NCAAT: the Sweet Sixteen

[BD80]

I guess tournament experience does mean something

[Durham Thunder]

Hard to believe the team that beat us by 30, looking like the showtime lakers, lost this badly.

[weezie]

Oh deeeeah, miami goes down.

Sniff, I'm all busted up about it. Suddenly that whole court rushing thingy looks pretty dopey.

[ajtrublu]

...and there go my brackets. I had a Duke/Miami final. (Yes, I pick with my heart, not my head. What of it?)

[jacone21]

...and there go my brackets. I had a Duke/Miami final. (Yes, I pick with my heart, not my head. What of it?)

Same here. Hopefully, we still have the Champion picked correctly!

[rsvman]

Larranaga looks like Wallace from Wallace and Gromit, no?

- Chillin

Ha! I hadn't thought of it but he sure does!

[mgtr]

Larranaga had better coaching results before the tilde in his name.

[Papa John]

I actually don't think he was fouled once in that sequence. I think Miami is getting outhustled and out-athleted right now. They also look defeated - like they took a punch in the nose and don't want to fight back. Very poor body language right now. They don't have depth and Marquette is making them work hard. I could see this getting away from them in the second half unless they turn it up - Larkin has to ignite it. Let's see what Coach Float Like a Butterfly can do to motivate his team at the half.

Given what college basketball has become (where scrums in the low post sans whistles are commonplace) and given how much contact the officials were letting go, I suppose you are correct--nobody tackled Scott, so play on... Officiating aside (because heavy contact was being ignored both ways), I agree that Miami just didn't bring it tonight... They couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat in the middle of the Pacific tonight... Probably karma for rushing the court after beating us earlier this year...

[NashvilleDevil]

Probably karma for rushing the court after beating us earlier this year...

It's karma for slapping the floor. Stormed courts are second nature now for Duke teams.

[throatybeard]

Is it just me, or does the Wichita State mascot look like a marijuana-based rolled cylinder?

[sporthenry]

The refs so far in all the games seem to like contact. Doesn't bode well for Duke

[hurleyfor3]

Everyone at espn is officially wrong.

[Bluedog]

The refs so far in all the games seem to like contact. Doesn't bode well for Duke

Except in our last game vs Creighton...

[mgtr]

Everyone at espn is officially wrong.

Because they went with either Indiana or Miami in the final four. Lose!

[sporthenry]

Except in our last game vs Creighton...

Well I was more talking about these games. The Big East teams have gotten away with very physical play.

[gofurman]

Well I was more talking about these games. The Big East teams have gotten away with very physical play.

It has been documented here that the average number of fouls called in tourney play is usually well below what the acc calls. Someone ran the numbers on this board a few years ago. Thus the low scores in the NCAA tourney as the clock rarely stops and you can defend with more hand checks etc. Our creighton game was the exception. NCAA tourney games are typically rough and low scoring. I recall when we lost to LSU it was noted that Reddick felt what would have been a foul in acc play usually didn't get called in the tourney which was to our detriment as we thrived on having good FT shooters and getting to the line more than our opponent and we couldn't utilize that in the tourney. Also it was listed that the big east called less fouls than the acc during regular season so those teams were often better equipped for NCAA tourney play as they were used to it. Someone here had the numbers of average fouls in acc game, average fouls called in big east game and average fouls in NCAA tourney game. Acc called most fouls, big east less, NCAA tourney the least - thus these brawls under the basket etc we are seeing. We definitely had the exception the other night v creighton I guess it worked out but it was as if k planned for less fouls to be called (which he rightfully should based on history of tourney fouls) and then we were taken aback by how many we're called. We came out aggressive on D and almost lost both front court guys. I haven't seen that many called in any tourney game in a while

[pamtar]

Everyone at espn is officially wrong.

Surprisingly, Dickie V is the least wrong of the bunch.

[Bluedog]

Surprisingly, Dickie V is the least wrong of the bunch.

Well, John Gasaway, Robbi Pickeral, and Jay Williams also have 3/4 still alive.

[CDu]

Well, John Gasaway, Robbi Pickeral, and Jay Williams also have 3/4 still alive.

As does Eamann Brennan.

[FerryFor50]

Indiana must not own a TV. Or Internet.

They seemed not to know Syracuse plays zone.