NCAA Tournament Playalong Thread

[declansharbor]

The best part of this game thus far was the wings that we ordered. Killer bleu cheese/hot sauce mixture.

My friends hate me for showing Lawson love.

[GBBob]

I have contributed nothing to this thread..but

Big 10

[SCUDSBROTHER]

This Nova got T-Boned. http://www.break.com/usercontent/200...ed-601010.html

[King Glorious]

I am going to change my stance from the beginning of the season and suggest that UNC actually has a chance to win the title. Jay Wright said it was their defense that killed them. Imagine that. So did Jeff Capel. They don't lock you up for 40 minutes a night but they have such great athletes all over the floor that they can tighten the screws for several minutes at a time and make life miserable for you. You can play them even for 32 minutes but there will be two four minute stretches where they will go on a 12-2 or 18-4 run and that's the game. Michigan St. got out and ran with UConn and had success. Izzo has to know that they can't beat UNC that way and will try to slow the game down but the problem will be just like the one Illinois had a couple of years ago. It's the natural instinct of the players to run and with a team dominated by perimeter players like Michigan St. is, they are going to be lulled into a track meet for a few minutes here and there and that's where they will lose the game. I think UNC wins by about 15.

[Crown@club]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I am going to change my stance from the beginning of the season and suggest that UNC actually has a chance to win the title. Jay Wright said it was their defense that killed them. Imagine that. So did Jeff Capel. They don't lock you up for 40 minutes a night but they have such great athletes all over the floor that they can tighten the screws for several minutes at a time and make life miserable for you. You can play them even for 32 minutes but there will be two four minute stretches where they will go on a 12-2 or 18-4 run and that's the game. Michigan St. got out and ran with UConn and had success. Izzo has to know that they can't beat UNC that way and will try to slow the game down but the problem will be just like the one Illinois had a couple of years ago. It's the natural instinct of the players to run and with a team dominated by perimeter players like Michigan St. is, they are going to be lulled into a track meet for a few minutes here and there and that's where they will lose the game. I think UNC wins by about 15.

Ask Louisville how that worked.

[SniperSB23]

Was just looking at Michigan State guys from the Izzo era and he's had exactly three players that went on to average 10 PPG any season in the NBA. Mo Peterson was there all four (actually five) years but Richardson was only there two (and averaged 5 PPG in his first) and Zach Randolph was only there for one season. Has any coach had such a level of success in the past 15 years with less NBA talent? Anyone even close?

[gales0678]

scott - give me a winner tonight

i say carolina wins and covers

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Was just looking at Michigan State guys from the Izzo era and he's had exactly three players that went on to average 10 PPG any season in the NBA. Mo Peterson was there all four (actually five) years but Richardson was only there two (and averaged 5 PPG in his first) and Zach Randolph was only there for one season. Has any coach had such a level of success in the past 15 years with less NBA talent? Anyone even close?

Coach K has had an extraordinary number of NBA failures.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Was just looking at Michigan State guys from the Izzo era and he's had exactly three players that went on to average 10 PPG any season in the NBA. Mo Peterson was there all four (actually five) years but Richardson was only there two (and averaged 5 PPG in his first) and Zach Randolph was only there for one season. Has any coach had such a level of success in the past 15 years with less NBA talent? Anyone even close?

The tough part of this is that over the last 15 years, few have had as much success as Izzo has...PERIOD.

You did forget about Charlie Bell who averaged double figures for Milwaukee at least one season. I get your point though.

I dont think its ENTIRELY fair to judge the level of talent a coach recruits by how many guys he has that end up being successful in the NBA. Tom Izzo has exactly half of the last ten Michigan Mr. Basketball award winners. He has had 8 mcdonalds all americans. Sounds to me like he is getting some players.

NBA talent and College talent are two different things. There are players who's games are extremely effective at the college level but arent effective at the next level (Cleaves!). Look at Hansborough. Is he not an extremely successful college player? He has been one of the top 10 players in college basketball for the last four years.

Look at the last North Carolina team to win the championship before this one. Felton is the only one that looks like he will have a decent NBA career. May, Mccants, et al were uber talents in college and coming out of high school. Can we look back and say that Roy Williams did a great job with little talent that year?

Izzo has had an abundant amount of college level talent and has done a masterful job with it. The accomplishments of those players at the next level, or lack thereof, is no reflection of how good they were while at State.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Crown@club

Ask Louisville how that worked.

Louisville is NOT UNC. They don't have the overall talent that the Heels do.

[gales0678]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Louisville is NOT UNC. They don't have the overall talent that the Heels do.

agree king - louisville can't shoot

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I am going to change my stance from the beginning of the season and suggest that UNC actually has a chance to win the title. Jay Wright said it was their defense that killed them. Imagine that. So did Jeff Capel. They don't lock you up for 40 minutes a night but they have such great athletes all over the floor that they can tighten the screws for several minutes at a time and make life miserable for you. You can play them even for 32 minutes but there will be two four minute stretches where they will go on a 12-2 or 18-4 run and that's the game. Michigan St. got out and ran with UConn and had success. Izzo has to know that they can't beat UNC that way and will try to slow the game down but the problem will be just like the one Illinois had a couple of years ago. It's the natural instinct of the players to run and with a team dominated by perimeter players like Michigan St. is, they are going to be lulled into a track meet for a few minutes here and there and that's where they will lose the game. I think UNC wins by about 15.

you suck...two points off.

[King Glorious]

The game went exactly like I thought it would. MSU was playing at a pace that's too fast for them. That's what UNC does. They score so fast and press the issue that it lulls you into a false sense of thinking that this is how you should be playing too. They'll give you some open shots that you'll take early and that in turn gets them going at the pace they want. You could see MSU was playing way too fast early and turning the ball over way too much. They were taking a ton of jump shots. UNC got it from all over. The killed them inside and Ellington was big from outside. In the first few minutes of the game, all five UNC starters had scored. This was like a carbon copy of the Illinois game.

[Crown@club]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

The game went exactly like I thought it would. MSU was playing at a pace that's too fast for them. That's what UNC does. They score so fast and press the issue that it lulls you into a false sense of thinking that this is how you should be playing too. They'll give you some open shots that you'll take early and that in turn gets them going at the pace they want. You could see MSU was playing way too fast early and turning the ball over way too much. They were taking a ton of jump shots. UNC got it from all over. The killed them inside and Ellington was big from outside. In the first few minutes of the game, all five UNC starters had scored. This was like a carbon copy of the Illinois game.

Exactly what happened. I just don't get it when they slowed the pace against Louisville, picked up the pace against UConn, but not slow it back down against UNC.