2018-19 Elsewhere in NCAA Basketball Thread

[scottdude8]

Sparty about to fall in West Lafayette, despite Carsen Edwards being largely a non-factor in the game. Matt Haarms is doing his best Isaac Haas impersonation, and Ryan Cline is a name you haven't heard of that you probably will coming down the stretch this season... 17 points and 5-of-10 from three, with almost all of those contested, off the dribble threes. He has a bizarre looking shot where he almost always shoots leaning back with the ball behind his head, making it very difficult to contest, let alone block... but despite the unusual shot it almost always looks beautiful coming off his hands.

Said it in a different thread a while back, but I'll say it again... Purdue is a team no one is going to want to see in their bracket as a 3-6 seed.

[MChambers]

Sparty about to fall in West Lafayette, despite Carsen Edwards being largely a non-factor in the game. Matt Haarms is doing his best Isaac Haas impersonation, and Ryan Cline is a name you haven't heard of that you probably will coming down the stretch this season... 17 points and 5-of-10 from three, with almost all of those contested, off the dribble threes. He has a bizarre looking shot where he almost always shoots leaning back with the ball behind his head, making it very difficult to contest, let alone block... but despite the unusual shot it almost always looks beautiful coming off his hands.

Said it in a different thread a while back, but I'll say it again... Purdue is a team no one is going to want to see in their bracket as a 3-6 seed.

Purdue is now #7 in both Pomeroy and T-Rank, so, yeah, definitely don’t want to see them below a #3. Cline’s shooting is kind of amazing.

[scottdude8]

Purdue is now #7 in both Pomeroy and T-Rank, so, yeah, definitely don’t want to see them below a #3. Cline’s shooting is kind of amazing.

They’re one of the interesting cases where they weren’t ranked this week in the poll but ally he analytics had them very high... so if that trend continues it’ll be interesting to see where they end up seeded.

[Nugget]

With the calendar about to turn over to February, most of the leagues have succeeded in back-loading their schedules with the most attractive/consequential games. So, even without considering the Duke games, we've got nearly 50 other interesting games to look forward to over the next 5 weeks:

2/2 Kansas-Texas Tech, Louisville-N. Carolina
2/5 N. Carolina-NC St., Kansas St-Kansas
2/7 ETSU-Wofford
2/9 Marquette-Villanova, Miss St.-Kentucky, Michigan-Wisconsin, Ariz St-Washington
2/10 Houston-Cincy
2/11 N. Carolina-Virginia, TCU-Kansas
2/12 Kentucky-LSU, Texas Tech-Kansas St.
2/13 Lipscomb-Liberty
2/16 Kentucky-Tennessee, Michigan-Maryland, Kansas St-Iowa St., Wofford-UNCG
2/18 Virginia Tech-Virginia
2/20 Syracuse-Louisville
2/23 Texas Tech-Kansas, Louisville-Virginia, N. Carolina-Florida St, Kentucky-Auburn
2/24 Michigan-Michigan St.
2/25 Kansas-Kansas St.
2/26 N. Carolina-Syracuse, Villanova-Marquette
3/2 Tennessee-Kentucky, Clemson-N. Carolina, Indiana-Michigan St., St Mary’s-Gonzaga, Utah St-Nevada
3/3 Maryland-Michigan
3/4 Syracuse-Virginia, TCU-Kansas St.
3/5 Tennessee-Miss. St., Oklahoma-Kansas
3/8 Penn-Yale
3/9 Virginia-Louisville, Michigan St.-Michigan, Auburn-Tennessee, Kentucky-Florida, Kansas-Baylor, Iowa St-Texas Tech, Seton Hall-Villanova, Washington-Oregon
3/10 Cincy-Houston

[Rich]

With the calendar about to turn over to February, most of the leagues have succeeded in back-loading their schedules with the most attractive/consequential games. So, even without considering the Duke games, we've got nearly 50 other interesting games to look forward to over the next 5 weeks:

2/2 Kansas-Texas Tech, Louisville-N. Carolina
2/5 N. Carolina-NC St., Kansas St-Kansas
2/7 ETSU-Wofford
2/9 Marquette-Villanova, Miss St.-Kentucky, Michigan-Wisconsin, Ariz St-Washington
2/10 Houston-Cincy
2/11 N. Carolina-Virginia, TCU-Kansas
2/12 Kentucky-LSU, Texas Tech-Kansas St.
2/13 Lipscomb-Liberty
2/16 Kentucky-Tennessee, Michigan-Maryland, Kansas St-Iowa St., Wofford-UNCG
2/18 Virginia Tech-Virginia
2/20 Syracuse-Louisville
2/23 Texas Tech-Kansas, Louisville-Virginia, N. Carolina-Florida St, Kentucky-Auburn
2/24 Michigan-Michigan St.
2/25 Kansas-Kansas St.
2/26 N. Carolina-Syracuse, Villanova-Marquette
3/2 Tennessee-Kentucky, Clemson-N. Carolina, Indiana-Michigan St., St Mary’s-Gonzaga, Utah St-Nevada
3/3 Maryland-Michigan
3/4 Syracuse-Virginia, TCU-Kansas St.
3/5 Tennessee-Miss. St., Oklahoma-Kansas
3/8 Penn-Yale
3/9 Virginia-Louisville, Michigan St.-Michigan, Auburn-Tennessee, Kentucky-Florida, Kansas-Baylor, Iowa St-Texas Tech, Seton Hall-Villanova, Washington-Oregon
3/10 Cincy-Houston

[DavidBenAkiva]

Tennessee had another nice win on the road, 92-70 over a suddenly hot South Carolina team.

I was looking at their schedule and was a bit shocked to see that, according to Joe Lunardi and his latest Bracketology, Tennessee has only played 4 teams currently projected in the NCAA Tournament, including Kansas, Louisville, Gonzaga, and Alabama. Their schedule has been pillow soft to start the SEC schedule. They won't face another team projected into the NCAA Tournament until February 16th when they play Kentucky in Lexington, KY. That game starts a streak of 7 games with 6 against projected tournament teams to finish the regular season.

[BandAlum83]

Kansas is now 16-5, 1-5 on the road.

At 5-3, they tied for 3rd in the conference with Texas Tech, 1/2 game behind Baylor (who has won 5 in a row) and Kansas State.

Their Net ranking has dropped to 20. They are now KenPom #15

So is this the year the streak ends for Kansas?

[Truth&Justise]

Kansas is now 16-5, 1-5 on the road.

At 5-3, they tied for 3rd in the conference with Texas Tech, 1/2 game behind Baylor (who has won 5 in a row) and Kansas State.

Their Net ranking has dropped to 20. They are now KenPom #15

So is this the year the streak ends for Kansas?

I'm not ready to pronounce it over. Even in a relative down year for them, do you trust another team to win the conference? The other contenders are:

• Baylor, who has looked steadier of late, but they're only #31 on KenPom and have some really bad losses to account for (Texas Southern, Stephen F. Austin).
  
• Kansas St., who is #44 on KenPom, and while it split its games with Texas Tech, it still has to play Baylor and Kansas twice each.
  
• Texas Tech, who is probably the most talented of the bunch, and is #14 on KenPom, but is recovering from a rough three-game losing streak (vs ISU, @Baylor, @KSU) and has yet to demonstrate they can beat top teams.

Which of those talented but flawed teams will win the conference? Because if none of them step up, it'll be Kansas again.

[JasonEvans]

I fully expect the B12 to send 7 or 8 of their 10 teams to the Dance, which is phenomenal and so impressive...

I also full expect none of those teams to make it past the Sweet 16. They are a classic "lots of good teams but no great teams" league this year.

I also think the league is so likely to be bunched up with teams beating up on each other that there could easily be a 3 or 4 way tie for first when all is said and done. If Kansas is one of those teams, would the streak remain alive?

[pfrduke]

I fully expect the B12 to send 7 or 8 of their 10 teams to the Dance, which is phenomenal and so impressive...

I also full expect none of those teams to make it past the Sweet 16. They are a classic "lots of good teams but no great teams" league this year.

I also think the league is so likely to be bunched up with teams beating up on each other that there could easily be a 3 or 4 way tie for first when all is said and done. If Kansas is one of those teams, would the streak remain alive?

2013 and 2008 they tied for first (Kansas State and Texas, respectively) so I think yes. Texas was actually the 1 seed in the Big XII tournament in 2008, but the streak still counted since KU finished in a tie for first.

[Nugget]

I'm not ready to pronounce it over. Even in a relative down year for them, do you trust another team to win the conference? The other contenders are:

• Baylor, who has looked steadier of late, but they're only #31 on KenPom and have some really bad losses to account for (Texas Southern, Stephen F. Austin).
  
• Kansas St., who is #44 on KenPom, and while it split its games with Texas Tech, it still has to play Baylor and Kansas twice each.
  
• Texas Tech, who is probably the most talented of the bunch, and is #14 on KenPom, but is recovering from a rough three-game losing streak (vs ISU, @Baylor, @KSU) and has yet to demonstrate they can beat top teams.

Which of those talented but flawed teams will win the conference? Because if none of them step up, it'll be Kansas again.

I would also consider Iowa St. (currently at 4-3) a contender, in part because it is done with Kansas and has a relatively favorable schedule the rest of the way (of the other contends, it has Baylor and Texas Tech at home only, with just Kansas St. on the road).

Based on the assumption that Baylor is getting it done with smoke and mirrors and will fall off soon, from among this group I would probably slightly lean towards Kansas St. as the most likely to break the KU streak, since they have a strong Senior core of the two guards Brown and Stokes plus Sr. Dean Wade (and several other experienced juniors) to rely on.

Just quickly penciling it out based on pure w-a guesses on who beats who, I'd see it likely to be:

Kansas St. 13-5 (5-2 plus losses at Texas, at Kansas and at TCU)
Kansas 12-6 (5-3 plus losses at Kansas St, at TCU and at Texas Tech)
Texas Tech 12-6 (5-3 plus losses at Kansas, at TCU and at Iowa St.)
Iowa St. 12-6 (4-3; plus losses at Kansas St., at TCU and and at Texas)

Of course, if Kansas St. does its usual choke job at home against Kansas, then the Jayhawks will win it again and the streak will never end.

[Truth&Justise]

I would also consider Iowa St. (currently at 4-3) a contender, in part because it is done with Kansas and has a relatively favorable schedule the rest of the way (of the other contends, it has Baylor and Texas Tech at home only, with just Kansas St. on the road).

Based on the assumption that Baylor is getting it done with smoke and mirrors and will fall off soon, from among this group I would probably slightly lean towards Kansas St. as the most likely to break the KU streak, since they have a strong Senior core of the two guards Brown and Stokes plus Sr. Dean Wade (and several other experienced juniors) to rely on.

Just quickly penciling it out based on pure w-a guesses on who beats who, I'd see it likely to be:

Kansas St. 13-5 (5-2 plus losses at Texas, at Kansas and at TCU)
Kansas 12-6 (5-3 plus losses at Kansas St, at TCU and at Texas Tech)
Texas Tech 12-6 (5-3 plus losses at Kansas, at TCU and at Iowa St.)
Iowa St. 12-6 (4-3; plus losses at Kansas St., at TCU and and at Texas)

Of course, if Kansas St. does its usual choke job at home against Kansas, then the Jayhawks will win it again and the streak will never end.

Thanks, I don't follow B12 basketball super closely, so I appreciate your insight.

Kansas's regular season championship streak is very impressive for the school, a mark of remaining a contender with no real down years. On the flip side, it's a little embarrassing for the conference: even when Kansas is relatively weak, there is no one good enough to take the mantle. I know I'm not the first to make this complaint, but such a streak is probably not possible in the ACC, where there are always two or three serious national contenders.

[robed deity]

The Indiana win is looking less and less impressive, unfortunately.

[duke4ever19]

Bad break for the kid. He's missed some games already, but I know Sparty fans were basing some of their NCAA Tournament hopes on his potential return. It's harder to see a championship run without him.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...rd-rest-season

[scottdude8]

Bad break for the kid. He's missed some games already, but I know Sparty fans were basing some of their NCAA Tournament hopes on his potential return. It's harder to see a championship run without him.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...rd-rest-season

Beat me to this, nice work. This is HUGE news. Despite their nice run Sparty has been in a lot of close games that they might’ve dominated with Langford... and the injury to Kyle Ahrens, his primary backup, has exacerbated it even further. By no means does this eliminate Sparty from the top tier of contenders, but I think most people assumed he’d be back at some point when they prognosticated this team forward. Without Langford this team really only has two players that can create their own offense (Winston and Ward), and both have shown a tendency to disappear at times. This makes the team much easier to defend.

[MChambers]

Beat me to this, nice work. This is HUGE news. Despite their nice run Sparty has been in a lot of close games that they might’ve dominated with Langford... and the injury to Kyle Ahrens, his primary backup, has exacerbated it even further. By no means does this eliminate Sparty from the top tier of contenders, but I think most people assumed he’d be back at some point when they prognosticated this team forward. Without Langford this team really only has two players that can create their own offense (Winston and Ward), and both have shown a tendency to disappear at times. This makes the team much easier to defend.

Very tough break for Langford and MSU. MSU was playing well without him and still will be tough, but it's hard to see them in the top five or so teams without him.

[Owen Meany]

14-7 Arizona vs 14-6 Arizona State 2 point game in final minute. Walton said "If Arizona wins this, it will be as monumental an upset as I've ever seen."

Going to OT. Hurley trying to get his first win ever over Zona. Jeter with 6 points and 7 rebounds.

They reviewed an out of bounds play with less than 1 second left. Walton asked incredulously "you're saying they can change that call?!" Later "if they can change that. I'll have to take your word for it."

His partner said "They've had that rule for seven years now".

He has also refered to the PAC12 as the conference of champions a few times.

[wsb3]

14-7 Arizona vs 14-6 Arizona State 2 point game in final minute. Walton said "If Arizona wins this, it will be as monumental an upset as I've ever seen."

Going to OT. Hurley trying to get his first win ever over Zona. Jeter with 6 points and 7 rebounds.

They reviewed an out of bounds play with less than 1 second left. Walton asked incredulously "you're saying they can change that call?!" Later "if they can change that. I'll have to take your word for it."

His partner said "They've had that rule for seven years now".

He has also refered to the PAC12 as the conference of champions a few times.

Walton is so bad with his overhype. Comical...

I did watch most of the second half & OT..Glad to see Hurley break through with his first win vs Zona..

What about Hurley falling down & bouncing up immediately to argue with the ref?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

He has also refered to the PAC12 as the conference of champions a few times.

To be fair, I do believe that is the slogan of the Pac12. As a conference only nominally stationed on the "Atlantic Coast," I see no reason to toss rocks.

[Faustus]

To be fair, I do believe that is the slogan of the Pac12. As a conference only nominally stationed on the "Atlantic Coast," I see no reason to toss rocks.

... not to mention a couple of conferences that can't even count the numbers of their own members correctly anymore (and when was College Station, Texas in the Southeast? Or DePaul in the (Big) East? It's not even on the east coast of Lake Michigan...))