Final Four Caliber Games This Season

[jibsey]

We’ve already had 2, about to have another against Gonzaga but if you add Marquette and Creighton into the mix. even if you figure that opponents can move out of this status, others could move in, we have 8 to 9 games that are at that level prior to the NCAA tournament. Talk about battle tested.

 

[shizzle787]

We’ve already had 2, about to have another against Gonzaga but if you add Marquette and Creighton into the mix. even if you figure that opponents can move out of this status, others could move in, we have 8 to 9 games that are at that level prior to the NCAA tournament. Talk about battle tested.

UNC was not a final four caliber game. They are a Sweet 16 team at best. That felt like a 1/4 matchup in the Sweet 16.

 

[caw]

UNC was not a final four caliber game. They are a Sweet 16 team at best. That felt like a 1/4 matchup in the Sweet 16.

We will know more about UNC after they play their next two games. Plus the ACC is pretty weak this year.

 

[jibsey]

UNC was ranked 9. So the only FF caliber game are teams ranked 1-4? No.
No guarantee that a team ranked 4 or 9 now will remain so by tourney time but these teams in the top 15 or a bit more are FF caliber, capable whatever you want to call it. And let's not forget that UConn maybe wasn't thought FF caliber after our losing streak so this is somewhat subjective to a degree, but we have 8 or 9 teams on our schedule who present that type of match up.

 

[shizzle787]

UNC was ranked 9. So the only FF caliber game are teams ranked 1-4? No.
No guarantee that a team ranked 4 or 9 now will remain so by tourney time but these teams in the top 15 or a bit more are FF caliber, capable whatever you want to call it. And let's not forget that UConn maybe wasn't thought FF caliber after our losing streak so this is somewhat subjective to a degree, but we have 8 or 9 teams on our schedule who present that type of match up.

UNC has three really good players and that is about it. They will be a 4-6 seed in the tournament, especially given how bad the ACC (and Duke in particular) is.

 

[shizzle787]

Also, Texas and Indiana are Quad 2 wins right now.

 

[7774]

UNC was not a final four caliber game. They are a Sweet 16 team at best. That felt like a 1/4 matchup in the Sweet 16.

When you post things like this do you ever think about how San Diego State was just in the title game, Florida Atlantic the final four, St Peters in the Elite 8 in 2022, etc?

Reminds me of last year when you said we'd never be able to do anything in the tournament if we didn't at least get a 3 seed.

 

[shizzle787]

When you post things like this do you ever think about how San Diego State was just in the title game, Florida Atlantic the final four, St Peters in the Elite 8 in 2022, etc?

Reminds me of last year when you said we'd never be able to do anything in the tournament if we didn't at least get a 3 seed.

I said matchups traditionally are much better as a 3 than as a 4.

And sure smaller schools have runs, but they are the exception to the rule.

 

[Tenspro2002]

When you post things like this do you ever think about how San Diego State was just in the title game, Florida Atlantic the final four, St Peters in the Elite 8 in 2022, etc?

Reminds me of last year when you said we'd never be able to do anything in the tournament if we didn't at least get a 3 seed.

To play devil's advocate, a lot of people argued that last year's Final Four didn't include any Final Four-caliber games.

Though that just highlights the fact that you never know how the Tournament will play out and any game against a top 20 or so type of opponent is valuable experience, though getting the true top 5 matchup (e.g. Kansas, maybe Gonzaga, looking ahead, Marquette) is especially valuable for preparing for the possibility of running into that kind of juggernaut if the brackets don't fall apart like they did last year.

 

[jibsey]

I said “caliber”. The way things are thought of and ranked now we have 7 games when you consider Marquette, Creighton, Kansas and others ranked we have played, but even though their records don’t put them there now there are others we will play who could be in the group. SDS and FAU might not have made the list beginning of last year.