We're getting close to the end of the regular season. ND has only 6 more games in the regular season, Texas has 8 more games. ACC tourney starts Mar 10th and the B12 tourney starts Mar 11th. Just looking at Skybox teams Irish no doubt will fall out of the top 10, I think we are a good not geat team a top 25 type team. I think we'll definitely be a NCAA tourney team, but I think our lack of size will hurt us, we have 1 big man and he's played well at times but recently he hasn't, and we aren't consistently good on defense. Those things are all important in the tourney. Texas great start but struggling badly now, not a top 25 team and could easily not make the NCAA field if they don't get it going and finish strong and win at least 1 B12 tourney game. Rick Barnes was put in the Longhorn Hall of Honor last year, and he's in general has been a great coach. But the last few years things have not gone well for him and there is a lot of "Fire Rick Barnes" topics on Inside Texas. To me it looks clearly to be Kentucky's title to lose, they have tons of talent they are well coached, etc. But I watched them play the Gators and you know I think they have some losses in them. They have played a number of average teams that have taken them to the wire. I have to wonder if the winning streak and the expectations hare getting heavier and heavier as the season winds down. I watch some of Gonzaga the other night as well and they look great, but then their conference isnt' exactly the ACC. I really don't see a group of teams outside of Kentucky that I say..yup they'll make the final 4. Kansas is the best team in a very good B12, but they've had some bad losses. Villanova looks good, but also beatable. Wisconsin seems to be the best of the B1G, but again not a team I'd say is definitely a final four team. Could be a year where we get some mid majors slipping into the final four. What's your team doing and what do you think their prospects are for the last month and their conference tourney.
Wisconsin practically a lock for the B1G with only 1 loss. SIX, count 'em six teams tied for second in the loss column with 4 losses. (including both of my teams) The conference standings, other than first place, are clearly up in the air and just who will make the tourney is up for grabs.
My feelings pretty much the same as Stu for the B1G TEN. Ohio State has been struggling with various lineups. Things were looking pretty good until the suspension of Marc Loving by the Athletic Department. Only time will tell what happens in his absence. We should make the Big Dance, but we do not have the depth or a consistent big man in the paint. We might be a spoiler for someone else though in the tournament.
UF looks NIT bound.... which is the equivalent of going nowhere. This year of player turnover for the Gators has been a rough one. But you know last year UK lost 3 times to the Gators and whole bunch of other games but squeaked in to the tourney...... and made the Final Four!
Gators gave Kentucky all they wanted and some more, I really thought you might pull it off. Irish, even after that whupping at Duke didn't really lose any ground in the rankings. The new ones have them at #10/11. Big game for us tonight at Clemson, they need to really play well..forget the Duke game.
If Kentucky didn't hit close to 100% on their free throws while the Gators were close to 50% we could have pulled it off. Baring an unbelievable run the Gators will not be in the Big Dance this year. We have lost an believable number of close games, many to teams we should have beaten. But we will be back.
It's been a while since I was able to jump into this conversation, but surprisingly I'm back. The Aggies are slowly but surely becoming a decent team after wallowing in the basement for several years. Many wanted Billy Kennedy shown the door after last year, and I couldn't argue with them. But, since bringing in a new assistant who has introduced a coherent offense, this team has improved all year. As with the Gators, we would have beaten Kentucky if we could shoot free throws when it's on the line. At 16-6 with 8 games to go (5 at home) my boys seem to have a shot at the dance. Gotta finish well, but I like our chances right now.
Agreed, T, Tony was a match for our players, and I again haven't had much interest in BBall since he left us. kp -
Irish get out of town with a close win vs Clemson tonight. They were absolutely destroyed on the boards, but found a way to win. This will be our life going forward, we're a good team but a flawed team. We just don't have enough big men and the athletic big men that do so well in colllege basketball. If we're shooting well we can win, but when we're not it's one and done, Clemson had so many offensive rebounds giving them extra shots it wasn't even funny. They kept cutting to the Kentucky/LSU game where LSU almost pulled off the upset. LSU had a lead late in the 2nd half but then Kentucky took over and got a narrow win. It's hard to go undefeated in basketball, a lot of things have to go right, I think Kentucky not only is going to get everybody's best game from here on out but I think the streak is probably wearing on them a little bit. As Bill said if the Gators could have hit their fouls they'd have beat them.
Re: Kentucky. I hope they stay undefeated during the regular season.......then lose in the one and done tournament. :twisted:
Jay Bilas has an index of the top 68 teams, sort of predicting the tournament field. He moved Wisconsin to #2 this week, Ohio State is trending up and is now #11, Irish #14, Texas trending down to #30, Texas A&M #31, Purdue #39, Gators #42, Miami #47, Alabama #48, That's it for Skybox Teams.
Terry, I know and it is close at the half but I think both Auburn and Alabama are racing to the cellar. :cry:
Solid home win for ND last night, if we can take care of business in the rest of the regular season we should be in for a good seeding in the ACC tournament and hopefully in the NCAA. Texas took a step back last night with the loss at OU. We're now tied for 7th place in the B12 with a 6-7 record. We now have 4 straight games vs ranked opponents. 2 at home and 2 on the road before finishing with KState who is also 6-7. I don't know if a 3-2 finish will be good enough to get us to the NCAA unless we win at least 2 B12 tourney games. I see that Kentucky had a solid win vs Tenn last night so they keep rolling along at a record pace.