Sweet 16 Discussion Thread

[bac2therac]

Trying to figure out my picks for some sweet 16 pools and omg I am struggling...these games are such tossups...have not seen such a competitive Sweet 16 with no clear favorite in my years of following this

Tonight I am going with Michigan, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Arizona. Tomorrow are the games that are extremely difficult to pick from.

Thursday’s Sweet 16 Tip Times
7:09 p.m. CBS: No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 3 Oregon: Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Dan Bonner // Dana Jacobson

7:39 p.m. TBS: No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 1 Gonzaga: Brian Anderson / Chris Webber // Lewis Johnson

Approx. 9:39 p.m. CBS: No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 1 Kansas: Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Dan Bonner // Dana Jacobson

Approx. 10:09 p.m. TBS: No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 2 Arizona: Brian Anderson / Chris Webber // Lewis Johnson

Friday’s Sweet 16 Tip Times
7:09 p.m. CBS: No. 4 Butler vs. No. 1 North Carolina: Jim Nantz / Grant Hill / Bill Raftery // Tracy Wolfson

7:29 p.m. TBS: No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Baylor: Verne Lundquist /Jim Spanarkel // Allie LaForce

Approx. 9:39 p.m. CBS: No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 2 Kentucky: Jim Nantz / Grant Hill / Bill Raftery // Tracy Wolfson

Approx. 9:59 p.m. TBS: No. 8 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Florida Verne Lundquist /Jim Spanarkel // Allie LaForce

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Michigan -1.5 (take oregon, will win outright)
Gonzaga -3.5 (take WVU, will win outright)
Kansas -4 .5 (take Kansas)
Arizona -7.5 (take Arizona)

UNC -7.5 (take Butler, but UNC wins)
Baylor -3.5 (take SC, but Baylor wins)
Kent pick em (take UK)
Florida -2 (take UF)

My Final 4 still intact WVU BAY KAN UNC.

I am liking the announcers we get for the weekend. We are going to see some great games!

 

[scarletrat]

I like Michigan to take out a more talented Oregon team, simply based on how Oregon has been playing in the tourney. Maybe their worst is behind them. If Oregon plays like they are capable, they beat Michigan easily IMO.

Will take the Zags over WVU as I don't think WVU will continue shooting the way they did in rounds 1 and 2. Zags should have gone to the Elite 8 last year (robbed by Cuse) so not sure why people are down on them...

Arizona to take out a lucky Xavier team...they played close a couple of years ago in Sweet 16...Arizona will take out Zags in Elite 8.

Rooting for Purdue, but I think Kansas played the best in rounds 1 and 2, and look very good. Seem them winning the midwest region.

Give me South Carolina vs Wisconsin in Elite 8 and UCLA vs UNC in South....Wisconsin and UCLA advancing...

 

[PiscatawayMike]

I hear ya, bac. These Sweet 16 games are tough to pick.

Arizona and North Carolina are the only teams I think will win rather easily (i.e., the winner will be determined prior to the final minute of play).

I like Kansas, too, mainly because it is playing what amounts to a home game. However, I will be rooting like crazy for Purdue because I picked the Boilermakers to advance to the Final Four.

IMHO, all the other games are a toss-up.

 

[RUONTHERISE]

Tonight- hoping for

Michigan
Gonzaga
Purdue
Xavier

 

[RUONTHERISE]

Tomorrow- hoping for


Butler
South Carolina
Kentucky/ucla- not sure
Wisconsin

 

[RU_Planning]

I thought last year's Gonzaga squad was much more impressive. I think they will struggle against WVU, but if WVU can't score, it will be moot. However, I do think this WVU team can score much better than previous iterations.

The Michigan / Oregon game is going to be a fun one.

Kansas and Arizona should win rather easily, but you can never put a loss past Bill Self.

 

[RocktheRac]

Can't wait for another round of commercials.:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[bac2therac]

wow Michigan really stepping up the last few minutes.....now with a 68-65 lead with about 2 to go...strap yourselves in

 

[shields]

Great game.

 

[bac2therac]

huge rebound on the missed ft for Oregon and putback and then another quick lay in by Oregon...now up 1. Michigan better come up with something here

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Wagner was missed past 2 possessions

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Walton stinks. :flushed:

 

[bac2therac]

why was Walton so slow wasting time....decent look and shot but wanted a little more urgency there...and Oregon could have fouled twice there in 9.6 but decided not to

 

[RJM_Go_RU]

Michigan had the chance. Too bad

 

[shields]

Athletic players who can create their own shot.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Didn't box out twice at the end. Cost Michigan the game.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Athletic players who can create their own shot.

And make them :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[bac2therac]

Barkley great point...3 point lead, missed ft Michigan gave up an offensive rebound then gave up another one the next Oregon possession on a missed layup...Oregon made the plays, Michigan didnt.

 

[bac2therac]

Gonzaga imploding...totally been outtoughed...do they have it in them to comeback or are they soft as charmin

 

[bac2therac]

Chris Webber is awful to listen to. I do not like what he brings to the table

 

[Mr Magoo]

Gonzaga is such a slow team. I know their schedule is weak but I'm surprised at their record.

 

[KnightTerrors]

These end of game reviews are total game changers. It drives me nuts!

They're giving team timeouts and changing the course of these games much more than the 2 second difference theyre saving.

 

[bac2therac]

Gonzaga imploding...totally been outtoughed...do they have it in them to comeback or are they soft as charmin

wow well that was a response...a block and then a huge 3 to put the Zags on top 60-58 with under a minute to go

 

[bac2therac]

these two games have been awesome, havent even glanced at the Purdue/Kansas game yet but Boilermakers are up

 

[Mr Magoo]

Chris Webber is awful to listen to. I do not like what he brings to the table

Especially that insane outburst on a pretty standard blocked shot.

 

[bac2therac]

Especially that insane outburst on a pretty standard blocked shot.

he was terrible during I think during the SHU game last week too....too emotional and goes on and on

 

[bac2therac]

Zags dug deep, all credit to them when it looked bad. Tough loss for WVU, they played as about as hard as they could

 

[LotusAggressor]

That last WVU possession was awful.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

My 2 PG laid eggs on last possessions

 

[bac2therac]

An absolute horrific meltdown by Arizona up 8 with 3:40 to go getting outscored 12-2 down stretch. Whether it was poor defense, not rebounding anything or poor shot selection Arizona folded mightily. What a poor job by Miller and once again fails to reach the Final 4

Xavier played to win and deserved it with their play while Arizona fiddled and folded. Most of my brackets bushed since I had Zona winning it all...thanks

 

[StevieB160]

It is bizarre how every free throw and shot has been missed in this NCAA tournament in the last 20 seconds of the game. Tonight no different. 56 games so far in the tournament and there really hasn't been a memorable shot made.

Pretty much the most exciting games in this NCAA tournament has been missed FT on one end, other team gets rebound and misses game winner/tying shot

 

[Vegas pj]

Basic math: X - S(umner) = 8. Killed my bracket, but BE gets 1 into 8 with 1 to go. Zags/X should be an interesting game.

 

[shields]

Arizona have no faith in them anymore.

 

[RU_Planning]

Arizona have no faith in them anymore.

At what point does Miller end up at Pitt replacing Stallings? 2 years?

 

[TDIrish27]

Which Miller ?

Nobody is leaving Arizona for Pitt and IMO Archie has a job he'll go for but feels like he has a good job now-----which he does.

I could see him at Indiana or Ohio State but I'm in the minority when I claim that IU isn't a job I'd want.

Maybe he feels the same way-----we'll see.

 

[RU_Planning]

Which Miller ?

Nobody is leaving Arizona for Pitt and IMO Archie has a job he'll go for but feels like he has a good job now-----which he does.

I could see him at Indiana or Ohio State but I'm in the minority when I claim that IU isn't a job I'd want.

Maybe he feels the same way-----we'll see.

The point was Sean Miller being pushed out because boosters / alumni get fed up with him not making the next step and Pitt being his landing spot.

 

[RUJMM78]

Barkley great point...3 point lead, missed ft Michigan gave up an offensive rebound then gave up another one the next Oregon possession on a missed layup...Oregon made the plays, Michigan didnt.

Key to the game was the poor performance by Michigan center.Wagner was shooting 3 point bricks and only once did he make a drive to the basket from the top of the key.On defense he was missing in action which caused him to be on the bench in the last minutes of the game.A game of runs with Oregon making the last basket and holding Michigan scoreless in the last minute.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Key to the game was the poor performance by Michigan center.Wagner was shooting 3 point bricks and only once did he make a drive to the basket from the top of the key.On defense he was missing in action which caused him to be on the bench in the last minutes of the game.A game of runs with Oregon making the last basket and holding Michigan scoreless in the last minute.

He was on the bench in Game 1

 

[bac2therac]

The point was Sean Miller being pushed out because boosters / alumni get fed up with him not making the next step and Pitt being his landing spot.

agree...expectations are high at Arizona and another flame out for Miller. One of the bigger chokejobs we have seen, his team did absolutely everything wrong in the last 3 minutes vs a team that was fighting hard and taking advantage. 5 Sweet 16 and 3 Elite 8s are incredible numbers but a constant with Miller is falling short in big games.. He has had 4 teams with over 30 wins but no Final 4. The Pac 12 still does not have a Final 4 representative since 2007