NCAA Final Four: Fla/Uconn, Bucky/'Tucky

[hurleyfor3]

Discuss here. Fla/Uconn goes first on Saturday. 1-2-7-8, don't remember a collection of seeds quite like that. I realize Duke people have to officially hate these teams, but I'm rather amused the popular picks (Loovul and Sparty) didn't make it.

[CDu]

Discuss here. Fla/Uconn goes first. 1-2-7-8, don't remember a collection of seeds quite like that.

Almost the worst of all reasonable outcomes. Go Badgers!

[gurufrisbee]

Almost the worst of all reasonable outcomes. Go Badgers!

SUPER agreed.

Never knew I could root this hard for Wisconsin.

It's funny because the two local sports radio guys on in the morning made a bet where one guy got the four 1 seeds and Mich St and LVille versus the field. And he had to give some BIG odds to do it.

[pfrduke]

I hold nothing against this particular UConn team. Calhoun was a driving force in my dislike. I have a lot of respect for the seniors who opted to hang around notwithstanding the postseason ban. Plus, they're about to turn into Memphis of 6 years ago (a good team in a terrible conference), which makes me feel a little bit of pity.

[SoCalDukeFan]

First of all I have come to hate UK and UConn less, but still don't really like them.
Also, I think their fans are generally horrid. So would hate to have either celebrating in Dallas.

I am in a pool. I picked Duke to win it all. My FF was Duke, UVa, Florida, Arizona and I had Duke beating UVa in the NC.

However I have more wins than anyone else and the way this is scored I win if UConn beats Florida on Saturday but fall out of the money if Florida wins.

So for me I guess its UConn at least on Saturday.

Would like to see Wisconsin win it all.

SoCal

[richardjackson199]

Go Badgers and Go Huskies! These Huskies are not a Calhoun team, and they're fine by me. I'd be happy to see Ollie or Bo Ryan win a Natty. I don't want Donovan to get his 3rd and Cal winning 2nd Natty would make me vomit. Anybody but Kentucky.

[Tripping William]

Anybody but Kentucky.

This. Go Sconnie!

[dukelifer]

Horrible FF for Duke fans - Only team we can root for is Wisconsin - but they have no chance. It looks like Cal gets another with a band of one-and-dones and one-and-done wannabes. At least his last team had a great player. This team has a pair of twins that think they are great players.

[MaxAMillion]

Go Badgers and Go Huskies! These Huskies are not a Calhoun team, and they're fine by me. I'd be happy to see Ollie or Bo Ryan win a Natty. I don't want Donovan to get his 3rd and Cal winning 2nd Natty would make me vomit. Anybody but Kentucky.

Bingo...that is how I look at it (at least the UConn part of this). I don't want to see Donovan win his third but that might be better than UK winning. I really don't mind the UK team its the fans that I can't stand.

[brevity]

I'm rather amused the popular picks (Loovul and Sparty) didn't make it.

Absolutely this. For the past few days I've been rooting for mutual bracket destruction. Anyone who picked both Connecticut and Kentucky in their Final Four deserves to win their pool.

I hesitate to mention this, but every year I take notice of the Bizarro Final Four and Bizarro Champion. These are the teams that are as far removed from success as possible. For example, last year's Bizarro Champion was Colorado. They lost to Illinois, who lost to Miami, who lost to Marquette, who lost to Syracuse, who lost to Michigan, who lost to Louisville. No other team (in a 64-team field) is six degrees of separation from the champion.

This year the Bizarro Final Four are Eastern Kentucky, George Washington, Oklahoma, and... Duke. We become the Bizarro Champion if Wisconsin beats Kentucky, then loses the title game.

Past Bizarro Champions...

2013 Colorado
2012 Harvard
2011 Louisville
2010 Oklahoma State
2009 California
2008 Belmont (so, almost Duke)

[hurleyfor3]

I hesitate to mention this, but every year I take notice of the Bizarro Final Four and Bizarro Champion. These are the teams that are as far removed from success as possible. For example, last year's Bizarro Champion was Colorado. They lost to Illinois, who lost to Miami, who lost to Marquette, who lost to Syracuse, who lost to Michigan, who lost to Louisville. No other team (in a 64-team field) is six degrees of separation from the champion.

This year the Bizarro Final Four are Eastern Kentucky, George Washington, Oklahoma, and... Duke. We become the Bizarro Champion if Wisconsin beats Kentucky, then loses the title game.

I have a different name for that concept. Last place. (Nowadays it is possible, and in fact likely, for the last-place finisher to be a team that was not in the play-in round.)

[Dukehky]

Barf. I could literally not be less excited for next weekend. Get out of here Kentucky.

[hudlow]

The opening weekend of trout season couldn't come at a better time.

[Troublemaker]

Final Four lines:

Florida -6.5 vs UConn
Kentucky -2.5 vs Wisconsin

Go Bucky!

Rooting for the Badgers to win the title and then host Duke in the ACC/Big10 Challenge next season. Unless I'm reading their roster wrong, Badgers could return everyone next season except for senior Brust. That'd be a fun game to play the defending champs on their homecourt. Might even be a preseason #1 vs preseason #2 matchup as well.

[Billy Dat]

Kentucky has a serious head of steam. I can't see Florida beating them 4 times in one year, that just seems like asking a lot. It's hard to bet against Scottie Wilbekin, though.

[1 24 90]

Won't Wisconsin get destroyed inside? I just don't see them hanging with the UK athletes for 40 minutes. Hopefully Bo Ryan can figure out a genius game plan.

[hurleyfor3]

Final Four lines:

Florida -6.5 vs UConn
Kentucky -2.5 vs Wisconsin

I thought both lines would be around seven or eight. Really surprised Ky is that low.

[Troublemaker]

I thought both lines would be around seven or eight. Really surprised Ky is that low.

I think it's about right. Not saying UK couldn't kill Wiscy on Saturday, but UK was only favored by 2.5 over Mich and most computers like Wiscy slightly better than Mich. So if anything, the oddsmakers continue to give Kentucky more and more credit with each additional outing. Makes sense since UK has covered 7 spreads in a row, although this previous game was obviously a coin-flip situation as to who would end up covering.

[gurufrisbee]

Won't Wisconsin get destroyed inside? I just don't see them hanging with the UK athletes for 40 minutes. Hopefully Bo Ryan can figure out a genius game plan.

Well that was the common belief about what Baylor and Arizona would do to them, too. Heck, I watched Duke all year and still never saw a team getting killed on the glass and providing zero interior defense worse than Michigan today - and they nearly won the game.

[CR9]

I hold nothing against this particular UConn team. Calhoun was a driving force in my dislike. I have a lot of respect for the seniors who opted to hang around notwithstanding the postseason ban. Plus, they're about to turn into Memphis of 6 years ago (a good team in a terrible conference), which makes me feel a little bit of pity.

Same. I'm a big Napier fan aswell.