After two rounds of the NCAA tournament (sorry, four games does NOT make a round), I'm disappointed about where I am. My best year, I got nine games wrong in the entire tournament (yes, that's considerably better than I've done since).
This year, even after picking North Dakota and San Diego State to win in the first round (and having OSU winning one game, rather than zero), my best hope is to get 22 games wrong. Duke losing to Mercer certainly hurt a lot, in that respect, as did Syracuse losing so early.
I guess the ACC let me down.
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
20140324
20130412
March Wrap-up
I posted previously on the start to the NCAA tournament this year. So how did it end up?
In a word: terrible. I got 39 of 67 games right, and didn't get a single one of the final four. In three of the regions, I did ok (missing three, four, and five games in the region). But the last was a disaster. I don't have it handy, but I think I missed nine. And, obviously, I missed the last game in all four. Oof.
In a word: terrible. I got 39 of 67 games right, and didn't get a single one of the final four. In three of the regions, I did ok (missing three, four, and five games in the region). But the last was a disaster. I don't have it handy, but I think I missed nine. And, obviously, I missed the last game in all four. Oof.
20130324
The Ides of Craziness
I'm not a big basketball fan. I've enjoyed watching it from time to time (generally pro), and do enjoy watching some of the March Madness tournament. And even though I don't watch much (just the odd Duke game with my wife, really), I still do brackets most years for fun.
It gets to be a bit depressing, though. The first or second year I did brackets, I missed only eight games in the entire tournament. This year, I missed that many in the first round.
But when I watch, I mostly cheer for the underdog; NCAA ball (in every sport, really) is just so stacked against the smaller schools that it isn't funny. So let's hear it for Florida Gulf Coast U, into the sweet sixteen. Even though I ended up picking Miami to win it all, it'd be really cool if they could make it all the way to the Final Four.
It gets to be a bit depressing, though. The first or second year I did brackets, I missed only eight games in the entire tournament. This year, I missed that many in the first round.
But when I watch, I mostly cheer for the underdog; NCAA ball (in every sport, really) is just so stacked against the smaller schools that it isn't funny. So let's hear it for Florida Gulf Coast U, into the sweet sixteen. Even though I ended up picking Miami to win it all, it'd be really cool if they could make it all the way to the Final Four.
20130303
We hear he is a whiz of a wiz...
I can't say as I was exactly riveted by the game; it was very sloppy on both sides. But the kids had a really good time, and the Wiz won, so it wasn't a total waste. And it was a very close game; the biggest lead I noticed, by either side, was seven points.
The only downer was that Bradley Beal hurt himself, and had to be carried off the court. Unfortunately, I didn't see what happened in the play, and they refused to show a replay (not sure why; everything stopped for a couple of minutes, and the scoreboard screen wasn't even showing anything).
Oh, and the sound effects were too loud a few times; my daughter did get upset at that. And at the fire that shot up at the very beginning.
Despite that, we had a good time.
Update: It appears that Beal's injury was just a sprained ankle. Glad to hear it wasn't something more serious.
Update: It appears that Beal's injury was just a sprained ankle. Glad to hear it wasn't something more serious.
20110404
Dog Days of Spring
Quite a final game last night, with UConn outlasting Butler in the end. It was a hard-fought defensive war, with only 91 points scored between the two teams. And that actually sounds better than it is, as at least half a dozen of those points came from Butler loosening up its defense to try to generate more offense.
But Butler ended up shooting less than 19%; not surprisingly, a record low. I ended up a little bit disappointed with the game, because of that.
Still, as I said, it was a very well played game. And it was generally very close; UConn's first five-point lead was at 31-26, six and a half minutes into the second half. But Connecticut pretty much ran away with it from there; Butler was just unable to buy a basket after that. And that was unfortunate, because they did get a few good looks.
Anyway, the game was quite a way to cap off one heck of a tournament. I read somewhere that, of the five million and change brackets that were submitted to ESPN, only two had the correct final four. I wonder if either of those two had the correct last three results.
But Butler ended up shooting less than 19%; not surprisingly, a record low. I ended up a little bit disappointed with the game, because of that.
Still, as I said, it was a very well played game. And it was generally very close; UConn's first five-point lead was at 31-26, six and a half minutes into the second half. But Connecticut pretty much ran away with it from there; Butler was just unable to buy a basket after that. And that was unfortunate, because they did get a few good looks.
Anyway, the game was quite a way to cap off one heck of a tournament. I read somewhere that, of the five million and change brackets that were submitted to ESPN, only two had the correct final four. I wonder if either of those two had the correct last three results.
20110327
The Madness Continues
I suppose the two basketball games today were decided the only way they could be, with both underdogs continuing on (well, assuming you can really call Kentucky an underdog, regardless of relative rankings/seedings).
Congratulations to VCU, and especially to their coach, Shaka Smart, who definitely outmaneuvered Kansas. Actually, that was really surprising; Kansas started out playing really well, with some beautiful passing. That led me to believe that VCU was going to be sunk, and badly, but they came back pretty quickly. And they showed good defense with a lot of threes in the first half to take a hefty lead at the half. Kansas managed to cut it down to, I think, a two-point deficit at one point, but that was the closest they got.
And congratulations to Kentucky as well. Their win assured that the final four won't include any #1 or #2 seeds. It's only the third time no top seeds have made it, but I'd be shocked if either of the two previous times didn't include any two seeds as well.
Oh, and a small correction to my previous mention of the tournament. I was sure I remembered GMU being a 12 seed, but it was pointed out today that they were also an eleven seed.
Congratulations to VCU, and especially to their coach, Shaka Smart, who definitely outmaneuvered Kansas. Actually, that was really surprising; Kansas started out playing really well, with some beautiful passing. That led me to believe that VCU was going to be sunk, and badly, but they came back pretty quickly. And they showed good defense with a lot of threes in the first half to take a hefty lead at the half. Kansas managed to cut it down to, I think, a two-point deficit at one point, but that was the closest they got.
And congratulations to Kentucky as well. Their win assured that the final four won't include any #1 or #2 seeds. It's only the third time no top seeds have made it, but I'd be shocked if either of the two previous times didn't include any two seeds as well.
Oh, and a small correction to my previous mention of the tournament. I was sure I remembered GMU being a 12 seed, but it was pointed out today that they were also an eleven seed.
20110326
Quite a Tournament
The NCAA, despite my general contempt for them, has quite a basketball tournament going on at the moment. There have been quite a number of upsets, and there haven't been all that many blow-outs. Every game of which I've watched a chunk (except the Arizona-Duke and George Mason-Ohio State games, of which I only saw a few minutes out of the first half) has been a real nailbiter, with some really wild finishes.
In fact, Butler has now had three wild finishes (the first two of which they really didn't deserve to win) in their four games. Three of the top seeds are gone, with the fourth playing their fourth game tomorrow.
One region had the 10, 11, 12, and 13 seeds all advance out of the first round, and winning a combined eight games (with VCU playing for a chance at the final four tomorrow). The one downside of that is that it has led to probably the easiest tournament ever for a #1, with Kansas playing #16, #9, #12, and #11. In fact, I'm now looking at the bracket to check on those; I had missed Notre Dame and Purdue getting knocked off by those guys.
Anyway, as one who mostly just roots for the underdog, that's pretty darned cool.
Hmm... the Elite Eight consists of a 1, 2-2s, a 3, 4, 5, 8, and 11 seeds. That's quite a mix. Disappointed that we won't get another 12-seed in the final four, a la George Mason's run five years ago, but we could still get pretty close.
What else? Well, only one region went without an upset in the first round, although that one had one upset in the second round, and both games were upsets in the third round. Three of the four eleven seeds advanced past the first, and two of them went past the second, as well.
The one thing I can't figure out is why two of the play-in games were where they were. That is, how do you end up with a play-in game for an eleventh or twelfth seed? That just doesn't make any sense. They didn't mind doing it, though, obviously.
Thinking about it, I wonder how pissed the NIT organizers were about that (the three additional teams in the NCAA tournament, that is). The NIT used to be the tournament that people followed, back when you had to win your conference to make it into the NCAA tournament. Now? Nobody really even cares about the NIT. I can't imagine that it makes a significant amount of money.
In fact, Butler has now had three wild finishes (the first two of which they really didn't deserve to win) in their four games. Three of the top seeds are gone, with the fourth playing their fourth game tomorrow.
One region had the 10, 11, 12, and 13 seeds all advance out of the first round, and winning a combined eight games (with VCU playing for a chance at the final four tomorrow). The one downside of that is that it has led to probably the easiest tournament ever for a #1, with Kansas playing #16, #9, #12, and #11. In fact, I'm now looking at the bracket to check on those; I had missed Notre Dame and Purdue getting knocked off by those guys.
Anyway, as one who mostly just roots for the underdog, that's pretty darned cool.
Hmm... the Elite Eight consists of a 1, 2-2s, a 3, 4, 5, 8, and 11 seeds. That's quite a mix. Disappointed that we won't get another 12-seed in the final four, a la George Mason's run five years ago, but we could still get pretty close.
What else? Well, only one region went without an upset in the first round, although that one had one upset in the second round, and both games were upsets in the third round. Three of the four eleven seeds advanced past the first, and two of them went past the second, as well.
The one thing I can't figure out is why two of the play-in games were where they were. That is, how do you end up with a play-in game for an eleventh or twelfth seed? That just doesn't make any sense. They didn't mind doing it, though, obviously.
Thinking about it, I wonder how pissed the NIT organizers were about that (the three additional teams in the NCAA tournament, that is). The NIT used to be the tournament that people followed, back when you had to win your conference to make it into the NCAA tournament. Now? Nobody really even cares about the NIT. I can't imagine that it makes a significant amount of money.
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