B1G/NCAA basketball

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yep...they did...Wisky beating the shit out of Baylor

[Tony G]

Dayton wasn't bothered by Stanford apparently

[WM Wolverine]

Seven of my Elite Eight still in it and I win my money bracket if both Arizona and Florida reach title game.

[WM Wolverine]

Without Niang, Iowa State loses to UConn, erases another of my Elite Eight. 6 of 8 left; 4 in... Syracuse & Iowa State only of my E8 out.

[Kstat]

Okay, B1G is the top conference in college basketball. Can't really argue it anymore.

Would have been a much easier call had Wisconsin not tried to reinvent themselves as an offensive team early on.

[*JD*]

UVA all tied with spartie at 23 and UK coming back on Louisville. Just down 2.

[Cody_Russell]

Jim Nanz needs to stop pronouncing "Louisville" incorrectly. In fact, most southern Indiana and Kentcky people say it the wrong way.
It's Louis-ville! ... Not " Luwa vul" ... Lmao. Just like the the French king it was named after.

[whodean]

Ask someone who lives there and they'll say the opposite.

[The Oracle]

Okay, B1G is the top conference in college basketball. Can't really argue it anymore.

Would have been a much easier call had Wisconsin not tried to reinvent themselves as an offensive team early on.

If you knew anything about Wisky bball, they had the flu going through their team during their losing streak. Now, I know you'll dismiss it to improve your "argument" but that's the real reason they went on their losing streak. 3 starters had it.

[lineygoblue]

In Kentucky they say "Luh-vull"

[Tony G]

Yep

[hack]

Okay, B1G is the top conference in college basketball. Can't really argue it anymore.

What's interesting is that Michigan ran away with the conference title and is being completely overlooked as the computers and prognosticators hop on any and every current-momentum story they can find -- MSU is supposedly healthy, but they don't factor in that MSU wasn't the only team to suffer injuries. Tennessee and their margin of victory. Calipari says he's finally got buy-in. Louisville rounding into form just like last year.

I agree that looking at teams peaking at the right time is an important factor. And Michigan is a hard fit there. We peaked in late January, beating three top ten teams in a row. I wonder how the models factor in consistency. Michigan seems to me to be the team that holds serve more often and breaks serve less often. It's been, like, 5 home losses in the past three seasons? That's pretty damn good.

Either way, we're going into the third game in a row as a 2 seed in which a surprising amount of people think the lower seed is the favorite. Michigan isn't the kind of team that needs and seeks a chip on its shoulder, but it can't hurt.

[WM Wolverine]

Agree with everything except that Sparty's injuries most certainly did hold them back this seaso. Talent wise I think they stack up with pretty much anyone; even Florida & Arizona; my top two teams for some time. Sparty healthy all season likely is a 1-seed and might even win the B10 regular season. I've loved that team all season 'if healthy' and they pretty much never were during the regular season...

That said, I don't see why the loss of McGary is always overlooked. He's a difference maker, pre-season All American. Jordan Morgan having a terrific 5th year is great but a healthy McGary would've been tons better and they'd still have Morgan to back him up. A lot of M's rebounding woes are solved just by having McGary on the floor and off-season reports were saying MM's offensive game improved tremendously over the summer.

[Dr. Strangelove]

What's interesting is that Michigan ran away with the conference title and is being completely overlooked as the computers and prognosticators hop on any and every current-momentum story they can find -- MSU is supposedly healthy, but they don't factor in that MSU wasn't the only team to suffer injuries. Tennessee and their margin of victory. Calipari says he's finally got buy-in. Louisville rounding into form just like last year.

I agree that looking at teams peaking at the right time is an important factor. And Michigan is a hard fit there. We peaked in late January, beating three top ten teams in a row. I wonder how the models factor in consistency. Michigan seems to me to be the team that holds serve more often and breaks serve less often. It's been, like, 5 home losses in the past three seasons? That's pretty damn good.

Either way, we're going into the third game in a row as a 2 seed in which a surprising amount of people think the lower seed is the favorite. Michigan isn't the kind of team that needs and seeks a chip on its shoulder, but it can't hurt.

I honestly don't think anything like a majority thought Texas was going to beat you. Maybe a little more for Tennessee just based on how hot they had been playing (and they nearly pulled it off).

Kentucky is Kentucky and WAS preseason #1 or whatever...don't think you can necessarily feel unappreciated if the media slurps Callipari's schlong. It's what they always do. Just beat those fuckers.

[hack]

Not a majority, but in the case of Texas the vibe was there. Def not to the extent it was with the Vols.

WM that's my point -- if you want to be consistent in your analysis, whether you are you or a national pundit, you cannot excuse MSU without noting that UM lost a better player than those two and for the whole conference season. It's just not valid analysis to forget that. I personally am just sick of it. I'm looking forward to when MSU goes away for a few seasons starting next year, but for now I'm feeling a lot less charitable to Sparty than typical. Normally I don't begrudge them their hate and root for them along with the rest of the conference in basketball. At this point, no loss is too soon for those fucks.

Though, man what fun it would be to beat them in the final. I would trade all my sports karma for a decade to enjoy that one night and the ensuing afterglow.