Clutchfans Annual NCAA Bracket Challenge

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Damn!!!

Butler!

Injuries ****ing suck!

 

Do these VW punch commercials annoy anyone else? It's only for Beetles, no one in the history of the universe has ever done that for any other car.

 

Well, sucks for me. I had a chance to win it all, not now that WV lost. So now being from Indiana, I'm pulling for Butler!

 

Rooting for Duke so I can take down the bracket challenge.

 

No, it's not. The NBA errs in giving superstar treatment, but NCAA officials can't understand the most basic of calls - what constitutes a charge vs. what constitutes a block. Check out the Butler vs. Zoubek replay - what's ironic is that this is almost identical to the bad call that screwed Baylor on Sunday.

http://thebiglead.com/index.php/201...virginia-to-advance-to-national-championship/

Freeze the video at 47 seconds. Butler has already left his feet and Zoubek is still sliding in. Yet, guess who the offensive foul is on, and guess who rips up his knee, trying to avoid the collision? This is exactly what happens when you call EVERYTHING an offensive foul, as the NCAA does. NCAA officials have no conception of defensive positioning. They simply go with the emotion, and seeing as how offensive players are typically going to be driving toward the basket, they always see the defender knocked backward and react accordingly. As such, they've created an environment where offensive players, when they drive to the bucket, seek to avoid any contact - no matter if the defender is set - for fear of the call going against them. That can lead to contorting your body in a number of awkward ways, and unfortunately, it got the best of DaSean Butler tonight.

Again, watch the slow-mo from about 0:45 to 0:48. Butler has already established his path to the basket. He's already left his feet. But Zoubek lives in a culture where he knows he's allowed to slide in late and get the call (see Quincy Acy play) and he does so, and Butler pulls up slightly to try and avoid the contact. If NCAA officials understood the most basic of calls and set a proper precedent, perhaps Zoubek doesn't slide in and none of that happens.

Sorry if it seems like I'm targeting you, ClutchCity3 - not my intent. Just frustrated with the state of NCAA officiating and thought that would be a good launching point. Want to clarify that I'm not saying the officiating won this game for Duke - they won it fair and square this time. But this has been a major problem with NCAA officials for years and years and it may have contributed to a major injury for one of their finest players tonight. Sad.

 

Agree with you. Seems like the glow of March Madness makes it difficult for some to objectively discuss college basketball vs. the NBA right now. Some of the calls I saw watching college b-ball this year were so incredibly bad. It was a much bigger joke than anything in the NBA by far.

 

I picked Butler from the beginning.




DD

 

Tied for first in this debacle of a bracket!

 

Don't call it a comeback! Man I was so far behind after the first two rounds I thought it was hopeless, but I'm 1 win away from 2nd place finish.

 

Second place in my pool. Shame that Ohio State lost to Tennessee

 

I'm afraid we are in for a repeat of last year, where the home team gets their heads beat in by a superior opponent. I give Butler no chance of pulling it out.

 

Couldnt say it any better. That Butler foul was complete bull**** and cost the kid an ACL tear. Horrible result

 

Praying for a low scoring Butler win. That nets me 1st & 3rd in my pool.

Only 2 people in my bracket picked Duke to win. They're both just close enough to me that they'd pass me and I'd finish 3rd.

 

Picked duke to win it all in 114 person pool...

duke wins, I get 1st...1300 bucks....do i hedge??

go duke!!

 

Disagree. I'm not predicting Butler to win, nor am I saying they even have a 50/50 shot. But there's a very valid way in which they can. The killer for WVU yesterday was that their defense collapsed on everything. When Duke pounded it inside, or when someone penetrated, they were overly aggressive in trying to block/steal everything Duke put up. That's a good mentality against a dribble-drive, super athletic team like UK, but that's not really what Duke does. Duke's primary strength is its shooting, and if you double and gamble a lot, you're going to leave open shooters. WVU played right into their hands, and Duke made them pay.

That brings me to Butler - if you've paid much attention to Butler this tournament, you should know that's not what they do. The faceguarding they did against Andy Rautins and Syracuse was just brilliant. Completely threw the Orange out of sync for more than half the game. Butler won't beat themselves and they won't give constant wide open looks. They'll make Duke play 1 on 1, where they're definitely athletic but nowhere near a 2009 UNC level, and they won't leave themselves vulnerable on the offensive glass the way WVU did.

imo, Butler has the depth, fundamentals, quickness and defense to hang with Duke. The most noteworthy difference in the teams? Duke typically shoots very well, and Butler doesn't. That's certainly important, but good shooting teams still have occasional games where they can't find water from a boat. (Look at Duke's first half against an undermanned Purdue team that plays a very similar defensive style to Butler.) Likewise, bad shooting teams have games where they can't miss. Butler's certainly due - even bad shooting teams are nowhere near 30%, which they shot yesterday - and they still won!

Duke's definitely the favorite... but I don't see a huge difference in athleticism, scheme or raw physical talent here. The biggest difference is in the shooting, and in a one-game scenario... I think there's definitely a chance the bounces go Butler's way.

 

Another big difference is rebounding. I expect Duke to get a ton of 2nd chance points and don't see Butler having much of a chance to overcome that. Plus, Matt Howard is questionable. If he doesn't play a good game (or if he doesn't play at all), the game is over before it starts. Lastly, if Butler doesn't shoot MUCH better than Saturday, they have no chance at all. Their offense has to play at a very high level just to stay in the game.

Everything has to go right for Butler to win and that ain't gonna happen. If Duke brings tomorrow what they brought yesterday, bye bye Bulldogs.

I want Butler to win. It's located in the neighborhood I grew up in. My grade school is across the street from Hinkle Fieldhouse. During the winter I sledded and during the summer I played tennis on the Butler campus. My father played concerts at Clowes Hall. Blah blah blah. But I'm a realist and unless Duke just craters, Coach K wins another championship. Just getting this far is an incredible story and I wish I was back home to soak it all in.

 

I guess we'll see, but I don't agree with that. I think Syracuse and Kansas State are each more talented teams than Duke, and Butler didn't shoot particularly great in either game and still won. Duke played a tremendous game on Saturday, certainly, but that was partially based on an awful defensive gameplan by WVU and also Duke playing the game of their lives. This is the same Duke team with spotty athleticism and embarrassed by the likes of NC State and Georgetown. This is not 2009 North Carolina. Butler has already beaten superior teams to the one they'll play tomorrow.

It's not to say I expect Butler to win, but I think you're overstating the challenge here.

 

Neither team impresses me.