NCAA: Sweet 16/Elite 8

[PSurprise]

That guy with the Kentucky tattoo isn't looking so moronic this weekend.

[Utley]

One of us did something to incur some really negative karma.

[CoachJ10]

After seeing Randle just be a dominant presence inside...I can't wait for Mr. Okafor to suit up next season.

[pfrduke]

If it is Kentucky, they will be a on a tremendous win streak going into the game against top teams including a 1, 2, 4, and 2 seed - including Wisconsin (who Florida couldn't beat). Florida will be on streak of beating a 9, 4, 11, and 7.

Well, more accurately, Florida will be on a streak of beating a 9, 4, 11, 7, and the 26 teams they played before that. Small difference.

[gurufrisbee]

If it's any consolation, you're not alone.

I don't doubt it.

All of the sudden I'm realizing that it's theoretically possible that some day a final four could be North Carolina, UConn, Kentucky, and a fourth disliked team. Though as I type it, I'm not sure who exactly that is. NC St? Florida cuz of Donovan? LVille cuz of Pitino? Maryland?

[Gthoma2a]

Yep, the "one-and-done model fails again." "Young kids lack leadership." "Teams need seniors to go deep into the tournament..." I say this to highlight that a lesser coach just got it done with one-and-done players that are playing their butts off. A young team that was HORRIBLE at times this season... MATURED during the season. Just to say, again, that it is about the mental readiness of the player for the tournament, not their age. Our guys weren't ready for that stage, for one reason or another. I don't like their school (or the Harrisons in general), but kudos to Kentucky's kids for their heart. Randle is a monster. That guy is ready for the next level.

Next year, if we start a bunch of freshmen. Don't fear it, embrace it. If we could get the best player at every position, and they were all freshmen, I would take it in a second. There will be a time where talent gets it, no matter how they make you scratch your head along the way.

[hurleyfor3]

Didn't Michigan have a timeout left? The guy who caught it should've called timeout at midcourt with a second and change remaining.

[pfrduke]

Yep, the "one-and-done model fails again." "Young kids lack leadership." "Teams need seniors to go deep into the tournament..." I say this to highlight that a lesser coach just got it done with one-and-done players that are playing their butts off. A young team... MATURED during the season. Just to say, again, that it is about the mental readiness of the player for the tournament, not their age. Our guys weren't ready for that stage, for one reason or another. I don't like their school (or the Harrisons in general), but kudos to Kentucky's kids for their heart. Randle is a monster. That guy is ready for the next level.

Making narratives out of a single elimination tournament is always a sketchy enterprise. If Wichita State's shot goes down at the end of the game, no one's talking about Kentucky's maturity or mental readiness, but about how Calipari's one and done model again failed to get the job done. That narrative would have been no more right than this one, but something about the tournament causes people to ascribe extra meaning to the results of a single game.

Agree with you on Randle though. He's real good.

[MaxAMillion]

Yep, the "one-and-done model fails again." "Young kids lack leadership." "Teams need seniors to go deep into the tournament..." I say this to highlight that a lesser coach just got it done with one-and-done players that are playing their butts off. A young team that was HORRIBLE at times this season... MATURED during the season. Just to say, again, that it is about the mental readiness of the player for the tournament, not their age. Our guys weren't ready for that stage, for one reason or another. I don't like their school (or the Harrisons in general), but kudos to Kentucky's kids for their heart. Randle is a monster. That guy is ready for the next level.

Next year, if we start a bunch of freshmen. Don't fear it, embrace it. If we could get the best player at every position, and they were all freshmen, I would take it in a second. There will be a time where talent gets it, no matter how they make you scratch your head along the way.

And I will say again that the team lost 10 games this year. Clearly they had the talent to do better but inexperience and lack of leadership held them back. Calipari admitted as much during the season. Donovan said yesterday that he felt his team needed to go through the disappointment of losing in the tournament in order to make it to the final four. There has been one team and one coach in the last 20 years who has made this one and done model work and that is Calipari. I give him lots of credit for that fact. I don't think any other coach could do what Calipari has done because no one else has experience with constantly turning over their roster every year. I also give Calipari major credit for how the Harrison twins have played (that is the biggest difference in their team). UK looked lost a lot of the year mainly because their point guard play was so lousy. Once that turned around the team started winning.

[Gthoma2a]

Making narratives out of a single elimination tournament is always a sketchy enterprise. If Wichita State's shot goes down at the end of the game, no one's talking about Kentucky's maturity or mental readiness, but about how Calipari's one and done model again failed to get the job done. That narrative would have been no more right than this one, but something about the tournament causes people to ascribe extra meaning to the results of a single game.

Agree with you on Randle though. He's real good.

I would argue that even the loss to Florida in the SEC is proof of maturity with the kids. They were nowhere close to Florida in their first two tries. They have 10 very good games in a row.

[pfrduke]

I would argue that even the loss to Florida in the SEC is proof of maturity with the kids. They were nowhere close to Florida in their first two tries. They have 10 very good games in a row.

They have 7 good games in a row. Game 8 was a 19-point loss to Florida that wasn't really even that close. Game 9 was a 7-point home win over Alabama (a bad team). Game 10 was the loss at South Carolina. And, since we're counting, game 11 was a home loss to Arkansas and game 12 was a 1-point home overtime win over LSU.

[sagegrouse]

I would argue that even the loss to Florida in the SEC is proof of maturity with the kids. They were nowhere close to Florida in their first two tries. They have 10 very good games in a row.

Agree. It was men against boys today, and the average age of the "men" is about 19 years and two months. Kentucky abuses the Wolverines on the boards, a horrendous beat-down.

For those who say that Kentucky deserves its #8 seed and lost ten games during the season: that ten-loss team wasn't the team playing the last two weekends. I expect Kentucky to be favored over Wisconsin, and if playing Florida in the finals, for the spread to be within three points.

[Ultrarunner]

After seeing Randle just be a dominant presence inside...I can't wait for Mr. Okafor to suit up next season.

Somehow, I don't see no-calls in Jahill's future when he lowers a shoulder and blasts through the defensive player. But I'm okay if next season proves me wrong.

[Gthoma2a]

They have 7 good games in a row. Game 8 was a 19-point loss to Florida that wasn't really even that close. Game 9 was a 7-point home win over Alabama (a bad team). Game 10 was the loss at South Carolina. And, since we're counting, game 11 was a home loss to Arkansas and game 12 was a 1-point home overtime win over LSU.

Good point, I mis-remembered that part. Still, the people who claim that they would rather have a player with a low ceiling that has been on unsuccessful teams than a guy with a high ceiling because somehow the guy who has been on teams that fell apart has more of a propensity for leadership, based on age, is beyond my understanding. That, and I really don't get the blame going to youth, sometimes. That's my point. The, we're supposed to be above that, idea is not a solid one, because, as long as we recruit honestly, you want the sharpest tools at your coach's disposal. That is why I have beef with Calipari, not because he gets one-and-dones and it is somehow "cheapening the game." Having seen attitudes, at times, that seem to indicate that we would tarnish our position in college basketball by doing so, I feel the need to point to this.

[Stray Gator]

... including Wisconsin (who Florida couldn't beat). ...

It's probably worth noting that Florida lost to Wisconsin on November 12, in a game played on Wisconsin's home court, when the Gators were playing without Demontre Harris, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Scotty Wilbekin -- who would become the SEC Player of the Year. And Florida's loss to U Conn occurred on December 2, in a game played on the Huskies' home court, when Napier hit a buzzer-beating jumper to pull out a 1-point victory. That's certainly not to suggest that Florida could not be beaten by Wisconsin and/or U Conn now; but considering the circumstances, I don't think the results of those early-season games have any significant bearing or predictive weight on how the teams may match up in Arlington next weekend.

[roywhite]

It's probably worth noting that Florida lost to Wisconsin on November 12, in a game played on Wisconsin's home court, when the Gators were playing without Demontre Harris, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Scotty Wilbekin -- who would become the SEC Player of the Year. And Florida's loss to U Conn occurred on December 2, in a game played on the Huskies' home court, when Napier hit a buzzer-beating jumper to pull out a 1-point victory. That's certainly not to suggest that Florida could not be beaten by Wisconsin and/or U Conn now; but considering the circumstances, I don't think the results of those early-season games have any significant bearing or predictive weight on how the teams may match up in Arlington next weekend.

Good to see you stop by, Stray Gator; miss you around here.

[moonpie23]

welcome back, mister gator….

[brevity]

It all makes sense now. Everything has been predestined this Tournament. It's all about one thing and one thing only. Don't let anyone deceive you in this. I'm about to impart serious, insightful basketball fate/gods/fill in the blank stuff right now:

It's all about Florida. Yep. This is about the Gators having the easiest path to their eventual championship. I'm not sure if Donovan has sacrificed more chickens than normal, or what, but this Tournament is all leading to a very obvious finish: UF will cut down the nets, and the resistance factor has been removed at every step along the way. They have yet to play one team that could have legitimately beat them. And it won't happen in the FF semis, because UConn will come back down to planet earth and lay down (after beating them a couple of months ago) so the Gators can continue to march toward yet another title for the great - the awesome - the magnificent - Billy Donovan. I now fully expect UK to beat UM, and then a valiant Wisconsin in the other semi, only to look back into the eyes of the Gators in the Championship game and lie down once more.

Yep, you can mortgage your house on this one boys and girls. It's the Gators Tournament. Plain and Simple. The basketball gods have foreordained it.

BTW, someone pass the Pepto-Bismol. I'm going to be sick.

We never revisited this, did we? Good thing I don't follow financial advice from DBR. But hey, if I ever run a college basketball team and am extremely interested in getting input on how many minutes I should give each player for the next three seasons, this is the first place I'll solicit.

[_Gary]

We never revisited this, did we? Good thing I don't follow financial advice from DBR. But hey, if I ever run a college basketball team and am extremely interested in getting input on how many minutes I should give each player for the next three seasons, this is the first place I'll solicit.

Two quick things:

1) I revisited it myself in the Final Four thread. And I took full responsibility for getting it wrong.

2) I remain sick to my stomach at the matchup of UK/UConn, so the Pepto is still in play.