NCAA Basketball Thread 2024-2025
Quick OP here just to get us up and running
Things to watch for this year:
1. Can UConn 3-peat? Hurley won back to back championships with Clingan, Tristen Newton, and company. Can he make it a third with only one returning starter?
2. Who will be this years national player of the year? Zach Edey was the best player I've seen play college basketball in my lifetime. People throw the term generational talent around alot and Edey was truly a generational talent winning back to back national player of the year awards. But, now he's gone. So who can win the award?
- the 5th year guards in Mark Sears(Alabama) and RJ Davis(UNC) are a good spot to start. Both elite shooters and engines of an offense, they should lead two really good teams.
- the 5th year centers in Hunter Dickinson(Kansas) and Ryan Kallbrenner(Creighton) are also viable options. They'll be the anchors to what should be two really good teams.
- The phenoms: Cooper Flagg(Duke), Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper(Rutgers), VJ Edgecombe(Baylor), and Tre Johnson(Texas) lead a loaded freshman class.
3. Who are the contenders?
Spoiler
Lettuce college basketball
St John's reminds me a bit of Alabama in terms of their prospects for the tournament in that they almost feel like they'll be the same actual odds of a deep run as a 1 seed or a 7 seed.
Alabama's path is being an offensive flamethrower, and Pitino's SJU path is just mucking up a game and grinding their opponent into oblivion.
I don't quite know why their extreme styles make their overall power rating less relevant in the tourney but that's how it makes sense in my head
SJU currently the #73 ranked offense (kenpom). they are basically drawing dead to title w that poor of an offense
Bama currently the #43 ranked defense. going to be really tough for them as well trotting out a non-elite D
Four Big 12 Basketball Teams Fit KenPom National Champion Criteria Entering March
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Heartland College Sports - An Independent Big 12 Today Blog | College Football News | Big 12 Today
Watched the last minute of Maryland MSU which was a good choice. In real time wondered why the Maryland guy shot a 3 so early. Maybe not that bad more likely your team gets a rebound and scores than vice versa.
Wow, I was moving so perfect on UK 's bouncy performance this year ... 9 winners, 1 loser, including several +200 and higher winners. But tonight instead of playing the money line, I bought it from -155 to -1/135. Pushed it. Trying to save 20 cents if they lose. So I'm 9-1-1 on them, looking like an old school football record. But I'm afraid this portends a turn in my fortunes on calling the Cats.
Fun causation vs correlation/small sample size stat of the day
Kentucky with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes commentating: 2-7
Kentucky without Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes commentating: 17-2
Dykes and Ravech aren't commentating the Auburn game this weekend...
Drake captures regular season MVC title with a win over Evansville. MVC a one-bid league, so the tournament is all that matters.
Hogs getting doubled up 66-33 at USCe with 5:30 remaining. Probably the one thing you can do to get a dance invitation rescinded.
Auburn-UK game was not particularly competitive. UK took a standing eight count early in the game and never really recovered.
at least kansas covered the spread this time vs. houston.
SJU currently the #73 ranked offense (kenpom). they are basically drawing dead to title w that poor of an offense
Bama currently the #43 ranked defense. going to be really tough for them as well trotting out a non-elite D
Four Big 12 Basketball Teams Fit KenPom National Champion Criteria Entering March
- - - - - - - - - -
Heartland College Sports - An Independent Big 12 Today Blog | College Football News | Big 12 Today100% of National Champions since 2001 have had a non-Big 10 conference affiliation pre-tournament.
Can eliminate Maryland, now 8 potential champs.
With March Madness approaching, I wanted to mention that I have a squares pool for the ncaa tournament happening in OOT. Low stakes entry of $25 per square. Feel free to check it out and sign up if you're interested.
Escrow is required. This is my third year running this pool, and I have ran a season long nfl squares pool for the Sunday night games last year as well. Veteran posters in OOT can vouch for the quick and accurate payouts I provide.
I can't vouch for cokeboy's quick and accurate payments. :(
I've been in the pool all three years, though, and hear good things from those who have won.
Come join us, it's a fun and relatively cheap sweat.
Cokeboy is so good I got payed last year and I didn't even know I won.
Aztecs **** the bed last night vs UNLV (again). Firmly on the bubble now. Have to win vs Nevada and then probably at least get to the MWC championship game for an invite.
I think they could get in losing out and one win makes them almost a lock.
I'd say Indiana, Arkansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UNC, Boise, Xavier and hanging by a thread Nebraska are fighting for the final 4ish spots.
Mostly based on bracket matrix
Oops and Texas
lol Marquette
suck in Shaka
Rooting for you, golddog.
Also, this seems like a good time to say **** dook.
yep
duck fook
Hunter 3 pts off his career high right now
'Zona is going to need 'good Caleb' down the stretch here
It’d be really nice to have a good start and win the first 4.
Oh yeah. Need to figure out defense but hanging in there.
This is some good basketball.
Carolina is not a tournament team.
