The OFFICIAL NCAA tournament thread

[priceg75]

Now that we are the first team into the third round, we can relax and enjoy the rest of the second round.

Cincinnati trails early, Pitt and Wisconsin on their way to blowout wins.

[426 Kiefaber]

WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
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[priceg75]

Syracuse is just whooping Western Michigan, they are playing like they have their mojo back. Or WMU is just that bad.

We go from the toughest man-to-man defense we are likely to face all year, to a team that basically plays exclusively zone. Should be interesting.

[jrsmythe]

What time do we play Saturday? Go flyers!!

[Browns]

Originally Posted by jrsmythe What time do we play Saturday? Go flyers!!

I agree, I've never cared less about the rest of tournament than I do now.

[NCkevi]

The good thing with the blow outs is that more people could switch over to see UD!

[westchesterflyer]

What a GREAT way to start the REAL tournament. CBS has the buzz they crave and it's courtesy of the Dayton Flyers!

Go Flyers!

[priceg75]

UC in trouble in the 2nd half. We could be the only Ohio team left out of 4 by 4:30 on day 1.

[66flyer]

Good! I picked Harvard mainly out of dislike of UC, lol.

[cj]

Xavier - Done
OSU - Done
UC - Done
UD - Still lacing them up

	Xavier XAVIER MUSKETEERS Dayton's biggest rival dating back to the early 1900s. Founded in 1831, Xavier University is a Jesuit, Catholic university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its three colleges offer 78 undergraduate majors, 43 minors and 11 graduate programs to 6,646 total students, including 3,961 undergraduates. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide. Xavier's nickname is the Musketeers and are fellow A10 Conference members.

[priceg75]

St.Joe's looking good early. Rob Loe with 3 early threes to give SLU an early lead.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[Lifelong Flyer Fan]

Mercer only down 1 to Duke at the Half 35-34

[cj]

Duke up 3 with just over 3 minutes left. Duke is shooting almost all of their shots from behind the 3 line.

[cj]

all tied Mercer ball with just over 2 minutes left

[Bill McPeek]

Mercer ahead 68 -63 with 1:07 left!

[FlyingArrow]

Originally Posted by Bill McPeek Mercer ahead 68 -63 with 1:07 left!

I'd rather see Duke lose than get points for my bracket.

[Bill McPeek]

Mercer going to the line ahead 71-65 with 36 sec left. Hits the first 72-65 then the second 73-65. Down to 29.9 left. Duke ball and timeout.

[NCkevi]

LOL = Gary Parrish ‏@GaryParrishCBS
Coach K spent all that time arguing against Atlantic 10 at-large bids when he should’ve been arguing against the Atlantic Sun’s auto bid.

[Sea Bass]

this is delicious

[Bill McPeek]

Mercer ahead 72-68 22.8 sec remain. Mercer ball and timeout.

[hugginator82]

let's watch ratface eat his ACC turd today...keep talkin' hairdye!

[Bill McPeek]

Mercer going to the line up 74-68 with 11.7 left. They hit the first FT and then the second! Up 76 -68. Duke better warm up the bus!

[Swampy Meadows]

As Pam on "Archer" would say:

"Holy Sh*tsnacks!"

[Bill McPeek]

Mercer wins.....78-71!

[UDBaby]

My oh My oh My......

c u later Coach K.

[Bill McPeek]

I know we have played Mercer before at the Arena......where are they from?

[Bill McPeek]

Just got the answer to my question.......Macon, Georgia. Gotta believe that they will be makin bacon in Macon tonight!

[udx2]

Payback can be a b**ch, coach k.

Enjoy watching Mercer, Dayton et al from the comfort of your living room.

[udx2]

Originally Posted by Bill McPeek I know we have played Mercer before at the Arena......where are they from?

Not from the ACC so coach k did not know either.

[DetroitFlyer]

Mercer played football in the PFL this past season. We did not play them. They have moved on to the Southern Conference.

[UDBrian]

Umass looks horrible right now, glad every team in the A10 hasn't played like this.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

[Sea Bass]

Originally Posted by UDBrian Umass looks horrible right now, glad every team in the A10 hasn't played like this.

UMass has looked that way for the last month. They and SLU were playing the worst basketball out of the 6 teams that got bids.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[WilczynskiB]

Originally Posted by UDBrian Umass looks horrible right now, glad every team in the A10 hasn't played like this.

I had them losing in my bracket. Never understood how they were a #6 seed after being only a #6 seed in the A10 tourney..

[Fudd]

The Rajun Cajuns have pulled ahead of Creighton.

[mook]

One of my favorite nicknames in all of college sports.

[MikeF]

We've seen it first-hand, but when VCU's defensive pressure really starts squeezing the opposition and starts forcing ragged offense and turnovers, they get on these tsunami-like runs where they just sweep you away. I kind of getting tired of "havoc" but it sure is accurate.

[jack72]

VCU got screwed on that call. i am not sure he touched the kid, but great flop by the shooter. Moral of the story do not even come close to the shooter in that situation.

[MikeF]

I don't know if I've ever seen a four-point play in that situation that late in the game before. Yikes.

[FlyingArrow]

Ouch. How could anyone ever do that? Then again, OSU kind of did that to us in crunch time. Didn't end up being a 4pt play, though.

[FlyingArrow]

That hurts. Hurts just to be in their conference... but not as much as if it were my team.

[rasta man]

VCU goes down to SFA in OT, its us and St. Louis left from the A-10

I bet a certain ACC coach is happy to see that even though his team choked

[MikeF]

Bummer that two Atlantic 10 teams (Saint Joseph's and VCU) let big leads get away like that.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

[dnutz77]

Originally Posted by MikeF Bummer that two Atlantic 10 teams (Saint Joseph's and VCU) let big leads get away like that.

Both MAJOR choke jobs.

[Canonball]

That concludes a bad day for the A10. Let em shoot it they can't beat you with that shot ..... Unless you foul them

[FlyingArrow]

Now we need a Final 4 to redeem the A10 name. Lots of pressure now.

[jumpin' joe]

2-4 in Round 2 for the A10. Not good and it could have been 0-6.

[FlyingArrow]

Originally Posted by Canonball That concludes a bad day for the A10. Let em shoot it they can't beat you with that shot ..... Unless you foul them

I feel bad for the kid. He also missed the potential gamewinner. He'll be eating that regret for a long time. VCU's Bill Buckner... only worse since it was a mental error.

[FlyerGuyer]

VCU is indeed great at creating "havoc" but not so great at taking good shots or playing smart basketball. As I've documented extensively before, they have been overrated for quite awhile now unfortunately. They blew a 10 point lead with less than 4 minutes to go and a 4 point lead (and on the line for free throws) with 10 seconds to go.

How ironic is it that Dayton is still playing and VCU is out? Back when we lost to them in January, several Priders were saying that they are just so much more talented than Dayton and that none of Dayton's starters would even play on VCU.

At least we can still cheer for Virginia to become the first 16 seed to lose. Haha

[jumpin' joe]

Originally Posted by FlyerGuyer VCU is indeed great at creating "havoc" but not so great at taking good shots or playing smart basketball.

I believe they were playing (Shaka) Smart basketball.

[NYCFLYER]

I was hoping for at least 3 A10 teams in the 3rd round. Very dissapointing. St Joe's & VCU just plain blew it & UMass stepped in it. GO FLYERS !!!

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

[jack72]

The keys to beating VCU are play small, get back on defense and play zone. Shaka may be a great coach, but he is clueless about running an offense against the zone. Not only do they not get passes to the middle, they never run anyone into the middle, or behind the 3-2 zone.

[MikeF]

Originally Posted by dnutz77 Both MAJOR choke jobs.

The problem is obvious: those teams just aren't forced to go through the meat grinder...

[Falcon7]

Originally Posted by MikeF Bummer that two Atlantic 10 teams (Saint Joseph's and VCU) let big leads get away like that.

And STL really pulled one out of their A$$. Our 1 point win has been the most impressive for all the A10...

[Falcon7]

Originally Posted by FlyingArrow I feel bad for the kid. He also missed the potential gamewinner. He'll be eating that regret for a long time. VCU's Bill Buckner... only worse since it was a mental error.

Really do feel bad for him. Was it a foul? H*ll NO! Should he have been even near him? H*ll NO!
But it is still crap officiating.

[DallasFlyer]

On the VCU loss, heck of a play by the kid from SFA. Haven't seen anyone sell a foul call on a converted three that well since Reggie Miller was playing. I honestly can't even find fault with the ref for calling it.

The chaotic style that VCU plays is a great weapon, but they have got to be able to play under control too. Literally, all they had to do was be able to play under control and just not do anything stupid for like 8 seconds and they win that game. Instead, there they are driving drunk going 110 miles an hour. Tap the brakes a little, put the bottle down, live to fight another day. Unbelievable.

[Figgie123]

Earlier this year, VCU actually contested an unimportant layup at the buzzer as well. VCU fans explained it as the VCU players play from buzzer to buzzer. This time, it bit them in the backside.

[rollo]

[Figgie123]

Shocka? Or Shaka?

[priceg75]

Originally Posted by jumpin' joe 2-4 in Round 2 for the A10. Not good and it could have been 0-6.

Could easily have been 5-1. UMass was the only team that didn't show up. 2 OT losses. A razor's edge from 5 wins.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

[BRob2Perryman3]

I for one dont care.

The University of Dayton is alive and well in The Big Dance.

Beat the 'Cuse!!

Go Flyers!!

[m21eagle45]

Originally Posted by BRob2Perryman3 I for one dont care. The University of Dayton is alive and well in The Big Dance. Beat the 'Cuse!! Go Flyers!!

You should at least a little. Perception of the league will affect future bids and what recruits think of the A10.

[longtimefan]

Originally Posted by jumpin' joe 2-4 in Round 2 for the A10. Not good and it could have been 0-6.

Or 4-2 if not for the chokes by St Joe and VCU.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

[Alberto Strasse]

the A-10 is laying an early Easter egg in the NCAA tournament. That's why SLU must take out Louisville and UD must stop the Syracuse Orange to return the buzz about the A-10 in the national media.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[priceg75]

Let's go Stanford!

[UDDoug]

Originally Posted by Alberto Strasse the A-10 is laying an early Easter egg in the NCAA tournament. That's why SLU must take out Louisville and UD must stop the Syracuse Orange to return the buzz about the A-10 in the national media.

Disagree. The A10 based on seed should have won 3 games. They had won 2. Being one off seed is far from an egg.

If you get 6 teams in and all are seeded 10 and below, it isn't like being gone in first round is a big egg. You weren't supposed to win a single game. Any win is an upset and potential Cinderella.

The A10 now has one more team alive than they were supposed to.

[jumpin' joe]

Originally Posted by UDDoug The A10 now has one more team alive than they were supposed to.

And one more alive than the NBE. Creighton goes down in flames and loses by 30 to Baylor.

[NCkevi]

Originally Posted by jumpin' joe And one more alive than the NBE. Creighton goes down in flames and loses by 30 to Baylor.

Unless Virginia collapses, the NBE will be the only "major" conference not represented in the Sweet 16

[TA111]

The NBE is not a major conference in basketball.

[CE80]

Originally Posted by TA111 The NBE is not a major conference in basketball.

Bilas tweeted that it was. I took issue via tweet back at him -- no response.

[FlyingArrow]

Originally Posted by TA111 The NBE is not a major conference in basketball.

How do you define 'major'? Based on RPI, it seems that there's a good argument that there are 8-10 major conferences for basketball.

The A-10 beat the SEC and the AAC this year, and has beaten at least one BCS conference as often as not. The Mountain West has done even better than that in previous years, and the WCC beat the Mountain West this year.

[UDDoug]

I define it in terms of resources. And for the most part that means BCS football and the $75 million plus budgets it enables.

[NCkevi]

Originally Posted by FlyingArrow How do you define 'major'?

1) Seven figure tv revenue for all member schools
2) If UD would leave the A10 to join that conference

[ud2]

UConn takes down Michigan State, UAC, what do you think of UConn's chances vs. Florida?

Wisconsin will take on either Kentucky or Michigan in the other game. UK and Michigan are tied at 37 at the half.

[ud2]

Kentucky wins, I'll take the Kentucky vs. Wisconsin winner to win the title, I don't think either Florida or UConn has enough to win the title, and UK is an 8 seed.

[Viperstick]

My money's on FL to win it all. Their defense, rebounding, and Wilbekin make them the favorite, IMHO.

[priceg75]

The funny thing is, all 3 teams have played Florida.

Florida lost to both Wisconsin and UConn for their only 2 losses, and beat Kentucky 3 separate times. If I were Florida, I really wouldn't want to play Kentucky a 4th time.

[ud2]

I haven't seen much of the Final 4 teams play this year, and I have hardly seen Wisconsin play at all this year.

Nevertheless, here are my picks for the Final 4:

Kentucky over Wisconsin

Florida over UConn

Kentucky over Florida, Coach Cal wins his 2nd title at UK.

Kentucky is favored by 2.5 over Wisconsin, and Florida is favored by 7 over UConn.

UK's Randle looks like a beast.

[Swampy Meadows]

Mark Titus of Club Trillion on March Madness:

March Madness doesn’t give a **** what you want.

When the Elite Eight field was set, two potential national championship matchups stood out — Arizona vs. Dayton (Miller brothers coaching against each other) and Michigan vs. Michigan State (in-state rivalry, Eminem vs. Kid Rock). And in what should come as no surprise, all the teams involved in the two most compelling national title scenarios lost. If March Madness were a scripted TV show, we’d complain that the writers spend too much time on story lines with no payoffs. We might even gripe about how unrealistically perfect the outcomes seem4 or how the tournament relies too heavily on clichés.5 But we’d never stop watching, because the twists and turns are unlike anything else on TV.

So, I guess I’m saying that March Madness is Lost.

Link to full story:

http://grantland.com/features/ncaa-t...ut-final-four/