2009 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament

[AntAltMike]

...
Many people believed that the only reason Pitino left Kentucky for the Celtics(besides the money and power ), was he was so sure that the Celtics were going to land the BIG Fish in the '97 draft.............Tim Duncan. The Celtics had monumental odds in their favor that the ping-pong balls would go their way. Instead they ended up with the #3 and #6 picks in the draft.

They drafted Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer...

In another forum, someone referred to a lottery as a tax on stupidity.

The Celtics went into the first draw of the lottery with 36% of the "balls", but their odds of getting the number one pick was in the 40%s because there was an expansion team in the mix that was ineligible for the #1 pick.

Once San Antonio's balls were taken out of the mix, they had about a 50-50 chance of drafting second, but they drafted third. Big deal. How much difference is there between Keith Van Horn and Chauncy Billups? Van Horn's career started faster, Billup's career is finishing stronger.

The Celtics have had a sucky office for I don't know how long. Michael Smith, Jerome Moiso, Eric Montross, Marcus Banks, two first round picks (one would have been Shaun Marion) for Potapenko, trading Joe Johnson for 27 regular season games of Rodney Rogers and the two year, market value contract for Tony Delk...

If Kevin McHale hadn't done Ainge a favor by letting Boston be the team that got the inside track on resigning Garnett, he and Rivers would no longer be on the Celtics payroll.

 

[AntAltMike]

...Phyillis (let's give up the farm to acquire Bob McAdoo) George...

What does Fernando Lamas think of your impersonation of him?

-Phyllis George

He's dead.

-Billy Crystal

 

[SabresRule]

Phyillis (let's give up the farm to acquire Bob McAdoo) George.

Phyllis George?

I guess she must have said some mean things about the Pats way back when that still have Patriot fans harboring a grudge.

 

[BillD1984]

Phyllis George?

I guess she must have said some mean things about the Pats way back when that still have Patriot fans harboring a grudge.

No. Her husband was/is??? John Y. Brown who was owner of the Buffalo Braves.

Brown and Celtics owner Irv Levin swapped franchises, so of course Miss America came to Boston with John Y.

 

[salsadancer7]

I also realized that, other than the Duke/Villanova blowout, Raftery and Lundquist had nothing but great and meaningful games.

Raftery is THE VERY BEST color analyst in ALL of college basketball for the last 10-15 years. NO ONE mixes humor and insight better than he does.

As far as my Orangemen, they could not solve the very defense they play.....the zone. Kudos for Capel feeding them their OWN sword.

The Louisville/MSU game was THE ONLY entertaining Big Ten involved game I saw the WHOLE tourney. The actually lulled the Cardinals into THEIR game....Kudos to coach Izzo, he outsmarted one of the better coaches in all of college basketball.

The Final Four will be interesting to say the least. I am stuck in a quagmire on WHO to root for. No self respecting Orangemen fan would really root for 'Nova OR UConn.....it's a Big East things that few here will understand. I REALLY HATE UNC...BAD...and really not a fan of the Big Ten, as all have noticed from my previous post. Hmmm......

...WHEN is Wrestlemania on again??!!

 

[cosmo_kramer]

The Final Four will be interesting to say the least. I am stuck in a quagmire on WHO to root for. No self respecting Orangemen fan would really root for 'Nova OR UConn.....it's a Big East things that few here will understand. I REALLY HATE UNC...BAD...and really not a fan of the Big Ten, as all have noticed from my previous post. Hmmm......

...WHEN is Wrestlemania on again??!!

Mark me down as one of those who don't understand. I'm a Big East fan (UConn) and I always root for BE teams when the Huskies are knocked out. I don't see a Yankees-Red Sox type thing here...

 

[salsadancer7]

Mark me down as one of those who don't understand. I'm a Big East fan (UConn) and I always root for BE teams when the Huskies are knocked out. I don't see a Yankees-Red Sox type thing here...

I just don't like OTHER Big East teams. I am just not so into this "MY conference is better than your conference" thing. The fact that the BE has 2 of the 4 Final Four spots is a testament to WHO has the better conference....

Just like the Chicago Cubs/Chicago White Sox thing.....when the Sox were in the World Series a few years back....I knew of NO CUB FANS rooting for the Sox just because they too were from Chicago.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

First off, let me just say that I'm shocked. I had picked Louisville myself. Izzo has this team HEALTHY, and peaking at the right time. Anybody else think that Loiusville quit in this game? With 4 minutes to go I expected the game to go into foul mode, with Louis fouling us at every possession. Instead they just let the game play out. The game wasn't out of reach, IMO. Just asking.

To clarify the MICHIGAN/MSU matter - I attended MICHIGAN, but my daughter attended MSU. I am a MICHIGAN first and foremost, but after investing $39K in my daughters education, I feel I'm allowed some cross-interest here, besides I admire the MSU basketball program and Izzo. I've been a fan of the program since Magic Johnson's days there.

Anyhow, it will be quite a thrill to attend the Final Four, and have my team there to boot! Then price we could get for the tickets has spiked since MSU will be there, but I doubt we will sell our tix. This is a rare opportunity to kill two birds with one stone! MSU's chances are as good as anybody's. I don't care what happened back in December against NC - that was then, this is now. MSU is healthy and running on all cylinders. Unfortunately so are the other three teams, and UCONN is playing well beyond expectations. (I thought they would miss Dyson more.)

GO SPARTANS!!!

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Anders, Were we "athletic" enough yesterday? Did we have enough "offense"?

 

[HD MM]

First off, let me just say that I'm shocked. I had picked Louisville myself. Izzo has this team HEALTHY, and peaking at the right time. Anybody else think that Loiusville quit in this game? With 4 minutes to go I expected the game to go into foul mode, with Louis fouling us at every possession. Instead they just let the game play out. The game wasn't out of reach, IMO. Just asking.

To clarify the MICHIGAN/MSU matter - I attended MICHIGAN, but my daughter attended MSU. I am a MICHIGAN first and foremost, but after investing $39K in my daughters education, I feel I'm allowed some cross-interest here, besides I admire the MSU basketball program and Izzo. I've been a fan of the program since Magic Johnson's days there.

Anyhow, it will be quite a thrill to attend the Final Four, and have my team there to boot! Then price we could get for the tickets has spiked since MSU will be there, but I doubt we will sell our tix. This is a rare opportunity to kill two birds with one stone! MSU's chances are as good as anybody's. I don't care what happened back in December against NC - that was then, this is now. MSU is healthy and running on all cylinders. Unfortunately so are the other three teams, and UCONN is playing well beyond expectations. (I thought they would miss Dyson more.)

GO SPARTANS!!!

A few quotes for you to recite in prepping for the Final 4 Paul....

"No retreat, no surrender. That is Spartan law. And by Spartan law, we will stand and fight … and die. A new age has begun: an age of freedom! And all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it!"

"Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight, we dine in hell!"

-- Spartan King Leonidas

 

[Paul Wozniak]

IZZO has used that movie, and has even created one of his own, to motivate his team. I would like to see Izzo' version!

 

[salsadancer7]

A few quotes for you to recite in prepping for the Final 4 Paul....

-- Spartan King Leonidas

LMAO! It's basketball, not a fight at the Colesium against lions and tigers and bears, oh my....LOL!

 

[HD MM]

LMAO! It's basketball, not a fight at the Colesium against lions and tigers and bears, oh my....LOL!

Many athletes use that movie (300) as pre-game inspiration to get all jacked up.

And tell Izzo and the boys its only "basketball and not a fight". I bet they'd beg to differ!

"NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER! THAT IS SPARTAN LAW!!!!!!!"

 

[Paul Wozniak]

LMAO! It's basketball, not a fight at the Colesium against lions and tigers and bears, oh my....LOL!

Maybe not to you. I would have liked to seen a little bit of fight out of Syracuse a couple days ago. They broke my heart, and my brackets. They looked like they just ran out of gas.

 

[anders5189]

Anders, Were we "athletic" enough yesterday? Did we have enough "offense"?

I guess so, especially if Goran Suton is going to score 20 points.

How'd you like Carolina's defense?

 

[salsadancer7]

Maybe not to you. I would have liked to seen a little bit of fight out of Syracuse a couple days ago. They broke my heart, and my brackets. They looked like they just ran out of gas.

The had PLENTY of fight...but they could not solve the same defense they throw at teams....the zone.

For a small second, when they hot 2 straight 3s and cut it down to 12 with 7 minutes left...I thought we had a chance....but alas, 3 straight TO did us in. When it comes down to it....you GOTTA SCORE to win....

 

[salsadancer7]

Many athletes use that movie (300) as pre-game inspiration to get all jacked up.

And tell Izzo and the boys its only "basketball and not a fight". I bet they'd beg to differ!

"NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER! THAT IS SPARTAN LAW!!!!!!!"

I ALWAYS had a issues with athletes and coaches using WAR as some kind comparison to playing a game.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Hard road ahead for MSU. They just beat the tournament #1 seed. Next up - another #1 seed in UCONN. Then to top it off, (if they get past UCONN) is either another #1 seed in NC, or a team that beat a #1 seed. (Villanova). Beating three #1's is a daunting task.

 

[BillD1984]

Final Four Predictions:

UConn over Michigan St. in a nail-biter: Huskies 73, Spartans 70

UNC over Villanova comfortably: Tar Heels 89, Wildcats 73


Championship Game:

UNC pulls away from UConn in the last five to seven minutes: Tar Heels 92, Huskies 81

 

[anders5189]

Final Four Predictions:

UConn over Michigan St. in a nail-biter: Huskies 73, Spartans 70

UNC over Villanova comfortably: Tar Heels 89, Wildcats 73


Championship Game:

UNC pulls away from UConn in the last five to seven minutes: Tar Heels 92, Huskies 81

I like the way you think. :up