Your BBall picks

[MrBigDawg]

If the season was over right now who would be your Final 4 and maybe your nest four? So the elite 8...

I am looking and trying to decided

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I'll say to look out for these eight teams:

Duke
North Carolina
UCLA
Texas - Lots of Ewing Theory potential.
Wisconsin
Louisville
Georgetown
Xavier

 

[cutbaitdawg]

[No message]

 

[Frances Drebin]

...these days to hate on Memphis because they had the audacity to lose a close game to the #2 team in the country with the #1 RPI. They may get knocked out of the tourney early, just because it could happen to anyone. But it's no more likely to happen to them than to anyone else. They are probably the most talented team in the country.

And no, I'm not a Memphis fan. But I'm a basketball fan, and they are fun to watch.

 

[BlindDawg]

People don't hate on Memphis because they lost to TN. They hate on Memphis because they are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country and play in a fairly soft conference. Given those reasons, I think it is more likely for them to get knocked out of the tourney early than it is for one of the other teams at the top of the polls. Free throw shooting is critical at the end of games especially when you are playing top competition. They are a good team and are fun to watch, but you can't overlook their obvious critical flaws.

 

[Temple of the Dawg]

Quote:_________________________________________________They hate on Memphis because they are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country and play in a fairly soft conference._________________________________________________

People don't hate them b/c they can't shoot FTs. They do hate on them b/c they are in the CUSA. That said, Cal has done a respectable job in getting games with big name OOC opponents. They ran that part of the table undefeated until UT. Cal & the team have no control over their conference. Personally, I think Memphis is over-rated to a degree, but not severely.

From the times I have watched them this season, I could easily see them making a deep run if they get a good draw & just as easily see them getting knocked out by a team that plays smart, disciplined basketball and shoots FT well. The UT game showed that you can get Memphis frustrated and knock them off their game.

 

[Frances Drebin]

Free throw shooting is a flaw, and it could get them. Then aGAIN, it didn't get them against Georgetown, Connecticut, USC, Oklahoma, or Gonzaga. As for the weak conference argument, that's pretty much invalid. Their overall SOS is still very good, and much better than teams like Kansas, Georgetown, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. They've played strong competition, and they've been tested.

Like I said, they may lose, just like Tennessee or North Carolina may lose early. That's why they call it March Madness. But they're also just as likely to go to the final four as those teams are.

 

[Temple of the Dawg]

Quote:_________________________________________________As for the weak conference argument, that's pretty much invalid._________________________________________________

No the weak conference argument is completely valid. The CUSA Conference RPI is currently 10th. That is a weak conference no matter how you slice it. They are one of three CUSA teams with a SOS not in the triple digits. They are one of four CUSA teams with an RPI less than 100 and the other 3 are all over 60. Now, Memphis' personal schedule for its OOC is very strong which is what has balanced out their SOS.

 

[TheCosmoKramer]

Memphis doesn't shoot the 3 particularly well.

Memphis has played good non-conference competition and has been tested. But, I think most of their toughest games have been at home, and they have not been as tested on the road.

What all this means to their tournament chances, I have no idea.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Poor free throw shooting and not great shooting the three are the two things I'm concerned about most with regard to Memphis.

I'm not too concerned about the relative strength of their conference since they do have a good nonconference schedule (#2 RPI versus nonconference teams). That being said, I wish they played more on the road in November and December than the three games in NYC and at Middle Tennessee and Cincinnati.

Edited to clarify last sentence.

 

[Frances Drebin]

...that their conference was good. Clearly, it sucks. But they have offset it with strong OOC opponents, to the point that saying their tournament play will be affected by their conference schedule just doesn't fly. They are battle-tested, playing strong teams out of the conference, including on neutral courts, which is what the tournament will be like.

Now, if we were talking about Drake, I would agree with you.

 

[Temple of the Dawg]

we are in agreement, we were just phrasing it differently. Memphis is in a suck *** conference, but they have more than made up for it by playing a very strong OOC schedule. I have never said that their tourney play would be affected by their conf schedule, just that their conf is weak. I think playing UT this late in the season was a good thing for them as well (win or lose) simply because it gave them an opportunity to play real competition again relatively close to tourney time.