2010 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament Thread

Michigan St back to the FF. At the start of the season I thought they would be a favorite to get back. But the Spartans were not that impressive through the regular season, hence their 5 seed, and after Kalin Lucas got hurt I thought they were done. Tom Izzo is one hell of a coach to get this team back to another FF. And playing Butler in the semis, Michigan St could be back in the final game as well.

The Spartans, despite the regular season, ALWAYS seem to be in the mix come Tourney time. It's an inexplicable thing. Tom Izzo just doesn't get enough credit.

As #5 seed they lost their best player, yet STILL somehow found a way back to the Final Four for the 2nd consecutive year? This, btw is the 6th time in the last 12 years MSU has advanced to the Final Four. Wow is all I have to say!
 
Very unimpressed with the in-game coaching for Baylor. He has his guards well out beyond the three point line pressuring the Duke ball-handlers, which resulted in a couple of turnovers in the first half, but in the second half Duke blew up the zone. Time and time again the entry pass to the foul line was wide open, resulting in an open 13- footer or a numbers advantage down low for Duke. How many times does this have to happen before you adjust?

The plan was obviously for the Baylor guard on the weak side to drop to the foul line, but Duke moved the ball too quickly around the perimeter and the Baylor guards NEVER got back in time.

Baylor had a huge quickness advantage, they should have gone man once the zone was exposed. I know Baylor is a zone team, but sometimes you simply have to adjust to the situation.


Sandra
I hear what you're saying, but Baylor was fine until the last few minutes when they decided not to rebound anymore. They played that 1-3-1 zone all year so it was unlikely they would switch out of it. I agree Baylor didn't put enough pressure on the ball at the top of the zone and it easy for dook to pass around it.

The good news is that West Virginia plays the same 1-3-1 zone, but they play it much better. What they did to Kentucky was textbook. They were picking up John Wall at halfcourt and were dogging the Kentucky ball handlers all over the place. That's what Baylor should have been doing to dook. Hopefully Huggy Bear will show them how it's done and bounce dook just like they did in 08.
 
Answer - a coin flip. I know because the same thing happened in the 1999 final.
That is how they did it back then, but now all of the teams are seeded before the tournament starts. Which ever team is ranked higher is the home team.
 
I hear what you're saying, but Baylor was fine until the last few minutes when they decided not to rebound anymore. They played that 1-3-1 zone all year so it was unlikely they would switch out of it. I agree Baylor didn't put enough pressure on the ball at the top of the zone and it easy for dook to pass around it.

The good news is that West Virginia plays the same 1-3-1 zone, but they play it much better. What they did to Kentucky was textbook. They were picking up John Wall at halfcourt and were dogging the Kentucky ball handlers all over the place. That's what Baylor should have been doing to dook. Hopefully Huggy Bear will show them how it's done and bounce dook just like they did in 08.

Agree. Baylor hung with Duke the entire game. Well, until the last 2 minutes that is. Up until that point, it was anybodies game.

Then, the Dookie hit two 3's in a row (demoralizing) and the Baylor kid got called for that stupid technical. That's what cost Baylor the game.
 
I hear what you're saying, but Baylor was fine until the last few minutes when they decided not to rebound anymore. They played that 1-3-1 zone all year so it was unlikely they would switch out of it. I agree Baylor didn't put enough pressure on the ball at the top of the zone and it easy for dook to pass around it.

The good news is that West Virginia plays the same 1-3-1 zone, but they play it much better. What they did to Kentucky was textbook. They were picking up John Wall at halfcourt and were dogging the Kentucky ball handlers all over the place. That's what Baylor should have been doing to dook. Hopefully Huggy Bear will show them how it's done and bounce dook just like they did in 08.

Anders you really need to pay closer attention. :D

Baylor played a 2-3 with some matchup principles, not 1-3-1. If they were playing 1-3-1 the foul line are would not have been open...it was always open in the second half.

I understand teams like Baylor and Syracuse live and die by the zone and do not play any other way...but when you're being picked apart you need to adjust. Duke picked the zone apart a lot more than just the last few minutes.

Also, the zone by nature allows for offensive rebounds...THAT'S what hurt Baylor the most.


Sandra
 
Anders you really need to pay closer attention. :D

Baylor played a 2-3 with some matchup principles, not 1-3-1. If they were playing 1-3-1 the foul line are would not have been open...it was always open in the second half.

I understand teams like Baylor and Syracuse live and die by the zone and do not play any other way...but when you're being picked apart you need to adjust. Duke picked the zone apart a lot more than just the last few minutes.

Also, the zone by nature allows for offensive rebounds...THAT'S what hurt Baylor the most.


Sandra
Are you gonna make me rewatch the game? I'm pretty sure that was a 1-3-1 out there, but they were playing it soft so that dook could set up their offense and pass it wherever they wanted. I could be wrong, but I'd have to watch again to be sure. Lord knows when a team plays a bad zone defense it's like no defense at all.
 
North Carolina is in the NIT Finals.

If I was in Anders' shoes, I don't know whether I'd be encouraged or discouraged.
The whole experience of the NIT is weird. I've seen some of the worst basketball in my life the last couple of weeks. I never in my life want to hear a team complain that they should be in the NCAA Tournament. These teams are terrible. I thought my suffering would end on Tuesday, but then Rhode Island started missing free throws and the refs looked the other way when Will Graves tackled a RI player on the final play. At least tonight it FINALLY ends. I really don't care if we win or not. Just make it go away. :(

What I do care about though is seeing dook lose in the FF.
 
Who is the only team to win the NCAA and NIT tournaments in the same year?
 
My son is excited...even though it is the NIT. He will be starting UDayton this fall and got a little bit of satisfaction seeing the Flyers win the NIT, plus beat Cincinnati (his big sister's school) on the way to doing it. Go Flyers! :up :)
 
I'm picking Butler and West Virginia to win on Saturday.

I had the Mountaineers winning the whole tourney, and I think Butler can feed off the home atmosphere.
 

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