Awesome! What's cool is that my wife and I are in a 53 person pool, and she clinched first place tonight. Even better, I clinched 3rd, with a chance at 2nd if UNC wins on Monday night. Keeping it all in the family....I like that!
UConn only attempted five 3s'. How can they expect to take it inside when they don't open up the floor with 3s'? A.J. Price is just a disaster tonight.
You said the same thing about Kansas against Memphis last year... I'm not sure what to think. Watching the two games today and watching the two teams throughout the tournament, MSU has impressed me more than UNC, without a doubt. With that said, UNC was clearly the better team in the regular season, and the head-to-head result was a blowout, and you have to count that for something. How much? It was early in the season, so not sure... I really wish I could see that game in the next day or so to have a better idea of this. Tentatively, I'll pick Michigan State... subject to change.
This is potentially great championship match up. One team has the clear talent advantage (UNC) while one team has the coaching/execution/intangibles advantage (MSU). I don't care what happened in the regular season. This one is gonna be a great game and I won't be surprised one bit if Michigan State pulls it off.
UNC hasn't even played their best full game. Villanova only got close because UNC got complacent and let them back in. MC is going to get outclassed just because UNC is the much better team. I look forward to watching some good basketball come Monday.
It's hilarious to watch the ESPN line of "UNC hasn't even played their best." And OU and Villanova did? The three-point shooting from UNC opponents in the last two games is around 15%. And no, it's not the UNC defense, which was as sluggish as ever at times this year. It's simply missing shots, as Kellogg said on a couple of occasions last night. I really don't think the talent advantage is all that decided. MSU has great length, great depth (Sutan didn't play in the first UNC/MSU game), good shooters, good defense, good fundamentals... there's a reason they destroyed a Louisville team (in basically a home game for Louisville) that most of you expected was UNC's equal. The more I think about it, the more I think MSU wins this game.
I don't want to hate on your post, and I like Hansbrough as a college player, but I was just thinking, after watching the game with (small) 'Nova, that he will really have trouble in the pros. He has trouble getting his shot off against a small big east team -- he really does, if you're honest about it -- and I just can't see him getting many minutes on the NBA level. I think he made a *great* decision to stay in school and get his degree. He doesn't have Kevin Love's shot or b-ball IQ (that I can tell), and he has Yao's vertical leap, which is not good in non-7'-6" players.
And you will be even more stunned when they beat UNC the whole world will be. They got hot at the right time no one thought they could get this far, but that just show you how hard work pays off because they may not have the best players but they play as hard as anyone. I think the main thing they have to do is stop Lawson maybe not even stop him just make sure he doesn't have a big game if they can do that the game is theres. I'm not even that worry about Hansbrough I think hes so overrated.
I'm just glad that before this college season started I bet my Uncle 20 dollars that Tyler Hansbrough would not be a top 5 pick. Him being a UNC fan clearly made him think wrong.
Most mocks have him going between 25-30 but I'm not sure how accurate those are at this point. I just know he's not sniffing the lottery.
He won't be sniffing much playing time either, except in summer league. Seems like a good guy though and he had a great college career. If it weren't for my feelings about Izzo and the Big Ten, I would want UNC to win.
I was lucky enough to be at ford field last night and will be there again tomorrow night. The atmosphere was incredible. Downtown was packed before and after the games. Its great seeing the D so full of life. Too bad it will turn into a ghost town again once everyone leaves Tuesday morning.
What's hilarious is that you think that an overmatched MSU has a chance to beat the best team in the nation. UNC has been playing great aggressive defense, and the way they spread their scoring and come at you at waves just wears people down. You can't just say, "Oh! Villanova and Oklahoma didn't play their best, it must be because they had an off game!" A lot of it is because they tried to play at UNC's pace and when these teams got into a hole, they started to launch contested 3's and make wild attempts at the basket. These guys simply ran into a superior team, and they admitted as much: I think that Michigan State just doesn't have the guns to stay with UNC on Monday. As long as UNC plays with good effort all throughout the game, as they are capable of doing, MSU will lose.
Regarding UNC, if you keep track of stats on Ken Pomeroy's site, UNC's adjusted efficiency has climbed from 35 before the tournament up to 16 in the nation now. What does that mean? Well, for starters, it means that UNC can be a pretty good defensive team when it wants to be. Is it the best? No way. But since it has the best offensive efficiency in the nation, it only needs to have a solid D to slow an opponent down while Lawson, Hansbrough, Green, et al. do their thing. And I really do like what Green brings the table. Plenty of intangibles, and a deadly three point shooting game. I like UNC- not by 35 points as when they played before and Suton was out, but probably by 10 or so. MSU is the blue collar team, masters of execution with a fantastic coach. However, UNC beat Illinois on the "road" a few years back, and I expect them to win this road game tomorrow night, too.
I'm sure you realize having the most talent guarantees absolutely nothing in college basketball. I'm not saying MSU is going to win but I really have a hard time seeing this not being a close game with their coaching advantage and execution/intangibles that seem to be off the charts. MSU looks very dangerous. It's a tremendous disservice to them and all that they've accomplished to scoff at them and act like they don't belong on the same court as UNC.
