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
Don't really get why lots of people seem to think net rankings or kenpom will be super important this year compared to previous years (Virginia got in last year with **** power rating).
I'd say maybe a third of the weight of resume.
I'd say the cumulative bracket at this point has Indiana, Xavier, tosu, UNC, Boise maybe Colorado State, maybe Texas fighting for 3 spots.
Probably get 1 spot stolen from conference winner so more likely 2 spots.
Yeah, we’ll see what happens.
And while the committee doesn’t always follow NET/Kenpom/etc. exactly, it still provides a decent baseline for the bubble decisions and potential seeding.
If you’re going to talk about Q1, Q2, and so on and use records for the various quadrants as a decision point, then NET is still very relevant. It’s certainly weighted more than Kenpom.
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.
indeed
UNC would be a 4.5 pt fave vs SMU on a neutral court
we have a bevy of analytical tools at our disposal. strange to cite a school's conference affiliation as a 'gotcha' moment
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.
That was just in response to UNC having 20 wins and a winning ACC record. The ACC record is meaningless this year. I know UNC is better than SMU but their two best league wins are SMU and Pitt who both stink. They beat nobody.
Most of the bubble teams have few marquee wins, that's what makes them bubble teams.
I realize we are 1-11 against quad 1 teams, but then you dig deeper in the NET. We lost twice to team 1, team 2, team 4, team 6, team 10, team 18, team 22, team 23, and then the "bad" losses were to team 61 and 68.
You play who is on your schedule, and ultimately, tiers are created. They're 7-0 against quad 2, 6-1 against quad 3, and 6-0 against quad 4. But going back to my original argument, I've already acknowledged they haven't beaten anyone and the resume is what it is. That doesn't change the fact that I think they're playing well enough to be deserving today.
Time to see what happens.
Big 12 floor is horrendous.
Hopefully the mountain West gets 2 bids at most.
I'm on the fence. There have definitely been with a doubt horrendous floors from the past, this one isn't a lock in that category.
Vandy is Texas' toughest obstacle to reaching the SEC championship game. Rick Barnes will choke with Tenn, and Auburn should be resting.
Toourney chance still alive
West Virginia playing their way on to the bubble? Their resume is just Oklahoma but worse and they have injuries which should ding them slightly.
Bracket matrix thinks they are a lock though.
Northwestern is kind of good as a random team who could win conference tourney.
Most of the bubble teams have few marquee wins, that's what makes them bubble teams.
I realize we are 1-11 against quad 1 teams, but then you dig deeper in the NET. We lost twice to team 1, team 2, team 4, team 6, team 10, team 18, team 22, team 23, and then the "bad" losses were to team 61 and 68.
You play who is on your schedule, and ultimately, tiers are created. They're 7-0 against quad 2, 6-1 against quad 3, and 6-0 against quad 4. But going back to my original argument, I've already a
Based on that UNC should do really well in the NIT.
I hope you're wrong since my Aztecs are hanging on by a thread. UNM for sure. Utah St probably. If SDSU beats Boise tomorrow I think Boise is out and the Aztecs are in although I'll feel better if SDSU wins 2 games in the MWC tourney. I know the MW (other than SDSU) has laid an egg in MM for years but the Aztecs beat Houston (#3 Net), UCSD (#35) Creighton (#38) & UNM (#41). OOC losses: Gonzaga (#8) & Oregon (#29). 8-7 vs Q 1&2. 12-1 vs Q 3&4. Worst loss at home vs UNLV (93). Seems like it should be enough to slide in as an 11 but I won't be surprised if they join UNC as a 1 seed in the NIT.
Always fun betting the unders on shitty conf games like Southland. Can't shoot for ****, run around flailing, foul every possession, can't hit free throws.
Gg tosu
Other than my man BIDZ, who is rooting for the BUFFS to steal a bid?
Let's go, Buffaloes!
Flagg dead
That looked painful
Surprised he's not wearing a boot
Man GT loves to drive and shoot bad contested layups
When will these top teams stop playing their stars in these basically meaningless conference tournaments? Seems also like a good time for a team like Duke to let their top bench players get more reps or a younger player that isn't trusted to actually take the reigns.
