The Halfcourt Trap NCAA Tournament Thread

#202
#202
hatvol96 said:
Louisville. They don't have the offensive weapons Carolina does. To get to San Antonio, Tennessee has to defend in a halfcourt setting and get some offense from their post players.
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I actually like the UNC matchup better. Louisville defends much better.

UNC's offensive rebounding is the only thing that really concerns me. If a team wants to try to outscore us, it can happen, but I like our chances in a game of that nature.
 
#203
#203
Oldblood said:
Oden wasn't benched early in the NC game, it was the Georgetown game in the Semis.
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I don't recall. You're probably correct, but I do remember it causing a tremendous row. Maybe Hibbert was in foul trouble, too and it just totally changed the game.
 
#204
#204
Midwest Regional Preview:

Best Tournament Coaches: JTIII, Bill Self.
Possible Upsets: Villanova over Clemson, K-State over USC, Davidson over Gonzaga.
Teams Playing The Second Weekend: Kansas, Clemson, USC, and Georgetown.
Regional Final: Kansas v. Georgetown.
Winner: Kansas.
 
#205
#205
Listened to Gillispie, Kennedy, Stansbury, Pearl, and Stallings on the SEC teleconference today. Some of the highlights:
1. Gillispie said he thinks Arkansas "could win 6 in a row." Also, Jodie Meeks is going to try and practice this week. BCG said "I don't know if it's possible" for him to play.
2. Kennedy also thinks Arkansas can do damage. He's "disappointed" Ole Miss didn't make the field, but he's "excited about prolonging the season" in the NIT. Andy called Georgia's weekend a "magical run."
3. Stansbury fell in line and called Arkansas a "Final Four caliber team." He thinks Oregon is a dangerous opponent and feels State's NIT run last season gave his team valuable tournament experience. Further, Stansbury feels the SEC is the toughest top to bottom league in the country, as evidenced by Georgia rising up and winning the tournament.
4. Pearl, in keeping with the theme, said Arkansas can "do damage." He said he will take this year's seeding and use it to figure out "how to schedule." Bruce also lauded the league's top to bottom strength.
5. Stallings didn't really have anything to say about Arkansas. He said Vanderbilt was "honored and privileged" to be in the field. He also mentioned that he was "happy for Dennis Felton" and "didn't think his job should ever have been in jeopardy."
 
#206
#206
hatvol96 said:
Listened to Gillispie, Kennedy, Stansbury, Pearl, and Stallings on the SEC teleconference today. Some of the highlights:
1. Gillispie said he thinks Arkansas "could win 6 in a row." Also, Jodie Meeks is going to try and practice this week. BCG said "I don't know if it's possible" for him to play.
2. Kennedy also thinks Arkansas can do damage. He's "disappointed" Ole Miss didn't make the field, but he's "excited about prolonging the season" in the NIT. Andy called Georgia's weekend a "magical run."
3. Stansbury fell in line and called Arkansas a "Final Four caliber team." He thinks Oregon is a dangerous opponent and feels State's NIT run last season gave his team valuable tournament experience. Further, Stansbury feels the SEC is the toughest top to bottom league in the country, as evidenced by Georgia rising up and winning the tournament.
4. Pearl, in keeping with the theme, said Arkansas can "do damage." He said he will take this year's seeding and use it to figure out "how to schedule." Bruce also lauded the league's top to bottom strength.
5. Stallings didn't really have anything to say about Arkansas. He said Vanderbilt was "honored and privileged" to be in the field. He also mentioned that he was "happy for Dennis Felton" and "didn't think his job should ever have been in jeopardy."
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Sour grapes?
 
#207
#207
I have been impressed with Pitts play as of late, what do you guys think of their Final Four chances? I can see a very possible scenario in which they could win the whole thing. Does their lack of depth hurt them?
 
#208
#208
emainvol said:
I have been impressed with Pitts play as of late, what do you guys think of their Final Four chances? I can see a very possible scenario in which they could win the whole thing. Does their lack of depth hurt them?
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I don't think Pitt scores well enough to make it to San Antonio.
 
#209
#209
I think Pitt has been playing some good ball, but I think Rose, CDR and Dorsey will be to much for Pitt. IMO
 
#210
#210
UT's tough OOC schedule did not cost them the #1 seed.

And even if it did, it's well worth it to see what a Texas is made of, what you can do when you play defense against a Memphis, etc.
 
#211
#211
lawgator1 said:
Sour grapes?
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I don't think it's sour grapes. Clearly, Pearl will have to evaluate the risk/reward of scheduling games with the likes of Xavier, Memphis, and Gonzaga in the non-conference.

If scheduling those teams, and having the nation's most difficult schedule gets you a 2-seed behind a team with the 60th best schedule, perhaps you're better off not risking the losses in the non-conference.
 
#212
#212
lawgator1 said:
UT's tough OOC schedule did not cost them the #1 seed.

And even if it did, it's well worth it to see what a Texas is made of, what you can do when you play defense against a Memphis, etc.
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Jaytrain5 said:
I don't think it's sour grapes. Clearly, Pearl will have to evaluate the risk/reward of scheduling games with the likes of Xavier, Memphis, and Gonzaga in the non-conference.

If scheduling those teams, and having the nation's most difficult schedule gets you a 2-seed behind a team with the 60th best schedule, perhaps you're better off not risking the losses in the non-conference.
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Second post, see first.
 
#213
#213
I think that the point is that the Memphis game probably cost us the win at Vandy and did not really help us any as far as seeding goes. That's probably what he is taking into account. Next time he probably just takes that off day off.
 
#214
#214
Oldblood said:
I think that the point is that the Memphis game probably cost us the win at Vandy and did not really help us any as far as seeding goes. That's probably what he is taking into account. Next time he probably just takes that off day off.
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You have just got to be joking.
 
#215
#215
The overall point is why kill yourself in non-conference when there is no reward for it. What the committee said was that as long as you win a lot of games and your conference tourney you can get a #1 seed regardless of non-conf games (unless your are Wisconsin in which case you get a #3).
 
#216
#216
If scheduling were a riddle to be solved, it would've been solved by now. Too many smart people try to figure out how to win the committee's favor. They still don't know what the secret is one year to the next. I actually think the NCAA cultivates that sense of not knowing the formula.

Pearl will keep taking marquee games that ESPN will carry, because it is how big programs do things.

And so long as UNC..Duke..Kansas.. have big seasons, they'll draw big seeds. The rest of us will have to play our best and pray for favor from the entirely too powerful committee.
 
#217
#217
Oldblood said:
I think that the point is that the Memphis game probably cost us the win at Vandy and did not really help us any as far as seeding goes. That's probably what he is taking into account. Next time he probably just takes that off day off.
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If we had lost both of those games, we wouldn't be in the east bracket.
 
#218
#218
Just got off the phone with Phil Martelli. Some of the highlights:
1. Coach Martelli feels that this tournament will be a "celebration of teams." His point was that last season seemed to revolve around Durant, Oden, and some other individual stars. He feels all of the contenders are more balanced and less dependent on a single individual this season. He said he does believe North Carolina is the team to beat.
2. He really feels Butler is a team to watch because they are an "older' team than most. He also thinks Louisville, Pitt, and Wisconsin are teams to keep an eye on moving forward.
3. He's "very proud' that the A-10 was able to garner three bids. Coach Martelli pointed to the league's solid performance in the nonconference portion of the schedule as a key to getting their due from the Selection Committee.
4. He's very impressed with Blake Griffin's tenacity and intensity. He believes Oklahoma's schedule has prepared them well for tournament play. Also, Coach Martelli is very complimentary about OU's defense of the 3 point shot.
 
#219
#219
emainvol said:
If we had lost both of those games, we wouldn't be in the east bracket.
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Not the point. Had we NOT played Memphis and then beaten Vandy, things might have been different. We would have still been ranked #2 instead of dropping to #4.
 
#220
#220
hatvol96 said:
Just got off the phone with Phil Martelli. Some of the highlights:
1. Coach Martelli feels that this tournament will be a "celebration of teams." His point was that last season seemed to revolve around Durant, Oden, and some other individual stars. He feels all of the contenders are more balanced and less dependent on a single individual this season. He said he does believe North Carolina is the team to beat.
2. He really feels Butler is a team to watch because they are an "older' team than most. He also thinks Louisville, Pitt, and Wisconsin are teams to keep an eye on moving forward.
3. He's "very proud' that the A-10 was able to garner three bids. Coach Martelli pointed to the league's solid performance in the nonconference portion of the schedule as a key to getting their due from the Selection Committee.
4. He's very impressed with Blake Griffin's tenacity and intensity. He believes Oklahoma's schedule has prepared them well for tournament play. Also, Coach Martelli is very complimentary about OU's defense of the 3 point shot.
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One man's "balance" in a team is another man's "lack of true stars in a down year."
 
#221
#221
hatvol96 said:
Just got off the phone with Phil Martelli. Some of the highlights:
1. Coach Martelli feels that this tournament will be a "celebration of teams." His point was that last season seemed to revolve around Durant, Oden, and some other individual stars. He feels all of the contenders are more balanced and less dependent on a single individual this season. He said he does believe North Carolina is the team to beat.
2. He really feels Butler is a team to watch because they are an "older' team than most. He also thinks Louisville, Pitt, and Wisconsin are teams to keep an eye on moving forward.
3. He's "very proud' that the A-10 was able to garner three bids. Coach Martelli pointed to the league's solid performance in the nonconference portion of the schedule as a key to getting their due from the Selection Committee.
4. He's very impressed with Blake Griffin's tenacity and intensity. He believes Oklahoma's schedule has prepared them well for tournament play. Also, Coach Martelli is very complimentary about OU's defense of the 3 point shot.
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what the heck does Martelli know?

where's LG1? Can you help correct some of the comments above from a wannabe player and current fan of a former Champion's perspective please.
 
#222
#222
BigPapaVol said:
what the heck does Martelli know?

where's LG1? Can you help correct some of the comments above from a wannabe player and current fan of a former Champion's perspective please.
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Clever.

To elaborate further, there ARE some superstars this year. I think of Beasley and Hansbrough. Plus, you know at least two or three others will emerge.

Also, my feeling is not so much that there is a lack of superstars resulting in "balance" as there is a lack of teams that are so strong you need them to beat themselves to win. What he calls balanced teams I characterize simply as parity in a fairly pedestrian field.

The main factor in this is the NBA situation. but that's a whole 'nother topic. See e.g. Beasley in about three weeks.
 
#223
#223
lawgator1 said:
Clever.

To elaborate further, there ARE some superstars this year. I think of Beasley and Hansbrough. Plus, you know at least two or three others will emerge.

Also, my feeling is not so much that there is a lack of superstars resulting in "balance" as there is a lack of teams that are so strong you need them to beat themselves to win. What he calls balanced teams I characterize simply as parity in a fairly pedestrian field.

The main factor in this is the NBA situation. but that's a whole 'nother topic. See e.g. Beasley in about three weeks.
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pedestrian? ok. sure.
 
#224
#224
jakez4ut said:
pedestrian? ok. sure.
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those UF teams might have been a bit better, but would have been no shoo-in to win it. KU has an exceptional team loaded with NBA types and Memphis is dramatically better with the addition of Rose. Each of those squads can compete with UF's former squad in terms of NBA talent.
 
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