2014-15 college basketball

[SdK]

I can't stand Walton. Vitale is the only guy I dislike as much.

#TheWesIsTheFuture

[bones129]

I can't stand Walton. Vitale is the only guy I dislike as much.

#TheWesIsTheFuture

Bilas is worse than Walton or Vitale.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Walton is crazy and he's really mean about his craziness. The guy they stick him with can't get paid enough .

Walton is funny, but in a crazy uncle way.  He uses curse words and phrases you've never heard before, which is amusing and keeps you thinking, but then says awful racist stuff that's tolerated because he's crazy.

[Mixed-Nutz]

Nate Mason is getting buckets for Minnesota right now on ESPN. 

[MakeItRain]

I don't think you need a unique set of skills to play fast either although having multiple players on the floor that are comfortable with the ball in their hand certainly helps to be effective. In college basketball playing fast absolutely hurts you defensively because teams with scholarship limits can't find the proper depth to play fast and have enough players that can guard. There are very few teams in the history of college basketball that play fast but really have the ability to guard. History is littered with teams that play fast and turnover the opponent a lot but still give up a ton of points, but the college game just isn't set up for teams to be deep enough to play good tough defense while playing at an accelerated pace.

Plenty of teams with above average tempos have above average defensive efficiency. A great example is OU - in Big 12 games they have the league's best defensive efficiency but play at the second fastest pace on offense.

I am two days late on this but OU doesn't play fast. Playing faster than most in this conference doesn't mean they play fast; currently yes, but historically not at all.

[michigancat]

I don't think you need a unique set of skills to play fast either although having multiple players on the floor that are comfortable with the ball in their hand certainly helps to be effective. In college basketball playing fast absolutely hurts you defensively because teams with scholarship limits can't find the proper depth to play fast and have enough players that can guard. There are very few teams in the history of college basketball that play fast but really have the ability to guard. History is littered with teams that play fast and turnover the opponent a lot but still give up a ton of points, but the college game just isn't set up for teams to be deep enough to play good tough defense while playing at an accelerated pace.

Plenty of teams with above average tempos have above average defensive efficiency. A great example is OU - in Big 12 games they have the league's best defensive efficiency but play at the second fastest pace on offense.

I am two days late on this but OU doesn't play fast. Playing faster than most in this conference doesn't mean they play fast; currently yes, but historically not at all.

They play faster than most of the country on offense, too. But if you will only define teams such as VMI and Grinnell and 90's LMU as "fast", then you are correct that they do not play fast. No one really plays that fast.

My general point originally was that teams can gain tactical advantage by playing faster than average on offense (without defense suffering). I think this is true even as teams give more and more attention to stopping transition offense.

[kso_FAN]

I think you have to compare pace relative to the season and OU is in the fastest 10% of college basketball.

[j rake]

relevant article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2015/03/05/loyola-marymount-hank-gathers-death-25-years-bo-kimble-paul-westhead/24447175/

[kso_FAN]

Related to the relevant; I finally made the connection that Baylor's Rico is Hank's second cousin.

[MakeItRain]

I think you have to compare pace relative to the season and OU is in the fastest 10% of college basketball.

My original point was in a historical context. The fact that Oklahoma is fast in today's context but plays good defense actually fits my point. They are long and athletic but lack depth, I believe that if they fit the historical definition of fast I think their lack of depth would hurt them defensively. This speaks to coaches across the board slowing the game down; they don't want their defenses resembling lay up lines.

[kso_FAN]

So I watched Louisville and Virginia and never once thought "man, this game would be great, but it's probably not even going to get to 60 possessions".

[Lefty]

Ohio Valley Conference tournament was very fun to watch. Great basketball on display from each game I watched. Did any get a chance to see Cameron Payne and his style of play? Great name by the way and goes by 'Cam Payne'. Probably luked somehow. Cam Payne may be the best on court crap talker I've seen since the old days of Gary Payton.

[TownieCat]

Ohio Valley Conference tournament was very fun to watch. Great basketball on display from each game I watched. Did any get a chance to see Cameron Payne and his style of play? Great name by the way and goes by 'Cam Payne'. Probably luked somehow. Cam Payne may be the best on court crap talker I've seen since the old days of Gary Payton.

I wasn't able to watch the champ game but saw him in the semis. The guy is pure stud.

Also, I hope Murray St gets into the tourney, even if it's the play in game. Their rpi and sos numbers aren't great but they pass the "eye test". It seems pretty dumb that a team that won 25 straight and was ranked by the coaches in March gets left out for some mediocre team from a big conference. They are better than the LSUs, Oklahoma States, and Providences of college basketball this year.

[MakeItRain]

Ohio Valley Conference tournament was very fun to watch. Great basketball on display from each game I watched. Did any get a chance to see Cameron Payne and his style of play? Great name by the way and goes by 'Cam Payne'. Probably luked somehow. Cam Payne may be the best on court crap talker I've seen since the old days of Gary Payton.

I wasn't able to watch the champ game but saw him in the semis. The guy is pure stud.

Also, I hope Murray St gets into the tourney, even if it's the play in game. Their rpi and sos numbers aren't great but they pass the "eye test". It seems pretty dumb that a team that won 25 straight and was ranked by the coaches in March gets left out for some mediocre team from a big conference. They are better than the LSUs, Oklahoma States, and Providences of college basketball this year.

I agree, it would be a damn shame if they don't get in.

[Mr Bread]

Ohio Valley Conference tournament was very fun to watch. Great basketball on display from each game I watched. Did any get a chance to see Cameron Payne and his style of play? Great name by the way and goes by 'Cam Payne'. Probably luked somehow. Cam Payne may be the best on court crap talker I've seen since the old days of Gary Payton.

I wasn't able to watch the champ game but saw him in the semis. The guy is pure stud.

Also, I hope Murray St gets into the tourney, even if it's the play in game. Their rpi and sos numbers aren't great but they pass the "eye test". It seems pretty dumb that a team that won 25 straight and was ranked by the coaches in March gets left out for some mediocre team from a big conference. They are better than the LSUs, Oklahoma States, and Providences of college basketball this year.

Their best win on the season is Illinois State (RPI 68) at home.  The two best teams they played in the nonconference they got absolutely destroyed by, Xavier (37) by 27 and Valpo (61) by rough ridin' 35 on a neutral court.  They lost at home to 12-18 Houston (247).  There isn't a single team in their conference that's within the RPI top 100.  Their resume is complete crap, and they've beaten no one.

Your eyeballs are rough ridin' dumbasses. 

[Cartierfor3]

Will Gonzaga ever make a final four?

[kso_FAN]

Will Gonzaga ever make a final four?

Mark Few has never even taken them to an Elite 8, but 16 straight NCAAs is really good.

[420seriouscat69]

Will Gonzaga ever make a final four?

Mark Few has never even taken them to an Elite 8, but 16 straight NCAAs is really good.

One e8 in 1999, but ya, not a lot since then.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/history/_/team1/6058

[kso_FAN]

Will Gonzaga ever make a final four?

Mark Few has never even taken them to an Elite 8, but 16 straight NCAAs is really good.

One e8 in 1999, but ya, not a lot since then.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/history/_/team1/6058

That was under Monson, now the Beach's coach. Few was an assistant though.

[420seriouscat69]

  Oh, my bad. The more you know!

[SdK]

What idiots are doing the broadcasting of this Zags Pepperdine game? They were talking about Karnowski being able to beat UK.

#TheWesIsTheFuture

[j rake]

Ohio Valley Conference tournament was very fun to watch. Great basketball on display from each game I watched. Did any get a chance to see Cameron Payne and his style of play? Great name by the way and goes by 'Cam Payne'. Probably luked somehow. Cam Payne may be the best on court crap talker I've seen since the old days of Gary Payton.

I wasn't able to watch the champ game but saw him in the semis. The guy is pure stud.

Also, I hope Murray St gets into the tourney, even if it's the play in game. Their rpi and sos numbers aren't great but they pass the "eye test". It seems pretty dumb that a team that won 25 straight and was ranked by the coaches in March gets left out for some mediocre team from a big conference. They are better than the LSUs, Oklahoma States, and Providences of college basketball this year.

Their best win on the season is Illinois State (RPI 68) at home.  The two best teams they played in the nonconference they got absolutely destroyed by, Xavier (37) by 27 and Valpo (61) by rough ridin' 35 on a neutral court.  They lost at home to 12-18 Houston (247).  There isn't a single team in their conference that's within the RPI top 100.  Their resume is complete crap, and they've beaten no one.

Your eyeballs are rough ridin' dumbasses.

lol yup 

[sys]

his point was that osu doesn't deserve to make the tournament.  and he's right, obviously.

[j rake]

his point was that osu doesn't deserve to make the tournament.  and he's right, obviously.

i thought okla st passed the "eye test." 

[TownieCat]

his point was that osu doesn't deserve to make the tournament.  and he's right, obviously.

i thought okla st passed the "eye test." 

They've lost 5 of 6 and have looked bad doing it. If OU beats them on Thursday they'll be 18-13. I'd rather see a team that went over 3 months without losing be in than a team that tied for 6th and had a losing record in its conference.

In the past the committee has given teams like Murray St a chance ('13 MTSU, '11 Iona, '06 George Mason).