NCAA Mens Basketball 2008-2009 Season + Tourny

[BarthelloSylph]

And yes, that post may sound ironic seeing as how I posted the "Can Anyone Beat Carolina?" thread. But in my defense:

1) I was excited after a big win
2) I was hammered drunk

Off topic - Tyche, hope the wedding went well and you are enjoying married life. I remember we were getting married at around the same time.

[Tyche]

Wedding went well, and I honestly don't think Carolina is going to lose more than one or two games in the regular season. The schedule is stupidly easy. Their only challenge is an overrated Duke team.

[BarthelloSylph]

I think you are off base on your Florida comparisons. Yes, they won 2 titles back to back, but they hardly dominated the NCAA during that time span. The most comparable team in my mind was UNLV from 1989-1990 or dook* from 1991-1992. Those teams inspired fear... not Florida.

A 35 point win over a ranked team... is always remarkable... are you nuts?

Finally, you need to calm down. Yes, we get it - you don't like Carolina. But you can't shout down the Carolina fans right now. Especially with them playing the way they are. But if you're right, you'll get your chance when we drop some ACC games.

EDIT: UNLV... not UCLA... it's late

Yes, your fans are that ignorant...and onto you!

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/gener...-carolina.html




So is it three games or is it noone? Apparently you don't think anyone is capable >.>

And this was geared toward the Carolina fan who thought that a 35 point win is something remarkable. It was a top 15 school that you have no idea if it's a top 15 school. UL was ranked 3rd and I said we were overrated and would lose 10 games. Now were 11th or something.

If you think margin of victory is actually an important stat, you should post in this thread...

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/gener...ll-thread.html

Look, Carolina is easily, easily the best team in the nation right now. I'm not going to go out after 7 fucking games and say "THEY ARE THE BEST IN YEARS!". It's seven fucking games, Florida raped the NCAA from like 2004/05 to 06/07, completely dominating on the toad to 2 championships. Sorry, you haven't earned the right to say you're better than that team, not after 7 or 8 games and getting completely dominated last year in March.

[BarthelloSylph]

OK last comment for tonight before going back to homework. When I posted my drunk thread, I was being honest. If Carolina plays the way they are right now, all year, I don't think anyone can beat them. Of course, we know they won't be that good every night. So I'm sure they will drop some. As long as we win in April, all is forgiven.

[Tyche]

You honestly think 7 wins after getting hammered by Kansas makes you better than Florida 2 years ago? Really? You really think teams "fear" Carolina? Again, this isn't football and this isn't the John Wooden Bruins days.

[BarthelloSylph]

Yes, I think teams fear Carolina. I am an avid message board guy, and check boards of upcoming opponents. To quote one MSU fan "If we can shoot 60% and get all the rebounds, we'll have a shot". Izzo himself said if his team was healthy and playing well, they could have still lost by 20, and that this UNC team is one of the best teams he's faced in his 20+ years of coaching. Teams are worried about this Carolina team. No it's not Lew Alcindor playing the 5, but who has been like that since?

I get what you are trying to say. Until you do, you can't talk. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works with sports and fans. People are going to talk (especially the people who get paid to make comments like "UNC is the best team in decades), it's part of being a fan. If and when Carolina blows out solid ACC opponents, I'll be jawing. Just be here to take us down a peg when we drop one. It's that tit for tat that makes being a fan fun.

[Tyche]

If "message board guy" was a good gauge of how prepared a team was and how well they are going to perform, every team in the NCAA would have 25 wins a season. That's why I'm taking you down a notch, because message board guys are almost always irrational. Why would anyone visit an opponents message board, seriously. "If we get all the rebounds...". Yeah, you are starting 5 8 footers that can run 4.3 40's. No reasonable fan is going to say "we're going to dominate carolina...". How about taking time off the message boards and look at the actual players, not their stupid fucking fans. The landscape of college basketball has changed. The Evansville purple aces, you'll be playing them in a week or whatever, I live quite close to that school. They aren't going to "fear" playing your team. These teams put athletes on the floor in an era where there isn't a single team that dominates year after year after year. Hell, in this "gotta get my money" era, most of the starters are 18 year old kids, you think they "fear" anything? Hell no, they want to get out there and show they can run the floor with the best, what the fuck do they have to lose. Fear is a strong word, and quite fallacious in the sense you are using it in.

Edit: I think the fact you honestly think this team is better than Florida's (or you've yet to refute the fact) says a lot about you as a message board guy and following in that stereotype. No team fears anyone. Florida went out there and did what UNC didn't. They got the job done...twice.

[BarthelloSylph]

I may come across as a "message board guy", but you are coming across as a hater. We didn't do what Florida did... what? 4 NCAA titles, my man. That's twice as many as UF. This particular team will get a chance to increase the spread. And yes, personally I think this squad is better than Florida's. If we don't put up a title, guess I won't win that argument. But if we only drop 1-2 on our way to the title, I won't be the only one spouting that theory.

The way you use fear, it is a strong word. No one fears playing anyone in any sport, not the way you describe it. Not even Wooden's Bruins, as you suggested people did. Teams are certainly excited to play Carolina this year. Who wouldn't? And teams definitely respect them (what I mean by "fear"), and realize that they will have to play a near perfect game to win. Most teams don't get that kind of respect. I'm not sure why you are trying to argue that teams don't fear Carolina. It's a fucking sport, of course people don't fear playing, it isn't war.

Really, you just sound angry right now from all the pub UNC's getting and all the fans being happy about their performance. Come on dude, that's the whole fun of being a fan!

[Akiyama]

I may come across as a "message board guy", but you are coming across as a hater. We didn't do what Florida did... what? 4 NCAA titles, my man. That's twice as many as UF. This particular team will get a chance to increase the spread. And yes, personally I think this squad is better than Florida's. If we don't put up a title, guess I won't win that argument. But if we only drop 1-2 on our way to the title, I won't be the only one spouting that theory.

The way you use fear, it is a strong word. No one fears playing anyone in any sport, not the way you describe it. Not even Wooden's Bruins, as you suggested people did. Teams are certainly excited to play Carolina this year. Who wouldn't? And teams definitely respect them (what I mean by "fear"), and realize that they will have to play a near perfect game to win. Most teams don't get that kind of respect. I'm not sure why you are trying to argue that teams don't fear Carolina. It's a fucking sport, of course people don't fear playing, it isn't war.

Really, you just sound angry right now from all the pub UNC's getting and all the fans being happy about their performance. Come on dude, that's the whole fun of being a fan!

I think what he meant was what Florida did throughout the tourney as well. They won two titles, back to back. When was the last time UNC won titles back to back? They never have.They've won them in 1952, 1987, 1993, and 2005. Then Florida came around, and started to dominate the NCAA by winning in 2006/2007. That's all Tyche meant I'm guessing. Bringing up that you've won 4 National Titles is irrelevant in my opinion. Yes, by that same token, UF's National Titles is in the past as well, it's not as far back as you'd have to go pre-2005. So in this decade, it's UNC 1 Florida 2. Maybe UNC can dominate a regular season. Well you know as well as I do... the NCAA Basketball regular season is just so bleh. Not gonna say meaningless as the wins you get in the regular season can determine if you play for a National Title or not, but it's just a big blob of blah.

Also, I understand getting excited over a team's season, but as people have said; it's been seven games. You guys have waaaaay more to go. You still have to get into the meat of the ACC, and while I dislike Duke, the Duke/UNC game is always exciting. Not to mention Wake Forest looking reeeeally good on the inside.

As far as Michigan State/ND goes, you guys matched up really well against them. Notre Dame is a pure perimeter shooting team (picture the last couple years for the Bulls; no real inside game, has to make perimeter shots), and Michigan State is Michigan State. I can honestly never tell what the hell kind of team they are at the start of a season, lol.

That's just my opinion, and holy shit. Pleeeease don't become a certain someone I know from the College Football thread, and make me post essays in the college basketball thread. I don't even have a team to root for. D:

[Kyo]

What? Everyone loves plow!

[Biddinger]

Did someone really say Duke is over rated....WOW

[Akiyama]

Did someone really say Duke is over rated....WOW

What? Where?

[Biddinger]

Wedding went well, and I honestly don't think Carolina is going to lose more than one or two games in the regular season. The schedule is stupidly easy. Their only challenge is an overrated Duke team.

Go ahead and let us know how Duke has shown themselves to be over rated this year.

[Akiyama]

Ahh, thanks.

Well Duke has had a couple "WTF" games, like one earlier where they were in double digit turnovers before halftime, but I don't think we've had enough time to tell if they are "Overrated". I mean.. in Michigan State's two losses, we've seen enough to call them overrated imo, but it's only because it happens every year. Am I putting MSU down and saying "ZOMG GARBAGE"? Nah. It's just the press that give them a tad too much attention at the start. I'm sure they'll be fine. I don't think Duke is completely overrated, but will they get bumped out of the Tourney in the 1st/2nd round? Most likely.

Also, only Duke? Uh.. last I checked, the ACC was a pretty decent conference. >.> Wake Forest could challenge them too. They are deep on the inside, and oh so tall.

[Tyche]

I think Brian Kenny said it best...Duke is the most overrated underrated team in the nation. Duke is good, but I don't think they are a top 5 team...at least historically they've shown an inability to live up to their record,and I've yet see any reason to think this year would be different.

And at Barthello...You said you're the most dominating team in years. My point was that you aren't even the most dominating team in the last 5 years. They have as many championships as you have final four appearances in that span. If you had actually won last season and not gotten ran off the court like a JV squad in the final four last year, I'd listen to the argument. All it's going to take to hang with a UNC is an endurance team that run the court in a Phoenix-esque style of offense. Kansas did it last year and Hansborough played a pretty damn average game. I'd contend that if UL didn't have a guy with nuts and bolts for knees, UL would have handled UNC last year.

[octopus]

Right now, UNC reminds me of that year Illinois had a few years back. I remember watching them beating #1 Wake Forest with Chris Paul by like 30+ and wondered if they're going to be a historical team.

Fact is, until they win the championship, it's not going to matter how good you look now.

[MrW]

Anyway, the Gators got hot at the right time, which is really what it's about in college basketball. Humphrey killed people with the long ball along with Brewer/Noah becoming beasts. They also got lucky with some upsets in their bracket along the way. ANY GIVEN NIGHT a team can get hot and give a ranked team a good run. Buffalo played aggressively coupled with the fact that UCONN looked terrible. To give UCONN credit, their conference is BRUTAL this year. Holy shit. We've seen it happen progressively more over the years. The gap between talent levels is starting to slim a bit. So I don't think that is an accurate measure of how UNC would destroy UCONN etc.

UNC is undoubtedly the best team in the country. Ellington, Green and Lawson are playing unbelievably. All future NBAers I'd venture to say. Fuck Hansbrough in my opinion. Yes, he’s a beast down low. Yes. He dominates in the paint. He gets to the line and knocks down free throws. He’s a perfect college basketball player. He hasn’t really played much this season though but still a great college big man.

Let’s take a look at why UNC is ranked #1

They play good defense. They run the break like no other team in the country (smart passes and usually getting layups in <5 seconds), they can slow it down and play the half court game with Hansbrough. They rebound well and knock down 3’s. They play good defense. All this coupled with the fact they have the deepest bench in the country. Ed Davis is what, the 7th man off the bench? Damn near a double double every game. Lawson is a smart, athletic and one of the few true point guards in the country. Not to mention he’s a decent scorer too.

I think North Carolina is a better team than the two teams the Gators won the Championships with. I've personally played with those guys the two years they won (pre-season) as well as played with some of those guys from Carolina's squad now (wanted to throw that out there before the "you don't know what the fuck you're talking about" remark came out). Granted it was in high school with the UNC peeps.
But regular season isn't where championships are won. Seeds in the tourney are pretty much shit this decade.

Look back last couple of tournaments…

2008- Nova beat Clemson (although Reynolds > Clemson). Sienna beat Vandy. Davidson was the 10th seed in the Midwest that year? They made it to the Elite 8 thanks to Curry being a monster.

2006 - George Mason made it to the Elite 8 that year. Once again, another team that got really hot when it mattered.

2004 - Xavier came together and made it to the Elite 8

2002 - Kent State (lol) and Missouri made it to the Elite 8. Indiana (5th seed) was in the championship game that year.

2001 – Temple as an 11 seed made it to the Elite 8.

2000 – That tourney was full of all kinds of fuckery.

After that wall-o-text (with random archiving) we’ll just have to see come tourney time. Hopefully UCONN and UNC meet so at least one group of people get to say “I told you so”. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if one/both got upset in the tournament. That’s just the nature of March Madness.

(Go Syracuse!!! My apologies for the incoherence. English/Grammar/Essays aren’t my forte.)

[Tyche]

The question wasn't "Is UNC better than Florida", that's an absurd question that noone can answer, even one who played prep ball with some of the players. Coaching has a lot to do with player develpment (and in my opinion, Donovan is better than Williams, and yes I realize this will create a fucking shitstorm by saying that). To say that UNC is more dominant a team though, that's just absurd. If Florida was just a product of getting "hot", then that is the longest "hot" streak I've seen. I mean, 2 seasons of staying hot...The games they lost, they were most all toward the end of the season...long college seasons take a damn toll.

Edit: Also, George Mason made it to the Final Four, not just the Elite 8

[octopus]

Duke about to lose to Michigan ;o wow

[Tyche]

Where's Biddinger? It's not hard to tell when your team is overrated, I called UL being overrated (but we did crush a sorry ass ISU today in a meaningless OOC gimme game).