NCAA Basketball 2012-2013 Season Catch-All

Stele wrote:
Carlbear95 wrote:

Reading twitter and reports it looks like our coach shoved Crabbe at some point and he went off and we went on the big run.

Hopefully the media doesn't get on your coach too much. I think it was a calculated move and he was just trying to fire up Crabbe. Didn't look like any actual physical violence or malicious intent. Just a wake-up call, which worked.

Well the good news is we're Cal, not Duke, Kansas or Kentucky, so this will probably just fly under the radar of non-bay area media. Coach, AD and Crabbe have all responded in the press.. Since winning cures everything I'm pretty sure its all water under the bridge at this point.

#1 Indiana @ #4 Mich St.

Kind of excited to watch this one.

Although if MSU wins, will it really tell us anything? Seems like everyone wins at home in the Big 10 lately. They just destroyed Mich last week, but they're still a top 10 team. Wisconsin beats everyone at home but blows it on the road.

Now if Indiana wins that might be impressive.

Stele wrote:

#1 Indiana @ #4 Mich St.

Kind of excited to watch this one.

Although if MSU wins, will it really tell us anything? Seems like everyone wins at home in the Big 10 lately. They just destroyed Mich last week, but they're still a top 10 team. Wisconsin beats everyone at home but blows it on the road.

Now if Indiana wins that might be impressive.

It was a great game and an impressive win, maybe the Hoosier's best under Crean. IU had lost something like 17 straight games at MSU until last night.

Yeah that streak is crazy. Since 1991 or something. And Indiana was still relevant into the late 90s, with some top 25 teams and sweet 16 appearances. But there's the Big 10 for you: winning home games for decades. :p

How can KU keep pulling games out like that? Oh well Clones got a much needed road win tonight, good evening of Big XII basketball.

Jucofett wrote:

How can KU keep pulling games out like that? Oh well Clones got a much needed road win tonight, good evening of Big XII basketball.

When you consider they ran a montage of all of OSU's last second wins during their winning streak, I don't feel bad feeling good about that win. I'll take anything on the road.

Ya, just wish they could do it in less than three freaking hours.

Exciting game tonight Kansas. Thanks for the entertainment. ;cool:

Wow. Cal getting it done on the road. Lunardi has them in now.

I'm telling you the curse of the Carlbear is uncanny.

Was working and didn't get home until 7:30ish or so. Aware of my curse I didn't check the scores on the way home. I get home, mess around a bit and check the computer score.. 41-41 with around 4 minutes left... exciting. Dinner time, I debate whether or not to turn the game on.. I turn it on and now its 43-41 Oregon with the Ducks at the line. Duck makes 1 of 2 and they're up by 3. OK I say lets watch... on the ensuing possession Cal turns it over and I jump up and say "I have to change it.. its all my fault" and I'm a mess. Continue dinner, phone at the table but I dont' check it... about 10 minutes later, phone beeps, ESPN ScoreCenter Cal 48-Ore 46.

At this point I'm not watching Cal until the Pac-12 tourney..if the streak continues I may have to tune it off for March Madness as crazy as that sounds.

Anyways, I really hope Cal can keep this going. @Oregon State this weekend is the perfect place for us to lay an egg. We close off the season with 3 home games including one against Colorado which has a reasonable RPI right now, and then its off to the Pac-12 tourney. I haven't tested my Cal curse in a live game, so if I feel up to it I may try to catch Utah@Cal next Thursday.

Interesting stat I heard today: There are only four teams in the country without a double digit loss on the season: Indiana, Kansas, Colorado State and Louisville.

Got to be something for "being in every game" and having a chance to win right?

How 'bout them Billikens! They completed a season sweep of Butler in Indianapolis tonight, after knocking off #24 VCU to take control of the A-!0 on Tuesday. They ought to get a nice slot in the Top 25 this week.

If they can get hooked up with the Catholic 7, we will really start to get some nice basketball in town, with regular visits from Villanova, Georgetown, and other great programs. It's been a long time coming, but it is nice to see the hard work of Rick Majerus pay off. It's a shame he can't be here to see it the results.

I've heard they have even had ticket scalpers out at Chaifetz Arena for some games recently. They are playing some of the best basketball in the country right now.

Crazy game between Tennessee and A&M. TN just hit a 3 pointer to send it into 2nd overtime.

Edit: And we're starting OT number 4.

Kansas-Iowa St, OT again?!

And it looks like Kansas might blow them out again.

Self wins game #500. Kansas scores 108 pts in overtime, and Elijah Johnson scores 39, including a completely unnecessary dunk with about 2 seconds left to really drive it home - I'll chalk that up to relief and youthful exuberance. Iowa State hits 22 straight free throws and a school record 17 (!!) three-pointers, and still comes up short. Amazing game.

My wife made the good point that with Kansas' reputation, every road game for them is the Home team's Game of the Year. They get everybody's best shot, and still manage to get wins like this. I have no idea how Self gets his guys ready to play in a road atmosphere like that.

Oh, and thanks ESPN for the nice lingering shot of Fred Hoiberg's kid sobbing in the stands. Classy.

This one is hard to swallow. Such an awesome game by both teams. I sure hope there's another go round in KC, it's been a good series this year. That dunk at the end wasn't cool at all and I'm glad to hear he apologized.

Boudreaux wrote:

Oh, and thanks ESPN for the nice lingering shot of Fred Hoiberg's kid sobbing in the stands. Classy.

That was to show the nation what it feels like to be an ISU fan year in and year out.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to watch the highlights from 1993's ISU-KU Big Monday game and try and find my younger self in the stands.

Some context for the Johnson dunk.

Trust in Johnson pays off for Kansas

During the gap between the ferocious fast-break dunk that capped No. 6 Kansas' 108-96 overtime win at Iowa State and the time he entered the media room at Hilton Coliseum, wise public relations officials and coaches probably advised Johnson to right his wrong.

So that's what the senior did. Instead of commencing the Q&A with a discussion about his career-high 39-point effort, he said sorry.

"First, before I answer any questions or talk about the game, I want to apologize to the head coach at Iowa State for that last play of the game," he said. "I shouldn't have dunked that ball. Right now, I'm feeling that. I should have dribbled that ball out. I just got caught in the moment. I saw an open basket, and I attacked it. Kind of got tunnel vision. I guess it was rubbing off that whole end of the game.

"But I want to apologize to him."

That play in the final seconds of the Jayhawks' second come-from-behind overtime win against the Cyclones this season hurt feelings. It offended people.

Iowa State fans who attended the game were emotionally bruised by the unnecessary slam. They booed and threw cups.

Those who saw the play on TV demanded atonement through the Twitter-sphere.

That's fair. But it's not right to end the conversation about emotions and feelings there.

What about the feelings of a young man who had been told by his own coach that he wasn't good enough to run his program a few weeks ago?

What about the veteran who had to read tweets about his apparent inadequacy? What about the guy who heard the whispers -- and screams -- from fans who wanted a new point guard?

That guy did not cry. He did not whine. He did not blame. He did not quit, even when Bill Self told reporters, "We don't have a point guard," following a loss to Oklahoma State earlier this month.

Johnson expressed his emotions through that dunk and the mosh pit that ensued on the KU sideline. He'd been redeemed in a game that allowed Kansas to maintain its first-place tie in the Big 12 with Kansas State.

This season, Johnson has faced as much doubt and scrutiny as any player in the country. His naysayers suggest Kansas can make a serious run in March as long as Johnson doesn't screw things up (3.0 turnovers per game).

And he also brought it up when asked by the sideline reporter during the star of the game segment about what bill Self had just talked to him about right after the game. He said that he needed to be aware of his sportsmanship, and he really regrets dunking the ball in that situation. Not only did Bill Self point it out, but he got an immediate positive response from EJ in one hell of an emotional moment.

Syracuse, WTF?

That is all.

Jayhawker wrote:

Bill Self told reporters, "We don't have a point guard," following a loss to Oklahoma State earlier this month.

I remember when Self did that and thought it was harsh, but you don’t win 500 games if you don’t know what you're doing. I'm glad Self used that moment to teach the kid something. End of the day ISU shouldn’t have let him go off for 39 points.

Bear wrote:

Syracuse, WTF?

That is all.

The Big East man. It's still the greatest conference in the land, for one final year.

Louisville @ Syrcause Sat. Can't wait.

The good news piled up for SLU, as they jumped into the rankings at #18, and rumors are swirling that they are already locked to be invited to join the Catholic Seven.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colum...

It’s no longer a wild dream. A lot of people who are close to the Big East splinter group known as “The Catholic 7” are saying that SLU is a lock to join the “new” Big East when they begin play as a 12-team conference, maybe as soon as next season.

Several well-placed sources told Washington Post columnist John Feinstein last week that the new league will be divided into Eastern and Western divisions, with SLU, Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Dayton and Butler in the West and Georgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Richmond and Siena in the East.

It’s hard to tell if the new league would be able to get everything in place as quickly as next season, but if it happens, the new Big East would become an immediate big boy in college hoops. If you look at this week’s polls, the new league has five ranked teams in the latest USA Today coaches poll (No. 8 Georgetown, No. 19 SLU, No. 21 Butler, No. 22 Marquette and No. 25 VCU). That would tie it with the Big Ten (considered universally as this year’s best conference) and give it more ranked teams than the current Big East (four), the A-10 (four), the Big 12 (three), the ACC (two) and the SEC (one).

That could be a really nice basketball conference.

Yep. They're poaching the best mid-majors and going to be a power basketball conference. Happy for them. Honestly wish they could take the Big East name with them. Will be deserving of the name I think.

Well, that's unfortunate. I really wanted a new coach.

Also, storming a raised court looks really dumb.

Tubby!

Hey man, you guys have the #1 SOS in the RPI. Gophers are fighting hard, and can beat anybody.

Stele wrote:

Gophers are fighting hard, and can beat anybody.

They really aren't and they really can't. I didn't see most of tonights game but one game doesn't negate the last eight or nine games. Their offense consists of a guard holding the ball until five seconds are left on the clock because nobody else is moving and then jacking up a bad three. Any team that uses a zone defense is guaranteed to hold them under 50.

I would like a coach that actually coaches. Tubby just sits on his ass and doesn't make any adjustments. There's a reason Michigan State and Wisconsin consistently get better as the year goes on and it's because Izzo and giant douche Bo Ryan actually coach.

Suck it Florida. Tennessee is on fire right now, but they are gonna have to finish strong to make the tourney.

Hahaha. Michigan loses to 0-14 in conference Penn St. Goodbye any chance of #1 seed.

Probably all you need to see of tonight's Louisville-DePaul game:

So ESPN just showed a great stat.

Top 5 teams that have lost to an unranked team the last 5 seasons:
13
12
12
14
19 this year, including Duke tonight.

It has been one hell of a year for upsets.

Cal somehow continues to roll, and I continue to ignore all broadcasts. Because of how bad Utah is, in the crazy world of NCAA basketball, it was a must win game for RPI purposes and we pulled it off 64-46. Our next game this weekend is a big one.. Colorado has a top-25 RPI and we get them in Berkeley this weekend. Also there was some not-so-friendly banter between Colorado student section and Cal student section tweeters. Cal rarely has something to brag about athletically but Colorado had the gall to talk trash about our academics, and then it was on.