Final Four

[Rowand44]

They were 19 of 20 shooting ft's for the game, you can't blame the loss on the one miss even if it did come down the stretch.

[Brian]

They were 19 of 20 shooting ft's for the game, you can't blame the loss on the one miss even if it did come down the stretch.

 

Why not? If he makes it, you're actually guarding the 3 tighter since you don't have to worry about driving for 2.

[RockRaines]

Then please educate me on it.

 

This national championship is the lowest combined seeding since the bracket started in 1979.

 

I realize the selection committee can only have so much to go off of, but having a #7 and #8 in the final means they probably didn't do the best evaluation of the field.

Sure. Seeding is all based on what you did before the tournament. Once it tips it's irrelevant.

 

If it's the lowest matchup ever you have two teams that most likely loafed their regular season or are getting luckier than usual now.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Louisville last year.

And Kentucky the year before that

[Soxbadger]

You win some, you lose some. Kentucky made the last 3, not a great shot, not a great shooter, but it went in. Maybe it doesnt 100 other times and Wisconsin wins that game.

 

Besides for Brust/Bohannon, each of them will have another shot next year.

 

Rough way to end, feel like that one was there for the taking.

[RockRaines]

You win some, you lose some. Kentucky made the last 3, not a great shot, not a great shooter, but it went in. Maybe it doesnt 100 other times and Wisconsin wins that game.

 

Besides for Brust/Bohannon, each of them will have another shot next year.

 

Rough way to end, feel like that one was there for the taking.

Hey buddy. I feel your pain. I was pulling for them. I really thought they were the best team and the Kentucky just appeared and stole it.

 

Either way a nice step forward for your program.

[cabiness42]

I feel as if the seeding has way too much correlation to RPI, which has its flaws (way too much emphasis on SOS).

 

Louisville was ranked highly via BPI, coaches pools, etc., but they were ranked #19 in RPI. There's no other reason why they were a #4 seed.

 

Kentucky was #12 in BPI, #17 in Kenpom (UConn was #25).

 

I think that the methods the committee uses are too old fashioned and not descriptive enough.

 

Yes, the seeding was terrible this year. Seeding relies heavily on RPI and RPI relies too much on games from earlier in the year. Kentucky especially is a very different team than the one that lost to weaker teams earlier in the year. Louisville got punished because the bottom half of their conference was so bad.

[whitesoxfan99]

Yes, the seeding was terrible this year. Seeding relies heavily on RPI and RPI relies too much on games from earlier in the year. Kentucky especially is a very different team than the one that lost to weaker teams earlier in the year. Louisville got punished because the bottom half of their conference was so bad.

 

Kentucky had a decent run in the SEC tournament but they lost 3 of their last 4 regular season games which included a loss to a dreadful South Carolina team. They've looked like a different team in the tournament but it isn't like they were playing tremendous basketball down the stretch that would have indicated a run like this coming.

[LittleHurt05]

Yes, the seeding was terrible this year. Seeding relies heavily on RPI and RPI relies too much on games from earlier in the year. Kentucky especially is a very different team than the one that lost to weaker teams earlier in the year. Louisville got punished because the bottom half of their conference was so bad.

 

That's gonna happen when you miss the realignment train and get dropped into a mid-major conference.

[southsider2k5]

Kentucky had a decent run in the SEC tournament but they lost 3 of their last 4 regular season games which included a loss to a dreadful South Carolina team. They've looked like a different team in the tournament but it isn't like they were playing tremendous basketball down the stretch that would have indicated a run like this coming.

 

Yeah, I can't buy that a team with 10 losses, and 6 of those in the SEC was underseeded. Coming into the dance they had one win against a rated team, and four losses against non-rated teams. I know this team has more talent than any team in the dance, but they had not played to that talent before the tourney.

[Rowand44]

Louisville's under seeding had more to do with them beating absolutely nobody out of conference.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Yeah, I can't buy that a team with 10 losses, and 6 of those in the SEC was underseeded. Coming into the dance they had one win against a rated team, and four losses against non-rated teams. I know this team has more talent than any team in the dance, but they had not played to that talent before the tourney.

 

 

Kentucky was preseason #1 as well.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Kentucky with some amazing athleticism there from Poythress. (And somehow, no turnovers for the entire 2nd half with such a young team).

 

Well, having 6 McDonald's All-Americans in one class, what do you expect? Really don't want to see them rewarded with a National Championship again, that's not good for the sport (although the media loves to talk about it).

 

 

How is it not good for the sport? Elaborate please

[cabiness42]

Louisville's under seeding had more to do with them beating absolutely nobody out of conference.

 

Strength of schedule is way overrated as far as evaluating the strength of basketball teams. There are plenty of schedule-adjusted metrics to evaluate teams, and Louisville was a Top 10 team in most, if not all of them.

 

This isn't football where you have 3-5 one-loss teams that you have to compare against each other for a spot in a Championship game.

 

 

 

[whitesoxfan99]

This has been a poorly played game. I can't believe this UConn team is 1:50 from a national championship.

[whitesoxfan99]

This UConn team is easily one of the worst champions ever. Two times in the last 4 years they have won national titles with mediocre teams. Sigh.

[Heads22]

Would you vote UCONN number 1 overall? I could see people justifying not doing so.

[LittleHurt05]

Having it be a program like UCONN ruins the fun of a 7 seed "Cinderella" winning it all. (Same had Kentucky won)

[whitesoxfan99]

Would you vote UCONN number 1 overall? I could see people justifying not doing so.

 

They lost to Louisville by double figures 3 times including a 33 point beat down. They got swept by SMU. They just aren't that good.

[dasox24]

Thank you, UConn, for denying Calipari another championship.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

People keep saying UCONN is not that good. That's fine. They aren't an all-time great but they are the last team standing. They didn't beat nobodies either; Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida, Kentucky. That's a pretty nice list. They have a young but incredible coach, senior/junior leadership at a time when college athletes are leaving earlier and earlier and a roster with 4-5 future NBA pros. This is their 4th title (and 5th Final 4) in the last 15 years. Every single program in the country would trade their last 15 years with UCONN. I love it. People can complain about them or deride them all they want but at the end of the day they are the National Champions and I couldn't be happier. It was a great group of kids to follow for 3-4 years and was a hugely enjoyable season. They deserved this after the work they put in last year during their unjust punishment for what they had no part in.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Thank you, UConn, for denying Calipari another championship.

 

 

What does this hatred stem from? Just curious. I've never really understood the Calipari hate.

[cabiness42]

What does this hatred stem from? Just curious. I've never really understood the Calipari hate.

 

Possibly from having Final Fours vacated at UMass and Memphis due to ineligible players.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Possibly from having Final Fours vacated at UMass and Memphis due to ineligible players.

 

 

Oh okay. I think he's aware of the state of college basketball though. He recruits the best kids in the country and when they are projected to be high picks, he recommends that they go pro. I'd take Calipari any day of the week over some sanctimonious piece of crap like Krzyzewski or Boeheim. Boeheim just last week criticized Tyler Ennis for going pro. He'd rather have Ennis stay, not to benefit Ennis but to benefit Boeheim. K got one of the best players in the country (Jabari Parker) to play at Duke this year and rather than run offense through him, he basically called him out after their opening round loss to Mercer. If these coaches don't want guys to leave after 1 year then stop recruiting the best players in the country.

[LittleHurt05]

Oh okay. I think he's aware of the state of college basketball though. He recruits the best kids in the country and when they are projected to be high picks, he recommends that they go pro. I'd take Calipari any day of the week over some sanctimonious piece of crap like Krzyzewski or Boeheim. Boeheim just last week criticized Tyler Ennis for going pro. He'd rather have Ennis stay, not to benefit Ennis but to benefit Boeheim. K got one of the best players in the country (Jabari Parker) to play at Duke this year and rather than run offense through him, he basically called him out after their opening round loss to Mercer. If these coaches don't want guys to leave after 1 year then stop recruiting the best players in the country.

 

Agreed 100%. There is no doubt in my mind Calipari cares way more about his players than coach K. He has built a dictatorship in Durham to the old school college basketball model and refuses to let anyone change that or step in his way. It's kind of Penn State-esque.