2026 Elite Eight - Sunday (the other game) | The Boneyard

2026 Elite Eight - Sunday (the other game)

temery

temery

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From what I read there might be an interesting game on around 5 o'clock tonight.
 
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There is importance to this game beyond our pursuit of another championship. Just getting to the Final Four is a major measure of a program. Winning today gives us an 8th Final Four. After national Titles, FF’s are the next best thing. There are 9 schools with 8+. We would be the 10th school to enter that space with a win today. Granted, we are in rarified air since the 90’s, but all time historic measures are important too.

It was said during a broadcast the other day that the Duke/UConn game would be a matchup of Blue Bloods that could not get any bluer. An acknowledgment in front of millions that we are a top level, premier program. A win today will go a long way in bringing even more fans around the country onto our bandwagon. This game will likely be the most watched game of the season thus far. My desire to win it has grown exponentially in the last 24 hours. Let’s go.
 
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Hoophound said:
There is importance to this game beyond our pursuit of another championship. Just getting to the Final Four is a major measure of a program. Winning today gives us an 8th Final Four. After national Titles, FF’s are the next best thing. There are 9 schools with 8+. We would be the 10th school to enter that space with a win today. Granted, we are in rarified air since the 90’s, but all time historic measures are important too.

It was said during a broadcast the other day that the Duke/UConn game would be a matchup of Blue Bloods that could not get any bluer. An acknowledgment in front of millions that we are a top level, premier program. A win today will go a long way in bringing even more fans around the country onto our bandwagon. This game will likely be the most watched game of the season thus far. My desire to win it has grown exponentially in the last 24 hours. Let’s go.
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With UConn, one thing to recognize is that the school has lost to eventual national champions 4x in the second weekend. They have a lot of Elite 8s since 1990. And they did this while mostly being underseeded so they didn't get to play a 1 vs. 4 game in the S16. Imagine if they hadn't drawn Duke, UNC, Maryland or even UCLA in the 2nd weekend.
 
Hoophound said:
There is importance to this game beyond our pursuit of another championship. Just getting to the Final Four is a major measure of a program. Winning today gives us an 8th Final Four. After national Titles, FF’s are the next best thing. There are 9 schools with 8+. We would be the 10th school to enter that space with a win today. Granted, we are in rarified air since the 90’s, but all time historic measures are important too.

It was said during a broadcast the other day that the Duke/UConn game would be a matchup of Blue Bloods that could not get any bluer. An acknowledgment in front of millions that we are a top level, premier program. A win today will go a long way in bringing even more fans around the country onto our bandwagon. This game will likely be the most watched game of the season thus far. My desire to win it has grown exponentially in the last 24 hours. Let’s go.
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What a win can also accomplish Is doubt among many of these top recruits that have Duke on their target list. Scheyer has been a superior recruiter and I'd rather enjoy him and that program go the way of Mark Pope and Kentucky.
 
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upstater said:
With UConn, one thing to recognize is that the school has lost to eventual national champions 4x in the second weekend. They have a lot of Elite 8s since 1990. And they did this while mostly being underseeded so they didn't get to play a 1 vs. 4 game in the S16. Imagine if they hadn't drawn Duke, UNC, Maryland or even UCLA in the 2nd weekend.
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Yes. We also played many of those games in very unfriendly territory. We are still underestimated and under appreciated. We need to do more. This game today is very big as a public perception tool.
 
I think UConn has been the 2 seed vs a 1 seed three times in the elite 8 and are 0-3 (1995, 98, 2002) so would love to get that first win in a such a situation. With all the things the Huskies have accomplished there aren't many firsts these days.

UConn is 4-5 all time vs Duke (and lost the last two meetings), 2-3 in the tourney so time to even things up tonight on both accounts 27 years to the day of #1!
 
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Karabuckets guarded Edey as a sophomore in the Champ game effectively. Boozer will get his, better limiting the other 4 on the floor.

All this concern over who’s going to guard Boozer - it’s covered. The only player I recall eating up AK over the years is Hopkins.
 
upstater said:
They have a lot of Elite 8s since 1990. And they did this while mostly being underseeded so they didn't get to play a 1 vs. 4 game in the S16. Imagine if they hadn't drawn Duke, UNC, Maryland or even UCLA in the 2nd weekend.
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I don't think I understand this. Are you suggesting UConn was underseeded as 1 and 2 seeds in the 1990s, and that contributed to those particular four losses?
  1. 1990: 1 UConn vs. 3 Duke: UConn definitionally not underseeded.
  2. 1995: 1 UCLA vs. 2 UConn: UConn appropriately seeded. Might have gotten the final 1 seed, but got destroyed by Villanova in the BET Finals. Also got destroyed by Kansas, who was one of the final 1-seeds. BE was weak these years, too.
  3. 1998: 1 UNC vs. 2 UConn: There were six teams competing for 1-seeds, and it made some sense to be seeded a 2 (basically in the 4/5 of RPI in the time). Also, the framing of the time meant that to get the closer-to-school reward, you had to be in the region (i.e. to play in DC, you needed to be in the East).
  4. 2002: 1 Maryland vs. 2 UConn: UConn was a 6-loss team without much claim to a 1-seed, and with pretty weak metrics.
In none of these were they underseeded. In 1995 they played UCLA in Oakland (I mean, that's fairly far away from LA), and in 1998 they played in Greensboro (that sucked), but that's just the draw sometimes. Since, teams have had to play UConn in NYC or Boston or Worcester.
 
Travelman6 said:
I think UConn has been the 2 seed vs a 1 seed three times in the elite 8 and are 0-3 (1995, 98, 2002) so would love to get that first win in a such a situation. With all the things the Huskies have accomplished there aren't many firsts these days.

UConn is 4-5 all time vs Duke (and lost the last two meetings), 2-3 in the tourney so time to even things up tonight on both accounts 27 years to the day of #1!
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When we beat Duke in the national semis in 2004, UConn came in as a 2-seed and Duke had been a 1-seed in their bracket. (We also beat 1-seed Florida in the semis in 2014 as a 7-seed.) But UConn has, a little surprisingly, never beaten a 1-seed in the regionals or sub-regionals as a lower seed. Someone else has always knocked them off for us when we've advanced from a lower line. We've beaten higher seeds a bunch of times in the first four rounds, including big wins in the regionals as a lower seed against 2s, 3s, and 4s, but just not against a 1.
 
ninety-nine said:
But UConn has, a little surprisingly, never beaten a 1-seed in the regionals or sub-regionals as a lower seed. Someone else has always knocked them off for us when we've advanced from a lower line.
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Huh. A bit surprising.

UConn vs. 1-seeds in the Regionals:

1992: 1 Ohio State beats 9 UConn
1995: 1 UCLA beats 2 UConn
1998: 1 UNC beats 2 UConn
2002: 1 Maryland beats 2 UConn
2003: 1 Texas beats 5 UConn
2016: 1 Kansas beats 9 UConn

UConn winning in the Elite 8 as a non-1 seed:

2004: 8 Alabama
2011: 5 Arizona
2014: 4 Michigan State
2023: 3 Gonzaga
 
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tzznandrew said:
Huh. A bit surprising.

UConn vs. 1-seeds in the Regionals:

1992: 1 Ohio State beats 9 UConn
1995: 1 UCLA beats 2 UConn
1998: 1 UNC beats 2 UConn
2002: 1 Maryland beats 2 UConn
2003: 1 Texas beats 5 UConn
2016: 1 Kansas beats 9 UConn

UConn winning in the Elite 8 as a non-1 seed:

2004: 8 Alabama
2011: 5 Arizona
2014: 4 Michigan State
2023: 3 Gonzaga
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It ends today.
 
tzznandrew said:
Huh. A bit surprising.

UConn vs. 1-seeds in the Regionals:

1992: 1 Ohio State beats 9 UConn
1995: 1 UCLA beats 2 UConn
1998: 1 UNC beats 2 UConn
2002: 1 Maryland beats 2 UConn
2003: 1 Texas beats 5 UConn
2016: 1 Kansas beats 9 UConn

UConn winning in the Elite 8 as a non-1 seed:

2004: 8 Alabama
2011: 5 Arizona
2014: 4 Michigan State
2023: 3 Gonzaga
Expand ...
Add in Florida from last year too.
 
Travelman6 said:
UConn is 4-5 all time vs Duke (and lost the last two meetings), 2-3 in the tourney so time to even things up tonight on both accounts 27 years to the day of #1!
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This!

Last meeting in 2014, with 3 Dukies

1774790686322.png


I long for the day that our fans stop letting Duke live rent-free in their heads, making premature-losing excuses, whining about the little things like referees and calls - that's for the losing side imho -- if Duke gets all the calls, why hasn't Duke won a championship in over a decade?

Recommendation for today, take a cue from Point of No Return ... Let's Go Huskies! (flights to Indy have been booked since 3/13)

 
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tzznandrew said:
Huh. A bit surprising.

UConn vs. 1-seeds in the Regionals:

1992: 1 Ohio State beats 9 UConn
1995: 1 UCLA beats 2 UConn
1998: 1 UNC beats 2 UConn
2002: 1 Maryland beats 2 UConn
2003: 1 Texas beats 5 UConn
2016: 1 Kansas beats 9 UConn

UConn winning in the Elite 8 as a non-1 seed:

2004: 8 Alabama
2011: 5 Arizona
2014: 4 Michigan State
2023: 3 Gonzaga
Expand ...
In fact, have we ever won a 1 vs. 2 game in the Elite 8?

Even as a 1 seed, our wins are over:
(10) Gonzaga
(3) Missouri
(3) Illinois
 
ninety-nine said:
When we beat Duke in the national semis in 2004, UConn came in as a 2-seed and Duke had been a 1-seed in their bracket. (We also beat 1-seed Florida in the semis in 2014 as a 7-seed.) But UConn has, a little surprisingly, never beaten a 1-seed YET in the regionals or sub-regionals as a lower seed. Someone else has always knocked them off for us when we've advanced from a lower line. We've beaten higher seeds a bunch of times in the first four rounds, including big wins in the regionals as a lower seed against 2s, 3s, and 4s, but just not against a 1.
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fify
 
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JungleLobo said:
Karabuckets guarded Edey as a sophomore in the Champ game effectively. Boozer will get his, better limiting the other 4 on the floor.

All this concern over who’s going to guard Boozer - it’s covered. The only player I recall eating up AK over the years is Hopkins.
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Effectively? Edey scored like 2 or 3 times in a row in the very short time Karaban was on him. We definitely don't want Alex guarding Boozer in the paint.
 
OR maybe it was 2 out of 3, but nonetheless, it wasn't what you'd describe as 'effectively,' nor would it have been sustainable for a full game
 
UCONNFAN179 said:
Effectively? Edey scored like 2 or 3 times in a row in the very short time Karaban was on him. We definitely don't want Alex guarding Boozer in the paint.
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Karaban is listed at 6-8. Boozer is listed at 6-9. Edey is 7-4. Big difference.
 
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superjohn said:
The first time I realized this kid is from the Milwaukee suburbs and not straight over from Serbia it blew my mind.
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Years ago I asked fishy what country Emeka Okafor was from.

Houston. Apparently he was from Houston.
 
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tzznandrew said:
Huh. A bit surprising.

UConn vs. 1-seeds in the Regionals:

1992: 1 Ohio State beats 9 UConn
1995: 1 UCLA beats 2 UConn
1998: 1 UNC beats 2 UConn
2002: 1 Maryland beats 2 UConn
2003: 1 Texas beats 5 UConn
2016: 1 Kansas beats 9 UConn

UConn winning in the Elite 8 as a non-1 seed:

2004: 8 Alabama
2011: 5 Arizona
2014: 4 Michigan State
2023: 3 Gonzaga
Expand ...
Crazy that 2011 Arizona team was a 5 seed. They were bullying teams
 
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