2022-2023 College Hoops

Postby **willeyeam** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 2:47 pm

Oregon for some reason was great

Postby **count2infinity** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 2:50 pm

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:36 pm

Alright, here we go. The night where I'll shed a tear or two during One Shining Moment not because the video is so beautiful but because it'll be 7 months until I get to see my favorite sport again. So which way will this one go?

A case for UCONN -- They've freight trained the field harder than @mikey at a sorority party, averaging a 20+ point margin of victory per game. They've got weapons all over the floor and don't really have a weakness offensively. They get down and dirty on defense and have taken every Tournament opponent out of what they do best. They're undefeated in the non-conference portion of their schedule (how good was the Big East this year if they had 8 losses there?). Why even play this game if the same result is going to happen?

A case for San Diego State -- They have the size to neutralize Sanogo and Clingan on the inside and potentially get them in foul trouble. They're undefeated when they outrebound their opponent (the final def. rebound against FAU gave them a 1-rebound edge). They will guard down and dirty and make it as physical a game as the officials will allow and keep UCONN's shooters from getting the clean looks that they thrive on. Somebody different will step up for a big offensive game -- first round it was Bradley, next couple of games it was Trammell or Parrish, Butler got the gamewinner on Saturday night -- maybe tonight it's Ledee or Mensah on the inside? Nobody believes in them as every expert I've seen is picking UCONN.

The difference -- Defense might travel but UCONN has too many weapons that can overcome that defense. If both teams go in a shooting slump, UCONN is the better-equipped team to score enough points to win. But if the Aztecs shoot better than 45% in this game, they may pull the upset. No team has won the national championship as a bigger underdog since UCONN in 1999 (two words -- F Duke). While I also go with the crowd that says UCONN will win, I feel like the Aztecs keep it within the number. Another interesting stat -- UCONN 0-4 in games decided by 5 or less while SDSU is 10-1. I hope we get to see a quality game with good officiating and one that comes down to the last 2 minutes.

Pick -- UCONN to win, SDSU to cover the 7.

Postby **dodint** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:16 pm

9:15pm and they're doing player intros.

Nah.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:21 pm

9:15pm and they're doing player intros.

Nah.

Hate it, every year I look forward to it and it's so damn late. That said, kind of a necessity I guess with California invested

Great writeup @Orlando Penguin, tonight has the makings of a disappointing game IMO but I hope I'm wrong. The tournament has been incredible, it feels overdue for a letdown, and I can see UCONN running away with it. That said, SDSU winning would cap off the best tournament in history

Postby **count2infinity** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:23 pm

Holy sh*t… the game just started??? Pass. I don’t even know if I’ll make it much longer watching the buccos.

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:31 pm

Yeah, it sucks that it's such a late tip every damn year but they gotta get that West Coast audience in there. No fun with a 6am wakeup call tomorrow but I can sleep next week when I'm off.

Postby **willeyeam** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:32 pm

We sleep in May

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:33 pm

oh come on you weiners. It won’t end any later than typical Monday Night Football games

Postby **count2infinity** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:34 pm

People still stay up for MNF?

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:42 pm

how else am I gonna watch the Titans lose by two scores to the Niners?

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:52 pm

UConn’s gonna win by 20

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:57 pm

UConn’s gonna win by 20

Yeah

Postby **Ad@m** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:03 pm

**** this game!

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:03 pm

SDSU lobbing up bricks like it's going out of style

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:05 pm

Wanna know why layups are hard? Because players look too much for the contact rather than just attacking the rim. SDSU has a wide open breakout and the guy slows down to worry about the defender and misses the layup.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:15 pm

Dan Hurley seems likable

Postby **shafnutz05** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:16 pm

Wanna know why layups are hard? Because players look too much for the contact rather than just attacking the rim. SDSU has a wide open breakout and the guy slows down to worry about the defender and misses the layup.

Yep. Just poor.

Postby **willeyeam** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:17 pm

Dan Hurley seems likable

Much more likeable than his lunatic brother Bobby

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:04 pm

Biggest difference has been that UCONN's defense has been better at limiting SDSU's effectiveness. Aztecs are getting looks but they've just been clanking them. It's incredibly frustrating to see them continue to get to the lane or the rim and they either try for contact and toss up a miss or fade away and get nothing on it. That's just good, intimidating defense against a team not known for shooting great.

Postby **willeyeam** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:20 pm

Onions!

Postby **willeyeam** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:21 pm

Uconn's post defense win this game for them, assuming they hold on. SDSU is afraid to put anything up from the paint

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:21 pm

why doesn’t every time simply get a 7’2” backup center?

Postby **Ad@m** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:26 pm

Danny goddamn Hurley is gonna win a title.

Postby **Orlando Penguin** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:27 pm

And that's the game. SDSU bricks the front end of a 1 and 1 coming out of the timeout to get it back to 6, UCONN gets 2 buckets and SDSU takes two panicked 3's. UCONN's bigs were just way too much for SDSU and unlike all the other teams that the Aztecs came back against, UCONN wasn't going to allow them to get offensive rebounds.