NCAA Tourney games

[LETTERL]

Anyone questioning the coaching abilities of Coach Ivey now???

It's only because she stands next to the whiteboard with equations from quantum mechanics. 😉

 

[GoChips20]

The thing people were missing about “ND’s a one-woman team” is that very few players can carry a team as well as Hannah Hidalgo

 

[cancontent]

The thing people were missing about “ND’s a one-woman team” is that very few players can carry a team as well as Hannah Hidalgo

True, but the rest of the roster is showing up too when it counts the most.

 

[FanInNC]

Biggest one was injured scoring guard.

Barring transfers, whole roster back next year with this year of tough experience. Trygger/Pierre and all those guards.

There has been a lot of debate between State fans about next years roster.

I’m with you, biggest issue yesterday was no Zoe Brooks. That game got out of hand because State struggled against the pressure. Michigan wins I’m sure with Zoe out there too, but that press would not have worked the same if she’s there - she’s the calming presence against that sort of defense. Michigans is better than Tennessees but twice this year she carved their pressure up. Zam is fine against pressure when she has a running mate - asking true freshman KyShe to be that secondary ball handler was too tall a task. She’s turnover prone and she fouled out only playing 14 minutes. So yeah, that was a rough go for the Pack.

To your second point - on paper I agree. Everyone returns from that group and add 2 top 100 freshmen and you’d imagine State would be back where they typically are in the top 10. But … if you’ve watched State this year the pieces don’t fit well. Zoe and Zam are both more score first guards. That’s totally fine if you have a Saniya Rivers type who is content to be the facilitator from the wing - but State doesn’t have that. Everyone looking to create for themselves too much. And it was a poor defensive team too often.

I’m very interested to see what happens this off season. I also suspect Zoe, Zam, KP and Tilda will have opportunities to earn more $ elsewhere. Not sure State can or should spend to bring all 4 back - if you pay what that takes do you have enough to fill out the holes in the roster ? I have no inside info but I’m guessing Zam or Zoe is back and the other cashes in elsewhere. I assume Tilda is back. I really hope KP is back. We’ll see.

 

[FanInNC]

For today let’s just pretend Syracuse is still in the Big East considering its 45-8 currently and I’m feeling proud of the ACC.

Awesome win for UVa and ND. UVA has had the talent all year. I really like the make up of that team they just never had put it together. Nice to see them playing their best ball of the year when it matters most.

 

[cancontent]

For today let’s just pretend Syracuse is still in the Big East considering its 45-8 currently and I’m feeling proud of the ACC.

Awesome win for UVa and ND. UVA has had the talent all year. I really like the make up of that team they just never had put it together. Nice to see them playing their best ball of the year when it matters most.

I used the laughing emoji only for this statement. I feel you on this point.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Oh sure, we finally get some interesting games while I'm at work! Better late than never I guess.

 

[cancontent]

Oh sure, we finally get some interesting games while I'm at work! Better late than never I guess.

You're at work. I've been traveling and unable to track while flying. I fully empathetize.

 

[Zanzman]

Iowa killing multiple parlays since 4/23/26. Won't be trusting them next season. Anyway I think UVA has a great chance vs TCU. The Frogs didn't impress me last night at all, haven't been too impressed with them all season. It would be crazy if UVA went further in the bracket than any other ACC school

Does this mean your putting money on the cavs

 

[nwhoopfan]

Hannah is dismantling tOSU, one of her best all-around games. And the worst part is that tOSU seems not to have developed any scout on her when she has the ball. They regularly allow her to go to her right. In my book, a team as poorly prepared as tOSU appears to be doesn't deserve to win. Otherwise, their personnel is superior to ND. They ought to win this game. But they won't.

And how was Notre Dame's scout on Cambridge? I mean ND won the game, but Jaloni outgunned Hannah 41-26.

 

[southie]

I’ve been dubious of the Big12 most of the season, and not because of OOC matchups. Too many of the conference games I managed to see were lackluster events with very little in the way of defense being played. TCU in particular looked like a paper tiger. However last night’s game against Washington showed something better, especially from Silva. Her mobility on defense and her activity on offense looked better than I’ve seen so far. Miles and Suarez have been playing as well as they had to to win all season. But Miles and Silva seemed to have found a good connection. They were actually impressive, which is a strange thing to say about a transcendent talent like Miles.

WVU has been a scrappy team for most of the season. I’m curious to see if they have upped their game for the postseason or merely regressed to the mean. If they can give Kentucky a game, that will be a positive sign for the conference.

Yeah, I had a feeling West Virginia would lose at home to Kentucky. The Big 12 just wasn't good this season. TCU will probably now get the Elite 8 again having to face 10-seed Virginia instead of 2-seed Iowa; and, that will be two seasons in a row they can claim that.

 

[Bone Dog]

I was surprised the Kentucky game was so close. I knew the backcourt was weak, but not this weak. They should have dominated the WVU guards. They don't stand a chance against Texas.

 

[GoChips20]

And how was Notre Dame's scout on Cambridge? I mean ND won the game, but Jaloni outgunned Hannah 41-26.

Your point stands, but Cambridge scored 13 of those 41 in the last 3:30 with the game sealed. Incredible performance nonetheless but Hidalgo controlled the game

 

[Iluvacc2]

Put some respect on the ACC name!

 

[southie]

I was surprised the Kentucky game was so close. I knew the backcourt was weak, but not this weak. They should have dominated the WVU guards. They don't stand a chance against Texas.

I only watched bits and pieces of the game. The announcers said Kentucky had as much as a 14-point lead in the second half. From what I saw, WVU has good guards and their weakness is their post players; so, I would have thought Kentucky's advantage would have been inside while WVU's advantage would have been their guard play.

 

[Bigboote]

I’m a little late commenting on UVA — in the tourney they’ve done a great job of using their size. I thought they’d have a pretty good shot at Iowa, and they executed. Great job by the Hoos.

 

[bballnut90]

Mikayla Blakes with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals in Vandy's first 2nd round win in 13 years. Head scratching how some label her 'just a scorer.'

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Iowa has been the most underwhelming 2 seed in many years. After their performance against FDU,
today's loss was not that surprising.

 

[bballnut90]

Players on the AP All American team have been showing out big time in the 2nd round:
Azzi Fudd: 34 points, 5 assists, 4 steals, 13-18 shooting and 8-11 from 3 in a monster win
Madison Booker: 40 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists on 14-21 shooting
Sarah Strong: 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists
Mikayla Blakes: 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals

And I'll add in Hannah Hidalgo who just barely missed 1st team: 26 points, 13 rebounds, 8 steals in road win over Ohio State

Lauren Betts: TBD

 

[bballnut90]

Iowa has been the most underwhelming 2 seed in many years. After their performance against FDU,
today's loss was not that surprising.

This game had strong shades of the 2022 upset to Creighton. Playing a 10 seed at home, heavily favored, lost in a tight game late in front of a massive crowd. Both teams were on the weaker side for a 2 seed. The 2022 game in particular though was a much bigger upset at the time with how well they had been playing.

Iowa had a really solid year but ending the season with a 51 point loss to UCLA, barely beating FDU and losing at home to 10 seed Virginia is definitely a sour way to finish the year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Being a 2 seed at home hasn’t been kind to Iowa. They’ve lost twice in the last five tournaments.

This loss will be really disappointing to Iowa fans but it’s disappointing because Iowa outperformed expectations almost all year. No one had them as a 2 seed coming into the season. Some people say your seed doesn’t mean anything, but it’s a marker of your body of work. Agree next year they’ve got to break through to the second weekend but I like where they’re going

Iowa beat Michigan soundly. I thought they looked good--until UCLA thrashed them by 50. They didn't look good after that.

 

[southie]

Iowa has been the most underwhelming 2 seed in many years. After their performance against FDU,
today's loss was not that surprising.

They've been perplexing for sure. They won in the B1G semi-finals against Michigan pretty handily (59-42), and then got throttled by UCLA in the championship game. They had won like 8 of their last 10 games to end the season, so something led to them all of a sudden not playing well in the post-season.

 

[GoChips20]

ND/Vandy actually match up really well with each other IMO. Both have issues against teams with strong post play and both have a dynamite do-everything guard. Vandy is definitely the favorite but it could get interesting.

 

[ABCDFE]

Mikayla Blakes with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals in Vandy's first 2nd round win in 13 years. Head scratching how some label her 'just a scorer.'

Who labels her just as a scorer?

 

[ABCDFE]

This game had strong shades of the 2022 upset to Creighton. Playing a 10 seed at home, heavily favored, lost in a tight game late in front of a massive crowd. Both teams were on the weaker side for a 2 seed. The 2022 game in particular though was a much bigger upset at the time with how well they had been playing.

Iowa had a really solid year but ending the season with a 51 point loss to UCLA, barely beating FDU and losing at home to 10 seed Virginia is definitely a sour way to finish the year.

That UCLA win against Iowa doesn’t look as impressive now 😉

 

[Stagnant]

Props to Oklahoma State for playing the whole game and not getting too down on themselves.

Also, I haven’t seen them very much, but I was impressed with Wooten and Akot.

 

[bballnut90]

Who labels her just as a scorer?

I've seen that narrative quite a bit in the POY race as a way to discredit her

 

[sivad40]

Players on the AP All American team have been showing out big time in the 2nd round:
Azzi Fudd: 34 points, 5 assists, 4 steals, 13-18 shooting and 8-11 from 3 in a monster win
Madison Booker: 40 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists on 14-21 shooting
Sarah Strong: 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists
Mikayla Blakes: 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals

And I'll add in Hannah Hidalgo who just barely missed 1st team: 26 points, 13 rebounds, 8 steals in road win over Ohio State

Lauren Betts: TBD

Lauren Betts: 35 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists on 15/19 shooting.

 

[bballnut90]

Lauren Betts: 35 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists on 15/19 shooting.

Another monster stat line. This group of All Americans is nuts. They make up some of the strongest collection of individual seasons we've seen in a while.

 

[Stagnant]

The ACC is in an interesting spot. They overachieved and got 5 teams into the sweet 16. But none of those 5 teams are actually favored/seeded to win the next game.