B1G/NCAA basketball

[Mike]

This guy wins.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaab--another-upset--florida-gulf-coast-coach-landed-supermodel-as-his-wife-232250943.html

Whadya think, Liney? Fire Beilein for not having a supermodel wife?

Holy shit. She needs to put the makeup on. When they showed her on TV I just figured she was a stripper from Tampa.

Liney, perhaps we should name the court at Crisler in Beilein's honor? Hang a Sweet 16 banner? Did they cut down the nets today, too?

[iam416]

This reminds me of 2000 when OSU's region was busted wide open, but they lost to Miami in the 2nd round. Or, more recently, 2010 (Evan Turner's final team) when the top of the bracket was busted open.

Wisky has to be kicking themselves. Heh.

Of course, it doesn't remind me of the 2011 bracket where OSU, as the overall #1, was in the hardest region, by far. That year, Ohio State put on one of the most dominating performances I've ever seen in the 2nd round against the VCU of that year -- George Mason. Wow, did they look absolutely unbeatable.

[Optimus Prime]

Given the amount of NBA talent on Michigan & I guess Duke, did anyone seriously think there was something special about beating South Dakota St. or VCU?

The Sweet 16 is, well, sweet, but the Tourney is just starting IMO.

[iam416]

Also, on Gonzaga, Wichita played a great game. I don't think they were a #1, but they're really good. Every once in awhile, you run into a team playing a great game. Wichita is a 33% team from 3. If they were 9 of 27 (or even 11 of 27), Gonzaga wins. 14 of 27 was brutal. Effective FG% was 64%. Even accounting for modest Zag defense, that's still a really good night.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Gonzaga played a LOT of major conference teams OOC. Kansas State, OK State, West Virginia, Baylor, Oklahoma, Clemson, Washington State, and Illinois. That's basically half of a major conference schedule. Plus a few other tourney teams like Davidson, Butler, and Pacific.

They would've done well in a major conference, IMO. No gaudy record though.

[entropy]

They would have been a 4 or 5 seed if they were in a major conference.

[Mike]

Exactly. Look at Memphis. They were 30-4 coming into the tourney and were a 6th seed who got bounced in the round of 32. They weren't artificially elevated because of their gaudy record. Gonzaga's losses this year were to Illinois, a 7 seed in the tourney, Butler, a 6 seed, and Wichita St., a 9 seed. That is their peer group, IMO. They've gotten more juice from their run to the Elite 8 in 1999 than any team I can recall.

[hack]

See what you're saying about ISU, talent. They're not going away.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I very much wanted Notre Dame. I'd seen ISU play a few times and they can give you heart attacks. Never really out of games

[paul daugherity]

Yep, as an undergrad alum of ISU, they play to the end. They don't have the overall quality or depth of many teams, including OSU, but Hoiberg maxes out on the talent he has, and puts his guys in position to make plays. This is a team that was predicted to finish in the bottom of the Big 12 this year.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The game caused nausea, heartburn, severe vomiting, three cardiac arrests, and one stroke

[paul daugherity]

Disapppinting end for me, but a good season overall, and I think they have better days ahead of them.

[hack]

Nice escape. Good ISU team, there...

[iam416]

Craft giveth and Craft taketh away. I'll take anything. Really thought that was going to be a loss going in.

Arizona is a strong team, too. They're not a #6 seed. That game will be unbearable because it's a quasi Regional Final game.

Oh, and as I (and Oracle) mentioned, they don't win without Ross.

[*JD*]

Terrible charge call/gift to Craft and a hell of a shot by the apple-cheeked gangster save the schmuckos hide.