2024-25 College Basketball Thread

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Sun Nov 03, 2024 8:55 am

The last piece of the best months in sports enters the chat as the college hoops season gets underway tomorrow. Many games on the docket for Day 1 but the highlight, #8 Baylor vs #6 Gonzaga, doesn't tip until 11:30 ET on the deuce. Yeah, thanks, I'll be watching on DVR while I work on Tuesday morning.

Good luck to all my fellow hoop heads. Put it here and go Friars!

Post by **dodint** » Sun Nov 03, 2024 9:14 am

College basketball is still five months away.

Post by **willeyeam** » Sun Nov 03, 2024 10:37 am

Go Zips

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Sun Nov 03, 2024 10:39 pm

The media that covers my conference was nice enough to name Towson as the preseason favorite in the CAA. They obviously forget our tendency to mess those things up.

It'll be fun spending the first couple of weeks trying to figure out which new faces are on the big-name teams. The transfer portal really makes it difficult to figure out who's gonna be really good with players returning, etc.

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Tue Nov 05, 2024 1:02 am

Ya know, @RonnieFranchise, there's no shame in losing to the Blue Devils but not when it's the Central Connecticut Blue Devils. Fortunately, your Friars figured it out in the last 7 minutes and locked them up on defense.

Meanwhile, great night for the SEC:

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Tue Nov 05, 2024 11:29 am

Orlando Penguin wrote: ↑Tue Nov 05, 2024 1:02 am Ya know, @RonnieFranchise, there's no shame in losing to the Blue Devils but not when it's the Central Connecticut Blue Devils. Fortunately, your Friars figured it out in the last 7 minutes and locked them up on defense.

Meanwhile, great night for the SEC:

They sucked last night. I’m hoping it’s just a learning process of working together as a new team because “these transfers suck” would be very bad. Big they got out of St. Joes was handing the ball to CCSU like he had a blue jock on. Miami transter Bensley Joseph was good and saved the day.

Post by **Shyster** » Sun Nov 10, 2024 2:12 am

The charter flight carrying the Auburn basketball team had to declare an emergency and land because players were fighting each other.

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Sun Nov 10, 2024 8:34 am

Didn’t seem to bother the team as they toppled Houston, a team that can be very horrid to watch on offense.

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Sun Nov 10, 2024 9:09 am

Here's a good story about Anton Bonke, 7'2" 260# Center for the Friars, from Vanuatu. Didn't play till he was 15, played in his first organized game last year, now he's in the Big East. Not sure if they tricked him into thinking Rhode Island was some nice tropical location between Fiji and Hawai'i or what

https://www.golocalprov.com/sports/Anto ... o-PC-Kevin

Had his first game action yesterday in a blowout of Stonehill. The center we got from St. Joe's has been awful against two NEC teams, and we're starting a true Freshman, so one of the three had better come around quickly.

Post by **meow** » Wed Nov 20, 2024 11:34 am

My cousin plays on UNC-W. A few years ago, I would have jumped on a plan yesterday to see that game in Kansas

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Wed Nov 27, 2024 10:21 am

UConn with a couple early losses in Maui. Danny Hurley behaved like a petulant child. Shocker.

I want to be happy about it but in March this becomes a down year for the Big East and only getting 4 bids and PC in next 4 out. Book it.

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Wed Nov 27, 2024 1:09 pm

Big East according to OP:

UConn - good as usual
X - decent
Creighton - pretty good but Ashworth injury showed their lack of depth beyond Isaacs and Kalk
Butler - a bit above average
Providence - probably needs one more guy to step up as Hopkins can only take them so far
Nova - not great and likely a mid-pack team
GTown - very blah right now
Seton Hall - should get better players with its location but for whatever reason hasn’t
St John’s - fun to watch but a touch brainless in crucial spots
DePaul - great pick for their new coach and will pull a number of upsets. Don’t sleep on them.

Post by **shafnutz05** » Wed Nov 27, 2024 8:10 pm

Hoosiers... Yikes

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Thu Nov 28, 2024 10:13 am

UConn swept out of the Maui Invitational. Lost to Dayton by 18.

Post by **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Thu Nov 28, 2024 10:38 am

I’m sure Hurley will handle this with grace and composure

Post by **shafnutz05** » Thu Nov 28, 2024 11:33 am

MrKennethTKangaroo wrote: ↑Thu Nov 28, 2024 10:38 am I’m sure Hurley will handle this with grace and composure

That's gonna be a long flight back. 0-3 to start the year, they won't even be ranked next week lol

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Fri Nov 29, 2024 1:00 pm

Friars are done. Swept out of Atlantis tourney. Hopkins was allegedly ready for the tournament but didn’t even dress. Three young bigs who can’t score in the post. PGs look like they have no confidence. When they’re not turning it over they’re missing layups. Everybody just standing around. Not sure I’m as sold on Kim English as I was last year.

Post by **willeyeam** » Fri Nov 29, 2024 7:18 pm

Post by **DigitalGypsy66** » Wed Dec 04, 2024 4:57 am

Big home W for Clemson over #4 Kentucky. Pretty good first college basketball game for DG Jr. I told him not to get used to that sort of thing

Post by **shafnutz05** » Wed Dec 18, 2024 9:07 pm

Seeing Doug Gottlieb fail miserably as a coach brings a tear to my eye.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... -u-comment

One week after Doug Gottlieb referred to weaker potential opponents as "Nobody U," his Green Bay men's basketball team lost to Division II Michigan Tech, 72-70, on Wednesday for its eighth consecutive defeat.

In a news conference last week after the Phoenix's loss to Milwaukee, Gottlieb explained his scheduling outlook and used the now-infamous "Nobody U" phrase.

"Part of the reason I want to play better teams is like, it's 2 degrees outside, it's snowing. I don't really like the idea of Nobody U coming in here," he said. "What do we learn playing a game where we win by 20? There's a methodology to it and I'm going to have to adjust moving forward.

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Sun Jan 05, 2025 11:11 pm

Went to a game today that I thought was going to be a tight one and it ended up being the 2nd-worst margin of victory in any game I've been to, including games I played in HS. 99-48. A clinic in bouncing back from a home loss by Kansas and a clinic in inept shooting by UCF.

Meanwhile, Providence has UCONN on the ropes at Gampel at half and unravels in the 2nd half. I know the Friars still don't have Hopkins but that's an opportunity Providence has to capitalize on.

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Sun Jan 05, 2025 11:18 pm

Meh. We’re not going anywhere this year. I’m not souring on English yet but his portal crop just is not panning out.

UConn would have been a nice notch on our belt for sure though. I didn’t watch, didn’t want it to bring me down from the Commanders game.

Post by **RonnieFranchise** » Sat Jan 25, 2025 2:50 pm

In the middle of a .500 at best season, the Friars maintained their perfect record vs Ed Cooley, and maybe that’s gonna have to be good enough for this year.

Post by **willeyeam** » Sat Jan 25, 2025 3:11 pm

Go Zips

Post by **Orlando Penguin** » Sat Jan 25, 2025 11:29 pm

Halfway thru conference season progress report coming very soon...

(as soon as I get my brain off all the golf I watched this week)