The Official 2006 NCAA Tournament thread

[Easy Mac]

I just crunched the numbers, its all right there.

[JW]

The great mystery to me remains how Tennessee got a #2 seed over both SEC champion LSU and Florida. I saw Tennessee play LSU in Baton Rouge back in February, and LSU beat them 88-74 despite turning the ball over 27 times, including 17 in the first half. Yeah, that's nearly a turnover a minute in the first half, and LSU still led at the half.

And having LSU and Florida in the final four does not surprise me. The tournament was very balanced with lots of good teams capable of making a run. A common theme of LSU and Florida is they both have outstanding inside games and great defense. That has trumped outside shooting so far in the tournament.

[MJ4H]

Originally Posted by JW

The great mystery to me remains how Tennessee got a #2 seed over both SEC champion LSU and Florida.

No mystery. The committee did the worst job of seeding the tournament I've ever seen.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Philliesfan980

I don't see why George Mason is being written off. They beat some solid teams in the past two weeks. Even though I'm hating on Florida, Nova's had this loss coming for awhile. They haven't shot the ball well in about a month.

Agreed - I don't see much difference between any of the final four teams. Last year, Illinois and UNC were head and shoulders above the other teams. This year, it's very up in the air.

[Logan]

Is it wrong that as a Rutgers fan, I had absolutely no interest in seeing the BE teams in UConn and Nova reach the FF?

[panerd]

Originally Posted by Logan

Is it wrong that as a Rutgers fan, I had absolutely no interest in seeing the BE teams in UConn and Nova reach the FF?

Not at all. I am a Mizzou fan and love when KU and OU and Texas get knocked out of the tournament. I am not a big believer in the cheer for the conference idea. Do Cubs fans cheer for the Cardinals? Yankee fans for the Red Sox?

[MJ4H]

I love rooting for the SEC. The other SEC teams feel like brothers to my team. I understand the hated rivals thing, but I don't feel it towards SEC members. Maybe it has something to do with Arkansas upgrading to the SEC from a much worse conference (the old SWC). Not sure.

[Logan]

I guess it would depend on the teams. Like I wouldn't have had any trouble rooting for G'Town, Pitt, West Va, etc.

[Philliesfan980]

Originally Posted by Logan

I guess it would depend on the teams. Like I wouldn't have had any trouble rooting for G'Town, Pitt, West Va, etc.

Agreed. I could have rooted for almost anyone in the Big East except UConn.

[LloydLungs]

Originally Posted by panerd

I am not a big believer in the cheer for the conference idea. Do Cubs fans cheer for the Cardinals? Yankee fans for the Red Sox?

But it doesn't help the Cubs when the Cardinals win. In college hoops, the more wins your conference mates get, the better your RPI will be and the more tourney money your school will get. So from a practical standpoint it makes sense to hope your conference teams win their nonconference games.

The fans in the SEC are a weird lot, though. I'm not sure I understand the chanting of the league name in arenas, which is a unique thing to the SEC. As a UNO fan I root for other Sun Belt teams to do well out of conference, but it's strictly business. I'm not real fond of many of those teams.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by LloydLungs

But it doesn't help the Cubs when the Cardinals win. In college hoops, the more wins your conference mates get, the better your RPI will be and the more tourney money your school will get. So from a practical standpoint it makes sense to hope your conference teams win their nonconference games.

The fans in the SEC are a weird lot, though. I'm not sure I understand the chanting of the league name in arenas, which is a unique thing to the SEC. As a UNO fan I root for other Sun Belt teams to do well out of conference, but it's strictly business. I'm not real fond of many of those teams.

Actually, the SEC chant is not just in the SEC. ACC fans have been known to chant "A-C-C! A-C-C!", especially during things like the Big 10 challenge. Me personally, I also do like for the ACC to do as well as possible, but UNC and Duke can get bumped off after they help the ACC claim chunks of the Sweet 16 or Final 4 again for all I care. I'd rather someone else, anyone else, win a national title, though I will consider it if they're playing someone like UConn or some other OOC team I have little affection for.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

Actually, the SEC chant is not just in the SEC. ACC fans have been known to chant "A-C-C! A-C-C!", especially during things like the Big 10 challenge.

Thanks, you beat me to the same comment, so I'll just back you up on it instead.

[timmynausea]

I'm a Big East fan, and I wasn't rooting for the conference teams today. How could you root against George Mason?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

To quote myself, that is easily the worst conference RPI's dating back to 1999 (the earliest I could find the RPI).

Also, this will be the 8th consecutive season where a conference has at least two teams in the final 4.

This is the first time an SEC team has been in the final 4 since 2000, and the first time its had 2 teams in the final 4 since 1996. UCLA is the first PAC 10 team in the final four since 2001. i don't feel like researching the CAA.

CAA has never had a team in the Final Four. Last time two teams from truly outsider conferences made the tournament..was when Indiana State (Larry Legend's squad) and Penn both made it 1979.

I mean, I guess this is why they play the games. The CAA stands to make a nice payout from this run though, no doubt.

[Young Drachma]

Current results of an ESPN Poll:

Who Will Win the National Championship
(68,657 voting)
LSU 33%
George Mason 28%
UCLA 19%
Florida 19%

[Mustang]

Of course GMU is going to win.

ESPN needs a new movie and Barry Pepper (starring as Larranaga) needs work...

[Celeval]

I know this is generally a men's thread, but the Connecticut-Georgia womens game is incredible right now.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Of course GMU is going to win.

ESPN needs a new movie and Barry Pepper (starring as Larranaga) needs work...

LOL..

That's true.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Celeval

I know this is generally a men's thread, but the Connecticut-Georgia womens game is incredible right now.

That is how every NCAA tournament game, mens or womens, should play out and should end. Unbelievable game.

[JeeberD]

George fuckin' Mason...are you kidding me? I damn near drove my car off the road when I heard the result on my home from work. I SOOOO wish that I could have seen that game.

I'll be rooting GMU on the rest of the tournament. Do us mid-majors proud!

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Current results of an ESPN Poll:

Who Will Win the National Championship
(68,657 voting)
LSU 33%
George Mason 28%
UCLA 19%
Florida 19%

I got busy, so I didn't get my bracket done in time to make it official. That said. I think I might not be too bad off for having missed the opportunity.

I had a final four of
Duke
Washington
UCLA
Villanova

I have UCLA losing in the semis, so the only team I have alive can't earn any more points.

Last Thursday I went on, saying how lucky the folks in the office pool were that I hadn't gotten my bracket done in time.

[CraigSca]

It was nice to see the little guy win, but it still kinda torques me off that one of the guys on George Mason punched a player from Hofstra in their conference tournament. Almost like rooting for Marcus Vick

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Outside of any GMU fans? Probably no...

This guys bracket is leading the ESPN bracket contest:

hxxp://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/entry?entryID=3019864

[Shkspr]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

It was nice to see the little guy win, but it still kinda torques me off that one of the guys on George Mason punched a player from Hofstra in their conference tournament. Almost like rooting for Marcus Vick

Like you've never wanted to punch anyone who went to Hofstra.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

It was nice to see the little guy win, but it still kinda torques me off that one of the guys on George Mason punched a player from Hofstra in their conference tournament. Almost like rooting for Marcus Vick

Did he get suspended or anything?

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Did he get suspended or anything?

For the Michigan State game (first of the NCAAs).

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

This guys bracket is leading the ESPN bracket contest:

hxxp://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/entry?entryID=3019864

That is a pretty amazing bracket. I realize that you are going to get many different combinations of picks with over a million entries, but why would anyone pick George Mason and three other non-#1 seeds?

[molson]

Originally Posted by BrianD

That is a pretty amazing bracket. I realize that you are going to get many different combinations of picks with over a million entries, but why would anyone pick George Mason and three other non-#1 seeds?

4 out of 1.5 million entries at ESPN got the the final four right.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sport...ory?id=2385599

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by molson

4 out of 1.5 million entries at ESPN got the the final four right.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sport...ory?id=2385599

4 out of over 3 million is what the article says.

[Ragone]

you know.. i think i'll be alright with whoever wins the final four.. as long as its not ucla..

Go Lsu or George Mason

[Joe]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

It was nice to see the little guy win, but it still kinda torques me off that one of the guys on George Mason punched a player from Hofstra in their conference tournament. Almost like rooting for Marcus Vick

It wasn't just a punch. Tony Skinn punched the Hofstra dude in the groin.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by George W Bush

It wasn't just a punch. Tony Skinn punched the Hofstra dude in the groin.

Let's backup a sec...

You guys are judging Skinn by ONE PLAY of his entire 4 year career...

As someone who has watched him and his teammates play for four years (not a GMU fan, but a fan of W&M who is in the same conference and GMU is around the corner form where I grew up)...

Skinn is a standup guy. He is not Marcus Vick. He is not a guy who did something terrible in a long string of terrible things.

He made a HUGE mistake in the heat of a game in which he was constantly frustrated at his team's inability to beat Hofstra, which they figured would mean no NCAA bid. He apologized right away and fully owned up to what he did. The coach immediately yanked him from the game and suspended him for the next game, even knowing it might cost them a bid to the NCAA's, or if they got in, they'd be without their #2 scorer for the first round.

Anyway. Was it stupid? Yes. Was it a sign of a dirty player or a bad guy? Definately no.

There is no problem rooting for this team, you cannot let one mistake by one player soil the whole team.

[wade moore]

Oh, and as for the CAA.. the best they have done is Navy getting into the Elite 8 when David Robinson was there and Navy was in the CAA.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I won my office tournament pool. It's only $60, but it's still good to be a champion. The victory is a bit pathetic, however. I won because I was the only person to have correctly picked ONE of the final four teams: Florida. Shameful.

[Butter]

Can George Mason win the whole fuckin' thing? YES. They beat Michigan State and North Carolina in rounds 1 & 2, 2 teams that many people had penciled in for the Final 8, frankly. Not to mention beating the supposed team of destiny in UConn... the team that Rece Davis jokingly called the "NBA Futures" squad after the loss. And it's not like they fluked into the UConn win... they outrebounded them, and just hit clutch shot after clutch shot... and were able to dodge that sure-to-go-in last second 3 from Denham Brown.

Will they win it all? No. I was wondering before the tournament when one of these teams as a 10-13 would make a run and just smoke everybody, a la Mizzou in the 2002 tourney (until they hit a wall in the Final 8).... and I just don't think this team is it. Florida will wear them out finally.

But it would warm my heart to see that arrogant fuck Noah weeping into his Gator Boy uniform and to see the Pats in the final game. How high would the ratings be for LSU-George Mason? That would be ABSOLUTELY HUGE.

[ice4277]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I won my office tournament pool. It's only $60, but it's still good to be a champion. The victory is a bit pathetic, however. I won because I was the only person to have correctly picked ONE of the final four teams: Florida. Shameful.

It's always better to win ugly than lose pretty.

[MrBug708]

From the Times
---------------------------
Memphis Coach John Calipari, appearing on FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Wednesday, discussed how he prepared his players for the NCAA tournament.

"We practiced cutting down the nets," he said. "I told them they were going to be cutting down nets for a while, so let me show you how to do it."

"I had them go up and cut one string and wave it. There was no one in the building but us."

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

From the Times
---------------------------
Memphis Coach John Calipari, appearing on FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Wednesday, discussed how he prepared his players for the NCAA tournament.

"We practiced cutting down the nets," he said. "I told them they were going to be cutting down nets for a while, so let me show you how to do it."

"I had them go up and cut one string and wave it. There was no one in the building but us."

Hmm...this is one of those things that sounds good if you win, but if you lose, you're ridiculed. If Memphis had won the tournament, doubtless the tone would have read more like "Calipari got his players to believe that they could win. It may have seemed arrogant to some, but it gave the team focus and direction" or some such thing. Instead, they lose, and this comes out more as presumptuous and ignoring what needs to be done on the court during the game rather than after it.

[st.cronin]

I absolutely believe George Mason can win. They haven't gotten lucky at all; they've gone out and beaten some very, very good teams.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I absolutely believe George Mason can win. They haven't gotten lucky at all; they've gone out and beaten some very, very good teams.

Totally agree. they beat the lowest team they faced handily, they withstood a big opening run by UNC and absolutely picked them apart with an efficient offense in the 2nd half, they let UConn get them to OT and still kept their poise and outplayed them for 5 more minutes. These aren't things that traditional low seeds do. Your average 11 seed may be alright, and may play an inspired game or two, but will usually crack in the face of adversity against the bigger team. George Mason has faced a bunch of adversity and has fought back every time.

[hoopsguy]

George Mason coach just busted out limericks in the pre-game speech. Is it possible he was also reading the Maximum Football thread?

[Young Drachma]

I really hope George Mason pulls this off.

About Florida, are they truly as complete as everyone says? I mean, weren't they playing poorly in the beginning of the tournament? Are they the best team that George Mason has faced in this tournament to date?

[Young Drachma]

CBS seems really hellbent on having Mason lose so they can stop talking about them.

[Tigercat]

Florida has played well during this whole tourny, but they have had a number of hickups during the course of the year. I don't see George Mason's little big guys shooting over Noah, and Florida will probably win. But Florida is far from invinsible. If Green isn't shooting lights out and Noah has an off day, they are quite beatable. (I haven't seen Brewer carry this team in one important game all year long, he is talented, but he doesn't seem to really step up on the big stages.)

[hoopsguy]

Florida has looked very impressive when I've seen them in the tournament. They have been able to mix up the inside/outside play effectively and just haven't been rattled. I didn't get to see much of the Georgetown game, so perhaps someone who saw their closest game in the last few weeks has some different thoughts.

[LloydLungs]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

I really hope George Mason pulls this off.

About Florida, are they truly as complete as everyone says? I mean, weren't they playing poorly in the beginning of the tournament? Are they the best team that George Mason has faced in this tournament to date?

Florida had some rough spots during the regular season, but they have been a machine in this tournament. Connecticut is more talented than the Gators, but Florida actually appears to enjoy playing basketball together.

[Young Drachma]

I didn't know Noah was from New York.

[Young Drachma]

I wonder who the crowd is going to favor.

[LloydLungs]

This one's ugly so far rebounding-wise. It's amazing Connecticut's HUGE frontline couldn't do this to GMU, but Florida looks like they should be able to pick rebounds off the offensive glass all night.

[Vince]

Originally Posted by LloydLungs

This one's ugly so far rebounding-wise. It's amazing Connecticut's HUGE frontline couldn't do this to GMU, but Florida looks like they should be able to pick rebounds off the offensive glass all night.

This is the first I've seen of George Mason, but they look like they're not even contesting these rebounds. The Florida squad is much bigger, and has longer arms, but you gotta try at least.