2024 March Madness NCAA Tournament

Duke locked down the perimeter after Shead went down. They knew we had no ability to penetrate. LJ tried but he just isn't a true PG. The only thing that worked offensively was Roberts in the post. Dunn, Walker, and Sharp were just hot dog barf from the field. Especially Dunn, his shot selection is always so terrible.

It makes me so angry when a team that has such little room for error offensively misses half its free throws. How and why Kelvin lets that **** slide I have no idea.

 

Big12 was terrible.

Texas and TCU played to their seed. (TCU couldn't underperform as a 9 seed)
Houston, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, BYU, and Texas Tech lost early.
No one played above their seed

Adding in next year's teams, Arizona lost early. Colorado played above their seed.

For all the talk about building a vaunted basketball conference, this was less than impressive. Meanwhile the ACC has 3 out of 4 teams left with all of those playing above their seed (UNC did not).

 

This was a winnable game even without Shed (I still get sick of my stomach when I think about his injury). The Cougars started so strong, then they couldn't throw it in the ocean. And all those missed free throws. I thought Cryer would shine, but he seemed really shaken after Shed went down, they all did. Sharp was "missing in action" the whole game, and the missed three at the end could have sent it into OT. For all their rugged defensive prowess, the Cougars seldom have had real sharp shooters. And good shooters make free throws. Duke had both size and shooters. I thought this was the team that was going to win it all and a rematch with NCState would have been special.

 

Sharp got one clean look all game. They simply did not leave the perimeter. And once Shead went out the threat of a drive and kick just evaporated.

Sampson's Achilles heel is always his dependence on one or two players to drive his entire offense and it once again bit him in the ass.

With 10 minutes left in the game we should have just dove at the bucket like madmen and hope for whistles. Like A&M did.

 

FWIW, this is true of most college basketball teams. Take Edey off of Purdue or Filipowski off Duke or the best player off of most teams, and they probably aren't winning most games against other elite healthy teams. Take a star PG off of most NBA teams and their offense isn't going to look very good either. Even more so if it happens mid-game.

 

UConn beating the snot out of Illinois. Just give them the trophy and save time.

 

I'm hoping Purdue wins it
NC State or Tennessee winning would be ok too

Uconn, Bama, and Duke fans are insufferable

 

Edey owned that game. And in the critical moment jacked Knects attempt into the stands. Fun watch with two ncaa superstars knocking heads all game.

 

I'm a Purdue grad and remember them in the Final Four back in 1980.

This was great to watch. Their backcourt is still too small, cautious and unathletic to compete with UConn but I'm hoping they win one more game after today to get the chance.

It's really sad they won't face UH next week in a semifinal.

 

Really difficult to watch this Duke NCST game and not think about what if

 

Refrigerator Perry vs Yao Ming in the final four, my poetic cinema!!

 

For some reason, I skipped the rest of the games this weekend.

But I'll be back for the Final Four

 

Unfortunately, I think NC State has a very good chance of beating Purdue.

Purdue's guards are still mostly small, skinny, unathletic weakfish that NC State can capitalize on and it goes without saying Zach Edey won't be able to back down DJ Burns.

 

NC State has a rabbit's foot up it's ass once again, like 1983

 

For what it worth, here is my take. Purdue and UConn will be in the finals and UConn wins it all, again. NCState and Alabama are chopped liver. I know I am a UH grad and hardly neutral, but I think had Shed not gotten hurt UH would be in the Final Four. However, though they might have gotten through Purdue, I don't think they beat UConn. Oh well, we will never know, not this year.

 

Zero surprise Duke lost. The fact they struggled to beat a heavily wounded Coogs squad exposed their lack of prowess.

It also reinforces the sentiment they would've lost had Shead not gotten injured because they lost handily the very next round.

 

NCState "could be" leading by a large margin, but they can't "throw it in the ocean."