2014-15 NCAA Basketball Thread: March Madness

[dbadefense1990]

"Thanks for taking out Kentucky, Badgers. Now, we're the champs!!!"

-Duke

[OnWis97]

The idea of a historically mediocre program going into this game and beating a blueblood is preposterous.

That's pretty much the problem I have with the NCAA Tournament. No matter how exciting some of the story lines can be throughout the tournament, they NEVER fully pan out. It's basically always the same four or five teams that win the title every single year. It's almost baffling how a 64 team tournament can have such little parody. I can't remember in my lifetime ever seeing a non traditional basketball school win the tournament. I often times feel like what's the point of even watching? How is this fun?

To quote McCarthy, sports are never fun.

[Sport]

^Bingo.

When was the last time a non-villain won a championship? I can't remember. Outside of Ohio State winning the football championship (and let's be honest they're hated by a majority of college football fans) I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a championship winning team. I didn't completely hate the 2013 Seahawks, but they became retroactively annoying. I guess I was okay with the Spurs last year, but that was a Comet vs both teams situation. I think it goes back to the 2010 San Francisco Giants as the last time a team won that I didn't have some kind of beef.

We are in a really bad stretch of sports villainy.

[dfwabel]

The officiating in College Basketball reached an all time low tonight.

And it was the final game for John Adams, NCAA national coordinator of mens basketball officiating.

[Lights Out]

Must be easy to be a Duke basketball fan... you just sit back and wait to get bailed out.

[OnWis97]

I don't feel too bad about the officiating; mainly because Wisconsin just could not find their "offensive efficiency." Did Duke deserve to win? I don't know. But Wisconsin did not.

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

[rams80]

Another one for Coach K.

The Dukies baby!!!!!!!!!

Isn't this post like automatic grounds for excommunication from Kansas and Sparty fandom?

[The_Admiral]

^Bingo.

When was the last time a non-villain won a championship? I can't remember. Outside of Ohio State winning the football championship (and let's be honest they're hated by a majority of college football fans) I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a championship winning team. I didn't completely hate the 2013 Seahawks, but they became retroactively annoying. I guess I was okay with the Spurs last year, but that was a Comet vs both teams situation. I think it goes back to the 2010 San Francisco Giants as the last time a team won that I didn't have some kind of beef.

We are in a really bad stretch of sports villainy.

2013 Blackhawks? They saved hockey!

[HedleyLamarr]

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Never looked conclusive to me. They showed it a ton of times and slowed it down from various angles and you could never, with 100% certainty, say it was touched by a Duke player. What I kept focusing on was the rotation of the ball...and there never seemed to be slowed/accelerated/altered rotation of the ball.

[Unocal]

Indianapolis is to Duke what New Orleans is to North Carolina. If they can reach Final Fours that take place there, they don't lose.

You have to get them early (LSU 2006, Kansas 2012 respectively). If they reach their destination, don't bet on them losing it there.

[Sport]

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Never looked conclusive to me. They showed it a ton of times and slowed it down from various angles and you could never, with 100% certainty, say it was touched by a Duke player. What I kept focusing on was the rotation of the ball...and there never seemed to be slowed/accelerated/altered rotation of the ball.

https://vine.co/v/eB7n3XpuBB1

Looks pretty evident to me.

I don't feel too bad about the officiating; mainly because Wisconsin just could not find their "offensive efficiency." Did Duke deserve to win? I don't know. But Wisconsin did not.

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Yeah that was complete garbage. Duke was up 5 at that point and they handed them the ball that led to another 3. Duke always gets that call. Always. Did anyone watching that think they were going to give it to the Badgers?

I also thought the loose ball that Grayson Allen (nice f****** name, the South) got was out of bounds off Duke and that was a huge momentum turner. Also, does Coach K recruit solely on douchiness?

[See Red]

It was clearly off of the Duke player. The ball bends his middle finger down a little as it brushes off of it.

[dfwabel]

[Unocal]

Wisconsin didn't help themselves by missing some free throws.

There was one point in the first half where one of their better FT shooters had 2 shots, missed them both.

If he hits them, they have a chance to pull a Mario Chalmers late in the game.

[OnWis97]

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Never looked conclusive to me. They showed it a ton of times and slowed it down from various angles and you could never, with 100% certainty, say it was touched by a Duke player. What I kept focusing on was the rotation of the ball...and there never seemed to be slowed/accelerated/altered rotation of the ball.

https://vine.co/v/eB7n3XpuBB1

Looks pretty evident to me.

I don't feel too bad about the officiating; mainly because Wisconsin just could not find their "offensive efficiency." Did Duke deserve to win? I don't know. But Wisconsin did not.

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Yeah that was complete garbage. Duke was up 5 at that point and they handed them the ball that led to another 3. Duke always gets that call. Always. Did anyone watching that think they were going to give it to the Badgers?

I also thought the loose ball that Grayson Allen (nice f****** name, the South) got was out of bounds off Duke and that was a huge momentum turner. Also, does Coach K recruit solely on douchiness?

I know how it looks for me, as a Wisconsin fan to reply to this. But yeah, that's basketball. I don't know why, but for some reason, that is the sport where officiating is least about fairness and most about giving calls to certain players / teams. It's worse in the NBA but it exists elsewhere. Aside from babying star QBs more than other QBs in the NFL, I don't think any other sport is really like this. And yeah, if that situation is reversed, would they have given Duke the ball? Definite maybe.

The whole game was a blur to me (and I am never watching it again) so I don't even remember the Allen play you are talking about. And I'll never really figure out the impact of officiating because I am stepping back from sports (ESPN, etc.) until this thing blows over.

[See Red]

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Never looked conclusive to me. They showed it a ton of times and slowed it down from various angles and you could never, with 100% certainty, say it was touched by a Duke player. What I kept focusing on was the rotation of the ball...and there never seemed to be slowed/accelerated/altered rotation of the ball.

https://vine.co/v/eB7n3XpuBB1

Looks pretty evident to me.

I don't feel too bad about the officiating; mainly because Wisconsin just could not find their "offensive efficiency." Did Duke deserve to win? I don't know. But Wisconsin did not.

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Yeah that was complete garbage. Duke was up 5 at that point and they handed them the ball that led to another 3. Duke always gets that call. Always. Did anyone watching that think they were going to give it to the Badgers?

I also thought the loose ball that Grayson Allen (nice f****** name, the South) got was out of bounds off Duke and that was a huge momentum turner. Also, does Coach K recruit solely on douchiness?

I know how it looks for me, as a Wisconsin fan to reply to this. But yeah, that's basketball. I don't know why, but for some reason, that is the sport where officiating is least about fairness and most about giving calls to certain players / teams. It's worse in the NBA but it exists elsewhere. Aside from babying star QBs more than other QBs in the NFL, I don't think any other sport is really like this. And yeah, if that situation is reversed, would they have given Duke the ball? Definite maybe.

The whole game was a blur to me (and I am never watching it again) so I don't even remember the Allen play you are talking about. And I'll never really figure out the impact of officiating because I am stepping back from sports (ESPN, etc.) until this thing blows over.

Baseball kind of is with the strike zone sometimes.

I was only half paying attention since I was also playing MLB The Show, but did Wisconsin intentionally foul Duke with 30 seconds left, down three, and with only 15 seconds left on the shot clock? If that's the case... that was really, really dumb. You have to just trust your defense there.

[OnWis97]

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Never looked conclusive to me. They showed it a ton of times and slowed it down from various angles and you could never, with 100% certainty, say it was touched by a Duke player. What I kept focusing on was the rotation of the ball...and there never seemed to be slowed/accelerated/altered rotation of the ball.

https://vine.co/v/eB7n3XpuBB1

Looks pretty evident to me.

I don't feel too bad about the officiating; mainly because Wisconsin just could not find their "offensive efficiency." Did Duke deserve to win? I don't know. But Wisconsin did not.

One thing that does bug me is the out-of-bounds reply that clearly went off of Winslow's finger tip...that was a gutless decision. What's the point of replay?

Yeah that was complete garbage. Duke was up 5 at that point and they handed them the ball that led to another 3. Duke always gets that call. Always. Did anyone watching that think they were going to give it to the Badgers?

I also thought the loose ball that Grayson Allen (nice f****** name, the South) got was out of bounds off Duke and that was a huge momentum turner. Also, does Coach K recruit solely on douchiness?

I know how it looks for me, as a Wisconsin fan to reply to this. But yeah, that's basketball. I don't know why, but for some reason, that is the sport where officiating is least about fairness and most about giving calls to certain players / teams. It's worse in the NBA but it exists elsewhere. Aside from babying star QBs more than other QBs in the NFL, I don't think any other sport is really like this. And yeah, if that situation is reversed, would they have given Duke the ball? Definite maybe.

The whole game was a blur to me (and I am never watching it again) so I don't even remember the Allen play you are talking about. And I'll never really figure out the impact of officiating because I am stepping back from sports (ESPN, etc.) until this thing blows over.

Baseball kind of is with the strike zone sometimes.

I was only half paying attention since I was also playing MLB The Show, but did Wisconsin intentionally foul Duke with 30 seconds left, down three, and with only 15 seconds left on the shot clock? If that's the case... that was really, really dumb. You have to just trust your defense there.

That was dumb. Either by the player (Hayes) or coach if it was called...Particularly since the player they fouled was Tyus Jones.

[dbadefense1990]

^Bingo.

When was the last time a non-villain won a championship? I can't remember. Outside of Ohio State winning the football championship (and let's be honest they're hated by a majority of college football fans) I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a championship winning team. I didn't completely hate the 2013 Seahawks, but they became retroactively annoying. I guess I was okay with the Spurs last year, but that was a Comet vs both teams situation. I think it goes back to the 2010 San Francisco Giants as the last time a team won that I didn't have some kind of beef.

We are in a really bad stretch of sports villainy.

NFL: Perhaps the 2002 Buccaneers? Or if we really like a feel-good story, the 1999 Rams?

NBA: Last year's Spurs? Or if some people detest "boring" basketball (including some on these boards), the 2011 Mavericks? Or the 2008 Celtics? Or maybe as far back as the 2004 Pistons? Or even as way far back as those mid-1990s Rockets?

NHL: Maybe those two Shicawgaw Stanley Cup teams? Or the 2007 Ducks? Or the 2004 Lightning? Or as far back as the 2001 Avalanche (singlehandedly because of Ray Boruque)?

MLB: The 2005 ChiSox? Or maybe the 2002 Angels? Or the 2001 Diamondbacks?

NCAAF: The 2005 Texas Longhorns?

NCAAB: The Louisville Cardinals of 2013? Or maybe Kansas in 2008? Or even Syracuse in 2003?

TL;DR version: Yeah, it's been a Pax Romana of villainous winners in 21st Century sports in America.

[dfwabel]

Jay Williams throwing shade, "All week long for the badgers it,was a yuk fest and funny answers. ..but what we saw right there, that wasn't Wisconsin ' s finest hour...with the one word answers and the rent a player reference"

[rams80]

Jay Williams throwing shade, "All week long for the badgers it,was a yuk fest and funny answers. ..but what we saw right there, that wasn't Wisconsin ' s finest hour...with the one word answers and the rent a player reference"

I bet none of the Badgers are going to up their knees in motorcycle accidents, though. Strong talk for the player with possibly the most stupidly wasted NBA potential since Len Bias.