NCAA MBB Semis (OSU-GU; UF-UCLA)

[throatybeard]

Fire when ready.

[Bob Green]

I'm pulling for UCLA to win it all. However, my gut feeling is that Georgetown wins. For the record:

Georgetown & UCLA win today

UCLA wins it all on Monday.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Madrasdukie]

I'm pulling for UCLA to win it all. However, my gut feeling is that Georgetown wins. For the record:

Georgetown & UCLA win today

UCLA wins it all on Monday.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

I hope UCLA and Georgetown win aswell-with Georgetown winning it all, though.

[terrih]

I keep yelling at my TV- GO DUKE. Just comes out everytime!!!

I am cheering for ABF. Love to see UCLA win today. In the other game, my heart says lets go Hoyas. But I've got a little $$ on Ohio.

[hc5duke]

Georgetown. Gotta root for the team with Sideshow Bob on the roster

[mgtr]

The Hoyas better turn up the fire -- the first half didn't show much. If I had to bet right now, I would put money on Ohio State. However, I expect the second half to be better for both teams. I hope.

[FireOgilvie]

GO OHIO STATE! Thad Matta is a classy guy... I liked him since he was at Xavier.

[banneheim]

I've seen many clips of Oden dunking and doing chin ups on the rim. He just did a chin-up on the rim. Isn't this a technical foul?

[dukeimac]

If G'Town looses this it will be because Green has gone into a shell.

As Billy Packer has said over and over again Green needs to look to make things happen.

But then again they have forced other "good" teams to choke.

[calltheobvious]

I've seen big-time players not play well on the big stage, but I've never seen a star be as passive as Jeff Green has been today. I hope he decides to win the game for his team in the last 3 minutes.

--------------

Took a pause for the dog, and now it looks like the same play that went against Georgetown when they were on defense just went against them on offense with Green being called for the charge. Game over.

[Jumbo]

Is Green passive? Perhaps. But that's partly a function of the Princeton Offense, and the role he plays in it. There aren't a lot of inherent iso opportunities in the Princeton, which makes it tough for one player to "take over."

[rthomas]

Conservatively I think, we could have beat either GeorgeTown or OSU on a good day. That was not a fun game to watch. Hope the next game is better. This is not high caliber basketball.

[mgtr]

Of course, we did beat Georgetown. I thought the game was pedestrian. Even Billy Packer dissed both centers, saying, correctly in my view, that neither would get into the class of Russell/Jabbar/Walton. Lets hope we see a game next.

[Olympic Fan]

Yeah, I heard Packer's comment that Oden isn't in a class with the great centers. Then when Nance asked if he had the potential to be that good, Packer said no ...

I'm sure he's right. Just a coincidence I'm sure that Ohio State has won 24 straight games, finished No. 1 in the national polls and is in the national championship game Monday night. I'm sure Oden had nothing to do with that. It was all Ron Lewis and Mike Conley and Othella Hunter.

Just imagine how good they'd be if Oden was a great center!

[Bluedog]

Do people at CNN not proofread their main page?! www.cnn.com Yay, they are in the Transaction Insured Trade Acceptance Locator game!

[Bluedog]

CNN has fixed it now...sorry for the random comment, just thought it was funny.

[Bob Green]

...I have to agree with Packer's commentary. He stated that Oden did not have the potential to be in the class of Russell, Alcindor, or Walton, but he didn't say Oden makes no contribution to Ohio State's winning ways. Obviously, Oden contributes, but he is not a dominant force on the court. In fact, as the studio hosts pointed out at halftime, in some respects, Ohio State is a better team with Oden on the bench.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[throatybeard]

UCLA-Florida is starting out butt-ugly. 6 to 5 at the 2nd TV timeout. Sloppy turnovers, nine of them and a combined 1 for 12 from the arc. Affalo is in foul trouble already.

[Jumbo]

Yeah, I heard Packer's comment that Oden isn't in a class with the great centers. Then when Nance asked if he had the potential to be that good, Packer said no ...

I'm sure he's right. Just a coincidence I'm sure that Ohio State has won 24 straight games, finished No. 1 in the national polls and is in the national championship game Monday night. I'm sure Oden had nothing to do with that. It was all Ron Lewis and Mike Conley and Othella Hunter.

Just imagine how good they'd be if Oden was a great center!

The play-by-play guy is "Nantz," not "Nance." The comment, meanwhile, was such vintage Packer. Simply, "No." He'd been talking about those guys as "different caliber players," and maybe was still caught up in his "not yet" comments, but to then totally dismiss Oden's potential was ludicrous.

[Karl Beem]

...I have to agree with Packer's commentary. He stated that Oden did not have the potential to be in the class of Russell, Alcindor, or Walton, but he didn't say Oden makes no contribution to Ohio State's winning ways. Obviously, Oden contributes, but he is not a dominant force on the court. In fact, as the studio hosts pointed out at halftime, in some respects, Ohio State is a better team with Oden on the bench.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

I presume that the reason Chamberlain wasn't mentioned is that the comparison would be laughable.

[mgtr]

Its beginning to look as though Florida may run away with this game, although the UCLA defense is impressive.

[EagleDevil]

Lee Humphrey just broke Hurley's record for three-pointers in the NCAAT. Too bad.

Packer had a gratuitous comment about how Hurley wasn't really a very good shooter. By his junior and senior years, he was.

Chris

[houstondukie]

Can anyone think of another college player who is more annoying than Noah. Can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the hair or the fact that he has to scream everytime he makes a basket, but it's hard for me to like the guy.

[Duke15304]

hansborough and dudley are pretty damm annoying, so was emeka

[Bob Green]

Arron Afflalo is 1st Team All-American but Corey Brewer has just outplayed him so far in this game. However, Afflalo's 4th foul was a phantom foul.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[_Gary]

Yea, Packer wants Florida to win this game and the championship so bad he can taste it. His announcing bleeds Gator blue at this point, and we all know it's because he wants to see Duke's record of back to back titles fall. He can just taste it at this point. He's more excited than Bill Clinton working with a new intern.

Gary

[Bob Green]

He's more excited than Bill Clinton working with a new intern.

Gary

Great line! But Duke doesn't hold any record for back-to-back titles. That honor belongs to UCLA. Seven straight from 1967 to 1973.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[_Gary]

Great line! But Duke doesn't hold any record for back-to-back titles. That honor belongs to UCLA. Seven straight from 1967 to 1973.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

Bob, are you telling me you didn't know what I meant? Come on, buddy. Alright, I'll be more specific - just for you.

Duke is the last team in men's D1A College Basketball to win back to back NCAA Championships.

How's that.


Gary

[SharkD]

Maybe I'm biased because I think Florida's overrated and I don't want Duke's '91/'92 championships to be moved down in the history books, but the officiating in the UF-UCLA game seems to change depending on which half of the court they're on.

UCLA was hobbled by extremely quick touch fouls in the first four minutes, yet Florida seems to be able to apply full-body contact on a shooting UCLA player without anything being called. Anyone else see that, or am I hallucinating?

[rthomas]

There is not much for Bily Packer to get excited about on the UCLA side. This is the second butt ugly game tonight. Just like last year, the FF games have been unwatchable. so I'm on the internet instead.

When was the last good FF game? 2001?

[Bob Green]

Bob, are you telling me you didn't know what I meant? Come on, buddy. Alright, I'll be more specific - just for you.

Duke is the last team in men's D1A College Basketball to win back to back NCAA Championships.

How's that.


Gary

Sorry! :) You are correct - I knew what you meant.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Jumbo]

Yea, Packer wants Florida to win this game and the championship so bad he can taste it. His announcing bleeds Gator blue at this point, and we all know it's because he wants to see Duke's record of back to back titles fall. He can just taste it at this point. He's more excited than Bill Clinton working with a new intern.

Gary

Uh, sorry, not seeing that at all.

[throatybeard]

Gary has had beef with Packer for at least six years... :o

[Bob Green]

I've had issues with Packer since he went National on CBS. The Billy Packer/Jim Thacker broadcast team on the Pilot Life sponsored ACC Game of the Week was a great tandem, but Billy has been badmouthing the ACC, on national broadcasts, for approaching 30 years now.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[Richard Berg]

As everyone said, the games were kinda blah. At least Afflalo (unlike Green) found the guts to make a mini-comeback at the end. Still, not what you'd expect from your star.

Question: near the end of the Georgetown game, Hibbert kicked the ball out of bounds, then Ohio St called timeout at the dead ball. When they came back, the shot clock had not reset -- it was still around 20sec. At this point GTown was still within reach, so the additional possession time would've been a major advantage for Ohio St. Any idea what happened?

[AnotherCTDukie]

Question: near the end of the Georgetown game, Hibbert kicked the ball out of bounds, then Ohio St called timeout at the dead ball. When they came back, the shot clock had not reset -- it was still around 20sec. At this point GTown was still within reach, so the additional possession time would've been a major advantage for Ohio St. Any idea what happened?
This was changed just recently so that it's only reset when there are fewer than 15 seconds to go and then only to 15 seconds. See the second paragraph -
http://www2.ncaa.org/portal/media_and_events/press_room/2005/november/20051104_bkb_rules_changes.html

david

[Buckeye Devil]

I suppose the only thing that will rid us of Billy Packer and his stupid remarks is his death. The comments that he made about Greg Oden and his potential were ludicrous at best. It is very difficult for a player to make an impact in the NBA today like Bill Russell made during his NBA career from 1956-1969. The game is played at a different level with superior players and talent. No one knows what Greg Oden will do at the next level.

My totally amateur guess is that he will have a minimal impact next year if he goes pro on a lousy team like Memphis or Boston. He will be like a great running back with no offensive line to help him out. And Packer would probably gloat and say he told us so.

If one were to compare Oden's stats this year to Russell's first year at USF, it would look like this: Oden-15.1 ppg, 9.5rpg, 61% FG, 63% FT; Russell-19.9 ppg, 19.4 rpg, 49% FG, 55% FT. Oden played much of the season with his right hand tied behind his back, too. How can one really compare someone who played college b-ball over 50 years ago to Greg Oden and say that the potential isn't there? It's a tough call and a very bold leap for Packer to make such a statement based on what he has seen to this point. But then he has been making idiotic remarks ever since we all can remember. Maybe the "a" in his last name should be replaced with a different vowel.

[Clipsfan]

Arron Afflalo is 1st Team All-American but Corey Brewer has just outplayed him so far in this game. However, Afflalo's 4th foul was a phantom foul.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

It really seemed like his three fouls were all light fouls too... Too bad UCLA didn't play better yesterday, lot's of people didn't get to see the team that was really good at times this year. FLA really stepped up, and Brewer played really well.