The OFFICIAL March Madness thread

harding156 · Post #41 » by **harding156** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 2:26 pm

So, what's the prize for last place?

Post #42 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:41 am

I think Dakich simply didn't have enough time to correct what was already becoming a major deficiency under Kelvin Sampson on defense. My biggest complaint is that he didn't take a hard line with some of the players during the last few games. There were some times he needed to bench some guys or play other guys, but he didn't do it, in what appeared to be an attempt to quell any possible insurrections. Can't really blame him though.

joew8302 · Post #43 » by **joew8302** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:06 am

I am a Bowling Green Alumn (where Dackich used to coach). I always thought he was a pretty good coach, he just didn't recruit the type of guys that fit his system. He was definetly a Bob Knight disciple, and it seemed he went really light on the players at IU compared to how he was at BG. I can't blame him for that either though, the situation was bizarre. In any case I wish the best for him and his family, he was a good man and was very active in the community in Bowling Green.

Post #44 » by **PR07** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:59 am

So close...Butler...so close.

cdash · Post #45 » by **cdash** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:10 am

Vandy killed me. I had way too much faith in them. Saint Joe's hurts too. Bums.

xxSnEaKyPxx · Post #46 » by **xxSnEaKyPxx** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 4:29 am

I picked Davidson over Georgetown. :-)

ajizzle · Post #47 » by **ajizzle** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:15 am

Davidson! I completely forgot that they had Dell Curry's kid... They've definitely screwed me in my bracket. Well, at least Memphis is still alive... barely...

Oh, BTW, thoughts on IU going after Mark Few. I like him, and his Zags didn't do too well. Think he'd come to Bloomington???

cdash · Post #48 » by **cdash** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:32 am

Yeah I picked Davidson over Georgetown too. I believe in Stephen Curry.

Didnt Few turn down the Hoosiers once already? I think there are better candidates out there. I am still on the Tony Bennett/Sean Miller/Bruce Pearl bandwagons.

Post #49 » by **mizzoupacers** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:03 pm

Grang33r wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Can you post Bernie's next column?

Drake out.

Villanova advance.

Just like i said....

Bernie has stopped writing about the tournament because teams like Villanova put him to sleep. :wink:

Villanova was just in the right place at the right time. Their first-round opponent pulled an epic choke. Then in the second round they found a soft spot in the brackets. It happens. They're still a boring-ass, big-conference mediocrity that would be right at home in the NIT.

Hell, even Missouri could win two games in the NCAA tournament if the field broke right. Mizzou beat Texas, Kansas State, and Purdue this year. Does that prove anything?

You can't win a tournament game if you aren't invited to the tournament. Personally, I'd rather see true underdogs get a shot at it, not traditional powers that have just had an off year. Especially true underdogs who go 13-5 in a good conference and post an RPI in the low 30s. Who's to say Illinois State would not have beaten Clemson and Siena, if given a chance? And if ISU did it, it would actually be fun. Kind of like Davidson is fun.

harding156 · Post #50 » by **harding156** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 4:14 am

I don't know about everyone else, but I thought that was a pretty lousy tourney. Profitable, but lousy. College basketball has turned into the NBA, which is unfortunate.

Anyways, congrats to mizzoupacers for the victory.

Post #51 » by **mizzoupacers** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 2:36 pm

My win was unfortunately tainted by that horrid game last night, my eyes may never recover from being subjected to watching the **** Jaychickens win a championship. How revolting.

And worst of all was that it was made possible by a classic choke job at the free throw line by the guy I've been touting lately as a real nice first-round choice for the Pacers in this summer's draft (although CDR was the game's leading scorer and did contain Rush for the most part; I still like his game).

I agree with Harding, this tournament wasn't as much fun as usual. I guess watching all four #1 seeds win is not to my taste, although I understand some people like that sort of thing. To me, though, rooting for the #1s is sort of like rooting for Wal-Mart to drive the local Mom-and-Pops out of business. And as Harding says, the NCAA is becoming too much like the NBA--more business than amateur sport--it risks becoming just another minor league instead of something special.

Other than Davidson, this tournament was pretty unmemorable.

Post #52 » by **Miller4ever** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 7:50 pm

This year, March Madness has really been in the NBA. Not so much for Pacer fans, but with 9 possible 50-win teams in the West, and a crazy East team that looks like the Pacers of 03-04 (Ours was better because of depth, mostly. Jamaal could match Rondo, Artest's defense made him equal in effectiveness against Pierce, JO was an MVP candidate way back when, we had Reggie who was not as good as Ray now, but we had Foster who is more effective down low as a rebounder than Perkins, and our bench was better, starting from Al Harrington and Jonathan Bender, the Joneses and Croshere, Anthony Johnson and Pollard, and Kenny Anderson, the Sam Cassell equivalent. Plus, the East was more competitive back then. Oh, and for all of his shortcomings, Rick was a better coach than Doc).

Post #53 » by **APerna** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 10:30 pm

Okay, here's something to think about...

Could we have beaten Memphis or Kansas?

Post #54 » by **PR07** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 11:53 pm

Yeah, I think so. The only position that Kansas or Memphis would be stronger than us at is PG.

Post #55 » by **mizzoupacers** » Wed Apr 9, 2008 2:32 pm

It would not even be close.

Come on now, the Pacers have an entire roster of guys who starred in college, or bypassed college entirely, whereas neither Kansas nor Memphis could even put five NBA-worthy guys on the court.

Plus, our guys for the most part are now BETTER than they were in college, in some cases, a LOT better.

Consider this: if Shawne Williams were still at Memphis, he almost certainly would have been, at worst, the second-best player on the court. For either team. Whereas he is struggling just to get consistent minutes off the bench for the Pacers.

Even at point guard, where the most talented player among the three teams is Rose, the Pacers would probably hold their own just due to experience.

I like college basketball, but I prefer the pros, because the level of play is so much higher.

cdash · Post #56 » by **cdash** » Wed Apr 9, 2008 2:55 pm

There has never been or never will be a college team that could beat an NBA team, and you are a complete buffoon if you think otherwise. Even the Heat would have won March Madness.