Saturday, March 24, 2007

Elite Eight, Day 1 Live-Comment:
UCLA Saves the Tournament!

Thank god for UCLA, whose win over Kansas ensured that the NCAA Tournament would avert its Doomsday Scenario -- all four 1-seeds making the Final Four. Saved!

For UCLA, it is affirmation of Ben Howland as one of the Top 5 coaches in the country. (Oh, you want the other two? Ask me after tomorrow.)

For Kansas, it is one more disappointing finish to end a season. But, hey, at least they made it out of the first round this time.

Ohio State thumps Memphis: Wow: Given OSU's troubles in the past two rounds, this thumping was surprising.

Tomorrow:
Florida-Oregon: If Oregon is this year's Florida, they're going to have to get through last year's Florida to claim it.

UNC-Georgetown: Perhaps the most highly anticipated game of the tournament.

More Sunday on everything.

20 comments:

pv845 said...

The refs need to start calling the moving screens. The post players for the Bruins are using their arms and moving on every one. That is why the guards are getting open.

Unknown said...

I dunno Dan. I can't call it a thumping in the OSU/Memphis game.

OSU did out play Memphis for most of the game, but it wasn't til the free throw frenzy near the end that ballooned the score.

Though I guess..since OSU did outplay them throughout, the score ended up being reflective of that..
hmm


well, maybe you're right.

Unknown said...

Noone has really mentioned this...
but Ohio State has lost 3 games this season.
It avenged itself on Wisconsin convincingly.

To win the Natl. Title, there's a good chance it'll have to beat UNC (loss #1) then Florida (loss #2).

That would be awesome.

Trey (formerly TF) said...

Ok Ok..I get it. Enterprise rentacar support NCAA student athletes for picking us up.

pv845 said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
jhawkjjm said...

Make an f'n layup. DAMMIT.

Huge shots made by UCLA.

Make an f'n layup. 14-33. That's absolutely pathetic. And not all of those were even contested. DAMMIT.

pv845 said...

That was the worst game I have ever seen KU play but seriously, where they hell are the fouls? That is a joke.
And Dan, if I hear one thing about the tenancious D of UCLA or playing on borrowed cash, I will lose all respect for you.

Signal to Noise said...

Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison just emphatically stamped their lottery tickets in that game, barring anything too stupid in the four, and if they choose to redeem them for the draft.

John Paul Manahan said...

which begs the question....

which is better:

farmaar of 06
collison of 07

Unknown said...

10 bucks says Dan says Donovan is one of the top 3 (though he wrote top 5) coaches on his list.

How much coaching is needed when the team brings back its top 6 starters?

SAMO said...

At this point do you begin to wonder how safe Bill Self's job is?

TJ said...

Why would it be a doomsday scenario with all #1's in the final four? Or was that sarcasm?

Tyler said...

troy: low interest, I suppose. Apparently people can't appreciate a good basketball game between two very good, evenly matched teams without a clear underdog or human-interest story attached to it.

DougOLis said...

Does anybody know if Erin Andrews was in San Diego this weekend? I swore I saw her at this bar getting pretty crazy, and if so it was the greatest moment of my life. If not, it was still top 5.

TJ said...

@ tyler. See that's the thing. I would think, since it's never happened before, four #1's would draw moure people. ESPN would promote it as the most epic, most talented final four ever.

jhawkjjm said...

Self's job is safe. He just signed a 5 year extension at the beginning of the year. He won the Big XII regular season and tournament title. And now his second elite 8 (1st with his players). It's not his fault that his team can't make a layup or short jumper. At one point they were 14-33 (42%). If they make just 2/3 of those, that's 16 more points.

It's pretty simple, KU couldn't make a simple shot and UCLA hit some big, contested shots. That's the way the game goes.

And I bet Dan's more happy that UCLA won not because it avoids the all four #1s advancing, but as a Florida fan would rather see them play UCLA than Kansas.

Unknown said...

which is silly. from the EE onward, no team should prefer to face a specific team. Noone who gets to the EE or beyond is a fluke.

Florida had more trouble with butler than expected though. I think they'll cruise past Oregon. Florida has no probs with offensive teams, but the defensive ones mess with them.
So, UCLA and Ohio State would be the two teams left that give FLorida the most trouble. UNC and G'town? Florida would eat them up.

jhawkjjm said...

It's not that silly. Last final four KU went to they met the winner of Kentucky and Marquette (with Wade). You think a team wouldn't rather face Marquette over Kentucky? Or last year you had the possibility of George Mason or UConn. That's a no brainer to me. Remember, the best teams don't always win in the tournament. And there are matchups that favor one team over another. Like you said, Florida would probably rather face an offensive team than a defensive one.

Unknown said...

Last nights SNL...

Some of it was the best SNL in the last 2 years. The skits with Peyton Manning were funny except for two. Funniest was the United Way comm parody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-6Ky7_sfPc) followed by the ESPN Pool Party (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9UW9DWyLGE) but if you watched the show, you know the real truth...

The TV Funhouse was one of the best ones ever. If you don't get it, it is making fun of a show called "Dora the Explorer" about a hispanic girl who has adventures like that in the video while saying 1 or 2 easy to understand spanish words at a time to help kids learn spanish. The show's trademark is the pauses to let the children answer or move their arms or other instructions Dora gives them. And here is the skit...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb7eLgaddI4

TJ said...

Has anyone seen this yet?

"Billy Donovan has brought in numerous people to speak to his team during his tenure at Florida. You can now add Ric Flair to the list. The legendary professional wrestler, whose nickname is 'Nature Boy,' visited the Gators' locker room prior to Friday's victory over Butler. Flair did his trademark 'Woooooo!' shout, and his appearance really fired up the team."
-- Florida Times-Union, via SportsIllustrated.com

Um, hmmm...