MBB Final Four: Kentucky/Wisconsin (Apr 4, 8:49 pm, TBS) discussion

[hurleyfor3]

Discuss that other game here.

[KYtotheCore]

I know one thing . . . it isn't going to be easy.

[Tappan Zee Devil]

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Stand up, Badgers, sing!
"Forward" is our driving spirit,
Loyal voices ring.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Raise her glowing flame
Stand, Fellows, let us now
Salute her name!

[Newton_14]

I know one thing . . . it isn't going to be easy.

You should have lost last night.

[AncientPsychicT]

You know what? Screw it.

If we're this close to getting the matchup, I want it to happen. I want to take down 39-0 Kentucky in the final. I want to be that team immortalized as the ones who ruined perfection. I'm not afraid of an unblemished record, and if there's any team that can challenge UK, we are definitely it.

So for this game, and this game only, go UK (assuming we beat MSU; if not, go B1G). Although I will be cheering for a close game, preferably overtime (more than one pls?).

[superdave]

I like that Kaminsky pulls Stein out of the paint. That helps open things up. I dont know how Dekker will react to UK's length though. ND was able to open things up for Connaughton to drive so maybe Dekker can exploit that too.

I would love to see Wisco put a lot of ball pressure on the Harrison twins to slow the game down, then pack it in and make the shoot.

[rfaison]

You know what? Screw it.

If we're this close to getting the matchup, I want it to happen. I want to take down 39-0 Kentucky in the final. I want to be that team immortalized as the ones who ruined perfection. I'm not afraid of an unblemished record, and if there's any team that can challenge UK, we are definitely it.

So for this game, and this game only, go UK (assuming we beat MSU; if not, go B1G). Although I will be cheering for a close game, preferably overtime (more than one pls?).

Exactly!! To be the best you gotta go through the best ... like we did in '91 taking down UNLV.

And don't you think the experience of being on the Duke bench as an assistant coach for that '91 UNLV game has to have been an asset for Mike Brey in preparing his team for meeting UK, and they came achingly close to pulling it off?

[CoachJ10]

Frank the Tank means so much to this Badger offense...I would be surprised if UK didnt go right at him on defense early and often. Getting him in foul trouble would be huge.

(Ps...an aside, if Frank the Tank got called the way Jahlil does on offense, he'd have been on the pine a lot more this season and had a lot more travels called on him - sorry, one of my personal bugaboos).

[brevity]

I want to take down 39-0 Kentucky in the final. I want to be that team immortalized as the ones who ruined perfection.

Well, okay, but we're going to have get rid of Tony Romo and Jason Garrett, and bring in Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin instead.

[-bdbd]

Honestly, I think you guys (who want to see KY) are nuts...
I'm 100% for whatever gives Duke the best chance of winning the National Championship.
And it would be pretty darned tough to make the case that our odds are better against KY than against WI.

So... go Badgers!!

[Mike Corey]

Wisconsin is the better team, with a vastly better coach, more experienced players, and much less pressure. Kentucky's tall and deep.

Wisconsin wins by 10 or more.

Here's hoping the Badgers finish what Notre Dame started.

[rfaison]

Honestly, I think you guys (who want to see KY) are nuts...
I'm 100% for whatever gives Duke the best chance of winning the National Championship.
And it would be pretty darned tough to make the case that our odds are better against KY than against WI.

So... go Badgers!!

I'm not saying that I WANT Kentucky but I do believe we need to be mentally prepared - and K is a preparation master - for that possibility ... understanding that we have to be ready for MSU first who I anticipate will be another very worthy and challenging opponent. Play on!

[uh_no]

Wisconsin is the better team, with a vastly better coach, more experienced players, and much less pressure. Kentucky's tall and deep.

Wisconsin wins by 10 or more.

Here's hoping the Badgers finish what Notre Dame started.

I'm very torn on this game.

We've seen the kentucky weaknesses:

1) over aggression on defense, leading to fouls on fakes and over help on drives leading to getting beaten on pick&roll / backdoor cut
2) immature offense, which involves over powering teams with size and decent three point shooting, but can be stymied by teams which can match size and play good fundamental defense

ND did a GREAT job exploiting their defense, but simply did not have the right matchups to play defense well.

wisconsin certainly has the bodies to match up much better with kentucky. It's whether their offense will be able to exploit kentucky's defense that worries me. I'm believe that ND played some of the best team offense in the country with how the moved both with and without the ball. I doubt anybody got as many clean looks at the rim against UK as ND did last night. I don't know if wisconsin's offense will be just that slightly less "flowy" than ND's (yes I know they're more efficient overall) that UK will be able to more effectively slow it. That's the question.

Further, I think Brey is a better coach than Bo.

I think we agree that kentucky's gaudy record is at least some degree propped up by the weak SEC (does anyone think they have any chance in hell to be undefeated with an ACC schedule????). So the only quesiton is will they play enough games against actual good teams that one of them will knock them off? ND was easily the best team they played all year, and wisconsin even more so. I'm hoping they get beaten. I'm not sure duke or MSU is the team to do it. Lets go Badgers.

[InSpades]

I really wish this was the 1st game so I could enjoy it... now my enjoyment will be entirely dependent upon the results of a game played before it.

I think this should be a great game. Kentucky's championship odds are *WAY* too high. At best I think they are 60/40 to win the semi-finals. Wisconsin has the size to defend Kentucky and there's a reason they are the #1 offense in the country according to KenPom. We saw what ND was able to do to Kentucky... if Wisconsin can have similar offensive success and just play a bit bitter defense they should have a good chance to win this one.

[eddiehaskell]

You know what? Screw it.

If we're this close to getting the matchup, I want it to happen. I want to take down 39-0 Kentucky in the final. I want to be that team immortalized as the ones who ruined perfection. I'm not afraid of an unblemished record, and if there's any team that can challenge UK, we are definitely it.

So for this game, and this game only, go UK (assuming we beat MSU; if not, go B1G). Although I will be cheering for a close game, preferably overtime (more than one pls?).

I want a natty in the worst way, but I'm almost on board with this. It would be a game for the ages...maybe one of the most watched natty games ever...the crown jewel to top off K's stellar career.

[jipops]

I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but cbs has to be rooting for UK in this one. This probably has more of an effect on ratings for Monday night than the Duke/MSU result, with the prospect of going 40-0. If Duke is on the other side that is icing on the cake, a ratings bonanza.

[davekay1971]

The more I think about this matchup, the more I like it for Wisconsin. Obviously KY is a very, very talented team. But CBS sport radio had a coach on (can't remember who), and he talked about the way ND's ability to spread KY out with the threat of their multiple good 3 point shooters really nullified KY's defense. Wisconsin is another team (like a certain Durham-based team) that can put 4 good 3-point shooters on the floor and force KY to spread out. Basically, KY has a matchup nightmare with Kaminsky and Dekker, and their ability to score from the perimeter is going to force at least one of KY's rim protectors out of the lane.

Defensively, Wisconsin might be better off than was ND, in that Wisconsin has bigs who might be able to slow down Towns. If it weren't for Towns absolutely eating Auguste alive, KY loses that game by 10-15 points. If I'm Wisconsin I put Kaminsky on Towns and Dekker on Cauley-Stein (who isn't much of an offensive threat), and see if Frank the Tank can limit Towns.

Maybe this is wishful thinking. I despised Calamari before their win over ND. His arrogance and unwillingness to give ND any credit was infuriating. Compare his halftime and post-game comments to K's, and see the difference between smug arrogance and class. No wonder Cheney wanted to pound Calamari into the pavement.

[KYtotheCore]

You should have lost last night.

Maybe, but fortunately nothing is based on "should have".

[KYtotheCore]

One thing Cal said, and I think most UK fans like me agree, is that "we're not perfect, just undefeated". We realize there's a difference. I haven't run across any UK fans in my interactions with them that are resigned to the fact that UK will go 40-0. We're hopeful, though. All fans of basketball know how hard it is to win a Nat'l Cship, much less go perfect. I don't feel it's likely, but I've been surprised throughout the season at the end of several close games. There are a few games we could've lost but didn't for whatever reason.

[davekay1971]

One thing Cal said, and I think most UK fans like me agree, is that "we're not perfect, just undefeated". We realize there's a difference. I haven't run across any UK fans in my interactions with them that are resigned to the fact that UK will go 40-0. We're hopeful, though. All fans of basketball know how hard it is to win a Nat'l Cship, much less go perfect. I don't feel it's likely, but I've been surprised throughout the season at the end of several close games. There are a few games we could've lost but didn't for whatever reason.

Certainly no college basketball team will ever be perfect. Going 40-0 would be a form of perfection, in that the team would have faced it's full schedule, every team put in front of it both in regular season and tournament play, and was never beaten. That's all you can ask of any team. Perfect seasons are something to be celebrated, and, if KY completes a perfect season, the KY fans will justifiably celebrate that accomplishment, no matter how those wins happen. If KY beats Duke to win the National Championship on a last second full-court desperation heave that hits off the backboard, then the rim, then off the back of Quinn Cook's head, and goes in the basket after rolling three times around the rim for a one point win, it's still a 40-0 season and something to be celebrated by Wildcat nation.

I loathe Calipari, but not the kids who play for him, and I wouldn't begrudge KY fans their joy if the team completes the season with a natty.