NCAA East Regional Thread (N̶o̶v̶a̶, Duke, Baylor, Florida)

[Doria]

He correctly picked the winner of the women's bracket.

Pretty sure everyone correctly picked that one, lol.

[duke4ever19]

Obama has released his 2017 March Madness bracket (https://twitter.com/ObamaFoundation/status/842092182848864264/photo/1). He has UNC beating Duke in the men's championship game.

http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7274&stc=1

Wait a second . . . look at at the Women's bracket. He's got Arizona as the winner of the DePaul vs. Mississippi St. matchup??

Obama's definitely putting out some fake news.

Edit: He also picked Notre Dame to win the Baylor vs Louisville game?? Obama is a mess.

[yancem]

Wait a second . . . look at at the Women's bracket. He's got Arizona as the winner of the DePaul vs. Mississippi St. matchup??

Obama's definitely putting out some fake news.

Edit: He also picked Notre Dame to win the Baylor vs Louisville game?? Obama is a mess.

Do yo really think that Obama personally made these picks? You now Rachel Madow, Candy Crowley or Chris Mathews filled them out. Or maybe it was Valerie Jarrett or Josh Earnest.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Wait a second . . . look at at the Women's bracket. He's got Arizona as the winner of the DePaul vs. Mississippi St. matchup??

Obama's definitely putting out some fake news.

Edit: He also picked Notre Dame to win the Baylor vs Louisville game?? Obama is a mess.

I'm surprised he didn't have University of Logic beating Wiretap University. I thought that was a given.

[Wander]

Great result for Duke. SMU was one of our biggest obstacles for a Final Four run IMO.

[MChambers]

Great result for Duke. SMU was one of our biggest obstacles for a Final Four run IMO.

You'd rather play Baylor?

[kAzE]

Great result for Duke. SMU was one of our biggest obstacles for a Final Four run IMO.

Wow . . . horrible last 3 or 4 possessions for SMU there. Guy caught it while standing out of bounds, then they missed the front end of a 1 and 1, and then missed a pretty good look that could have won it. Semi Ojeleye, by far the best player on the floor, did not touch the ball on any of those possessions (despite being wide open in the corner on the possession when they got fouled)

You just have to give the ball to your best player on all of those possessions. He has to at least touch it. That's inexcusable. I'm glad we don't have to play them, but I feel bad for Semi. He left it all out there.

[Owen Meany]

Great result for Duke. SMU was one of our biggest obstacles for a Final Four run IMO.

This seems to be the consensus. To me, this helps Baylor more than Duke. Baylor beat Oregon, VCU, Louisville, ,Xavier, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Now, Baylor can get to the Sweet 16 by beating an 11 seed bubble team.

Plus, I would rather see Semi be happy than Tank Thornton.

[DukeBlue666s]

You'd rather play Baylor?

Baylor has been up and down recently if you look at their past 10 games. They have an injured player? I haven't followed them.

But right now, I'll take Baylor over a team with a Duke transfer and probably a chip on his shoulder.

[TruBlu]

If Semi doesn't make it in the NBA, he might want to give the NFL a try. The guy is ripped.

[kAzE]

If Semi doesn't make it in the NBA, he might want to give the NFL a try. The guy is ripped.

He's already considered a first rounder. I don't think anybody questions his ability at this point. The guy is a stud.

[Owen Meany]

TruTv is currently showing Duke 91 92 Back to Back. Pretty interesting if you have never seen it.

[Reilly]

Marquette's Rowsey (#30) spent his first two years at UNC-A where he scored 20 ppg as a frosh and 19 ppg as a soph.

Duke held him to two points in one of first games frosh year: http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/games/boxscore.php?gameid=20131118

He scored 400 more points than JJ did in high school in Virginia (p. 14): http://www.vhsl.org/doc/upload/pub-vhsl-recordbook-january-20142.pdf

[flyingdutchdevil]

I like Wojo. But go USC!!!!!!

[flyingdutchdevil]

I like Wojo. But go USC!!!!!!

USC is the kinda team we gobble up. They are terrible on offense.

[Atlanta Duke]

No surprise the crowd in the late game is emphatically pro-South Carolina

Would like to hear the explanation why a 7 seed state school rates playing in its home state

[pfrduke]

USC is the kinda team we gobble up. They are terrible on offense.

Like Miami?

Still, I'm with you. And if it ends up being Duke-Marquette, take the over.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Wojo is moving his feet better when his team is on defense than most of the players in the tournament.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Like Miami?

Still, I'm with you. And if it ends up being Duke-Marquette, take the over.

Gimme Miami over wake forest. Yes - I know the results. But Duke sucks against elite offensive teams. Spectacular against elite defensive teams.

[ice-9]

Watching the Marquette-USC game...USC seems like a better match-up for Duke.

USC guards are slow and don't seem effective on dribble penetration -- our defense tends to be very good when we can stop the dribble penetration. USC's defense also seems more predicated on height than athleticism, and I like our guys' ability to make offensive plays.

The stadium seems solidly pro USC though.

[rsvman]

South Carolina does a lot of high-low and they have some fairly agile big guys. If Bolden and Jefferson are sick, South Carolina could present a problem or two, also.

[flyingdutchdevil]

South Carolina does a lot of high-low and they have some fairly agile big guys. If Bolden and Jefferson are sick, South Carolina could present a problem or two, also.

USC sucks offensively. We'll be fine against them.

And bolden name getting thrown around as a rotation player is like calling Kennard our best defender. Yeah - it's a statement, but it doesn't really mean anything.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Watching the Marquette-USC game...USC seems like a better match-up for Duke.

USC guards are slow and don't seem effective on dribble penetration -- our defense tends to be very good when we can stop the dribble penetration. USC's defense also seems more predicated on height than athleticism, and I like our guys' ability to make offensive plays.

The stadium seems solidly pro USC though.

I'd rather avoid the true road game in the round of 32 as the higher seed.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

USC sucks offensively. We'll be fine against them.

And bolden name getting thrown around as a rotation player is like calling Kennard our best defender. Yeah - it's a statement, but it doesn't really mean anything.

If we can build a double digit lead in the 2nd half against Carolina, I think we can play stall ball and "comfortably" win. They just don't have enough shooters to make up a huge deficit.

Marquette is like Notre Dame-light... Their ability to shoot really scares me.

[duke4ever19]

Marquette sucks on the defensive end. It's downright putrid.

USC is supposed to not be a great offensive team but they are already nearing 60 with 13 minutes left.

[gam7]

Marquette/USC - six of one, half a dozen of the other.

But, if it's USC, let's please have at least a three-possession lead by the 10-minute mark of the second half... This appears to be more of a home court advantage for them than I thought it would be. I hope the hit 100 against Marquette though. Get it all out.

[rsvman]

Looking more and more like it will be south Carolina. They actually look pretty good to me. They are well coached.

[brlftz]

Y'all still preferring South Carolina for our next game?

[rsvman]

Might as well beat all the Carolinas, I suppose.

[MaxAMillion]

Marquette/USC - six of one, half a dozen of the other.

But, if it's USC, let's please have at least a three-possession lead by the 10-minute mark of the second half... This appears to be more of a home court advantage for them than I thought it would be. I hope the hit 100 against Marquette though. Get it all out.

I am not sure how you missed this major home court advantage. Hole fans will be there to help cheer against Duke. I think Duke can do it, but this be a raucous crowd against Duke on Sunday. Louder than when they play in the Dean dome.

[Skydog]

I don't know - SC looks pretty athletic to me, incredible defensively and they pound the boards. Plus they will have a big home court advantage - the crowd there is loud. Would prefer to play the less athletic Marquette, but we play what we get. And we had better bring a lot of energy to the game because SC seems to have it in spades.

[Dukehky]

South Carolina looked really good tonight. Part of that is that they were hot offensively, part that Marquette sucks at defense, and part because Marquette's freshman guard was atrocious at handling the rock and the game got away from MU about halfway through the 2nd.

I mean, we should win, but NO ONE on this board should be pumped about having to play them. We got screwed by the committee here no question about it. The number 2 seed shouldn't have to play a road game in the second round. Now that doesn't matter normally because it's always a road game when we play in Gboro because UNC is there as well, but Duke has more of contingent there than in Greenville, there was very little Duke presence there tonight.

I don't like HB2, and it is the reason that Duke is playing in Greenville; however, the committee is the one that put a 7 seeded SC in that region.

We'll see. If we can't beat a South Carolina team with a partisan crowd, we're probably not winning the title anyway, but playing them and that Thornwell kid is giving me PTSD to WVU and Joe Alexander in 2008.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

So, do other fans start complaining about our easy bracket yet?

[rolm]

So, do other fans start complaining about our easy bracket yet?

Kentucky fans already have. For them It's always a conspiracy in favor of Duke and against them. They think we've been given a free pass to the FF.

If anything, this should re-enforce that no games are a sure thing at this stage. Tomorrow's game will not be easy. Hope the guys will be focused tomorrow.

[Kedsy]

So, do other fans start complaining about our easy bracket yet?

This is why complaining about teams on the other side of a bracket is a waste of time. Nova got screwed because they got the best #8, the best #5, and the best or 2nd-best #4, not because they got the best or 2nd-best #2. UNC has it easiest because they got the easiest or 2nd-easiest #8, the easiest #4, and the easiest #5, notwithstanding Kentucky, UCLA, and Wichita in the far-away portion of the South.

[Wander]

This is why complaining about teams on the other side of a bracket is a waste of time.

Thinking that every team should beat every team it's better than is the biggest fallacy sports fans make. You see it in college football when people talk about playoff scenarios with the contenders all winning out, you see it in college basketball when fans don't appreciate that Gonzaga or Wichita State or whoever consistently beating the teams that are worse than them is actually a very impressive feat, and you see it in the tournament with this sort of complaining about opponents in the Elite 8 or later.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Let's Go DUKE! http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/duke_bluedevil.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gifhttp://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/duke_bluedevil.gif http://www.crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/devil9f.gif

[KenTankerous]

imma just leave this here


http://akiesports.blogspot.com/2015/04/wisconsin-badgers-vs-duke-blue-devils.html

[Indoor66]

imma just leave this here


http://akiesports.blogspot.com/2015/04/wisconsin-badgers-vs-duke-blue-devils.html

Nice leave. Couldn't Spork you - have to spread them around.

[TKG]

Kentucky fans already have. For them It's always a conspiracy in favor of Duke and against them. They think we've been given a free pass to the FF.

If anything, this should re-enforce that no games are a sure thing at this stage. Tomorrow's game will not be easy. Hope the guys will be focused tomorrow.


Tell them the moon landing was a hoax; that is was created in a television studio. That shiny, new bauble should distract them for a while.

[CameronBlue]

So, do other fans start complaining about our easy bracket yet?

Anybody who complains about Duke's bracket obviously didn't see the Florida-Va game. Florida looked really REALLY good.

[Doria]

Yeah, our neighbors also have been complaining with our EASY bracket and their SO SO SO HARD bracket. Anytime I try to visualize them now, I just see Ramses hitting his head on the fridge, trying to open it.

[eddiehaskell]

I don't think you can just look at the names/seeding and declare a region easy or hard. Before the tournament started, I would've said ND or Miami would be tough outs in any region, but we see how that worked out. Teams like Florida, Purdue or Wisconsin didn't come in with the hype (much of which is deserved) of a UCLA or Kentucky but RIGHT NOW they all look completely capable of beating any team remaining. Perhaps those teams would've been easy outs in some meaningless tournament held in January.

I really don't see how a UNC fan could claim their path is soooo difficult. Yes, Kentucky and UCLA are in there, but they would only have to go through one of them.

Is Arkansas any better than SC? Probably not.
Is Butler better than Baylor? No. USC? I couldn't say with any certainty.
Are Florida/Wisconsin playing any worse than any potential UNC E8 opponent?

[Indoor66]

I don't think you can just look at the names/seeding and declare a region easy or hard. Before the tournament started, I would've said ND or Miami would be tough outs in any region, but we see how that worked out. Teams like Florida, Purdue or Wisconsin didn't come in with the hype (much of which is deserved) of a UCLA or Kentucky but RIGHT NOW they all look completely capable of beating any team remaining. Perhaps those teams would've been easy outs in some meaningless tournament held in January.

I really don't see how a UNC fan could claim their path is soooo difficult. Yes, Kentucky and UCLA are in there, but they would only have to go through one of them.

Is Arkansas any better than SC? Probably not.
Is Butler better than Baylor? No. USC? I couldn't say with any certainty.
Are Florida/Wisconsin playing any worse than any potential UNC E8 opponent?

You have to understand that those who run around cleaning sheepI'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. always have the most beautiful colors, most beautiful campus, best players, finest coaches and are saddled by antagonistic press, a recalcitrant NCAA leadership, and a conspiracy against them by all Referees, seeding committees, Duke, and anything else that they perceive does not go their way.

[dukelifer]

Anybody who complains about Duke's bracket obviously didn't see the Florida-Va game. Florida looked really REALLY good.

And a team that has played Duke this year

[Troublemaker]

I don't think you can just look at the names/seeding and declare a region easy or hard. Before the tournament started, I would've said ND or Miami would be tough outs in any region, but we see how that worked out. Teams like Florida, Purdue or Wisconsin didn't come in with the hype (much of which is deserved) of a UCLA or Kentucky but RIGHT NOW they all look completely capable of beating any team remaining. Perhaps those teams would've been easy outs in some meaningless tournament held in January.

I really don't see how a UNC fan could claim their path is soooo difficult. Yes, Kentucky and UCLA are in there, but they would only have to go through one of them.

Is Arkansas any better than SC? Probably not.
Is Butler better than Baylor? No. USC? I couldn't say with any certainty.
Are Florida/Wisconsin playing any worse than any potential UNC E8 opponent?

Yes, I would prefer facing Fla/Wiscy over UK/UCLA. Let's not go crazy here.

But, just don't get caught up in defending Duke's path to UNC fans. Who cares? I hope we play four 16 seeds on the way to the Final Four (yes, yes...). The only thing that matters is that Duke gets there. That's your trump card, especially if Duke gets there and UNC doesn't.

[eddiehaskell]

Yes, I would prefer facing Fla/Wiscy over UK/UCLA. Let's not go crazy here.

But, just don't get caught up in defending Duke's path to UNC fans. Who cares? I hope we play four 16 seeds on the way to the Final Four (yes, yes...). The only thing that matters is that Duke gets there. That's your trump card, especially if Duke gets there and UNC doesn't.Yeah, I'll take Duke's path if given a choice, but if you put any stock in Pomeroy, Florida is the 2nd best team left in the tourney (Gonzaga #1).

[uh_no]

Yeah, I'll take Duke's path if given a choice, but if you put any stock in Pomeroy, Florida is the 2nd best team left in the tourney (Gonzaga #1).

so far he's doing better than the rest in terms of win % predictions.

[Devil549]

UNC breeds them to complain and that DUKE gets all the calls ECT.

Had one tell me unc had more class than Duke....I told him they miss class more than Duke student athletes.

The Carolina Way will always amaze me.