Elite 8 Thread | Page 9 | The Boneyard

Elite 8 Thread

UConn_Top_Dog said:
Still don't understand why recruits continue to go to a school that constantly under performs despite NBA laden rosters.
Expand ...
I would kill to have UConn underperform like UK does.

UK under Cal has been to 2 title games, winning one.

They've been to 2 other Final Fours (so 4/5 of UConn's entire history total, and 2x more than Duke or Kansas or UNC over this same time).

They've been to 7 E8s in the time he's there. 70% of their seasons, they're playing for the right to go to the Final Four. UConn has gone to the E8 a total of 11 times ever, and his team has gone 7 times in 10 years.

Yes, they bring in a lot of talent. But so do UNC, Duke, KU, Arizona, and a bunch of others. And unlike some of those other teams, they're playing 18 year olds. Very good 18 year olds, but they're matching up often against teams that have played together for years.
 
Last edited:
Wow I've instantly become interested in the Final Four. Unlike past years, I will certainly tune in if MSU wins.

My brother's a UVA grad who for many years (actually decades) rooted for UConn in the Tourneys and was actually glad we won Championships including BE ones. I will gladly return the favor this year, I owe it to him.
 
.-.
intlzncster said:
Exposure. They want to get drafted high.

We care about NCAA championships, they care about their future.
Expand ...
They also care about NCAA titles. UK has won one, played for another, been to 4 Final Fours in 10 years, and been to the E8 7 times. If you want to play for a national championship, it's a good place to go.
 
Robertelamin said:
Auburn and Texas Tech being in the final four kind of blows my mind but they both deserved it.
Expand ...
Yeah. People should be quiet about the tournament being rigged. This might be a ratings apocalypse. Nobody nationally cares about Tech, Auburn, or Virginia. If the refs wanted to influence things the FF would have been Duke vs. Gonzaga/Michigan and UK/UNC vs. maybe a surprise Villanova or something like that.
 
CBS has to be sick. What kind of ratings would a no name final like Auburn - TTU get? Would be like Northwestern playing Vandy in the football championship. Schools with zero pedigree.
 
They
tzznandrew said:
I would kill to have UConn underperform like UK does.

UK under Cal has been to 2 title games, willing one.

They've been to 2 other Final Fours (so 4/5 of UConn's entire history total, and 2x more than Duke or Kansas or UNC over this same time).

They've been to 7 E8s in the time he's there. 70% of their seasons, they're playing for the right to go to the Final Four. UConn has gone to the E8 a total of 11 times ever, and his team has gone 7 times in 10 years.

Yes, they bring in a lot of talent. But so do UNC, Duke, KU, Arizona, and a bunch of others. And unlike some of those other teams, they're playing 18 year olds. Very good 18 year olds, but they're matching up often against teams that have played together for years.
Expand ...

Meh... they can have their elite 8s and final 4 appearances. I'd rather have the banners.
 
UConn_Top_Dog said:
They


Meh... they can have their elite 8s and final 4 appearances. I'd rather have the banners.
Expand ...
You realize they have way more than us historically? And that they're way closer than we are to winning another? And that we only have 1 more than them in the time span under question (2010-2019)?

Yeah, gotta be honest, I'd rather win a title once a decade and be in 3 other Final Fours and 3 other E8s our current situation. Almost every team would.
 
.-.
tzznandrew said:
I would kill to have UConn underperform like UK does.

UK under Cal has been to 2 title games, willing one.

They've been to 2 other Final Fours (so 4/5 of UConn's entire history total, and 2x more than Duke or Kansas or UNC over this same time).

They've been to 7 E8s in the time he's there. 70% of their seasons, they're playing for the right to go to the Final Four. UConn has gone to the E8 a total of 11 times ever, and his team has gone 7 times in 10 years.

Yes, they bring in a lot of talent. But so do UNC, Duke, KU, Arizona, and a bunch of others. And unlike some of those other teams, they're playing 18 year olds. Very good 18 year olds, but they're matching up often against teams that have played together for years.
Expand ...
It's not enough for much of big blue nation. He lost with a team that had KAT, Booker, Lyles, Cauley-Stein, Harrison twins, and Ulis. He lost with Wall, Bledsoe, Cousins, and Patterson, and Darius Miller.
 
tzznandrew said:
You realize they have way more than us historically? And that they're way closer than we are to winning another? And that we only have 1 more than them in the time span under question (2010-2019)?

Yeah, gotta be honest, I'd rather win a title once a decade and be in 3 other Final Fours and 3 other E8s our current situation. Almost every team would.
Expand ...
You realize it's insane we have 1 more than them in that 2010-2019 span considering the talent discrepancy?
 
superjohn said:
It's not enough for much of big blue nation. He lost with a team that had KAT, Booker, Lyles, Cauley-Stein, Harrison twins, and Ulis. He lost with Wall, Bledsoe, Cousins, and Patterson, and Darius Miller.
Expand ...
In each of those cases they were pretty much all freshmen. We lost with Ray Allen. We lost with our 2006 team. Single game elimination tournaments are flukey.

superjohn said:
You realize it's insane we have 1 more than them in that 2010-2019 span considering the talent discrepancy?
Expand ...
Which of course goes to this. You'll never convince me that the 2011 team wasn't the best team that year. Actually. The 2014 team, though? That was one hell of a fluke.
 
MSU can't go this cold from 3 if they want to win.
 
.-.
tzznandrew said:
You realize they have way more than us historically? And that they're way closer than we are to winning another? And that we only have 1 more than them in the time span under question (2010-2019)?

Yeah, gotta be honest, I'd rather win a title once a decade and be in 3 other Final Fours and 3 other E8s our current situation. Almost every team would.
Expand ...

Yes I understand their history no doubt. But at the end of the day no one remembers the runner up. Champions are remembered. And yes I would love to be in their shoes when it comes to competing almost every year for a title. But tbh I enjoy being the underdog.
 
tzznandrew said:
They also care about NCAA titles. UK has won one, played for another, been to 4 Final Fours in 10 years, and been to the E8 7 times. If you want to play for a national championship, it's a good place to go.
Expand ...

True, was being a bit hyperbolic. But I do think exposure/hype draft position etc is number 1 on the list.

It goes without saying they'll be competing for titles and in the spotlight in March.

Those things go hand in hand.
 
I also don't like the 18 year old argument. It's a problem of Calipari's own making. He uses it as an excuse every year but nobody is making him recruit so many one and done players. He could mix in some more 2nd tier recruits that stay 3 years with the top 10 guys and have a better mix of experience and elite talent. Duke is doing the one and done model better than Kentucky anyway. It's no secret Kentucky has done well and are in way better shape than us. It's also fair to say they have underachieved with finishing the job considering all the talent. Both can be true.
 
intlzncster said:
True, was being a bit hyperbolic. But I do think exposure/hype draft position etc is number 1 on the list.

It goes without saying they'll be competing for titles and in the spotlight in March.

Those things go hand in hand.
Expand ...
I think Calipari says that about the draft because he knows it's what recruits want to hear, not what he wants. He's always selling. His annual attention seeking at the draft is nauseating.
 
.-.
tzznandrew said:
Which of course goes to this. You'll never convince me that the 2011 team wasn't the best team that year. Actually. The 2014 team, though? That was one hell of a fluke.
Expand ...

2011 just had a bunch of perfectly fit pieces, along with by far and away the best player in the nation. Never lost single elimination. A really, really good team.

2014 I wouldn't call flukey. Having the best player in the tournament and the best perimeter defender is a huge advantage. They all settled in and played their roles to their absolute maximum.

It was definitely surprising, and they did catch a bit of lightning, but a lot of that was self imposed. When they took that haymaker and knock down by Ville, they came up swinging and never stopped. Very Calhoun-like.
 
UCfor3 said:
I also don't like the 18 year old argument. It's a problem of Calipari's own making. He uses it as an excuse every year but nobody is making him recruit so many one and done players. He could mix in some more 2nd tier recruits that stay 3 years with the top 10 guys and have a better mix of experience and elite talent. Duke is doing the one and done model better than Kentucky anyway. It's no secret Kentucky has done well and are in way better shape than us. It's also fair to say they have underachieved with finishing the job considering all the talent. Both can be true.
Expand ...
I mean, I guess. They won 1 title with the model (2015). Same as UK. But if we say taking Kyrie is the year they began to embrace the 1 and done model, you go:

Titles

1 each

Final Fours

UK: 4 (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015)
Duke: 1 (2015)

Elite 8s

UK: 6
Duke: 4

Now Duke may add another Final Four, and maybe even another title. But I don't know that they're doing demonstrably better than UK. Probably worse, actually, since they lost to a 15-seed and a 14-seed in the first round, and a 7-seed in the second once.
 
Travelman32 said:
Bunch of Hicks, wonder if they send death threats to the refs again, absolute worst fans.
Expand ...
Given half the people on our board's reaction after games we aren't even a part of, I'd say there's a high chance they'll be doing the same when we're good again...
 
Cal got outcoached again today. No way he should lose to Auburn without their biggest threat in the paint on both ends. And how long can you keep Herro on Harper?

Tough one to root for either coach but Pearl gets the edge even in that lol
 
UCfor3 said:
I think Calipari says that about the draft because he knows it's what recruits want to hear, not what he wants. He's always selling. His annual attention seeking at the draft is nauseating.
Expand ...

But effective.
 
UCfor3 said:
I think Calipari says that about the draft because he knows it's what recruits want to hear, not what he wants. He's always selling. His annual attention seeking at the draft is nauseating.
Expand ...
But it's not designed to make you happy, so who cares? It helps him get great recruits year in and year out.
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,336
Messages
4,565,349
Members
10,465
Latest member
agiglax


Top Bottom