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NCAA Tournament Discussion Thread - One Shining Moment - UConn Huskies

WindyCityDeac said:
I am really looking forward to DJ Burna working against Edey in the post. I think it’s a fascinating match up. With Edey’s size he should own Burns defensively. Can’t what to see what creative angles on the glass Burns uses to counter.
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just hope DJ doesn't get hit with a bunch of weak fouls like Tennessee did.
 
I mean Burns is likeable and all, but his post-game comments floored me. When asked what was behind these 2 tourney runs, he said they were more focused and attention to detail like showing up for meetings on time. So y'all weren't focused Nov-Feb and now suddenly it's time to show up for meetings on time?!?
 
cville deac said:
I mean Burns is likeable and all, but his post-game comments floored me. When asked what was behind these 2 tourney runs, he said they were more focused and attention to detail like showing up for meetings on time. So y'all weren't focused Nov-Feb and now suddenly it's time to show up for meetings on time?!?
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This is kind of what I've heard from State fans though. The team's attitude was "we're good, we'll just beat people" and they weren't bought in to Keats' game plans, defensive intensity, etc. Good for them for being able to flip the switch at the right time. Wish it would happen for Wake someday.
 
cville deac said:
I mean Burns is likeable and all, but his post-game comments floored me. When asked what was behind these 2 tourney runs, he said they were more focused and attention to detail like showing up for meetings on time. So y'all weren't focused Nov-Feb and now suddenly it's time to show up for meetings on time?!?
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I actually thought that was pretty hilarious and a decent look at today's semi-professional collegiate sports environment. There's always talk about how college coaches who move to the pros have to adjust to paid athletes just doing whatever they want and having no actual power over them. I'm sure college players are trending the same way. Go on the road, have fun, drink some, smoke some, maybe miss a few meetings or whatever but you're getting paid so who cares. Coaches then have to decide how to handle it, via discipline or just letting stuff go. Sounds like the State players finally decided to take things seriously... Just a reminder that it's the talent and players that matter, it's not like Keatts made some drastic changes (or did anything, really) to bring about this miraculous run.
 
DCDeac said:
I actually thought that was pretty hilarious and a decent look at today's semi-professional collegiate sports environment. There's always talk about how college coaches who move to the pros have to adjust to paid athletes just doing whatever they want and having no actual power over them. I'm sure college players are trending the same way. Go on the road, have fun, drink some, smoke some, maybe miss a few meetings or whatever but you're getting paid so who cares. Coaches then have to decide how to handle it, via discipline or just letting stuff go. Sounds like the State players finally decided to take things seriously... Just a reminder that it's the talent and players that matter, it's not like Keatts made some drastic changes (or did anything, really) to bring about this miraculous run.
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To be fair to Keatts, I think his substitutions, timeout usage, foul management, etc. have all been pretty darn good. His players are making him look good, but he generally seems like a much more composed and competent coach than I've ever seen him (bs technical last night aside).
 
tigerswood said:
To be fair to Keatts, I think his substitutions, timeout usage, foul management, etc. have all been pretty darn good. His players are making him look good, but he generally seems like a much more composed and competent coach than I've ever seen him (bs technical last night aside).
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Agree. I have never thought KK was much of a coach, like many people, but he seems to have done a good job with game prep, player management, TOs, and other in-game decisions this post-season.
 
man, i can't believe NCSU is in the final 4.

good job by them.
 
aocs3281 said:
NCSU played hard to get back in the UVA tourney game, but it took a missed FT to set up a desperation 3 to force OT. That’s the only time I felt luck factored in the result. Of course none of this would have happened had they lost that game. Would they have made the NIT? Probably not.
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Which, in a way, tells you that, at least in most years, you never really know who the best team in college basketball was. You just know the team that won the tournament. Because this year one of the best teams in college basketball very nearly didn’t make either tournament.
 
People convince themselves that its all about coaching to advance in the NCAAT.

Matt Painter was a joke until he isn't. KK was a a joke until he isn't. Tony Bennett was a joke unti he wasn't and now he may be again.

A year ago, everyone praised Jim Larranaga as Miami surprised their way to a final 4 (and a Elite 8 the year before). This year, Miami was picked #2 in the ACC, finished the 14th in the ACC and on a 10 game losing streak, and there are murmurs he should retire. Is Larranaga a good coach or bad coach? Even KY with all their advantages have won 1 NCAAT game in last 5 years. They have lost to St. Peter's and Oakland. Kentucky.

The new hot basketball coach is Danny Hurley. What an incredible motivator! What a perfect system they run!

Danny Hurley's UCONN teams completely shit the bed in his tournaments with UCONN until last year's run. In 2021 as a favorite, in the first round, UCONN lost to a MD team coached by Mark Turgeon (and assisted by DM) and MD fans are in unanimous agreement that Turgeon was a horrendous coach. Turgeon didn't even make through the next November at MD before he was replaced by DM.

In 2022, again as a big favorite, 5 seed UCONN lost to 12 seed New Mexico State. Yes, NM State, a team that the next year, suspended their season in early February because one NM State was suspected of murder, and there was rife hazing within the program. In the 2022 NCAAT, UCONN scored 53 points against NM State. There were a ton of UCONN fans convinced that Hurley couldn't coach and UCONN should move on.

Coaching is really hard. Especially these days. It's not as easy as "this guy is a good coach" and "that guy is a bad coach". Talent, luck, cohesion, injuries, draw, shooting variance... all create a randomness that even the best coaches can't overcome and weaker coaches can ride to success.
 
Pilchard said:
People convince themselves that its all about coaching to advance in the NCAAT.

Matt Painter was a joke until he isn't. KK was a a joke until he isn't. Tony Bennett was a joke unti he wasn't and now he may be again.

A year ago, everyone praised Jim Larranaga as Miami surprised their way to a final 4 (and a Elite 8 the year before). This year, Miami was picked #2 in the ACC, finished the 14th in the ACC and on a 10 game losing streak, and there are murmurs he should retire. Is Larranaga a good coach or bad coach? Even KY with all their advantages have won 1 NCAAT game in last 5 years. They have lost to St. Peter's and Oakland. Kentucky.

The new hot basketball coach is Danny Hurley. What an incredible motivator! What a perfect system they run!

Danny Hurley's UCONN teams completely shit the bed in his tournaments with UCONN until last year's run. In 2021 as a favorite, in the first round, UCONN lost to a MD team coached by Mark Turgeon (and assisted by DM) and MD fans are in unanimous agreement that Turgeon was a horrendous coach. Turgeon didn't even make through the next November at MD before he was replaced by DM.

In 2022, again as a big favorite, 5 seed UCONN lost to 12 seed New Mexico State. Yes, NM State, a team that the next year, suspended their season in early February because one NM State was suspected of murder, and there was rife hazing within the program. In the 2022 NCAAT, UCONN scored 53 points against NM State. There were a ton of UCONN fans convinced that Hurley couldn't coach and UCONN should move on.

Coaching is really hard. Especially these days. It's not as easy as "this guy is a good coach" and "that guy is a bad coach". Talent, luck, cohesion, injuries, draw, shooting variance... all create a randomness that even the best coaches can't overcome and weaker coaches can ride to success.
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very good post

add jay wright to the list of guys that couldn't until they could

mark few is still kinda suspended in that territory
 
Buttermaker said:
Those two sequences against UVa were lucky yes.
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And their road so far in the NCAA's has had quite a luck component as well:

Avoid Kentucky in Round 2
Somehow Marquette manages to miss 27 3 pointers w/ many wide open
Houston loses another player (and their best player) to injury
Draw a Charmin soft Duke team which make the '23-'24 Deacs look like the Bad Boys of the late 80's in the toughness & physicality department
 
a single-elimination tournament is bad at determining the best team -- State is obviously not even one of the best 10 or 20 teams in the country, much less best four

it's also the most fun -- fun enough to make college basketball, an otherwise pretty weak product, the most exciting postseason in all of sports
 
Colonel Angus said:
And their road so far in the NCAA's has had quite a luck component as well:

Avoid Kentucky in Round 2
Somehow Marquette manages to miss 27 3 pointers w/ many wide open
Houston loses another player (and their best player) to injury
Draw a Charmin soft Duke team which make the '23-'24 Deacs look like the Bad Boys of the late 80's in the toughness & physicality department
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Oakland also coulda easily knocked them out, had a terrible possession at the very end of reg that gave State another life
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
a single-elimination tournament is bad at determining the best team -- State is obviously not even one of the best 10 or 20 teams in the country, much less best four

it's also the most fun -- fun enough to make college basketball, an otherwise pretty weak product, the most exciting postseason in all of sports
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I think it'd be cool to switch to best 2 of 3 once you hit the Elite 8. The tourney is so awesome but when you get to the final 4 and there's only 3 games left it's kind of a bummer.
 
Most State fans I know can’t believe it either, and also know that realistically it could just as easily take another 30 years to make it back as it might take 3; probably much more likely the former. We bust on State fans for having an unrealistic view of their athletics, but for the most part they consider themselves as snakebit as we do in living up to expectations . Their #ncstateshit is our LOWF.
 
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