WV is not a very intelligent team. Seems like they have committed 50 fouls the last 5 minutes AND THEY HAVE THE LEAD.
I came so close to putting WVA and Butler in my final four... but I pussed out and decided to stick with only one "surprise" final four team, Baylor
My bracket is solid, long way to go though. I picked WVU for this very reason, they just work really hard and seem to find a way, it's never pretty, they just win.
I have West Virginia and Baylor. I thought UK's youth might catch up to them at some point, and I really thought Baylor would be able to take advantage of the home court advantage and an athleticism advantage vs. Duke. Plus, I just don't believe in the Dookies. My other side was KU and the Cuse. : (
As probably the biggest KSU fan on this board, here are my thoughts on the game with Butler today: First things first - Butler is a program that plays the right way and they are very classy. As much as it hurts to see my favorite team lose, especially in the elite 8, I would want them to lose to a team like Butler and not some punk team like say Xavier. So congrats to the Bulldogs and I'll be pulling for them to win it all unless they are playing West Virginia (due to my boy Huggy Bear). Rebounds, rebounds, and more rebounds! This is something that K State prides themselves on and they were simply outhustled and outworked by the Butler boys. Getting outrebounded was maybe the biggest reason why K State lost this game. I never thought that would happen but Butler keeps pulling the surprises. Yet, this is a team that has won 24 games in a row! I don't care who you are playing - to win 24 in a row is pretty damn impressive. Sorta makes you wonder why they were a 5 seed instead of a 3 or even 2 seed. Having the double OT game against Xavier less than 48 hours earlier probably played a role although I know that Frank Martin isn't going to use that as an excuse as you could see shots being left short and the legs on guys (especially Clemente and Pullen) getting tired. But that's basketball and especially the NCAA tournament, where unlike the World Series or the NBA Finals, one bad game can end your season. The halfcourt defense that Butler played was absolutely amazing. I have never in my life seen such a great display of stifling defense. They packed the lane hard and seem to have at least 2 guys on either Pullen or Clemente every time they touched the ball. The help defense that they showed was otherworldly. Gordon Heyward is one of those guys - that you look at him and think that he is nerdy and geeky and can't play but yet he keeps making plays and making you look foolish out there. I know that Mack gets all the press coverage but it was Heyward that was Butler's best player. His play on that awkward alley-oop was the play of the game. Clemente had just tied it at 54 and if Heyward misses that ball and it goes out of bounds or he just misses the shot, K State has a good chance of going downcourt to take the lead. But give the kid credit - he made a tremendous athletic play and that to me was what ultimately broke K State's back. Clemente missing a free throw when K State was down 58-54 was inexcusable and then he missed another one after that! I was always worried that K State's biggest achilles heel in the mediocre free throw shooting would come back to get them and it did in this game. As mentioned before in an earlier post, Curtis Kelly was pretty much unstoppable for K State and was the only reason why the game was under 10 at halftime. Pullen and Clemente should have tried to get him touches in the second half but for whatever reason, they took it upon themselves to try to win the game. I have watched K State whenever they have been on TV and followed their boxscores religiously; when Jacob Pullen struggles shooting the ball from the field, K State usually loses or wins barely. Pullen did score 14 but he had to work for all 14 points. Another key was the fact that outside of Rodney McGruder and for a brief time in the first half, Wally Judge, K State got nothing from their bench. Jamar Samuels who has to be one of the best 6th mans in the country didn't score a point and was pretty much a nonfactor. This is a guy that averages in double figures in points and has 3 point range. He along with Kelly pretty much had their way with Texas in Manhattan earlier this year but he did nothing other than get into foul trouble today. Although I doubt anyone cares outside of me, I'll say it anyway - what does K State look like for next season? Well they lose Clemente and 2 other guys that are seniors in Luis Colon and reserve Chris Merieweather (he of the foul on Xavier at the end of regulation that led to 3 free throws). If Pullen decides to leave early, I think K State will win 20 games but they won't be a 2 seed - more like a 10 or 11 seed. If Pullen comes back, then they have a chance to reach the final 4 again like this season. Curtis Kelly should have a monster year next season inside and they have this kid coming in from JUCO named Asprilla who is a true inside post player and scorer. Throw in Judge (who should be much improved) along with Samuels and their defensive stopper, Dominique Sutton, K State's frontline is going to be long and stout. I would guess that McGruder will replace Clemente as the 2 guard and he showed some promise. They have an incoming freshman named Southwell who was rated 92 out of 100 that will probably play some 2 although he is really a 3. If Pullen departs, K State's backcourt goes from being a strength to a weakness; it will be up to guys like McGruder and Martavious Irving to step up their games. One things that is for sure, with Frank Martin at the helm, K State looks to have a pretty bright future ahead of them. Who knows, maybe they will even beat KU next season in Manhattan for only the 2nd time in 25 or so years!
how many big, uncoordinated neanderthals does duke have down low? they make chuck hayes look like a master of touch and grace around the basket.
