Texas

[Oh Canada]

I seem to think this team is flying under the radar a smidge even though the nation does recognize their talent. ESPN.com has put up a poll for the top Big 12 team between them and Kansas.

Out of any team projected for the tourney, these guys scare me the most. MAN, ARE THEY AGRESSIVE AND GET UP AND DOWN THE FLOOR!!!!

Sure, Beasley got his points the other night but almost every basket was contested and he had to work harder than I've seen him to get open looks. They have unreal guard play and have some real strength down low.

I think Barnes has these guys prepared to handle any style they could face in the NCAA's.

What are your thoughts because I wouldn't want to face them after the sweet 16 when they have the finish line in sight?

[Indoor66]

I seem to think this team is flying under the radar a smidge even though the nation does recognize their talent. ESPN.com has put up a poll for the top Big 12 team between them and Kansas.

Out of any team projected for the tourney, these guys scare me the most. MAN, ARE THEY AGRESSIVE AND GET UP AND DOWN THE FLOOR!!!!

Sure, Beasley got his points the other night but almost every basket was contested and he had to work harder than I've seen him to get open looks. They have unreal guard play and have some real strength down low.

I think Barnes has these guys prepared to handle any style they could face in the NCAA's.

What are your thoughts because I wouldn't want to face them after the sweet 16 when they have the finish line in sight?

My thought would be: Coach them Rick, coach them. That is the best defense the opposition has.

[A-Tex Devil]

As someone who has been to several Texas games this year, I am very impressed with them. That being said...

We match up well with them if we are shooting adequately and defending the three as we normally do. Their small guards cannot guard the 3 ball, they are pretty thin, and if you think WE have no inside presence, Texas has less of one than we do.

They could certainly beat Duke, but it would likely take a career game from a role player like Conor Atchley had against KU for UT to beat Duke I think. Their small guards -- both of whom play about 38 minutes a game -- simply cannot guard taller guys on the perimeter.

[ugadevil]

Texas reminds me a bit of Villanova from a few years ago. A team who has certainly overachieved in the regular season and picked up a lot of unexpected wins. Also, like 'Nova, they're extremely guard oriented and rely on role players in the post. However, if they're really like Villanova, they'll meet a good team in the tournament that is a horrible match up and not be able to stay with them.

[captmojo]

You could see their potential back early in the season with the big win over UCLA.

[mr. synellinden]

Texas Tech is giving them a lot of trouble right now.

And Memphis, Stanford and Vandy are in danger ...

It's going to be a great NCAA tourney this year.

[ArkieDukie]

Texas Tech is giving them a lot of trouble right now.

And Memphis, Stanford and Vandy are in danger ...

It's going to be a great NCAA tourney this year.

I'm watching the Hogs vs Vandy right now. For a few minutes it looked like the Hogs were going to pull a BC and blow the game, but now the Hogs are pulling ahead again thanks to some 3s by Patrick Beverly. 4 pt lead, 1.5 min. Dang; Vandy just hit a 3. make that 1.

[Classof06]

Even though Texas is about to lose to Texas Tech as I write this, they're still a dangerous team. They've beaten UCLA, Kansas and Tennesse; not only did they beat Tennessee, they throttled them by 19 and the game was never close. Nobody else has beaten that many elite teams.

They were on track for a 1 seed coming into today but we'll see what happens after this loss.

This is a very good team and a team that I think would give Duke some problems given their deep frontline and great guards. DJ Augustin is arguably the best PG in America.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Which, I guess, means that Texas will continue to fly under the radar...

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

[ArkieDukie]

Duke won, Arkansas won, Texas lost. The day could only have been better if the holes had lost.

[ugadevil]

Duke won, Arkansas won, Texas lost. The day could only have been better if the holes had lost.

You forgot to mention that the LSU football team is still coached by a moron!

[A-Tex Devil]

Even though Texas is about to lose to Texas Tech as I write this, they're still a dangerous team. They've beaten UCLA, Kansas and Tennesse; not only did they beat Tennessee, they throttled them by 19 and the game was never close. Nobody else has beaten that many elite teams.

They were on track for a 1 seed coming into today but we'll see what happens after this loss.

This is a very good team and a team that I think would give Duke some problems given their deep frontline and great guards. DJ Augustin is arguably the best PG in America.

Deep front line? I mean they CAN throw Clint Chapman, Alexis Wangmeme and constantly on the brink of breakthrough but never gonna get there Dexter Pittman on the court, but NONE of those guys scare me.

Damian James' game is similar to DeMarcus and he's not much taller. Conor Atchley is a good defender, but sits on the perimiter on offense.

If Abrams is hitting, Damian James outplays Henderson and Nelson and we don't help Paulus on DJ Augustine, which is certainly a more than possible scenario, Texas would beat us.

But we should rain threes down on UT early, and then when they try to adjust, begin getting in the paint.

We'll see -- any top 25 team can beat another top 25 team on a given day in the tourney, and TExas has 3 wins more impressive than anyone in the country. I just think we match up pretty well against Texas in that they don't have the weapon that exposes our major weakness (inside offensive presence) but we have vice versa (very good three point shooting team).

[throatybeard]

I think the Texas loss combined with the Duke escape, plus UNC's 2-0 week, plus UTK's loss at VU, all put together give us a top 5 showdown in the UNC game. With UNC at #1.

[Truth]

I see. You realize that is not what you said, right? You imposed two conditions; that we beat UNC, and win the Tournament, and then you said that the regular season finale did not matter, negating your first condition. (The Tournament, of course, is not the regular season finale.) You also said nothing about beating UNC in the tournament, only winning it.

While DangerDevil won't win any awards for clarity, his statement is indeed logically correct. He stated that his opinion that Duke will obtain a 1-seeding if Duke beats UNC and wins the ACC tournament, regardless of the Duke-UNC regular season finale. Duke winning the ACCT and beating UNC is not mutually exclusive with the regular-season outcome.

[Chitowndevil]

RE Texas, this is actually one of the top 8 seeded teams that I wouldn't mind seeing in our bracket. They are not a very good defensive team (in particular they don't guard the perimeter well at all), and get absolutely nothing from the free throw line. They do take care of the ball extremely well, which could be a problem. But in the end I'd think if Nelson could contain Augustine and Duke has even an average shooting day, we win.

RE the #1 seed discussion, Memphis is a near lock. Carolina and Tennessee are locks if they win their conference tourneys (yes, regardless of Saturday's game). UCLA, Georgetown, and one of Kansas or Texas are next in line in that order. UCLA and GT are listed first because they still have regular season games (at Zona and vs Stanford, and vs Louisville respectively) that could help their RPI (of course that's a mixed blessing). Wisconsin has an outside shot if they win the Big 10, but remaining games against Penn St and Northwestern aren't going to help an already shaky SoS.

So basically, if Duke wins out, they're almost certainly #1, because it's highly unlikely that Tennessee, UCLA, Georgetown, and one of Kansas/Texas all win out. If Duke beats Carolina on Saturday but both fall in the ACCs, Duke will need losses from at least 3 or 4 other teams to lock up a top seed.

[mr. synellinden]

I'm watching the Hogs vs Vandy right now. For a few minutes it looked like the Hogs were going to pull a BC and blow the game, but now the Hogs are pulling ahead again thanks to some 3s by Patrick Beverly. 4 pt lead, 1.5 min. Dang; Vandy just hit a 3. make that 1.

Big win for Arkansas. Does this get them in?

On another note, Texas went down on the road against an unranked team. But I guarantee you people will chalk it up to having a misstep on the road and still view them as a #1 seed possibility. Whereas if Duke had lost today, all the critics would have poured on how Duke is overrated and they don't have the pieces to go far in the tourney.

It is very hard to win on the road. Period. Especially in your conference.

[ArkieDukie]

Big win for Arkansas. Does this get them in?

On another note, Texas went down on the road against an unranked team. But I guarantee you people will chalk it up to having a misstep on the road and still view them as a #1 seed possibility. Whereas if Duke had lost today, all the critics would have poured on how Duke is overrated and they don't have the pieces to go far in the tourney.

It is very hard to win on the road. Period. Especially in your conference.

One would hope. I think the talking heads currently have the Hogs listed as a bubble team. That loss to Appalachian State (in Little Rock) still hurts them. By the same token, Kentucky should be hurt by losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego. However, they are Kentucky.

[arnie]

Big win for Arkansas. Does this get them in?

On another note, Texas went down on the road against an unranked team. But I guarantee you people will chalk it up to having a misstep on the road and still view them as a #1 seed possibility. Whereas if Duke had lost today, all the critics would have poured on how Duke is overrated and they don't have the pieces to go far in the tourney.

It is very hard to win on the road. Period. Especially in your conference.

That is essentially what Seth Davis just said - 6 teams in contention for a No.1 seed including Texas with no mention of Duke.

[mr. synellinden]

That is essentially what Seth Davis just said - 6 teams in contention for a No.1 seed including Texas with no mention of Duke.

What a shock. Let's see what he has to say on selection Sunday. That's all that matters. Come to think of it. I don't care at all what he has to say on selection sunday because he rarely offers anything meaningful.

[DavidBenAkiva]

We did lose two in a row to unranked teams. I think that we can play ourselves into a #1 ranking still. What I don't get is how people are saying that UNC is "surging ahead" without Ty Lawson. Sure, they've won games, but we're tied with them in the conference and we beat them ON THEIR HOME COURT.

As I see it shaping up, I cannot think that ANY team, including Duke, that has wrapped up a #1 seed. The teams that "win" the #1 seeds will be conference tournament champs. However, I think that we can play ourselves out of a #1 seed and still win the acc tournament by losing to UVA. If we win against UVA and the ACC tournament, regarless of the outcome of the UNC game @ home, then I think we are a #1 seed. Here's my prediction:

Memphis wins the CUSA tournament, #1 seed, #1 overall
Tennessee wins the SEC, #1 seed, #2 overall
UCLA wins the Pac-10 tournament, #1 seed, #3 overall
Duke wins the ACC, #1 seed, #4 overall

That would put Kansas or Texas as the #2 seed with Duke, possibly in the East region.

UNC will get a #2 seed, probably paired with Tennessee or UCLA.

I don't know about the other #2 seeds. These are my 3/1/08 predictions. They will probably be wrong. Oh well, it was still fun!

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana