2018-19 Elsewhere in NCAA Basketball Thread

[howardlander]

Watching my Colorado Buffs v USC. Derryck Thornton has lost his starting role with the Trojans. No use crying over split milk, but I think this kid's family made a big mistake influencing him to transfer.

Yeah, I mean maybe. He wouldn't be starting at Duke this year either. Maybe last year...

[MartyClark]

Yeah, I mean maybe. He wouldn't be starting at Duke this year either. Maybe last year...

True. I did like his quickness and defense.

[-jk]

True. I did like his quickness and defense.

And Goldwire!

-jk

[Acymetric]

I think that guy from Michigan and AOC see the same barber.

[Wander]

Murray State and top 5 pick Ja Morant make the NCAA tournament and are nearly guaranteed to upset some overrated team like Washington or Villanova.

[Acymetric]

Gardner-Webb making their first ever NCAA appearance.

[gofurman]

Murray State and top 5 pick Ja Morant make the NCAA tournament and are nearly guaranteed to upset some overrated team like Washington or Villanova.

How in world did Morant not get recruited heavier? He was on Zions AAU or travel team I think.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Attending the Southern Conference tournament here in Asheville today. Wofford is the real deal. The have a shooter who passed JJ as for second most 3s in NCAA history. They have a baller #33 who has some post moves. Interested to see where they get seeded in the Big Dance and who they match up against.

[gofurman]

Yes. Magee. On pace for most threes in history of ncaa. Needs like 5 more. 6 today. What’s amazing is his percent is better than JJ and Curry - he was big in beating UNC last year !

That said Rafferty in Furman is real deal. I wish DeLaurier had half his post moves. So patient - doesn’t get worried

Down w Wofford. Go Furman (you can cheer ‘ FU all the time !’

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Yes. Magee. On pace for most threes in history of ncaa. Needs like 5 more. 6 today. What’s amazing is his percent is better than JJ and Curry - he was big in beating UNC last year !

That said Rafferty in Furman is real deal. I wish DeLaurier had half his post moves. So patient - doesn’t get worried

Down w Wofford. Go Furman (you can cheer ‘ FU all the time !’

UNCG came back hard on you guys. As an uninterested party, that was two great games.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Attending the Southern Conference tournament here in Asheville today. Wofford is the real deal. The have a shooter who passed JJ as for second most 3s in NCAA history. They have a baller #33 who has some post moves. Interested to see where they get seeded in the Big Dance and who they match up against.

...imagine if Zion had stayed hometown....

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

...imagine if Zion had stayed hometown...

Wofford, Furman, or Clemson would be having an epic year no doubt.

[WakeDevil]

The OSU lost at home to Wisconsin. The loser of NCSU and Clemson is on thin ice.

[Spanarkel]

Murray State and top 5 pick Ja Morant make the NCAA tournament and are nearly guaranteed to upset some overrated team like Washington or Villanova.

Not saying Murray State won't upset a Power 6 team in March Madness, but it would be its first Power 6 win this year(only two such games in regular season, vs. Alabama and Auburn, both close losses). Not sure why with such a great talent as Morant you wouldn't try to go up against more of the big boys during the regular season(maybe the big boys wouldn't agree to play them).

[JasonEvans]

Not saying Murray State won't upset a Power 6 team in March Madness, but it would be its first Power 6 win this year(only two such games in regular season, vs. Alabama and Auburn, both close losses). Not sure why with such a great talent as Morant you wouldn't try to go up against more of the big boys during the regular season(maybe the big boys wouldn't agree to play them).

Well, I don't think they knew he would be a crazy talent when schedules were being made. As a freshman he was good, but not otherworldly. He averaged 12.3ppg, 6.3apg, and 6.5rpg... really good numbers but not, "hey, let's go out and schedule Duke and Kentucky so we can show off this stud!" kind of numbers. This year he has blossomed to 24.6ppg, 10.0apg, and 5.5rpg with twice as many blocks and steals as he had as a freshman. He was, at best, a fringe lottery pick kinda kid at the start of the year. No one expected him to become a top 3 pick kinda talent.

[richardjackson199]

I saw LaGerald Vick will not return this season to Kansas. That is a big loss for them as he can really shoot from deep.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...ence-return-ku

I also saw that Ward expected back for MSU by Big 10 Tourney:

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...ig-ten-tourney

[Troublemaker]

No doubt NU underperformed, as I'm sure they're not 36 points worse than Texas Tech.

That said, wanted to praise TTU's coach Chris Beard, who is some kind of wizard and will be the hottest coaching name in college by the end of this season, imo. His one season spent at Arkansas-Little Rock is still the sickest coaching accomplishment in recent history, if you see what he did in the context of other surrounding Little Rock seasons.

While he wasn't able to duplicate that immediate success in his first year at Texas Tech, they now look VERY good in his second year. TTU should have their first 20-win season in over a decade (since Bob Knight) and may be a threat to KU in the Big 12. I mean, if TTU snaps KU's streak of winning the conference, we basically have to conclude that Beard IS a wizard.

Props to Chris Beard. He DID snap KU's streak, although they did it in his 3rd year instead of his 2nd. Which is sort of crazy in itself because he lost his best player in Keenan Evans and also Zhaire Smith, a mid-first-round pick, from last year's team, a team which pushed Villanova hard in the Elite 8. Developing Jarrett Culver into a star this season was obviously a key.

I'm keeping an eye on this guy as the best outside-the-family candidate to replace Coach K.

[Acymetric]

Not saying Murray State won't upset a Power 6 team in March Madness, but it would be its first Power 6 win this year(only two such games in regular season, vs. Alabama and Auburn, both close losses). Not sure why with such a great talent as Morant you wouldn't try to go up against more of the big boys during the regular season(maybe the big boys wouldn't agree to play them).

And schedules are usually set more than a year in advance. He only averaged 13 per game last year...maybe it was obvious to everyone that he was going to be a huge star last year, but even if they knew that it was probably too late to schedule games against the big boys.

Edit: this is why you read all the way through threads...JasonEvans already hit on it.

[Green Wave Dukie]

North Dakota State, 4th in the Summit League regular season, beat #2 Omaha, on the home floor of their arch rival and #1 seed SDSU, to win the conference tourney and punch a ticket to the dance.

Man, I hope they get UNC. Daughter GWD in grad school in Fargo so I got all the Bison t-shirts for before, during, and hopefully after the game!!!

[Acymetric]

Wow, heartbreaker for Oklahoma there...hit the buzzer beater three to send it to OT only for review to show his foot was on the line, lose by one.