December General CBB Discussion Thread (Non-BE)

[RuffRuff]

Anyone catch the Field of 68 after Dark last night? All 3 guys, including Goodman (no Dauster) were glowing about UConn. Putting them up there with Michigan, saying that UConn may actually be the number one overall team. @RuffRuff would have been crushed.

Lol - I saw it and am elated. You have me pegged wrong my man - I don't look to downplay Uconn, I look to recognize other great teams objectively. Objectivity is something this place has a really hard time with, which I suppose is part of tribal nature. I know I like to challenge the tribal thing and the tribe doesn't like it, maybe I need to stop .

Goodman of all guys is really high on UConn - for all the right reasons. As crusty as he is, he's experienced and knows what he's talking about most of the time. Dauster is a homer and talks in circles sometimes. I've spoken consistently as to what separates UConn - coaching, system and depth. We are not going to be as good as teams like AZ & UM 1-5, but we should be better 6-9 and on the sideline.

 

[RuffRuff]

Yeah, I posted it in the Butler postgame thread.

As of a couple days ago Greg picked Arizona to win it all and I have full confidence Greg will pick UConn to win it all as the season goes on. RuffRuff is going to freak out because Greg really knows basketball.

Greg has been all over UConn since the preseason - he knows his hoops. But those guys are daily content creators and have to move with the tides to keep it interesting.

 

[superjohn]

Lol - I saw it and am elated. You have me pegged wrong my man - I don't look to downplay Uconn, I look to recognize other great teams objectively. Objectivity is something this place has a really hard time with, which I suppose is part of tribal nature. I know I like to challenge the tribal thing and the tribe doesn't like it, maybe I need to stop .

Goodman of all guys is really high on UConn - for all the right reasons. As crusty as he is, he's experienced and knows what he's talking about most of the time. Dauster is a homer and talks in circles sometimes. I've spoken consistently as to what separates UConn - coaching, system and depth. We are not going to be as good as teams like AZ & UM 1-5, but we should be better 6-9 and on the sideline.

Not going to be as good as Arizona 1-5, lolz.

 

[Kolumbo]

this tweet showed up featuring Robbie Avila, formerly with Indiana State, in his 2nd year with the Billikens. St. Louis beat Bethune-Cookman 112-53 and is now 10-1

 

[John]

this tweet showed up featuring Robbie Avila, formerly with Indiana State, in his 2nd year with the Billikens. St. Louis beat Bethune-Cookman 112-53 and is now 10-1

don't some people here want to add them to the Big East?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Can we all wait to see how the season plays out. Anointing UConn, Michigan or Arizona, or anybody else, is not productive. A lot can happen. Teams change by February.

 

[shizzle787]

Can we all wait to see how the season plays out. Anointing UConn, Michigan or Arizona, or anybody else, is not productive. A lot can happen. Teams change by February.

Not only that, Michigan and Arizona have coaches with 0 titles between them. If you haven't won one, I don't trust you. I trust Hurley, Self, Izzo, Pitino, etc.

 

[storrsroars]

Not only that, Michigan and Arizona have coaches with 0 titles between them. If you haven't won one, I don't trust you. I trust Hurley, Self, Izzo, Pitino, etc.

Did you not trust JC before 1999? Dusty May got to a FF in less than half the time JC did. With a non-power conference team. Dude seems like he can coach just fine.

 

[superjohn]

Can we all wait to see how the season plays out. Anointing UConn, Michigan or Arizona, or anybody else, is not productive. A lot can happen. Teams change by February.

It's crazy so far this season. People have already picked their final four and crowned their champion and we aren't even into conference play yet.

Greg is saying Arizona and Michigan are historical teams. We would've beaten Arizona by double digits if Reed and Mullins were available and we are nowhere close to a finished product. And no I'm not saying we're any kind of historical team or that we're going to be champs. I do think we're probably going to be the best team by tournament time (if healthy) but it's single elimination and there's plenty of teams who can win it all. Kansas is one of them and they aren't even being mentioned because they have three losses.

 

[John]

Not only that, Michigan and Arizona have coaches with 0 titles between them. If you haven't won one, I don't trust you. I trust Hurley, Self, Izzo, Pitino, etc.

so you were expecting Ollie to lose?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

don't some people here want to add them to the Big East?

Haven't seen any discussion on this in years but due to location, (alleged) market and nature of the school (private, catholic) they would be the most logical choice (performance aside) if the conference wanted two six school divisions.

The thing is, outside of a stretch with Spoonhour, they haven't really had the success to be anything at the level the BE has performed.

 

[thekollieman]

Do we think Duke and Michigan will both still be undefeated by the time they play each other on 2/21?

I’m calling a Duke loss to UNC before then, and then Duke beats Michigan. In the meantime Arizona loses to BYU and maybe someone else and UConn sweeps up till that point and takes over the number 1 ranking. Doomed?

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's crazy so far this season. People have already picked their final four and crowned their champion and we aren't even into conference play yet.

Greg is saying Arizona and Michigan are historical teams. We would've beaten Arizona by double digits if Reed and Mullins were available and we are nowhere close to a finished product. And no I'm not saying we're any kind of historical team or that we're going to be champs. I do think we're probably going to be the best team by tournament time (if healthy) but it's single elimination and there's plenty of teams who can win it all. Kansas is one of them and they aren't even being mentioned because they have three losses.

In any given game, many of these teams can beat each other. While I think UConn looks very formidable, we really aren't clicking on offense yet and a bad shooting night can lead to a loss. Nothing like the 23-24 team. Every one of these teams has flaws, but there are many of them who given the right matchups, can beat each other. Yes, KU with DP is dangerous in a one game scenario. Duke, ISU, Carolina. Gonzaga, MSU, Purdue, Houston, BYU. Any of those teams can beat anybody in a single game. Injuries and improvements will change things further, for example, Mullins is still not what he can be, nor has Reed been.

I think this year is pretty wide open honestly. Maybe it won't be by Valentines Day.

 

[RuffRuff]

It's crazy so far this season. People have already picked their final four and crowned their champion and we aren't even into conference play yet.

Greg is saying Arizona and Michigan are historical teams. We would've beaten Arizona by double digits if Reed and Mullins were available and we are nowhere close to a finished product. And no I'm not saying we're any kind of historical team or that we're going to be champs. I do think we're probably going to be the best team by tournament time (if healthy) but it's single elimination and there's plenty of teams who can win it all. Kansas is one of them and they aren't even being mentioned because they have three losses.

We're coming off a year where the analytics were practically chalk to the Elite 8. Every year the analytics are more dialed in, perfected. 7 of the top 9 KP teams last year were in the Elite 8 (Arkansas the lone exception).

Never before have we had OOC early seasons with this many games to see what best teams look like against each other.

Between the data, the eye test, and the head to heads, the barometer now is as dialed in as ever.

This isn't even a topic the Sleeper's Guy brought up, the CBS team did and they were commenting on it.

The UConn hasn't peaked idea is that of many - it's just that AZ & UM have shown out, have stellar resumes and also have time to develop more. UM is a lot of transfers, AZ has 3 freshmen. Burries is starting to explode. You keep siting the AZ game, but that was midweek cross country for them. I'd take the field too, but it's not as outlandish an argument as you make it. Greg is a bit hyperbolic for the sake of clicks, but he does know his stuff.

 

[superjohn]

We're coming off a year where the analytics were practically chalk to the Elite 8. Every year the analytics are more dialed in, perfected. 7 of the top 9 KP teams last year were in the Elite 8 (Arkansas the lone exception).

Never before have we had OOC early seasons with this many games to see what best teams look like against each other.

Between the data, the eye test, and the head to heads, the barometer now is as dialed in as ever.

This isn't even a topic the Sleeper's Guy brought up, the CBS team did and they were commenting on it.

The UConn hasn't peaked idea is that of many - it's just that AZ & UM have shown out, have stellar resumes and also have time to develop more. UM is a lot of transfers, AZ has 3 freshmen. Burries is starting to explode. You keep siting the AZ game, but that was midweek cross country for them. I'd take the field too, but it's not as outlandish an argument as you make it. Greg is a bit hyperbolic for the sake of clicks, but he does know his stuff.

I don't want to burst your bubble but Greg is just a guy who watches a lot of games like the rest of us and he knows less than a lot of people on this board. It showed itself when he was doing his silly player comps with UConn players and past players around the country. He was trying to make a point that UConn doesn't have any star players this season/players who could be the guy on a championship team but all he did was show he doesn't know nearly as much as he thinks he does. He didn't even know who the players were who were coming up in the player comps.

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't want to burst your bubble but Greg is just a guy who watches a lot of games like the rest of us and he knows less than a lot of people on this board. It showed itself when he was doing his silly player comps with UConn players and past players around the country. He was trying to make a point that UConn doesn't have any star players this season/players who could be the guy on a championship team but all he did was show he doesn't know nearly as much as he thinks he does. He didn't even know who the players were who were coming up in the player comps.

He also doesn't know every team intimately like we know our team. And that's understandable. He was saying that Ross passed Stewart in the pecking order because of the minutes in the Butler game without knowing that Stewart got hurt. But he is pretty knowledgeable compared to the average college basketball analyst. Just saying he doesn't know everything though.

 

[RuffRuff]

He also doesn't know every team intimately like we know our team. And that's understandable. He was saying that Ross passed Stewart in the pecking order because of the minutes in the Butler game without knowing that Stewart got hurt. But he is pretty knowledgeable compared to the average college basketball analyst. Just saying he doesn't know everything though.

He does watch every UConn game. Stays close to them for some reason.

 

[Kolumbo]

don't some people here want to add them to the Big East?

I'm down. They would certainly help Big East soccer! And the Big East Tide lifts all boats. except for the S.S. depaul

 

[FfldCntyFan]

In the not very distant past we had a final four with three one seeds and one three seeds, followed by a final four with two one seeds and two two seeds. I remember most talking heads stating that the shape of things to come would be almost entirely one seeds, occasional two seeds and as the new Cinderella, a three seed sneaking through in very rare tournaments.

A couple years later half of the final four were play-in schools and the highest seed was a three.

They've been claiming that top seeds will eventually be the only seeds to advance deep on the tournament basically since they started seeding schools. I imagine we are decades away from that being the case more than maybe 40% of the time.

 

[boog204]

Did you not trust JC before 1999? Dusty May got to a FF in less than half the time JC did. With a non-power conference team. Dude seems like he can coach just fine.

The national vibe with JC, pre-99, was that he couldn’t win the “big one.” Him, John Chaney, and Gene Keady were grouped together in the great coaches who couldn’t get over the hump.

I think the second you coach a team to a final
Four you are validated. May is an outstanding coach. There’s no questioning that after what he did with FAU.

 

[gsmooth]

Haven't seen any discussion on this in years but due to location, (alleged) market and nature of the school (private, catholic) they would be the most logical choice (performance aside) if the conference wanted two six school divisions.

The thing is, outside of a stretch with Spoonhour, they haven't really had the success to be anything at the level the BE has performed.

As long as UConn is in the Big East I will care about the Big East even though I am a nostalgic fan of the Big East going back to the 80s.

I think Dayton would be a much better fit for the Big East than St. Louis. But the main barrier to adding Dayton, assuming the Big East is looking to add a 12th team, is Xavier. If a unanimous vote is required by all 11 teams, then it's not happening.

 

[HooperScooper]

As long as UConn is in the Big East I will care about the Big East even though I am a nostalgic fan of the Big East going back to the 80s.

I think Dayton would be a much better fit for the Big East than St. Louis. But the main barrier to adding Dayton, assuming the Big East is looking to add a 12th team, is Xavier. If a unanimous vote is required by all 11 teams, then it's not happening.

3/4 vote. See Section 4.02 of the Big East bylaws.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1144801/Big-East-Bylaws.pdf

 

[BFieldHusky]

3/4 vote. See Section 4.02 of the Big East bylaws.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1144801/Big-East-Bylaws.pdf

Heard that Dayton doesn't have the votes, even at 3/4. We are against it.

 

[RuffRuff]

Heard that Dayton doesn't have the votes, even at 3/4. We are against it.

It's too bad as it does feel like the BE needs to do something to freshen things up. It feel epically stale. Would be nice if we saw a couple McD AA in this league besides us every once in awhile. It looks like Gtown may have one coming in next year.

Right now the only freshmen in this conference that's at all exciting is Lewis at Nova, who backed in over there.

 

[Palatine]

I watched a good bit of Memphis' game last night. Memphis doesn't run anything resembling an offense. I saw better schemes at the Enfield Youth Center in 1962. WTF is Penny doing?