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2020-21 NCAA Men's Basketball Thread - Will the Zags Go Unbeaten?

Big news day for ACC hoops
- BC fires their coach
- Duke’s Jalen Johnson opts out the rest of the season
- FSU whipping UVA

And the night isn’t over yet.
 
Any word on who BC is targeting for their coaching vacancy? Is Matta a possible candidate??
 
Any word on who BC is targeting for their coaching vacancy? Is Matta a possible candidate??

I would tend to doubt it. We may have Covid on the run soon, but we don't now. He's still young enough to wait for another year or two and nto to have a complete rebuild when recruiting is so difficult.
 
Yes, they are defending champs and pretty dang good

Yeah, and this UVA team is flawed, especially defensively. Hauser is nice, and they have some other decent pieces, but their D down low has really suffered. And I've never liked Clark. He gets lost in the paint more than Donald Hand did. When FSU is on, they're fun to watch on both ends. They're the only ACC team that could make a tourney run this year. And I heard 1 of the ESPN talking heads say a week or so ago that FSU is the 1 non-1 seed that Gonzaga doesn't want in their region. I agree.
 
Yeah, and this UVA team is flawed, especially defensively. Hauser is nice, and they have some other decent pieces, but their D down low has really suffered. And I've never liked Clark. He gets lost in the paint more than Donald Hand did. When FSU is on, they're fun to watch on both ends. They're the only ACC team that could make a tourney run this year. And I heard 1 of the ESPN talking heads say a week or so ago that FSU is the 1 non-1 seed that Gonzaga doesn't want in their region. I agree.

Agree that FSU has a higher ceiling than UVA, but UVA could make a run as well. This is the 2nd best offensive team that UVA has had under Bennett. Defensive isn't quite as suffocating as it has been, but its still a tough defense to face. UVA's not beating Gonzaga or Baylor, but they can beat anyone else. A run to the Elite 8 would not surprise me.

BC candidates:

- Howard Eisley (Michigan Assistant) played at BC
- Mark Schmidt HC at St. Bonnie; excellent coach, went to BC
- Jared Dudley - currently plays for the Lakers, BC grad, fans love him, maybe in 10 years
- Bill Coen - Northeastern HC; solid coach, BC assistant under Skinner, maybe too old - 59
- Rick Pitino - He would take the job; lots of baggage
- Porter Moser - Already been to a Final 4; a Power School will hire him, probably out of BC's league
- Kevin Willard - Seton Hall may be a better job than BC
- The same names that our fanbase grasped for: Matta, Beilein,
 
Agree that FSU has a higher ceiling than UVA, but UVA could make a run as well. This is the 2nd best offensive team that UVA has had under Bennett. Defensive isn't quite as suffocating as it has been, but its still a tough defense to face. UVA's not beating Gonzaga or Baylor, but they can beat anyone else. A run to the Elite 8 would not surprise me.

BC candidates:

- Howard Eisley (Michigan Assistant) played at BC
- Mark Schmidt HC at St. Bonnie; excellent coach, went to BC
- Jared Dudley - currently plays for the Lakers, BC grad, fans love him, maybe in 10 years
- Bill Coen - Northeastern HC; solid coach, BC assistant under Skinner, maybe too old - 59
- Rick Pitino - He would take the job; lots of baggage
- Porter Moser - Already been to a Final 4; a Power School will hire him, probably out of BC's league
- Kevin Willard - Seton Hall may be a better job than BC
- The same names that our fanbase grasped for: Matta, Beilein,

I know nothing, but it just feels like Schmidt is the best fit. I don't think anyone on the list would be able to turn BC around in a hurry (with the possible exception of Pitino). Willard is the best name on the list, but even he would need a few years to get things going.

ETA: I'd be surprised if they hire anyone right away. While there are likely to be a ton of firings and lots of movement between jobs, it doesn't seem like they need to act before the regular season is over... Mid-March?
 
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Agree that FSU has a higher ceiling than UVA, but UVA could make a run as well. This is the 2nd best offensive team that UVA has had under Bennett. Defensive isn't quite as suffocating as it has been, but its still a tough defense to face. UVA's not beating Gonzaga or Baylor, but they can beat anyone else. A run to the Elite 8 would not surprise me.

BC candidates:

- Howard Eisley (Michigan Assistant) played at BC
- Mark Schmidt HC at St. Bonnie; excellent coach, went to BC
- Jared Dudley - currently plays for the Lakers, BC grad, fans love him, maybe in 10 years
- Bill Coen - Northeastern HC; solid coach, BC assistant under Skinner, maybe too old - 59
- Rick Pitino - He would take the job; lots of baggage
- Porter Moser - Already been to a Final 4; a Power School will hire him, probably out of BC's league
- Kevin Willard - Seton Hall may be a better job than BC
- The same names that our fanbase grasped for: Matta, Beilein,

BC is a complete career killer. Way more so than even we are.

Getting back to FSU, I'd love to see Hamilton get to a final-4 after all these years. He's been doing a solid job there forever and never appears to get his due. His teams have always been athletic and have gotten after you defensively, although occasionally he's had too many masons. Covid ended what could have been a nice run for him last year. I'd like to see him get it this year. Just hope he avoids Baylor's and Gonzaga's regions.
 
BC in another COVID shutdown. Their game this week against GT was postponed. Wynston Tabbs (BC's second leading scorer) will not return to the team "due to COVID protocol violations". So, BC suspends one of its best players for the season due to a COVID protocol violation. OTOH, UNC gets to a game postponed when its players violate protocol and no one gets suspended at all....
 
BC in another COVID shutdown. Their game this week against GT was postponed. Wynston Tabbs (BC's second leading scorer) will not return to the team "due to COVID protocol violations". So, BC suspends one of its best players for the season due to a COVID protocol violation. OTOH, UNC gets to a game postponed when its players violate protocol and no one gets suspended at all....

As always, the rules never apply to UNC.
 
Heart-breaking loss for Forbes' old team, ETSU to Chattanooga, last night:

With 4.8 seconds remaining and the Chattanooga Mocsahead by three, the Mocs fouled ETSU's Ledarrius Brewer (Meridian, Miss.) to prevent a game-tying 3. Brewer hit the first free throw and missed the second. ETSU's Vonnie Patterson (Louisville, Ky.) grabbed the rebound and kicked it out to Damari Monsanto (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) – who hit the fadeaway three-pointer as he was falling out of bounds to seemingly win the game at the buzzer. However, the ETSU Head Coach, Jason Shay, called a timeout before the shot, so, the game-winner was disallowed. After drawing up a play with two seconds remaining, Monsanto had another chance for the game-winner but his three from the top of the key hit the back of the rim as time expired, giving Chattanooga the series sweep.

Ouch. Guessing Forbes contacted his old assistant, Jason Shay, to console him after that one (Forbes was watching the game).
 
BC is the most dead end of all ACC jobs. Terrible facilities, zero local talent, absolutely no history of success. Can’t imagine any winning P5 coach, much less the likes of Beilein or Matta, would ever even consider it. Only makes sense for an up and comer trying to parlay quick success into a bigger job or someone who simply views any ACC job as a destination.
 
is there any metric tracking the quality of play in NCAA basketball over time? I don't watch much, but when I do it feels like it's a lot worse than, say, when I was a student in the late aughts

would be similarly curious to see such a metric for the NBA, which I think is heading in the opposite direction
 
is there any metric tracking the quality of play in NCAA basketball over time? I don't watch much, but when I do it feels like it's a lot worse than, say, when I was a student in the late aughts

would be similarly curious to see such a metric for the NBA, which I think is heading in the opposite direction

The quality of ACC and NCAA hoops was quite good 2 years ago, but both have been severely down the last 2 years. I see only 2 special teams this year - Gonzaga and Baylor. And the only complete ACC team, as we mentioned, is FSU. Whereas 2 years ago, I was watching Zion swat an attempted 3 from Hunter into the 12th row. Hell, with just Duke and UVA you had I think 8 guys get drafted over the next 2 years. And speaking of Hunter, I'm pulling for the Hawks with him and Collins this year.
 
The talent level in college basketball may be down slightly because they are a couple of players that would've been elite freshman that took the G-League option (Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green). That said, I think the public perceives college basketball being down because Kentucky, Duke and to a lesser extent Michigan State and UNC all suck. Gonzaga and Baylor are really good, and would be really good any year as in National Championship level, but those programs don't move the needle.

Also, unlike college football recruiting where the best prospects only go to 3 or 4 programs. The talent in college basketball is really spread out this year (a good thing IMO). There are elite freshman (lottery picks) at OK State, USC, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Auburn, FSU, Arkansas, Stanford. In this day and age, when people have the attention span of a dinner roll, they aren't going to take the time to follow Jalen Suggs at Gonzaga or Cade Cunningham at Ok State. It was easy when Zion, Barrett and Reddish all played for Duke. Not as easy to follow this year; so, people default to the position that college basketball sucks. Don't think that's accurate.

There are two great teams (Baylor and Gonzaga), and both programs are off the ESPN hype-machine radar; and several very good teams, but since those teams aren't the usual suspects; general interest wanes. If Duke and Kentucky had Baylor and Gonzaga's roster (and coaching), people would be so hyped for two undefeated teams at this point in the season.

As of yesterday at William Hill, you could take Gonzaga and Baylor versus the rest of the NCAA field to win the title at essentially a pick em. Think I would take the field, but we shall see.
 
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I hear ya, but I was watching Texas Tech vs. WVU the other night -- a top 15 matchup -- and it just felt like bad basketball with tons of turnovers and fouls

I think there are a host of things affecting my perception of quality: the best players stick around longer, officiating seems to be worse, and I watch a lot more NBA than I used to, but there is no way I'd believe the Zion Duke team touches those Jason Williams Duke teams head-to-head
 
I don't see how BC pays for a big name coach. Unless they back up a Brinks truck, I can't see Beilien taking a complete rebuild at his age. Matta won't take this job nor will Willard.

Eisley has to be the favorite. The question becomes is Michigan makes the Final Four would he take the job or wait a year or two when a much better one will be available.

Schmidt would take it so quickly that he might not pack and buy all new stuff when he gets to Boston.

Dudley is 35, He's down to making about $2.5M and has no contract for next year. He has spoken about returning to BC. Unlike Eisely, Dudley hasn't retired from playing and has no coaching experience at all.
 
I hear ya, but I was watching Texas Tech vs. WVU the other night -- a top 15 matchup -- and it just felt like bad basketball with tons of turnovers and fouls

I think there are a host of things affecting my perception of quality: the best players stick around longer, officiating seems to be worse, and I watch a lot more NBA than I used to, but there is no way I'd believe the Zion Duke team touches those Jason Williams Duke teams head-to-head

I'm with Juice on this 1. Yes, Gonzaga and Baylor are special this year, but other than a few other pretty good teams, the rest of the 3, 4 and 5 seeds aren't anywhere near the equivalent seeds back in 2019. In 2019, Tex Tech and Purdue were 3 seeds, and VT, Kansas and FSU were 4 seeds. Hell, that Auburn team was a 5 seed. There were a lot of special teams 2 years ago. And the ACC was insane with UVA, Duke and UNC all being 1 seeds, VT and FSU 4 seeds and Louvul a 7 seed.
 
Let the tournament play out. They are some surprisingly good teams beyond the Zags and Baylor. The ACC is down. The Big 10 is super deep, and Big 12 is strong (Kansas another name team is not), and the SEC has a lot of talent. Look out for Nate Oats at Bama. They could be this year's Texas Tech.
 
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