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Worst opening day of the NCAAT since when?

RoyKent

RoyKent

Heisman
Feb 3, 2015
22,611
32,085
66
I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.
 
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kuhlkat

kuhlkat

All-Conference
Nov 17, 2003
2,936
3,286
98
Explains why my bracket says 98%.
Disappointed in the lack of buzzer beaters
 
B

Butters' Dad

Senior
Jul 23, 2011
543
460
0
JFCats22 said:
I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm at 90% in my bracket still (which is obviously going to change tomorrow.) Not been any real surprises.
 
AFKY_Blue_RedsBengals

AFKY_Blue_RedsBengals

Heisman
Jan 25, 2015
10,433
16,496
113
McNeese State as the 12 over 5 did not shock me at all. Held their own against two SEC teams within 8 points on the road to Alabama and 3 points vs Mississippi State.
 
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A

AJG-15

All-Conference
Apr 8, 2024
1,447
2,473
78
I think with nil money is going to get harder and harder to have small schools , mid major to advance to final 4 like GMU or VCU.

Big East is holding up well.so is Big 10 and Big 12 if we excluding Kansas. ACC and SEC are bleeding out….let’s see what going on tomorrow.
 
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U

UK90

Heisman
Dec 30, 2007
31,460
27,814
0
JFCats22 said:
I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.
Click to expand...
Probably gonna see more of this in this new transfer portal/NIL era.

It’s harder to have those first round cindarella upsets in an era when the big boys poach all the best mid major talent each off season.
 
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K

KYExtemper

All-Conference
Mar 6, 2013
4,471
4,618
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UK90 said:
Probably gonna see more of this in this new transfer portal/NIL era.

It’s harder to have those first round cindarella upsets in an era when the big boys poach all the best mid major talent each off season.
Click to expand...
Yeah and I think this will eventually kill enthusiasm and support for athletics at the lower levels. Hard to get fan support when you are being raided every year and struggle to compete.
 
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LineSkiCat14

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,319
59,953
113
It was pretty uneventful. The later games were a little more solid. But not a whole lot of mayhem outside of Drake and McNeese
 
Son_Of_Saul

Son_Of_Saul

Heisman
Dec 7, 2007
44,446
94,723
113
UK90 said:
Probably gonna see more of this in this new transfer portal/NIL era.

It’s harder to have those first round cindarella upsets in an era when the big boys poach all the best mid major talent each off season.
Click to expand...
This is the most insightful post in the thread.

People want to cite the San Diego State/Florida Atlantic 2023 Final Four appearances as evidence that the mid majors will compete gong forward, but they forget that the NCAA didn't pass the full-on portal allowances until 2021.

Mid-majors are going to be cooked going forward now that everyone is used to the system of poaching. You might have a few mid-major teams sneak into the Sweet Sixteen with guys who were massively under the radar, but that will become rarer and rarer once players are essentially targeted early on in their mid-major careers. Retaining those guys by their junior or senior year will go the way of the dinosaur.

Ultimately, it will make an already unwatchable sport (thanks the inconsistent referee whistles) become even more unbearable to stomach with the absence of upsets in the first weekend.
 
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U

UK90

Heisman
Dec 30, 2007
31,460
27,814
0
KYExtemper said:
Yeah and I think this will eventually kill enthusiasm and support for athletics at the lower levels. Hard to get fan support when you are being raided every year and struggle to compete.
Click to expand...
Yeah, we’ve basically turned the mid majors into just a farm system for the power conferences. The minor leagues where players start out until they’re ready to be called up to the majors.

It’s a lot harder for fans to maintain rooting enthusiasm for a school they know is now being viewed that way.
 
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O

Old Blue Fart

All-Conference
Mar 23, 2014
1,568
4,041
76
People see things differently; is the glass half full or half empty?
Agree the games were sort of bland but maybe the selection committee got things right the first day in seeding?

On a positive note; with Arky winning a game in the NCAA shows their coach isn't totally washed up. On the bad side of that, once I came to accept they will not allow a tie, I found myself pulling for the Chokehawks for once.
 
U

UK90

Heisman
Dec 30, 2007
31,460
27,814
0
Son_Of_Saul said:
People want to cite the San Diego State/Florida Atlantic 2023 Final Four appearances as evidence that the mid majors will compete gong forward, but they forget that the NCAA didn't pass the full-on portal allowances until 2021.
Click to expand...
And isn’t it telling that several of the best players for that season’s SDSU and FAU teams are still playing in this years tounament (Butler, Davis, Goldin, etc.). Except now they’re playing for schools like Kentucky, Arkansas and Michigan.
 
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C

CatEye2010

All-American
Jan 5, 2010
6,188
6,756
73
So, SEC= 4-3 so far.

Big Ten= 4-0; all were higher seeds.

Today (friday) same thing. SEC has 5 higher seeds, 2 lower, Big Ten=all 4 are higher seeds.

So all 8 Big Ten teams were higher (favorites) seeds.
 
C

Cats192

Heisman
Apr 22, 2011
14,638
17,057
93
Definitely felt blah.

I worry that upsets are going to be a little less frequent. Obviously McNeese did their thing. SDSU was close. Hopefully we'll see some today.

But the transfer portal being what it is--with no sit out requirement--Power schools are going to keep pillaging the mid majors.

NIL: Older guys are going to come back for another year or 2. And there's just more money at the power schools.

We're going to see the talent more and more consolidated at the Power schools. And I worry we're going to see less guys blow up in March for their mid major school.
 
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B

Blueworld_3.0

Heisman
Sep 23, 2008
14,060
11,150
113
The first round was pretty blah. ACC is exactly who we thought they were. UNCheat shouldn't even have been in the tournament. Kansas was over-seeded and it doesn't look like UConn will three-peat.
On the positive side...Cats played a horrible game and still won.
 
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Glenn's Take

Heisman
May 20, 2012
12,624
14,809
113
The guys that used to be seniors on the teams pulling the upsets in the past have all now transferred to the schools trying not to be upset. The joy of unlimited free agency.
 
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M

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
14,284
14,121
113
JFCats22 said:
I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.
Click to expand...
Quite simply, there has been no MADNESS !!
 
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