NCAA Tournament Saturday (Day 3) Thread

[UCann]

So the ninth place team in the SEC just led wire to wire over the team that dominated the big east.
I guess the SEC isn’t overrated?

The SEC is still overrated. But St. Johns was also way overrated. Both can be true. St. John’s benefited so greatly from the BE refs that it was never going to work for them in the tourney. Hope that wakes up the BE - we know they are trying to hurt UConn but the way to do that is not to have biased reffing all season. That just sets the other teams up for failure in the tourney.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

This game didn't have anything to do with St. John's being physical in the Big East and not being able to deal with tournament refs. They lost because they played horrendously bad. They missed something like 20 layups and their two best guards looked like they wanted to be anywhere other than a basketball court today.

Counterpoint is that it’s really difficult to bully your way to a final four.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Johnnies were always fools gold. Relied on clutching g and grabbing on defense and shooting low percentage long-range 2's at a high clip.

 

[alexd]

Spike Lee will forget about SJU for the next 25 years again.

 

[NickDanger]

Right after your post dunking on the Big East.

Are you going to keep this sock going now that it has been exposed?

What exactly has “been exposed”? That you will readily believe in kooky conspiracy theories?

 

[UC0NN]

I've never seen a star player like Luis Jr. get benched in a tight elimination game ever. Kid is an upperclassmen too. Never seen it.....EVER.

Idiot move by Pitino, he could have cost them that game.

 

[UCfor3]

SJU got a bad matchup. All those long bodies tormented them. You could tell early on.

Yup. That's why you have to have more than one way to win. Turns out being a bad foul shooting and 3 point shooting team will bite you when you play an athletically equal team and you get a ref crew that calls fouls. Used to happen to Jamie Dixon's Pitt team every year in the tourney.

 

[B1GEast]

This is really bad for the Big East. I don't know why people are celebrating this.

I think people are happy for two reasons.

1. He's kind of jerk

2. More importantly, if we do happen to move on in the tournament, the team that had our number is no longer an obstacle.

Settle down on the Big East is family and we should be rooting for everyone. I get what you mean but in the end, as UConn fans it's okay to be selfish

 

[huskyjawz]

Not sure why SJU went away from Ejiofor. He put Arkansas's entire frontcourt in foul trouble within the first 10 minutes of the game.

We're not the only team that can't/won't get it inside to our big man.

 

[UC0NN]

80% of St Johns fans just joined the bandwagon this year.

2 reasons to root against them. They are in our region. And Pitino is a cocky slimeball.

 

[huskyjawz]

Yup. That's why you have to have more than one way to win. Turns out being a bad foul shooting and 3 point shooting team will bite you when you play an athletically equal team and you get a ref crew that calls fouls. Used to happen to Jamie Dixon's Pitt team every year in the tourney.

that's the key, they're not used to playing teams that can match their athleticism and physicality.

 

[TroyHall98]

This is really bad for the Big East. I don't know why people are celebrating this.

Pitino is an agitator. Shutting up an agitator deserves celebration.

 

[cellocgg]

This is really bad for the Big East. I don't know why people are celebrating this.

Because I hate the Big East lol

 

[UCan3]

Johnnies were always fools gold. Relied on clutching g and grabbing on defense and shooting low percentage long-range 2's at a high cli

It is am embarrassing loss for St. John’s in the sense Ricky was doing all kinds of interviews, poking fun at UConn, all this media build up and now they are heading home after they faced their first serious competition in the tourney.

Maybe they can wave at UConn on their ride back from Providence?

Technically not good for the Big East but maybe St. Johns could have been a bit more humble and yes, the Big East reffing style has some teams looking WAY better then they actually are…

And some worse than they are..

 

[Sibeerian]

Team is long but not where it counts

 

[blkknight1]

St John's had little margin for error. People talked about how their 4 losses were by a combined 7 pts or something like that but on the other side a ton if their wins were close. It wasn't like they were blowing teams off the court in wins. They needed to skirt a fine line and doing that for 4-6 games wasn't happening.

 

[Leebo]

“Best player” in BE goes 3 for 20 shooting? Something smells…

I see, it was gastrointestinal distress, huh.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Spike Lee will forget about SJU for the next 25 years again.

I ran into him once at a coffee shop around my old apartment. Truly the oddest celebrity I’ve ever seen in person. Seemed to spend the entire time he was in there attempting to get people to notice he was spike lee and give out autographs.

 

[HCCForever]

Can anyone remember the last time a coach benched his star player at the end of a winnable game when the outcome was still in doubt? I can't.

That was interesting. I wonder what Pitino knows that we don't.

Didn't Calhoun bench Smitty in his last game against Ohio State in 1992 NCAAT? Not sure if the game was winnable though since UConn lost by 23.

 

[UCfor3]

that's the key, they're not used to playing teams that can match their athleticism and physicality.

Yep. Big East was not a very athletic conference this year.

 

[Ripper32]

Pitino was noticeably irritated that his players were taking the drives directly to the hoop instead of pulling up before the defenders. But they played that way the entire year. It's tough to change playing styles at this late stage of the year. And you don't see super athletic wingmen like that in the Big East because the NIL pools are smaller.

 

[superjohn]

I ran into him once at a coffee shop around my old apartment. Truly the oddest celebrity I’ve ever seen in person. Seemed to spend the entire time he was in there attempting to get people to notice he was spike lee and give out autographs.

Talented dude though. I love some of his movies and his movies have a style and look to them that are totally unique.

 

[slepers]

They can wave when they drive by storrs on their way home if they can see it through their tears

 

[cellocgg]

wow it's almost like the conference of small schools isn't good. crazy idea maybe we don't belong or something

 

[jibsey]

Pitino is an agitator. Shutting up an agitator deserves celebration.

That rotten Pitino jab about Storrs is why it’s ok to root against him. He is a POS.
Dont worry, he’ll buy some more players next year.