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
This version is absolutely a tournament team.
Unfortunately, they haven’t earned it over the course of the season.
They still have a chance in the ACCT, but there’s work to be done.
Definitely good enough pretty **** resume imo. Personally would never put them in over someone like San Diego State or Oklahoma and likely even Texas and Nebraska and Ohio State. Would have them in over Xavier though.
Thanks, tarheels2222. ESPN says Drake -2.5, 55% chance to go dancin'.
Also ESPN: Drake v UCLA in Milwaukee. Rematch from the 1969 national semi-finals.
Let's hope for Pups to come here instead (if they beat Bradley)
Keatts out a year after the miracle ACCT and tourney runs.
This version is absolutely a tournament team.
Unfortunately, they haven’t earned it over the course of the season.
They still have a chance in the ACCT, but there’s work to be done.
What version is that? They've beat 2 teams that have a winning record in the past 2 months. And both of those teams have a losing record in the ACC.
So what? They’re still a top 68 team right now. They’re playing much better than they were the first half of the season. They played one of the toughest non conference schedules in the country. I guess we should have padded our resume instead.
make no mistake. this is a dog sh*t UNC outfit
that said, they sit at #37 kenpom. ahead of Oklahoma, SDSU, Texas, Xavier and Nebraska
will they make the Dance? probably not. didn't do enough to put the indecision to bed
For sure.
I’m not claiming we are anywhere close to contenders or even necessarily deserving. If we make the dance, we are way more likely than not to be bounced the first weekend. My argument is simply this version of the team is good enough but the full resume is not.
We’ll get one last chance starting Wednesday afternoon.
Based on bracket matrix looks like we may get tons of people getting all the teams correct if it ended right now. Personally I think the last spot would be between Xavier and UNC and I think UNC has a clearly better resume.
6 games ago Michigan was up a game in the loss column and hosting MSU and 6 games later they will tie for second place 3 games behind.
Sdsu beat Houston and Creighton. Youd really put UNC over them?
This version is absolutely a tournament team.
Unfortunately, they haven’t earned it over the course of the season.
They still have a chance in the ACCT, but there’s work to be done.
I agree with this. They are finally a good team right now, but the resume may keep them out.
Pups win, take the MVC with their usual ugly style.
Let's hope they get assigned here. One time, committee!
6 games ago Michigan was up a game in the loss column and hosting MSU and 6 games later they will tie for second place 3 games behind.
Assuming that they get a 5 seed, every book in the country is going to be taking in massive money on the 12.
Incredible regression in 3 point shooting, from very good early in the season to can't-buy-a-bucket. 3-24 this afternoon from three. Back court has been weak - six guards, combined, contributed 10 points total while playing 100 minutes. 3-15 shooting, 1-11 from 3. They won't win another game.
Assuming that they get a 5 seed, every book in the country is going to be taking in massive money on the 12.
Incredible regression in 3 point shooting, from very good early in the season to can't-buy-a-bucket. 3-24 this afternoon from three. Back court has been weak - six guards, combined, contributed 10 points total while playing 100 minutes. 3-15 shooting, 1-11 from 3. They won't win another game.
0.94 ppp over their last six games
At least they aren't nebrasketball
Shouldn't Auburn have just shut down Broome and Jones until the NCAA tourn? They are still a lock 1 seed with 1 win in the SEC tourn and most likely still with a loss in first game of SEC tourn.
Cliffs Auburn seems like a dicey gamble going into NCAA tourn.
Shouldn't Auburn have just shut down Broome and Jones until the NCAA tourn? They are still a lock 1 seed with 1 win in the SEC tourn and most likely still with a loss in first game of SEC tourn.
Cliffs Auburn seems like a dicey gamble going into NCAA tourn.
indeed
kenpom said as much a few days ago
So what? They’re still a top 68 team right now. They’re playing much better than they were the first half of the season. They played one of the toughest non conference schedules in the country. I guess we should have padded our resume instead.
It's 2022-23 all over again. I don't understand why they didn't get in then and I certainly won't understand if the same happens this year. I'll say what I said then: If UNC doesn't get in the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
It seriously sickens me that I'm going to bat for a program I absolutely despise but if UNC wins 20 games or more and has a winning record in the ACC they should be in a field of 68 ****ing teams every year.
I don't even understand how that's debatable. Even the eye test checks out. They definitely look like a team that can make a run. Michigan's gonna be a 5 or 6 seed. Who wouldn't take UNC straight up vs them at even money?!?!? The notion of this UNC team being on the bubble should be insulting to the senses of every rational being in the multiverse.
Duke is number 1.
Heard a crazy stat on the local news today:
Every Duke player who stayed all 4 years has been #1 in the AP Pool at some point…
Dating back to 1986.
Crazy.
Looked at ESPN Bracketology today; Lunardi has Drake a 10, playing Louisville in Lexington.
Kinda surprised by that, as Pups were a 12 yesterday. I assume a bunch of lower-seed wins in one-bid leagues pushed them up.
Doesn't seem fair to play a big-time team in their backyard. Fortunately, while the teams and seedings are generally pretty close, the matchups/assignments aren't.
We'll see Sunday evening. Was telling my friend I'm probably 75% to go, depending on cost/ease of travel & tickets. Not super interested in Cleveland or Providence, but we'll see.
The WCC championship game was without a doubt the worst basketball game ever. Rest assured that I was on the internet within minutes registering my disgust throughout the world.
It's 2022-23 all over again. I don't understand why they didn't get in then and I certainly won't understand if the same happens this year. I'll say what I said then: If UNC doesn't get in the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
It seriously sickens me that I'm going to bat for a program I absolutely despise but if UNC wins 20 games or more and has a winning record in the ACC they should be in a field of 68 ****ing teams every year.
I don't even understand how that's debatable. Even the e
That is ignoring that the ACC is absolutely awful this year. Should SMU be in too?
SMU is 10 spots behind UNC in NET and 15 spots behind in Kenpom. UNC also beat them head to head. The ACC is certainly weak this year, but using SMU as your comparison doesn't hold any weight.
If UNC wins today and tomorrow and loses Friday, then they'll be squarely on the bubble with probably a 50/50 shot. If they win Friday night, especially if it's against dook, they should be in. And obviously, winning Saturday would be auto.
