NCAA Basketball 2023-2024

We are in that weird part of the season that has come every year the past couple years where you don't know whether Kentucky misses the tournament altogether or goes on a run and makes a final four.

FIRE TAD BOYLE NOW

who cares if u finish a little over .500 every season? If u can't make the NCAA tournament, who f**king cares????

So John Calipari chose C that resulted in a loss

Mark Few was asked this same question against UK. Few chose A. Few won.

UK is a FF or bust kind of school. One of the few. Considering Cal hasn't made the FF since 2015, I think he has to go. His championship was a long 13 seasons ago. If he was the coach of UNC with the same results, I'd probably be out at this point. Even his last elite eight was 2019, and that's not looking likely this season. Granted, he had a good squad during the COVID year cancellation.

For Cal's run at Memphis to UK throughout the period of 2005 to 2015, his specialty was landing the top high school guys and dominating with them. Most schools with established guys plus incoming recruits simply didn't have the combined talent to match it, especially those that also lost guys to the NBA. I think that advantage is basically gone.

The top high school players aren't as dominant as they used to be, relative to the current player pool. And the transfer portal plus NIL has basically eliminated Cal's advantage of building his team with the top available guys. The main schools UK is competing against can now fill their roster in a similar fashion, except those top available guys are multi-year transfers with both skill and experience. Plus, those schools can still land top incoming freshman too. And the portal gives such a big advantage as it's real-time. Portal guys know the exact roster situation before committing. Whereas incoming freshman, and coaches recruiting, can only make educated guesses.

Additionally, the lower level schools in the tourney are simply better than they used to be, even 5 to 10 years ago. The double digit seeds are no longer at such a disadvantage compared to the top schools. This requires more coaching than out-talenting.

UK is one of the few schools that should expect a change, even for a coach with Cal's type of historical success, when it doesn't seem to be working anymore.

^^^^^

good poast

yeah I didn't really expect that win until there was like 1 sec left. It's hard to win on the road when you go 4-18 from 3. I haven't watched UK play this year but I'm assuming that was one of their worst games. Maybe Gonzaga is back near the bubble now!

It is funny/predictable how much the national announcers always love guys like Ryan Nembhard - short upperclassmen who are good passers and try hard but aren't athletic or good at scoring. I like him too but he's gotta be the most overrated player in the country.

I don't think any team is anything particularly special this year. UNC might end up with a #1 seed and they would do it having less offensive fire power of any #1 seed UNC team I can ever recall. The defense is pretty amazing though.

That said there's not a single fanbase of any top seed that wants Kentucky in their bracket. Every time I watch them I walk away thinking they're really freaking good. I mean Sheppard is only a 6th man and is like a top 15 draft pick as a FR. This team is loaded with talent. I'd be pissed if Cal wasted it too if I was a UK fan.

Somehow this year's UConn team feels like they have a lower ceiling than last year's team but they've been way more consistent.

Still amazing that last year's UConn team that I believe went undefeated AGAINST THE SPREAD in the Non-Con and won every NCAAT game by double digits finished 3 games back in the Big East.

In my rage last night about Colorado's performance, I forgot to give a shout out to UNLV who won at THE PIT despite playing 5 on 8. They've now swept New Mexico, won at Boise St. and have beaten Creighton. And if it weren't for ref riggage they would have a win vs. Utah St. as well.

They started off terrible but have turned it around quite well. If they can keep winning I think they should get an at large bid, even if they fail to win the Mountain West. Ofc my opinion in this matter is a little biased.

Yeah Uconn feels like the no brainer best team in the nation again.

The mountain west is also a very good league this year. Always interesting to see programs with plenty of resources in power conferences struggle yearly to field decent teams (Indiana, Maryland, etc) then you look at the Mountain West and they have better coaches and better players. Makes me wonder why programs don't just go pluck the SDSU or Colorado State coach.

cal had title contenders almost every year from 2010-2019 but not really one since

and they would have had an amazing draw last year

I guess in 22 they also fell to the peacocks

Kind of crazy they keep making Kansas play Saturday then travel to play two days later on Mondays

Full strength UConn is definitely special. Clingan in foul trouble is the only thing that makes them not particularly special.

Both lost tonight as decent favorites. Door now open for Duke as well. Race wide open.

byu gave up 19 points in the last 1:30 of their game tonight to ucf.

if ucf had played like that the entire game, they would have scored 506 points. Horrible consistency.

Holtmann out at Ohio State

Detroit Mercy wins their first game of the season and the fan storms the court

The Rebels are close but that 32 pt loss at home to Air Force is like an anchor around their neck. Bad losses have a lot of sway with the committee. If they close well (6-1 or better) and make a run to the conference tourney final they have a decent chance. I think they would have to knock out 1 of the other MWC teams that are supposedly getting in. No way 7 teams from the MWC are getting in, deserving or not.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned SDSU outscoring Col St 41-11 in the 2nd half the other night to put down the Rams. Unbelievable run by the Aztecs. Huge game tonight at Viejas vs UNM.

RIP, Lefty.

nice shoutout tarheels

RIP indeed

here were the ACC coaches during Lefty's last season at MD

ACC was GOAT for such a long period of time. glad i was a keen fan during much of its heydey

Hell of a lineup. Hate that I wasn’t alive to see it.

wild ending just now in the Wake @ UVa game

UVa finishes the game 1 for 11 (missed their first 10 attempts) from the charity stripe but escape w a 2 pt win

I am going to keep pounding the "Houston Rules" drum as hard as I can.

Anybody saying there's no great teams in CBB hasn't watched enough Houston Basketball.