Kemba into Elite 8 of college basketball ESPN GOAT Tournament

[HuskyNationJE]

Because ESPN ran it it's been a disaster. Now that we are hitched to Fox Sports I'm rooting for ESPN to go away forever.

I'm with you, and all for it. I only watch/use ESPN because it's kind of, there and has been the go to for so long but it's such a mess. My best friend is a director at Fox Sports, so I support them no matter what, but also am hoping he can hook it up once we officially tip off in the Big East again...

 

[Doheny]

Only guy to win three NCAA championships. Hard to pick anyone over him.

Would have been 4, but, back then, freshmen were not allowed to play varsity ball.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Walton was a beast and can be argued as second best ever but Kareem won everything for all three years of varsity, 3 National Championships, 3 player of the year, and 3 final 4 mvp. Walton won all of that for 2 of his 3 years of varsity.

I would still take Alcinder but Walton did win Nat'l POY all three years and had the winning streak.
David Thompson and a 2OT FF loss is Walton's only blemish.

UCLA vs. NC State Box Score (Men), March 23, 1974 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

UCLA vs. NC State Box Score (Men), March 23, 1974

www.sports-reference.com

 

[GoDAWGS]

Should be Walton vs Kareem, or Stewart vs Kareem

 

[Watchdog]

Based on fan voting, Kemba defeated Dwayne Wade in the Sweet 16 of fan voting yesterday. Already defeated Marcus Camby in first round and Oscar Robinson in second round (Cincy still can't make it to the second weekend). Match-up vs Shaq next for a spot in the "Final 4" of the college basketball GOATs.

Make sure to follow @sportscenter twitter to vote Kemba into the Final 4!

That's all well and good, but wait till he has to play Oscar Robertson. That'll be tougher.

 

[Watchdog]

I like Shaq, a lot. I remember watching him in college... particularly several games when he was an 18-year old freshman running the floor like a gazelle. I have never seen a guy that big move that well. And he seemed to be having so much fun as he put up some monster numbers against the likes of UNLV and Duke... it was infectious. I also think it is great how he has become a very successful entrepreneur and TV personality. He seems like a really cool guy, too.

That having been said, I also remember us kicking his team's ass in the 1st round in 1991 as an 11th seed... and in 3 years at LSU his teams went a total of 2-3 in 3 Tournament Appearances, never getting past the first weekend. By contrast, Kemba's record in the NCAA Tournament was 10-1 in 2 appearances with 2 Final Fours and 1 NCAA Championship won almost entirely because of him.

I get these things are little more than popularity contests with no resemblance to actual results... but this one should be a No Contest in Kemba's favor.

My niece hired him as the new spokesman for Papa John's. Flew to Florida to bring him back to the Ville in the corporate jet and said he's as nice and as funny as we all gather from what we see of him. Genuinely nice.

 

[Sky ball]

Poor Oscar R. First he loses to Kemba after delivering 2 NCs to Cincy, and now he's married to a woman who is cheating on him with Benjamin Braddock.

Too bad she wasn't cheating with Benjamin Buttons. He would soon be to young for her.

 

[Rocktheworld]

All this talk about Kareem... I think they should only consider players who played in the 64+ team format. You only had to win like 3 consecutive games back then based on your seeding, and the competition was a relative joke.

 

[Chin Diesel]

All this talk about Kareem... I think they should only consider players who played in the 64+ team format. You only had to win like 3 consecutive games back then based on your seeding, and the competition was a relative joke.

Remember the other side of the coin. Only Conference Champ makes tourney.

Realistically to me, Chamberlain, Russell, Robertson and Baylor are only players pre-Alcinder I think could have played and dominated any era.

 

[superjohn]

All this talk about Kareem... I think they should only consider players who played in the 64+ team format. You only had to win like 3 consecutive games back then based on your seeding, and the competition was a relative joke.

If Kareem and Walton's teams played any of the top teams nowadays, Kareem and Walton's teams would destroy them.

 

[boba]

If Kareem and Walton's teams played any of the top teams nowadays, Kareem and Walton's teams would destroy them.

Yeah, paid professionals usually out perform the amateurs.

 

[Rocktheworld]

If Kareem and Walton's teams played any of the top teams nowadays, Kareem and Walton's teams would destroy them.

Consolidation of talent was completely different

Remember the other side of the coin. Only Conference Champ makes tourney.

Realistically to me, Chamberlain, Russell, Robertson and Baylor are only players pre-Alcinder I think could have played and dominated any era.

That actually supports my point. So only 5 power-5-level teams in the whole tournament (roughly 20%), as opposed to 30+(roughly half)

 

[superjohn]

Yeah, paid professionals usually out perform the amateurs.

So glad players aren't getting paid anymore.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Consolidation of talent was completely different

That actually supports my point. So only 5 power-5-level teams in the whole tournament (roughly 20%), as opposed to 30+(roughly half)

The barrier to entry in to the tourney was higher but once in the tourney it required fewer wins.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The barrier to entry in to the tourney was higher but once in the tourney it required fewer wins.

And the competition in said tournament was lower, which was my counter-point

your only real point is that conference play mattered more back then

 

[superjohn]

Consolidation of talent was completely different

That actually supports my point. So only 5 power-5-level teams in the whole tournament (roughly 20%), as opposed to 30+(roughly half)

And the greatest players in the world were in college for 4 years, now they're in college for 1.