 5-0.
(one of those was apparently a 2 pt FT)
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Gordon Hayward...
Butler’s star player, sophomore Gordon Hayward, is reminding me of a young Larry Bird… and he’s the perfect example of why the recruiting star system is so flawed. He was only 2-star guy (by Scout.com) coming out of HS and only had offers from Butler and IUPUI (whatever that is)… despite being the “Indy Star” state player of the year in Indiana and single-handedly leading his team to the state championship. The star system, it seems, doesn’t measure winning — guys that are natural born winners. The star system, I’m afraid puts way too much emphasis on meat market stats: height, weight, vertical leap, etc.
Easy money and faithless women, red-eye whiskey for the pain...
Definitely.
You also have to give Butler’s coaching staff credit though. They turned him into a hell of a player. All players, 1* through 5*, are unfinished products coming out of high school. The best coaches can identify talent AND mold the talent into winning product.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Apr 3, 2010 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions
I might be the only one...
But I actually like Duke. Coach K gets the most out of his team and his kids usually stick around.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Apr 3, 2010 4:00 PM PDT reply actions
Whiny little rat
sorry, can’t go along with you.
Greg is right, he’s probably already whined his way into 5 ft’s.
sjh
It's 7-0 now
Two WVU players are on the bench, each with 2 early fouls.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Huggy Bear or Coach K?
I’m pretty sure that any pregame dirtiness is in Huggy’s corner.
by AllHailMightyBruins on Apr 3, 2010 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm off to a birthday party for a neighbor -- back in a couple of hours.
So I can root against Duke.
sjh
very true
Butler’s coach will probably not be Butler’s coach for long. Some one is going to back up an armored truck for him after this.
Jim Gray asked Izzo about the OU job in a pre-game interview. Izzo gave the usual coach-speak answer, and noted that “Ora-gone” had not contacted him. You figure if he’s not bothering to pronounce the state correctly, he’s not going there, no matter how much money Phil Knight has.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Butler up by 4 with 4:19 left!
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Butler plays good D
lots of blocks, not many second-chance points for MSU, but only 5 fouls this half.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Wow
what a board and pass for the layup for Butler.
first FG after 11 misses
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
I see
Ben Ball Warriors … In both of these teams.
by Nestor on Apr 3, 2010 5:20 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Izzo being dragged away from the refs by one of his players
Ref’s may have inadvertantly called a TO for MSU
formerly bruinhoo
Butler wins
Gotta admit, I didn’t have them in the finals in my bracket.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Mine were already dead
Can I count K-State being in on my bracket due to the Huggy Bear connection?
formerly bruinhoo
what an amazing game
I LOVE ME SOME DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING.
by Nestor on Apr 3, 2010 5:31 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
At this point I want Butler to win it all.
Can anybody remember such a cinderella team like this one?
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
George Mason, the year of our first FF
Of course they got exposed by Florida in the National Semi’s, but an 11 seed!?
formerly bruinhoo
Butler is not a true "Cinderalla" though
Can’t look up here … But they have had some great wins. They have been highly ranked all season and was an under-rated 5 seed.
by Nestor on Apr 3, 2010 5:37 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, they have been strong, and well regarded all year
While a Final Four would have been considered somewhat of a stretch, they have been consistently in the top-20 all year. The mid-major conference affiliation accounts for much of the Cinderella label.
GMU back in 2006, though…
formerly bruinhoo
11 seed = Cinderella
Preseason #11 team nationally does not equal Cinderella
Duke already in the bonus
despite teams still being in the locker room pre-game.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
I'm happy for Butler
but doesn’t this really seem like the de facto final?
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
opposite from last game
where most fans really liked both coaches
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
I agree both are special
and I just read through the thread and agree completely with all who expressed appreciation for hard d and rebounding.
What a beautiful game.
sjh
I was at a party - game on and sound off
what was Izzo so pissed off about when his players had to stop him from getting a t.
sjh
Tournament expansion opinions?
I think the planned expansion of the tournament to 96 teams is ridiculous.
It ruins the symmetry of the tourney with opening round byes. (I don’t like the play-in game – does anyone even watch it?) The opening 2 rounds is the best weekend in sports.
If the purpose of the tourney is to identify a national champion, adding teams #66-96 is unnecessary. If you can’t make the top 64 slots now, you do not deserve a shot at the title.
It is blatant hipocrisy to expand a the basketball tourney, while refusing to have a playoff system in football.
How is expanding the tourney by number of teams and duration of time good for “student”-athletes?
If the NCAA at least had the honesty to come out and say “We’re simply doing it for the cash”, I would lose a little less respect for them. All this spin is utter BS. They are jerking with something that does not need fixing.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
by gbruin on Apr 3, 2010 6:35 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Ummm...Hey, Mountaineers...
you might want to consider defending the 3-pt shot
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Me too, the whole time growing up, so many happy memories.
With Enberg and Chick Hearn, bball was really wonderful to listen to/watch in L.A.
Go Bruins!
That sucked that the one ucla highlight they show was our loss at the Astrodome.
What a horrible moment. He was ucla’s announcer for 9 years and we won 8 championships. And they show the loss! Anyway, good for him.
Go Bruins!
surprised they're leaving him in
given he seems to be a bit hot headed…
The fouls are interesting
Zoobek played like an offensive lineman some in the first half but got away with it. I saw Huggins work the refs and I guess it worked as Zoobek got three fouls this half.
interesting technical call
he was kinda showboating, but was also avoiding landing on people…
He did a pull up
That is showboating. No pull up no call
Why does Huggins play the Turk?
He is big but he does not fit the rest of the team. WV success is based on the fact that the players are interchangeable (6’7" guard, good 3 shooting big guys), it is tough to match up with them. The Turk doesn’t fit as he can only play close to the basket and they are trying to feed him. It is hurting them.
Well Zoubek just was over the back
His 4th foul would have changed momentum
Huggins agrees with you
He told the refs: “They don’t foul. All Americans.”
No way that was a charge, the got that at the same time.
zoobek knocked two players over before that one, I’ve just been watching him.
Go Bruins!
AND Zoubek
SPread his legs too. Zoubek would have fouled out in about 5 minutes if he played for WSU in a PAC 10 road game.
was just posting that
Not a fan, but that was something special. We will, and should, see that picture for years.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
bad news, good news
I will win my work pool if West Va wins
But with the money comes the Bracket Jacket, a hideous yellow pinstripe sportcoat with the winners names written on the back in Sharpie that must be worn to certain work related functions, parties, etc.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Nah, don't wany anyone hurt
But I do hope Zoubek gets a bunch of touch calls in the next game.
FWIW, don’t forget that UW got screwed big time in their game against WV. Romar, who is usually calm and does not generally go after refs, completely lost his cool. His T cost UW the game but he had a point, the calls were not very fair.
So if WV loses this game in part because of the refs my sympathy will be a bit less than normal. Romar is sitting at home thinking this is Karmic justice.
I know. It was a revenge feeling moment. It's passed...thank you.
And you’re right about the uw game.
Go Bruins!
Well, I would not go to WV if I was Zoubek
You notice every time he touches the ball the crowd boos. I wonder if he will get booed the next game ? It will be a small interesting subplot to watch. How will the refs deal with it next game?
That is what I thought at first BUT
some of it is from WV and has been in cases where Zoubek may have fouled. You usually don’t say LUUCCCC or the like when he catches the ball but only when he does something with it.
Funny Story on rooting against Duke
The trend in the tourney is for the losing team’s fans from the final four games to go home and don’t stay for the championship game. One exception, was when MD lost to Duke in 2001, ALL the MD fans stayed to boo Duke in the Championship game.
double whammy
Duke winning by 15.
Time for me to go to work. Third straight night shift, ugh.
Good night, BN
Happy Easter to any Easter celebrators and/or bunny beneficiaries.
greg in denver - UCLA guy for life
Is it just me or is this the worst
NCAA tournament in recent history? I’m not talking about the intensity of the play or the surprises. I’m talking about the quality and level of basketball.
It is truly terrible. These teams would be blown away by almost any of the recent championship teams and absolutely creamed by almost any of the former champions.
Where are the great guards and great centers? I think they are mostly in the NBA, one and doners, at best. Sad, really.
And their fundamentals are terrible, too.
The NBA is eating its own children.
To think we couldn’t even make it into the tourney in one of the weakest years ever.
Oh well. They were all better than us this year. Amazing.
GO BRUINS!
Butler shot 30% from the field, 23% from three, and missed seven of 24 foul shots against MSU
And still won their Final Four game.
In other words, you’re right. (Three-years-in-college-minimum, please?)
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