Thursday games: ACC, SEC, B1G, Pac-12

[BigBird]

I'm not sure anyone thinks they are a final 4 quality team, but they do have final 4 quality talent. Can you imagine what a good coach could do with that team??!! First, some players would sit on the pine for an entire game during the season based on lack of effort or enthusiasm. But if Geno (or Muffet or a bunch of other top coaches) could get them to play they way they are capable of, then sure they could be a final 4 team...

That's a pretty fair summary. This team must be driving the LV fans up the wall.

 

[Plebe]

6-12 in conference though. That's...troubling.

Which is why I say the door is just slightly open LOL. That weekend when they got swept at home by Utah and Colorado really hurt them bad, and I gave up on them at that point. But the bubble is just that weak this year.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Also, every year there are multiple at-large teams with 11+ losses:

2016: Indiana (19-11), Purdue (20-11), Auburn (19-12), Kansas St (20-12), Tennessee (19-13)
2015: Oklahoma (a #5 seed!) (20-11), Pittsburgh (19-11), Oklahoma St (20-11), Miami (19-12), Iowa St (18-12), Arkansas (17-13), LSU (17-13)

Why would you impose logic on a good taunting! Kill joy. Besides, we want recognizable names in the "slaughter of the innocents rounds".

 

[Vowelguy]

I'm not sure anyone thinks they are a final 4 quality team, but they do have final 4 quality talent. Can you imagine what a good coach could do with that team??!! First, some players would sit on the pine for an entire game during the season based on lack of effort or enthusiasm. But if Geno (or Muffet or a bunch of other top coaches) could get them to play they way they are capable of, then sure they could be a final 4 team...

They are 6-3 against the top 20, and will likely have gone 2-0 against #1 seeds, so they absolutely are a threat. They were likely a 5 or 6 seed before this. The loss should drop them only slightly to a 6 or 7 seed.

Also, why does everyone assume all the problems are the coach's fault? No doubt the buck stops at the top but the players bear some responsibility. Was it entirely Genos fault that UConn hit a dry spell 05-08?

 

[LO TRADER]

With other bubble teams losing left and right, the door is just slightly open for Cal to sneak an at-large bid, even if they lose the next game to Oregon St.

The win over USC pushes Cal's RPI back up into the acceptable range at #53, and they have quality wins over UCLA, Oklahoma, and Oregon.

If Cal takes down OSU, they are in the tournament. For OSU's sake, I hope that doesn't happen. I just love the fact that you all are so well versed in your team's conference, but pay attention to PAC-12, 3 time zones away! We can't get the east coast sportscasters/writers to pay attention. A BIG Thanks from the west coast!

 

[Plebe]

If Cal takes down OSU, they are in the tournament. For OSU's sake, I hope that doesn't happen. I just love the fact that you all are so well versed in your team's conference, but pay attention to PAC-12, 3 time zones away! We can't get the east coast sportscasters/writers to pay attention. A BIG Thanks from the west coast!

Well, I've been a UConn fan for many years, but I've also been a left coaster now for a while. I've been as happy as anyone to see the Pac-12's recent surge.

 

[j66kicker]

Margo with a pretty realistic take on whether DD and/or Mercedes will be back next year (unlike most homers who always think their WNBA-eligible players will return for a final year - they almost never do).

 

[Plebe]

I'm not sure anyone thinks they are a final 4 quality team, but they do have final 4 quality talent. Can you imagine what a good coach could do with that team??!! First, some players would sit on the pine for an entire game during the season based on lack of effort or enthusiasm. But if Geno (or Muffet or a bunch of other top coaches) could get them to play they way they are capable of, then sure they could be a final 4 team...

How many people last year thought that Tennessee might make the Final Four? Yet they had regular-season wins over two of the Final Four teams, and they were one good 2nd half against Syracuse away from getting there.

This year they are 5-3 against the projected top 16, and of those 3 losses, the only one where they were never in the game was the Baylor loss.

 

[Plebe]

They are 6-3 against the top 20, and will likely have gone 2-0 against #1 seeds, so they absolutely are a threat. They were likely a 5 or 6 seed before this. The loss should drop them only slightly to a 6 or 7 seed.

Also, why does everyone assume all the problems are the coach's fault? No doubt the buck stops at the top but the players bear some responsibility. Was it entirely Genos fault that UConn hit a dry spell 05-08?

I take it you mean 2-1 against #1 seeds? Still, I agree on all other points.

 

[EricLA]

They are 6-3 against the top 20, and will likely have gone 2-0 against #1 seeds, so they absolutely are a threat. They were likely a 5 or 6 seed before this. The loss should drop them only slightly to a 6 or 7 seed.

Also, why does everyone assume all the problems are the coach's fault? No doubt the buck stops at the top but the players bear some responsibility. Was it entirely Genos fault that UConn hit a dry spell 05-08?

Well Geno didn't have the talent back then that Holly does. But Holly is a "weak" coach. She seems like she'd rather be "friends" with her players than actually coach them. Top coaches would never tolerate lack of effort on the court, even from their stars. Geno sat Stewie and Morgan for an entire game for lack of effort, and they've never shown the laziness on the court that Deshields shows for sometimes long stretches in pretty much every game.

Geno will never allow a player to cheat their talent, and neither would most other top coaches. That's what I meant by "imagine what Geno or some other top coach could do with the talent that Holly has". And, by the way, if the player(s) in question continued to be lazy, he'd play a walk on over them. For the entire game. And he'd take a loss. He will never settle for laziness or mediocrity from any of his players...

 

[Ron and Vida]

If Cal takes down OSU, they are in the tournament. For OSU's sake, I hope that doesn't happen. I just love the fact that you all are so well versed in your team's conference, but pay attention to PAC-12, 3 time zones away! We can't get the east coast sportscasters/writers to pay attention. A BIG Thanks from the west coast!

Point well made. Thanks

 

[drweo]

If Cal takes down OSU, they are in the tournament. For OSU's sake, I hope that doesn't happen. I just love the fact that you all are so well versed in your team's conference, but pay attention to PAC-12, 3 time zones away! We can't get the east coast sportscasters/writers to pay attention. A BIG Thanks from the west coast!

I wish ESPN would find a way to show more West Coast games. THe few that they do put on in the East are way too late at night ( usually 10 or 11 pm start times). Yeah, I could record the ones they do show, but still, more would be better....It's nice to actually see teams in action, rather than just reading about them.

 

[Vowelguy]

I wish ESPN would find a way to show more West Coast games. THe few that they do put on in the East are way too late at night ( usually 10 or 11 pm start times). Yeah, I could record the ones they do show, but still, more would be better....It's nice to actually see teams in action, rather than just reading about them.

I'm sure Espn would be glad to show more games, but the PAC puts them on the PAC network, which almost no one east of the Rockies gets. And while ESPN owns the SEC network, it does not own the PAC network, so there's no sharing of content. The PAC needs to get wider distribution or it's gonna hurt them.

 

[LO TRADER]

ASU takes down UTAH 72-54.
ASU plays UCLA tomorrow @ 5:00 pm Eastern (2:00 pm Pacific)
Cal plays OSU tomorrow @ 2:30 pm Eastern (11:30 am Pacific)

 

[johnnyc]

Raigyne Moncrief of LSU is pretty good. Unfortunately she lost about 3-4 assists in a couple of minutes because her teammates couldn't make layups.

 

[Vowelguy]

Creme says Tenn is a 7 now.

 

[wire chief]

Tenn has the top incoming recruiting class...
But several fans are conceding that the Vols are turning into Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion.
The party's over(cue Don Meredith).

 

[Vowelguy]

But several fans are conceding that the Vols are turning into Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion.
The party's over(cue Don Meredith).

Nonsense.

 

[LETTERL]

It's raining THREEs in Conway...Syracuse already with 4...UNC with 3 and Syracuse out to an early 19-11 lead on UNC, 5:00 to go 1st quarter.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

It's raining THREEs in Conway...Syracuse already with 4...UNC with 3 and Syracuse out to an early 19-11 lead on UNC, 5:00 to go 1st quarter.

Fun game so far!

 

[j66kicker]

Tenn has the top incoming recruiting class...
But several fans are conceding that the Vols are turning into Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion.
The party's over(cue Don Meredith).

"Turn out the lights..."

 

[Plebe]

Well, Syracuse puts UNC out of its misery, 83-64. ACC player of the year Alexis Peterson posts 29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals. Syracuse advances to meet Duke tomorrow.

Did anyone see that postgame handshake? That was a really fast blow-by.

And UNC ends its season one game shy of .500, at 15-16. The WNIT will miss them.

 

[nwhoopfan]

In the second pair of games in the Pac 12 tourney, Washington St. beat Colorado 79-78 and Oregon is leading Arizona in the 4th quarter 56-52 w/ just under 5 minutes left.

 

[Plebe]

Oregon is getting a heckuva tussle from Arizona. Four-point lead with 4:30 to play. Oregon is probably in the tourney regardless but needs this game to be completely safe.

I've really been enjoying the Pac-12 color commentary from Mary Murphy this year. She's one of the good ones.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Oregon gets the win 70-63!

I still believe Oregon will be tough in a season or 2 from now! They have the pieces led by Inoescu and Hebard. McGwire isn't bad either.