Official NCAA Basketball Tournament Thread

jeans15

Heisman
Feb 23, 2011
253,663
59,077
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My 2 sleeper picks to make a run in the tournament play each other the first round.

No. Iowa and Texas. I will take No Iowa for the first round upset.

Crazy one. Stonybrook over Kentucky.

Michigan over whomever they play the first round.
 
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maplesyrup95

All-Conference
Nov 26, 2014
1,675
1,064
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South Dakota State over the Terps.

Iona over Iowa State (I don't trust the Big XII anymore except KU)

Texas to the Elite 8.

High-seed-someone over really-low-seed-someone that absolutely no one saw coming.

This 2016 tourney is gonna be wild chaos. But just remember a blue blood has won it, like, 95% of the time!
 

schuele

All-American
Apr 17, 2005
21,124
5,734
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South Dakota State over the Terps.

I like this pick - Maryland is talented, but seems to sleepwalk at times. I also think VCU is a good bet to beat Oregon State. But that's not so much an upset as a case of Oregon State getting inexplicably over-seeded.
 
Sep 23, 2005
18,868
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I don't get the texas love. They played well for a stretch, but they really stunk it up the last few weeks.
Cal had their stud recruiter fired for sexual harassment so will be interesting to see how they respond.
Maybe another first round loss for Dook?
 

maplesyrup95

All-Conference
Nov 26, 2014
1,675
1,064
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I didn't feel the Texas love either until I found out their huge center is back from injury..Ridley I believe is his name. Big difference maker and they have Shaka Smart. Honestly I'm just going based off of power coaching and blue bloods. I just have a hard time picking Oklahoma because they live and die by the 3.

I'm feeling Hawaii over Cal too.

I don't think Duke will lose first round, though I wish it were so. If they get past the first round, Coach K will whine to the refs enough that it gets them past Baylor and Oregon. It's all about about 6 or so blue bloods when the Elite 8 comes around, and 1 or 2 surprise teams.
 
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maplesyrup95

All-Conference
Nov 26, 2014
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I like this pick - Maryland is talented, but seems to sleepwalk at times. I also think VCU is a good bet to beat Oregon State. But that's not so much an upset as a case of Oregon State getting inexplicably over-seeded.

I like the Rams too in that matchup. I don't think Oregon State deserved a 7. I think the Beavers should be the 10 seed and VCU the 7 seed. I guess the committee really liked the Pac-12 this year.
 

leodisflowers

Senior
Feb 25, 2011
14,801
808
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I have Iowa as a sleeper in a lot of my pools. I think they can do some damage. I also like A&M as a sleeper.
 

Chidog31

Redshirt
Jan 11, 2007
8,583
33
0
Did anyone else notice one of the officials in Michigan's game last night was Kip Kissinger. I believe he played for Nebraska Wesleyan and is a Nebraska native. I'm not sure if he still lives in Nebraska or not.
 

HuskAir

All-Conference
Oct 27, 2001
255,296
2,228
50
-Hawai'i over Cal.
-Arkansas Little-Rock to the Sweet 16.
-Northern Iowa over Texas
-Kentucky knocks out UNC.

Kansas, Texas A&M, Xavier, Virginia final four.

If we end the first weekend without a single one of these being correct, I would not be the least big surprised.
 
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jay-cheese

Senior
Feb 14, 2006
5,473
424
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My darkhorse is Indiana at the 5 seed...I know Crean hasn't done well as a coach in the tourney, but I really like this team and think they have the talent to make it deep into the tournament. That said, there are realistically 20-30 teams that they could get beat...

Good luck to all in their brackets:
My final four: KU, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Mich St
 

schuele

All-American
Apr 17, 2005
21,124
5,734
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Congrats to Wichita State. Any team that can send a whining, screaming, petulant troll like Sean Miller home for the summer has my wholehearted support.

I see Miller actually got a technical foul tonight. Luckily it wasn't called by a PAC-12 official, or Miller would be on the phone tomorrow trying to get the guy fired.
 
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jay-cheese

Senior
Feb 14, 2006
5,473
424
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Wichita St's D is what won them the game. I believe they have the best (lowest) opponent fg% in the nation. If I'm an AZ fan I'm not happy...there's a ton of talent on that team and clearly underachieved this season.

Should be another fun day of games today. Good luck on your bracket(s)
 

Harry Caray

All-American
Feb 28, 2002
70,693
6,744
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How were Wichita and Gonzaga 11-seeds? Arizona and Seton Hall got kind of screwed on the seeding there.

Wichita lost a few games when VanVleet was injured, but with him healthy they are more of a 3 or 4 seed. Gonzaga is a Top 30 team in most rankings (KenPom, BPI, polls).
 

Redscarlet

All-American
Jun 17, 2001
30,984
8,608
113
Yale was my biggest Upset pick:) Didn't see Purdue losing till the sweet 16:(.

I have Iowa as a sleeper in a lot of my pools. I think they can do some damage. I also like A&M as a sleeper.

One of my Iowa buddies that I watch Basketball games with doesn't think they will reach the sweet 16. I can see them winning today but losing to Villanova on Sunday too.
 

jay-cheese

Senior
Feb 14, 2006
5,473
424
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Both Wich St and Gonzaga hit rough patches during the regular season..the Zags lack quality gaurd play and Wich St had injuries. As we've seen, both are good teams and playing well now.

This weekend will be ripe for major upsets. Should be entertaining to watch.
 

maplesyrup95

All-Conference
Nov 26, 2014
1,675
1,064
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Can easily see Wichita making it past Miami. Will be a good game tomorrow because both teams are heavy loaded with experienced players.
 

ridge22

Junior
Oct 19, 2004
1,895
343
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I will admit I really didn't watch too much NCAA basketball this year, and I only caught a little of the selection show. The part I did catch was when they announced Syracuse was in, and Doug Gottlieb we ape s#*% about them getting in. Well I see they boat raced Dayton today and looked pretty good.

Firstly it is always nice to see Gottlieb have to eat his words. Which I know won't happen because an ANALyst is never wrong, or at least they never admit to it.

Secondly, maybe because I am getting older and more cynical, but I have come to the conclusion that any half way knowledge able person off the street could be a sport analyst. I listen to these guys along all sports spew out crap like what they say is scripture, but at the end of the day it is just an opinion. I have realized this for quite some time, but as more and more sports channels are popping up the on-air talent and analyst talent is really getting watered down.
 

schuele

All-American
Apr 17, 2005
21,124
5,734
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The PAC 12 continues to stink up the tournament.
PAC-12 teams can't find their butt with both hands when they are not on their home court. The road team almost never wins in that conference, unless it's a total mismatch. I was mildly surprised Arizona lost, but none of their other results surprise me. Especially Oregon State, which should have been about an #11 seed but was gifted a #7, because OMG OMG OMG - Gary Payton, Jr!
 

rrthusker

Heisman
Jul 24, 2001
134,948
62,786
113
PAC-12 teams can't find their butt with both hands when they are not on their home court. The road team almost never wins in that conference, unless it's a total mismatch. I was mildly surprised Arizona lost, but none of their other results surprise me. Especially Oregon State, which should have been about an #11 seed but was gifted a #7, because OMG OMG OMG - Gary Payton, Jr!

No argument here. I live on the left coast and all we hear is how great the PAC 12 is. PAC 12 has been exposed for the fraud they are.
 

maplesyrup95

All-Conference
Nov 26, 2014
1,675
1,064
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During the selection show, Charles Barkley was so high on the PAC 12...Arizona, Cal, USC, etc. and at that very moment I knew how much that conference (except for Oregon and Utah, top 2 teams) would lose in this tournament. Big 10 has absolutely laid an egg so far.
 

Redscarlet

All-American
Jun 17, 2001
30,984
8,608
113
During the selection show, Charles Barkley was so high on the PAC 12...Arizona, Cal, USC, etc. and at that very moment I knew how much that conference (except for Oregon and Utah, top 2 teams) would lose in this tournament. Big 10 has absolutely laid an egg so far.


Barkley doesn't know crap Ola about college basketball teams..... Stick to the NBA Chucky.
 
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schuele

All-American
Apr 17, 2005
21,124
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Yale with a nice second-half comeback against Duke. Hope they can keep it going.
 

newAD

All-American
Oct 14, 2007
15,429
5,006
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It pains me to root for Coach Scream/Harbaugh's brother-in-law, but against UK, I'll suffer. Tight game here at the end.
 
Sep 23, 2005
18,868
3,619
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ACC looking good.

PAC12 and SEC looking like trash.

Wichita St was an 11 seed because they had an unremarkable season. Some even wondered if they should have made the tournament. Utah was really their only decent non-conference win and the MVC is really weak. There is no shame in losing to N. Iowa twice, but that leaves them with only one notable conference win to go along with Utah. Their RPI was 47 so it seems about right. People think of them as better than that because they have Baker, Van Fleet, etc and know what they have done the previous seasons, but that doesn't really apply to this year, fair or not.

I know no team is immune to upsets, but Michigan St/Izzo just seemed like 'Least likely..' especially with Valentine usually being so clutch.
 

newAD

All-American
Oct 14, 2007
15,429
5,006
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Ben Jacobsen could be getting a big pay offer from someone. Seconds from slaying the 2 Texas giants in 2 games.
 

Hoosker Du

All-American
Dec 11, 2001
44,018
5,171
0
I thought it was a 12 point lead, with 34 seconds left. How on earth does that happen???