Tounament selection is at 5 CST, should be a good year for the tourney, few teams have distinguished themselves in the regular season.

Watching the conference championships today, I am impressed with BC. One of the most proficient teams I've watched all year, they play like a well coached NBA team. For Duke, Reddick looks like he's close to 100% again now, he was on fiyah for a few minutes during that run, but he's still missing some gimme shots and (*gasp*) three free throws so far.

SEC championship game is just depressing to watch, score makes it look like a defensive battle, but both teams are just playing sloppily. Florida is overrated this year, as is LSU, Auburn almost beat UF in Gainesville, and did beat LSU, and we were beyond awful this year. USC will probably get in just because of their run and because it's been a down year for the conference.

Big East, Syracuse was a nice story this year, but the other white guy on that team is a puss...anyone watch him crying in his coach's lap and holding hands with him while the game was still going on? Sounds like i'm just being homophobic, but if you saw it you'll know what i'm talking about. Dry your eyes mate, you just fouled out.

I can't decide if I like BC or Villanova more to win it all this year...Illinois could even sneak into the final four if they grab a #2 seed. Only thing I'm sure of is that Memphis won't even make it to the sweet 16.

re BC: notice how they've completely shut down Reddick since that run about midway through the second half.

I agree with most of what you said. I don't think So. Car. is getting in at 18-15 though.

Man, BC lost another heartbreaker to Duke. I just hope we get one more run at them in the NCAA tourney.

Well, the SEC usually gets six or seven bids. It's been a weak year this year, this is what the standings look like:


Tennessee 21-7
Florida 27-6
Kentucky 21-12
LSU 23-8
Arkansas 22-9
Alabama 17-12
South Carolina 18-15

I think USC has a decent argument for getting in, given the tourney run. A 6-10 conference record ain't great, but they've beaten the SEC's top three teams this year...they actually beat florida twice during the regular season. They are loaded with juniors and seniors, so maybe the committee will put them in just to see if they can pull off a sweet 16/elite 8 run.

You've got to admit it's remarkable that 3 teams from Alabama, a state that has not one shred of like for basketball, will probably get into the tournament. I'd rather see a smaller school get in over U of A, however. And, of course, my Blazers are poised for a couple of upsets.

I think the SEC is already pushing their luck with 6 bids, and I think 'Bama is still a bubble team (ESPN has them as a lock though)...so I just think 7 from a down SEC is pushing it. We'll see at 6EST though!

Will the MVC get 4-5-6? UNI, Wichita St, & BU seem to be locks...SIU and Missou St.

Creighton seems to be the odd man out in a very tough conference this year.

Hofstra? George Mason? Can the CAA get 3 bids?

Duke looks to be peaking at the right time--again. Hate on, hatas.

Before last week I would have picked them to go all the way in my bracket, but now I don't know. Looks like I probably will still go the Duke route, but I'm going to be very antsy about it.

Wow is Jim Nance being a f'ing asshole. Totally cut off the Selection Chair.

I can set up a SOMB tourney bracket at CBS if anyone wants to play.

Maybe with a twist. Each win equals:

Round 1 -1 pt
Round 2 - 2 pts
Round 3 - 4 pts
Round 4 - 8 pts
Natl Semis - 16 pts
Finals - 32 pts

The twist is that the points for each win will be multiplied by the seed number. (we can change it to adding the seed # instead if everyone feels that would be better). But this way, it would still be pretty interesting if someone has a lower seed in the later rounds. They can make up a ton of points. What do you think?

I like it. I'm in with either method. I dig the twist.

I'm in. I like the twist idea. I've always thought that would be a good idea.

SOMB NCAA Brackets Courtesy of CBS Sportsline

password: dero

Using the scoring mentioned above. So for example, a win by a 10 seed in round one is worth 10 points. A win by a 4 seed in the final four is worth 64 points, and a win by a 3 seed for the championship is worth 96 points, etc.

Picks are due by noon (it doesn't say Eastern, but I assume thats what it is) on March 16th. One sheet per userID.

if the password is dero, whats the login name?


EDIT - nevermind, I'm an idiot

Indiana at a 6 is too high. They aren't that good.

Yahoo anyone?

I'm all entered... and i'll lose my ass. I don't have any of the #1s in the final 4. And i have Kansas & the Tarheels in the final. That'll never happen.

i like the way you think bases. i'm keepin em crossed..i just hope they dont pull off like last year and get skunked in the first round.

Just so you all know, under options and choosing personal, you can change the name that appears on your brackets, in case you don't want your real name listed. You can also hide your e-mail as well.

Personal to Billy Packer: Wichita St. + Bradley in the Sweet 16

Bite my ass, Billy PACCer

Billy Packer has got to feel like an ass seeing that he picked this year to disparage the MVC and the CAA on national tv.

Wichita State
Bradley
George Mason

All in in the Sweet 16



The Big 10 showing is pathetic.

The Big 10 is done. OSU is 2 min from getting eliminated by G-Town.

What an overrated conference.

stick to death and taxes, bud

So who just saw that wv game. That has gotta hurt.

So hopefull, when Gansey made that 3, then BAM! spirits crushed before they knew what was happening.

at least Duke lost tonight
.

OMG OMG OMG SOMEONE be watching. what the fuck just happened in this gonzaga game.
oph noos, this cannot happen. what the fuck

what an amazing night of basketball.

wow.

Adam Morrison is a crying bitch. Way to end your college career, balling your eyes out on the floor of center court. Good riddance you baby.

stfuygdr

I'm heart broken. I feel for Adam Morrison. If only players in the NBA had the heart that this kid has. i can't believe how they fell apart in that 2nd half. Ugggg i'm a big Gonzaga fan and I really thought they had final four/championship material this year. Ouch. Can we get Roland banned just for his comment in this thread alone?

Wow, Adam Morrison fans are crybabies just like him. NBA players are men, they don't cry when they lose, it's not "heart" that makes you lay at centercourt and make people feel sorry for you.

i agree with roland



you can't be serious

Hopefully some scouts saw his behavior at the end of the game and took notice, if he can't handle a loss in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament how's he going to react if his team in the NBA gets eliminated in the 2nd round of the playoffs? If he's not able to control himself after something like that then he's clearly not ready and probably needs another year to adjust.

You dumb fuck, the greatest basketball player of all time cried like a baby with his daddy holding his trophy and you call raw emotion like crying in the center of the court because it hurts that you fall short after making it so far, a crying bitch? He's a man because he did cry you idiot because he cared about his team, his time with his program and the coaching staff, it's called passion and if you don't have that kind of passion you'll be lucky to make the NBA and ever be more than mediocre.

Crying = emotion and he left his heart out there after a phenominal season.






Yeah because this board and his posts are so damn important.

I'm very serious. You fucking idiot, why the hell woudl I care who stayed and left a bulletin board. For kicks you should be banned too. It's just a matter of time before i'm an administrator and make it happen.

Yes, because crying is the only true form of emotion ever. Seriously. You're right.

The fact of the matter is Morrison acted like a child who didn't get a toy he wanted for Christmas in the center of the court, spare me this bullshit about heart because you can show you have heart without making every camera turn on your sobbing ass instead of the victors. Nobody said falling short doesn't hurt, I said reacting like a whiney fucking baby and sprawling out on the court is pathetic. He wasn't the only person who lost, they lost as a team and there were other players on Gonzaga who won't be back next year and probably won't get a lush NBA deal like Morrison, but they kept enough composure to not act like children at center court. If anything Adam was being selfish by not consoling his teammates and opting for a center court bitchfest.

Punching a pregnant woman can also be interpreted as an act emotion, but that doesn't mean it's right or even appropriate, and I don't see how this is any different.

FUCLA

did anyone really expect gonzaga to get into the elite eight? they haven't made it past the second round since 2001. and they got knocked out by eventual final four contender michigan state in the sweet 16 that year. let's face it - they just don't get it done late in the tournament.

i agree that adam morrison's behavior at midcourt was a little immature. for a supposedly big trash-talker, he took it like a baby in the end. i'm not sure that will sway an nba team from taking him where he might've gone in the draft, though.

I had Gonzaga going to the final four, for 30 seconds I thought that would be a reality. damn.
Now UConn and Texas are the only teams left in my final four.

Morrison is a helluva player but he shouldn't have let his emotions get in the way when
there was still enough time to do 'something'. That's something the kid will need to
learn, frankly I'm embarrassed for the dude and also the mf who lost the ball
to the double team.

Regrettably, yes. But never again.


And let's stop all this nonsense about Morrison's display remotely hurting his draft chances. There are so few passionate dedicated players in the NBA (as a percentage, at least), that it probably only helped. Which is a good thing, because he's probably the most horrible defender in the league. He'll make a damn fine Pheonix Sun.

adam morrison is going to turn into a white ron artest. mark my words.

(not in terms of defensive ability -- just emotional instability)

Seriously. OTM. NBA scouts are foaming at the mouth over this kid. Every projected draft board that i've seen has him going top 3. He plays with an unbelievable amount of emotion - which is actually a rare commodity in the NBA these days.

His display after the game was arguably a bit much, but he's got a big NBA career ahead of him. I'd be ecstatic to see him in a Bulls uniform.

Like Helmet, I'm pretty surprised at the reaction to Morrison breaking-down at the end of that game. Though I admittedly haven't closely followed the guy's season, my impression was that he was genuinely crushed (and it was sort of poignant to see him on the verge of tears with time still on the clock; he was holding back when the UCLA guy stepped to the foul line with a few ticks still left on the clock). You can't fake that stuff. And it was a huge choke-job.

With respect to his NBA prospects, I'm equally surprised at the love he's getting. Maybe I'm about to commit the cardinal sin of forgetting that Larry Bird's footspeed and athleticism were also questioned before he joined the league, but I can't help but think 'Wally Sczerbiak' (sp?) when I see Morrisson play. That is, he seems like he'll be a pretty good supporting or role player. But he's not somebody you'd make your go-to and certainly wouldn't build a franchise around him.

I was actually talking about you thinking that Gonzaga had a chance at the Final 4. And the fact that you seem to think that Morrison has more heart than your average NBA player. Morrison is really just an attention whore: everything he does just calls attention to himself. But I guess to you, he's just wearing his heart on his sleeve. I supposed NBA players need to start crying after losses and banging the ball against their heads to prove that they care about winning.

Yeah, and I don't think Morrison is going to be anything special in the NBA. I agree with crease's Wally Sczerbiak comparison.

Morrison's in the news again this morning, evidently waffling about whether he wants to turn pro this year.

Interesting - I have commented on Morrison all year, saying that he's either going to be the next Larry Bird or the next Szcerbiak. Exactly the same two players. Morrison is a good passer, great shooter, horrible defender, OK not great rebounder. Will he continue to work hard? Can he put on fifteen to twenty pounds of muscle without losing foot speed?

At 6'9", he's probably an NBA 3. He won't play 4 since he's an average rebounder, and not bulky. He could play 2, I guess, since he gets a lot of his shots off of picks and set plays.

uhhhhhh........creeepo!


It might be a little bit different, just a tad. Like...maybe a .0001 different on a scale from 1-100.

I see and agree with your point on the crying thing, but uh, thats a weird example. Id have to think that crying because you lost a basketball game is a little different than kicking a pregnant woman out of rage. But that just might be the household I was raised in.

Anyways...Ive been long out of my pool, so those games last night were somewhat inconsequential to me. I knew Illinois was going nowhere this tournament, so I adopted Villanova as my team in the beginning of the tournament. (Actually I adopted them in the beginning of the season, and my roommate nearly cut my head off). So Im cheering for them now.

yeah because those thoughts were so far fetched.



Yes, he's going to make a huge rap album and lead a thug life and be a problem player. He was the league leading scorer, I don't think he's looking for the attnetion, it kinda comes with the terratory.




Absolutly, it would show they care about winning and they have passion something seriously lacking in the NBA. Your great NBA players were emotional players, Isah, Ewing, Jordan, Magic, Rodman, they all showed emotion. Now all you have is street thug anger or complacency. YOu might find and excited player every now and again like Nash but they are few and far between. It's moslty a bunch of wannabe rappers and selfish players.



Remains to be seen. He might be good, he might not. He certainly has better chances than some kid out of high school.

Probably not a bad comparison, although Morrison is at least an inch taller and probably can create his own shot better than Szczerbiak. And Szczerbiak isn't necessarily a bad player either - he's averaging almost 19 points per game over the last 2 seasons. Spending a first round draft pick on a guy that can consistently put up 17-20 points a game seems about right. Although, I agree Morrison isn't a player to build a franchise around. I think he'll be a very solid #2 offensive option on some team and I think he'll play hard every night.

Unless, of course, the guy is a serious head case. But I haven't read anything to suggest he's anything more than a really emotional guy that hates to lose.

Youngsters, take note of the object lesson provided by Morrison with regard to gratuitous facial hair. With that "mustache," he looks just like my mom.