GDT: NCAA Hoops thread

[cptjeff]

Turns out that teams that have over a century of sustained elite success with a coaching heritage that stretches back about 70 years are a little harder to knock off than some apathetic one and dones from Kentucky or some teams that do well in inferior conferences like the Big 10.

 

[hockeynjune]

Gonna be a noisey week. Way ta go HEELS!!!

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

This Duke vs UNC will be bigger than the NC game. Its also a complete gift to Kansas. A. kansas is going to win the semi. B. No matter who wins the Duke vs UNCheat game, they will be emotionally and physically exhausted. It would be different if the game was a regional final and we had a week to recover but a 1 day turn around. I just don’t see it.

The aftermath game will be that the committe will always schedule Duke and UNC on opposite sides or in the same region. This game is just too big and will suck the life of the final game.

 

[hblueridgegal]

Such an unexpected surprise! My son had already planned to come down next weekend to take me to the Minny game as a belated birthday gift. We didn't anticipate these circumstances when we planned the weekend. Will be so great to be with him for the festivities. May have to alter the agenda.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

This Duke vs UNC will be bigger than the NC game. Its also a complete gift to Kansas. A. kansas is going to win the semi. B. No matter who wins the Duke vs UNCheat game, they will be emotionally and physically exhausted. It would be different if the game was a regional final and we had a week to recover but a 1 day turn around. I just don’t see it.

The aftermath game will be that the committe will always schedule Duke and UNC on opposite sides or in the same region. This game is just too big and will suck the life of the final game.

The bad news is: this will be a permanent advantage in the history of the rivalry for whatever team wins.

The good news is: if the winning team doesn’t go on to win it all, it won’t be the same crushing blow to the rivalry as it will be if they do.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

As a UNC alum, I was actually cheering for Duke to beat Arkansas. That's how badly I wanted that rivalry game. You can't imagine the glorious feeling us Heels fans will have to stick it to that glorified NBA factory one more time.

 

[hockeynjune]

The bad news is: this will be a permanent advantage in the history of the rivalry for whatever team wins.

The good news is: if the winning team doesn’t go on to win it all, it won’t be the same crushing blow to the rivalry as it will be if they do.

The winner needs to win it all. Validates the rivalry as the GoAT

 

[tarheelhockey]

Imagine being a Carolina fan who talked an excessive amount of trash after spoiling Coach K’s “last game” against the Heels. There’s gonna be some sweat in Chapel Hill this week.

Not a Devils fan, but Duke’s gonna be like a pack of mad dogs in this game. These guys suddenly get a do-over of the worst memory in their career, with the stakes raised to the highest level? If you ever want to see a group of athletes leave absolutely everything on the court, this is it. It’s the most “Duke friendly” scenario imaginable.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see an actual fistfight in this game.

 

[MinJaBen]

I may have to not tune in to the local sports news this week. The Blew blowing will be hard to swallow.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Imagine being a Carolina fan who talked an excessive amount of trash after spoiling Coach K’s “last game” against the Heels. There’s gonna be some sweat in Chapel Hill this week.

Not a Devils fan, but Duke’s gonna be like a pack of mad dogs in this game. These guys suddenly get a do-over of the worst memory in their career, with the stakes raised to the highest level? If you ever want to see a group of athletes leave absolutely everything on the court, this is it. It’s the most “Duke friendly” scenario imaginable.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see an actual fistfight in this game.

Especially because half of their roster will be declaring for the NBA draft right after the tournament, Duke in general does have this sort of urgency that they need to pour water over the narrative as quickly as possible. I'm pretty sure the UNC players understand the backlash that could be coming their way. It's up to them as to how they handle it.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Much like increasing swing speed and launch angle in baseball, going with the most talented freshmen group has more letdowns but just as good, if not greater, probability to get the big win.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Imagine being a Carolina fan who talked an excessive amount of trash after spoiling Coach K’s “last game” against the Heels. There’s gonna be some sweat in Chapel Hill this week.

Not a Devils fan, but Duke’s gonna be like a pack of mad dogs in this game. These guys suddenly get a do-over of the worst memory in their career, with the stakes raised to the highest level? If you ever want to see a group of athletes leave absolutely everything on the court, this is it. It’s the most “Duke friendly” scenario imaginable.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see an actual fistfight in this game.

Any fan that did that is dumb. Both because an ACC Tournament meeting is a distinct possibility every year, and (at least for me) there was just a funny feeling while filling out the bracket that this could happen.

Last game in Cameron? Sure.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Any fan that did that is dumb.

Being dumb never stopped Heels fans before

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Much like increasing swing speed and launch angle in baseball, going with the most talented freshmen group has more letdowns but just as good, if not greater, probability to get the big win.

One thing that I will say is that UNC has always had somewhat of a disadvantage with regards to recruiting the top freshmen, because the infrastructure under Roy (and now his hand-picked successor Davis) was always inclined towards a Brind'Amour style of earn-your-way-up as far as playing time was concerned. No doubt that it led to huge success in the program, but it generally leads to UNC being active in the senior transfer market and recruiting more of the second-ring talent from the McDonald's All-American group. I kind of have a feeling that UNC's current structure could really benefit from a system where college basketball is salaried rather than amateur.

 

[MinJaBen]

One thing that I will say is that UNC has always had somewhat of a disadvantage with regards to recruiting the top freshmen, because the infrastructure under Roy (and now his hand-picked successor Davis) was always inclined towards a Brind'Amour style of earn-your-way-up as far as playing time was concerned. No doubt that it led to huge success in the program, but it generally leads to UNC being active in the senior transfer market and recruiting more of the second-ring talent from the McDonald's All-American group.

Only fans of the Heels could ever say this with a straight face.

-signed "just about every other fan in college basketball"

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Only fans of the Heels could ever say this with a straight face.

-signed "just about every other fan in college basketball"

I'm saying it with a straight face because relative to Duke/KU/UK, what I stated is 100% true. The group of true contending outfits in college basketball isn't all that deep despite how large the tournament is. UNC's program generally has the same sort of prestige and legacy as the three schools that I stated above but their recruiting practices are markedly different.

 

[HisIceness]

Great game between NC State and UConn on the women's side but unfortunately the Pack can't get it done and don't advance to the Final Four. They're still way better than the men's pathetic program ever will be though.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Only fans of the Heels could ever say this with a straight face.

-signed "just about every other fan in college basketball"

I’m pretty sure that description of UNC’s pipeline is well established, especially just considering the comparison to other “prestige” basketball schools (UNC is of course more likely to sign a 5 star one-and-done than Seton Hall or whoever, but typically far less likely to do so than KU/Kentucky/Duke).

 

[hblueridgegal]

I am sort of stating the obvious but it comes and goes in waves with the burger boys and often aligns fairly closely with recent tourney success / TV time unless there’s a legacy history there with a player.

I often wonder how Dean would have stomached all of the recruitment marketing of today on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

 

[CanesUltimate11]

Great game between NC State and UConn on the women's side but unfortunately the Pack can't get it done and don't advance to the Final Four. They're still way better than the men's pathetic program ever will be though.

Kind of a screwup by the committee to setup the bracket so that the 2 seed essentially has home court advantage over the 1 seed in the final. Game was played 80 miles from UConn. I doubt it made that big of a difference but probably a bit annoying for State.

 

[HisIceness]

Kind of a screwup by the committee to setup the bracket so that the 2 seed essentially has home court advantage over the 1 seed in the final. Game was played 80 miles from UConn. I doubt it made that big of a difference but probably a bit annoying for State.

I noticed that too, personally I thought they deserved the Greensboro bracket since they won the conference title and SC didn't win theirs but I guess SC also won the head-to-head matchup earlier.

It is what it is though, UConn has always been dominant at this level.

 

[hblueridgegal]

About time...

 

[DaveG]

Huggins finally makes the Hall of Fame, should have happened a f***ing decade ago

 

[hockeynjune]

Stoked this is happening in the Big Easy. NOLA has been good to the Heels

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

The first semifinal looks like its going to be a laugher