2018-19 College Hoops Thread

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:09 pm

Last night I doubled the amount of college bball I've watched the entire year by watching 10 minutes of Gonzaga/Florida St. Do teams even post up anymore? The amount of 3s they were chucking was ridiculous. I purposely watched to see if a big man would post up, and maybe on 2 trips did I see it. The entire play was on the perimeter. It's either drive to the hoop for an easy look/pass back out to an open man for a 3, run picks for a 3, or shoot a Steph Curry-distance 3. Is this college bball today, or was this game an outlier?

The game is very perimeter-based now. There's a ton of ball screens now on defenders and you don't see as good of ball movement as you used to see. Guys would rather kick it out for a 3 rather than take a layup with one extra dribble and no one knows how to pull up and hit an 8-foot jumper, instead plowing into the defender and committing a charge. The days of the back-to-the-basket post guy are dying quickly.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 8:42 pm

Auburn has come storming out of the gates in the second half, on a 14-0 run since the end of the first. Ten point lead.

My Alabama native brother in law has to be happy so far.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 8:45 pm

War Eagle!

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 8:48 pm

This might be Gonzaga's year.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:06 pm

Auburn is hitting everything right now. What a run

Postby **offsides** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:29 pm

Yeah, I thought UNC would move on, and as usual I'm wrong. One of the main reasons I do no sport betting.

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:46 pm

I guess that Carolina loss means the end of our basketball 'expert' on this thread. Good riddance.

Not much you can do when a team like Auburn just hits everything in the 2nd half. But Carolina did a really poor job of taking what Auburn was giving them in the lane and resorted to trying to match them 3 for 3. That's unfortunately where the game has gone nowadays as Carolina not taking those shots in the lane may have ended up killing them.

Postby **willeyeam** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 11:47 pm

Zion isn't fair. He's Jon Dowd

Postby **RonnieFranchise** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 12:02 am

Eff Duke.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 12:03 am

War Eagle!

You’re not fooling anyone Ned.

Postby **RonnieFranchise** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 12:15 am

Eff Kentucky too

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 6:45 am

Zion isn't fair. He's Jon Dowd

Quality pull

Postby **shafnutz05** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 7:35 am

Man, Duke barely survived. I agree with what someone else said, really feels like Gonzaga is the only complete top-to-bottom team in the tournament.

Postby **willeyeam** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 7:42 am

Zion isn't fair. He's Jon Dowd
Quality pull

Thank you freddy

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 7:50 am

Man, Duke barely survived. I agree with what someone else said, really feels like Gonzaga is the only complete top-to-bottom team in the tournament.

If they can get by TTech's stifling defense, I think their road actually gets easier. TTech will likely employ a similar method that St. Mary's used in the WCC championship game to beat the Zags but they'll do it better. Zags are going to have to force some things in transition and get a lead early on the Raiders so it doesn't let TTech control tempo.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:42 pm

Man, Duke barely survived. I agree with what someone else said, really feels like Gonzaga is the only complete top-to-bottom team in the tournament.
If they can get by TTech's stifling defense, I think their road actually gets easier. TTech will likely employ a similar method that St. Mary's used in the WCC championship game to beat the Zags but they'll do it better. Zags are going to have to force some things in transition and get a lead early on the Raiders so it doesn't let TTech control tempo.

Welp. Yet another season where the Zags come up short. Was not expecting Texas Tech to make the Final Four by any stretch, hats off to them.

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:24 pm

What a weird Tournament if we end up with Duke, Texas Tech, Purdue, and Auburn in the Final Four.

Postby **willeyeam** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:50 pm

What a weird Tournament if we end up with Duke, Texas Tech, Purdue, and Auburn in the Final Four.

Especially for one that didn't really have many big upsets

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 11:03 pm

This game

Postby **offsides** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 11:11 pm

Two number ones left. Also a 2 and a 3. Should be interesting and I have no idea who will take it all, but I'm picking Virginia.

Postby **willeyeam** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 11:20 pm

UVA pulled that one out of their asses

Postby **NailedPenguin** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 11:26 pm

Virginia losing to a 16 seed and winning it all the next year I could just see that story being written.

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Sat Mar 30, 2019 11:30 pm

If there is one thing to take away from this tournament, it would be deep respect for the talent found on big ten basketball teams

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Sun Mar 31, 2019 7:23 am

Last nite -- Whew, that Purdue-Virginia game was OUTSTANDING. Carsen Edwards just wasn't to be denied. And at the same time, Virginia answering with 3 after 3 in the second half provided such a great back-and-forth thru the final 25 minutes. The play that got the game tied was pretty damn insane -- the second-to-last guy on the floor that should have been taking that shot ends up knocking it down just in the nick of time. But damn, Edwards should have just hung on to the ball at the end of OT and taken it himself (and likely would have gotten fouled when he stepped over halfcourt). I had a really nice 'middle' that was ruined by Cline dropping the ball OB. As for TTech-Gonzaga, for those that think defense in basketball is a dead thing, I give you the Red Raiders. They controlled tempo for the most part and they had an answer for every single Zags move. Too many times, the Zags got 3 and 4-point leads with the ball and forced shots or committed turnovers. And how many times do you see it -- the underdog in the regional final just hangs around and waits and waits and then boom, they hit a couple of clutch shots and the favorite starts pressing and forcing more shots. The way the Zags played when Tech got the lead was exactly how they reacted when St. Mary's hit them in the face in the WCC Championship. Another Mark Few talented team comes up short again.

Today -- I like UK and Duke but if anyone can keep Duke in the halfcourt game and keep them out of the lane, it's Sparty. They just have to watch their foul trouble. I can see Zion getting some calls in there and Sparty running into foul trouble. Not sure if Reddish is playing and Tre Jones probably can't have the same game he had against VA Tech but as we've seen the last two games, Duke just figures out a way. Kentucky has beaten Auburn both times this season (the last time by 27 at Rupp) and with Okeke likely not playing, Washington may have his way inside and I think Kentucky has too many weapons at both ends on the perimeter for Auburn to handle.

Postby **offsides** » Sun Mar 31, 2019 12:33 pm

I wouldn't mind seeing two number ones battle it out for championship. Virginia vs Duke would be interesting.