Non-Big East Conference Tournament Discussion

[auror]

I had to look up Asante Gist as I thought for sure he'd be a transfer from a P5. He transferred from EKU. Why do I know that name?

Played for Bob Hurley Sr. at St. Anthony High School

 

[Drew]

Memphis/Houston is must watch TV. Haymaker after haymaker going on. Memphis was down 12 at half and has been picking up full court man and giving the Cougars fits all second half. We’re at the U8 TO & UH leads by 1 with Memphis going to the line for 2.

 

[Jay-Bone]

Memphis/Houston is must watch TV. Haymaker after haymaker going on. Memphis was down 12 at half and has been picking up full court man and giving the Cougars fits all second half. We’re at the U8 TO & UH leads by 1 with Memphis going to the line for 2.

That non-hook and hold on Williams may have been the worst reviewed non-call I have ever seen in my life. Yikes. Poor Kelvin.

 

[elmcityboy]

grimes can freaking shoot. rarely see college players hit that type of shot.

 

[elmcityboy]

That non-hook and hold on Williams may have been the worst reviewed non-call I have ever seen in my life. Yikes. Poor Kelvin.

another shocking call against williams... don't miss aac refs

 

[ASweet3781]

LOL these refs.

 

[ASweet3781]

Wasn't the Sean McDonough standard when Cuse lost to UVA that they passed the eye test and the close call should put them in? Does Memphis get that same standard if they come up short here?

 

[Drew]

Houston wins by 2. Memphis misses 12 FTs and had 2 really good looks to tie it at the end. Awesome game

 

[Drew]

We have free basketball on CBSSN as WKU and UNT are headed to OT

 

[TRest]

Worth mentioning old friend Josh Pastner is dancing after being chased out of Memphis State.

 

[Drew]

North Texas upsets WKU in the CUSA title game

 

[Kolumbo]

Watching Oregon State and Bill Walton is a trip. He's kind of goofy but he's spot on

 

[HooperScooper]

Watching Oregon State and Bill Walton is a trip. He's kind of goofy but he's spot on

Kind of?

 

[ecasadoSBU]

SYRACUSE OUT

 

[Drew]

 

[kobe]

Houston is gonna beat us by like 60 tomorrow but nothing would make me happier than this rag tag team making the tournament while Xavier sits at home.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

12 PM - Patriot - #9 Loyola (MD) vs #2 Colgate - CBSSN:

With Colgate playing all of their games in conference, their 13-1 record is completely throwing off analytics. Case in point, they’re ranked nationally in: 7th in fg%, 5th in preventing turnovers, 1st in 3p defense, 20th in tempo, 33rd at preventing teams from getting to the line. Are they as strong as their NET. Haha, no. Can they win a game in the tourney? Yes. With four double-digit scorers, they’re led by senior lead guard Jordan Burns (17.1p, 4.5r, 5.5a, 1.6s, 41 3p%, 89.2 ft%).

Loyola (MD) has been most recently known for their Spain connection, with three players from Spain, most notably skilled 6’11 sophomore big Santi Aldama (21.8p, 10.3r, 2.3a, 1.8b, 37.8 3p%). A recent boon is the return of sophomore sharpshooter Cameron Spencer, who after returning in February as averaged 11.8p, 5.0r, 3.3a on 50 3p%. Colgate is -9.5 favorites, but I’m leaning towards picking Loyola (MD) on the spread.

1 PM - A-10 - #1 Saint Bonaventure vs #2 VCU - CBS:

With six teams in the top-100 KenPom, this was been the A-10’s best season since 2014. Despite the competition, the top two teams advance to the finals, both of which will dance regardless of the outcome of this game. Those who have read my previews know I’m a fan of both teams, most notably the Bonnies thanks to their balanced D (20th KenPom, 14th in fg%, 110th in turnover %, 84th in preventing teams to the line) and their offense that combines solid shooting (131st) with very strong offensive rebounding (31st). With three rotation players transferring mid-season, their depth takes a toll, but their all-junior starting lineup is still around, all averaging between 10.3-14.2 ppg. I like their combo of 6’10 double-double threat Osun Osunniyi (10.3p, 9.3r, 2.4a, 2.8b) with their 4-out offense with their good-sized guards all clocking in between 6’3-6’5 and 190-215.

With VCU, it’s all about their defense (8th overall, 23th at fg% and 7th at causing turnovers) but Bones Hyland (19.4p, 4.7r, 37.2 3p%) is healthy and is their best offensive player since Eric Maynor. I really like both teams and wish them well, but the Bonnies have more staying power in the dance thanks to their veteran backcourt.

1 PM - SEC - #3 LSU vs #1 Alabama - ESPN:

LSU has the 6th most efficient offense in the nation but only the 125th most efficient defense. However, if you look closer, they are 17th in perimeter defense, so if LSU lines up with three-point reliant teams, that can make a nice little run in the tourney. Freshman sharpshooter Cam Thomas has come as advertised (22.8p) but is more volume than efficient (40.8 fg%, 31.6 3p%). To me, the inside/out duo of Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart are the backbone of the team. Alabama isn’t a 3P reliant team, so I expect them to pound the paint between Yale grad transfer Jordan Bruner, Herbert Jones and John Petty driving inside.

3:15 - AAC - #5 Cincinnati vs #2 Houston - ESPN:

After a dreadful 2-6 start to the season, Cincy has won 9 of their last 12 thanks to the emergence of sophomore forward Jeremiah Davenport (1.9 ppg last year vs 11.8 ppg this year).

It’s fun to crap on the AAC, but Houston is a legit Final Four contender. They’re balanced (9th KenPom O, 16th KenPom D), their slow, old and between Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser have two bucket getters who can take over a game. Depending on their draw, they can be a E8/F4 team for my bracket. Despite the -13.5 spread, I may take Houston: they beat Cincy by 38 a few weeks ago.

3:30 - B10 - (overall rankings) #9 Ohio State vs #3 Illinois - CBS:

I have no idea what to think about Ohio State: They went from winning seven straight in Jan/Feb to losing four straight in Feb/March to winning three straight in the B10 tourney. Sophomore forward EJ Liddell is a special player but Kyle Young’s nagging injuries makes me wonder about their ability to play bigger teams. On the other hand, Illinois is on fire: 13-1 in their last 14, top-7 in both O and D in KenPom efficiency and between Cockburn, Ayo, Miller, Curbelo and Frazier they have a diverse offering on offense. I’m in the minority here, but I really enjoy watching Illinois and if I had to make a bracket today I’d put Illinois and Gonzaga in the title game.

 

[UofCT]

Houston is gonna beat us by like 60 tomorrow but nothing would make me happier than this rag tag team making the tournament while Xavier sits at home.

Is Keith Williams okay? What happened?

 

[UConnSwag11]

Is Cuse in? If they are, who has to win for them to be kicked out? They have what, 5-6 terrible losses. They lost to Pitt twice

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Is Cuse in? If they are, who has to win for them to be kicked out? They have what, 5-6 terrible losses. They lost to Pitt twice

ESPN: "Last Four in"
CBS: "Last Four in"
Athletic: "Last Four in"

In summary, a Cincy win could knock Cuse out, but that unlikely event means that there's a pretty good chance Cuse is in.

 

[UConnSwag11]

ESPN: "Last Four in"
CBS: "Last Four in"
Athletic: "Last Four in"

In summary, a Cincy win could knock Cuse out, but that unlikely event means that there's a pretty good chance Cuse is in.

The bubble is so friggin bad

 

[alphasigko]

12 PM - Patriot - #9 Loyola (MD) vs #2 Colgate - CBSSN:

With Colgate playing all of their games in conference, their 13-1 record is completely throwing off analytics. Case in point, they’re ranked nationally in: 7th in fg%, 5th in preventing turnovers, 1st in 3p defense, 20th in tempo, 33rd at preventing teams from getting to the line. Are they as strong as their NET. Haha, no. Can they win a game in the tourney? Yes. With four double-digit scorers, they’re led by senior lead guard Jordan Burns (17.1p, 4.5r, 5.5a, 1.6s, 41 3p%, 89.2 ft%).

Loyola (MD) has been most recently known for their Spain connection, with three players from Spain, most notably skilled 6’11 sophomore big Santi Aldama (21.8p, 10.3r, 2.3a, 1.8b, 37.8 3p%). A recent boon is the return of sophomore sharpshooter Cameron Spencer, who after returning in February as averaged 11.8p, 5.0r, 3.3a on 50 3p%. Colgate is -9.5 favorites, but I’m leaning towards picking Loyola (MD) on the spread.

1 PM - A-10 - #1 Saint Bonaventure vs #2 VCU - CBS:

With six teams in the top-100 KenPom, this was been the A-10’s best season since 2014. Despite the competition, the top two teams advance to the finals, both of which will dance regardless of the outcome of this game. Those who have read my previews know I’m a fan of both teams, most notably the Bonnies thanks to their balanced D (20th KenPom, 14th in fg%, 110th in turnover %, 84th in preventing teams to the line) and their offense that combines solid shooting (131st) with very strong offensive rebounding (31st). With three rotation players transferring mid-season, their depth takes a toll, but their all-junior starting lineup is still around, all averaging between 10.3-14.2 ppg. I like their combo of 6’10 double-double threat Osun Osunniyi (10.3p, 9.3r, 2.4a, 2.8b) with their 4-out offense with their good-sized guards all clocking in between 6’3-6’5 and 190-215.

With VCU, it’s all about their defense (8th overall, 23th at fg% and 7th at causing turnovers) but Bones Hyland (19.4p, 4.7r, 37.2 3p%) is healthy and is their best offensive player since Eric Maynor. I really like both teams and wish them well, but the Bonnies have more staying power in the dance thanks to their veteran backcourt.

1 PM - SEC - #3 LSU vs #1 Alabama - ESPN:

LSU has the 6th most efficient offense in the nation but only the 125th most efficient defense. However, if you look closer, they are 17th in perimeter defense, so if LSU lines up with three-point reliant teams, that can make a nice little run in the tourney. Freshman sharpshooter Cam Thomas has come as advertised (22.8p) but is more volume than efficient (40.8 fg%, 31.6 3p%). To me, the inside/out duo of Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart are the backbone of the team. Alabama isn’t a 3P reliant team, so I expect them to pound the paint between Yale grad transfer Jordan Bruner, Herbert Jones and John Petty driving inside.

3:15 - AAC - #5 Cincinnati vs #2 Houston - ESPN:

After a dreadful 2-6 start to the season, Cincy has won 9 of their last 12 thanks to the emergence of sophomore forward Jeremiah Davenport (1.9 ppg last year vs 11.8 ppg this year).

It’s fun to crap on the AAC, but Houston is a legit Final Four contender. They’re balanced (9th KenPom O, 16th KenPom D), their slow, old and between Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser have two bucket getters who can take over a game. Depending on their draw, they can be a E8/F4 team for my bracket. Despite the -13.5 spread, I may take Houston: they beat Cincy by 38 a few weeks ago.

3:30 - B10 - (overall rankings) #9 Ohio State vs #3 Illinois - CBS:

I have no idea what to think about Ohio State: They went from winning seven straight in Jan/Feb to losing four straight in Feb/March to winning three straight in the B10 tourney. Sophomore forward EJ Liddell is a special player but Kyle Young’s nagging injuries makes me wonder about their ability to play bigger teams. On the other hand, Illinois is on fire: 13-1 in their last 14, top-7 in both O and D in KenPom efficiency and between Cockburn, Ayo, Miller, Curbelo and Frazier they have a diverse offering on offense. I’m in the minority here, but I really enjoy watching Illinois and if I had to make a bracket today I’d put Illinois and Gonzaga in the title game.

IMO Illinois is the real deal

 

[Drew]

IMO Illinois is the real deal

Very much agree. Depth is a concern but those boys HOOP

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Very much agree. Depth is a concern but those boys HOOP

Why depth? Why have a solid eight-man rotation with their #7 and #8 guys getting 15 mpg.

 

[Drew]

this is AWESOME