Open Thread: March Madness (Day 3)

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 10:06 AM PDT

In my opinion, these are the best two days in sports. There's enough games so that there's always something happening, but it's not like Thursday/Friday where you can't focus on everything. Plus, all of the low seeds that didn't at least prove themselves with a victory are gone. Discuss todays games here

Scores:

(3) Villanova 89, (6) UCLA 69 - Final

(2) Memphis 89, (10) Maryland 70 - Final

(1) Connecticut 92, (9) Texas A&M 66 - Final

(5) Purdue 76, (4) Washington 74 - Final

(1) North Carolina 84, (8) Louisiana State 70 - Final

(2) Oklahoma 69, (10) Michigan 57 - Late 2nd

(4) Gonzaga vs. (12) Western Kentucky

(2) Duke vs. (7) Texas

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Go UCLA

I want to see Collison play well.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 10:08 AM PDT reply actions

I’ve liked ‘Nova since like ’05 or ’06 when they ran that weird four guard offense with Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Nardi, so I’m rooting for them. It’s a showdown!

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions

yeah I remember that

I loved that team… really fun to watch.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions

I was convinced that they were going to win the title, but they just didn’t have enough size to handle Noah and Horford

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions

In general I like him as a player (as a late first - early second round pick), but in the tournament he has not looked so sharp

A Wolves fan yesterday replied me this:

Reminds me of Chris Thomas from Notre Dame a few years ago – nice college player but without the physical skills necessary for the NBA (in Collison’s case strength/size). Plus just not creative enough in my opinion. Derrick Rose absolutely killed him last year…I’m sure he did that to lots of guys but I found it instructive

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya seem like they’ve been at UCLA forever

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 10:15 AM PDT reply actions

Imagine there is a LeBron James game - and nobody cares ;-)

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 10:16 AM PDT reply actions

LeBron James? What seed are they?

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions

Laggy streams are quite bothersome

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 10:29 AM PDT reply actions

My heart just skipped a beat when I thought I had picked UCLA and had to reopen my bracket. Phew, I picked Villanova

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 10:36 AM PDT reply actions

Nova is proving what people were expecting VCU to prove – UCLA just isn’t that good this year

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:00 AM PDT reply actions

Bruins’ defense not nearly what it was last year

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:30 AM PDT reply actions

I love Villanova’s guards. They’re all tough

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:31 AM PDT reply actions

I'm very surprised UCLA is losing this game by so much

According to my favorite college hoops stat geek, Ken Pomeroy, this game was basically a tossup, with a slight edge to the Bruins, despite their lower seed.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 11:33 AM PDT reply actions

Villanova is really good.

I picked UCLA, of course.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions

From what I've seen of Jrue Holiday

he is a really good passer.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:34 AM PDT reply actions

he's the kind of PG I would love to have next to Roy

good passer, penetrator, and defender.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Really good off pick and rolls and looks like a good defender

Not a good outside shooter though. And as far as I can see he won’t declare for the draft already in 2009, but that might change.

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions

yeah

he doesn’t fit the timeline…

Maybe Bayless will be the guy.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Assuming Nova closes this out and Duke advances later, that’ll be a fun Sweet 16 matchup

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:38 AM PDT reply actions

That's my pick, with Duke advancing. But Villanova looks good, so we will see

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Great block on the follow-up there. Guys usually give up on those

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:42 AM PDT reply actions

The refs are desperately trying to hand Nova the game

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by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:43 AM PDT reply actions

Yep, there’s been some very questionable calls

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions

every 50/50 call has gone Nova's way.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

I had UCLA in the elite right. Bye Bye first place!

I do believe in Greg, I do believe in Greg. I do I do I do I do I do believe in Greg.

by TheTinfoil on Mar 21, 2009 11:47 AM PDT reply actions

I am unimpressed by Collison

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 11:54 AM PDT reply actions

Has he hurt his stock by playing another year and in this tournament? Maybe a drop to the second round?

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions

He definitely looked better with Westbrook and Love

and he doesn’t have the frame to be a Chalmers type.

Almost reminds me of Steve Blake, in a way… great point guard at a big program, limited physically. Blakey wouldn’t have looked good without Juan Dixon.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions

I have changed my mind on Jonny Flynn

I have decided I want Eric Maynor if we take a PG in this draft not named Jennings or Rubio.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 12:02 PM PDT reply actions

Flynn is basically an older, more seasoned Bayless

without the athleticism and big body. They have a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses, judging from his DraftExpress profile.

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by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Maynor's nbadraft.net comparison is Sergio, which makes sense in that Maynor's shot is ugly

but otherwise is a horrible comparison IMO.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions

the only PG I want that can't shoot

is Rubio.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Maynor's TS% is excellent- .59

“ugly but fairly effective” is how I would describe his shot.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Flynn seems like a much better passer, at least to me

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions

hmmm

from what I read, he gets tunnel vision driving to the basket… but yeah, I would agree.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions

...which would not make him Bayless. Bayless is bigger, stronger, quicker, better vert. I don't know who Flynn is, but not Bayless

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Flynn doesn't have a great shot (34% to Bayless' 40%)

he is a penetrator, and more of a 1/2 than a straight point guard. He makes less mistakes than Bayless, but has little defensive potential and gets tunnel vision in the lane.

I’d take Bayless over him every day of the week. I am done with small point guards.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions

HIs only game in the tournament was against this UCLA team. He looked good, but how much is that worth now?

He might be around when we pick.

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions

he also was fantastic in a first round upset of Duke his Sophomore year

they also took Pitt to OT in the 2nd round that year. DraftExpress has him going 19th. nbadraft.net has him going 14th. He will for sure be gettable if we want to trade up.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd rather we go for Rubio

or just develop Bayless. I don’t want to spend time on another rookie if there isn’t serious star potential.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I know Bayless hasn't gotten much pt this year but he's been terrible enough that I am worried about him

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions

he had started to look good when he was getting consistent minutes.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions

I would ask everyone to give him one offseason

with the way he works and is dedicated to getting better, he’ll improve. His shot is broken, but he’s proven he can shoot in the past.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, how many point guard projects can one team sustain?

Rubio would be sweet since he obviously has rare potential. But apart from that, I can see KP rather try to get an experienced proven NBA point guard like Miller or Hinrich instead of hoping for someone else to come along when he already has potential sitting on the bench.

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions

agreed.

Bayless has more potential than all of the middling prospects, so if we’re going with someone, it might as well be him. (Unless it’s Rubio)

Or we could make a move for a veteran. If history has taught us anything, it’s that KP won’t be inactive on draft day.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Enberg with some pretty awful puns

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:05 PM PDT reply actions

I'm excited for the Memphis vs. Maryland game

One of the Maryland players has said some pretty controversial things such as:

"If [Memphis] played in the ACC Conference, they’d have a losing record in the league," Vasquez said. "They’d probably win all of their games outside the league and have a losing record in the league. The ACC is too tough."

you can read the whole story here:

link

by trailblazersfan on Mar 21, 2009 12:16 PM PDT reply actions

Wait a second

I thought Rubio couldn’t shoot. How does he have a good three point percentage, taking about two three pointers per game? Sounds like he isn’t such a poor shooter after all.

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 12:33 PM PDT reply actions

Connecticut plays pretty convincing. I might be wrong to have them not reach the Final Four. We will see

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 2:16 PM PDT reply actions

Memphis will beat them

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions

That's what I have too

But I’m not sure they have an answer for their big guys. Only better outside shooting.

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 2:26 PM PDT up reply actions

If it gets that far, the key will likely be whether Memphis can penetrate and get the Uconn bigs into foul trouble

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Memphis is the best defensive team in the nation

I’m not worried.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Memphis handling Maryland easily. That’s more like it.

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 2:24 PM PDT reply actions

The American Airlines spots is funny. "Milos really wants to play for..."

They even got Mark Cuban for it as the first team interested, since they have the naming rights to his arena.

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 2:29 PM PDT reply actions

I love Cuban’s expression. He looks like he would rather be ANYWHERE but talking to this player

by inroywetrust on Mar 21, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

come on UW, salvage some pac-10 pride here

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 3:06 PM PDT reply actions

And make B-Roy happy

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions

What do people think about Brockman's NBA chances?

Love his effort and nose for the ball, obviously not ideal height or athletic ability for a 4 man. I think he’d be worth a 2nd round flier to see how he does in the summer, if Blair/Patterson are taken before Portland’s pick, he could be a good bruiser backup PF for us (assuming Freeland stays in Europe and/or doesn’t pan out).

I believe in Greg Oden. To all the haters - get down with the program or stay off the wagon for all time. #52

by blazeraddict on Mar 21, 2009 3:13 PM PDT reply actions

I would be fine with using a 2nd round pick on him

he’s a very good rebounder.

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Do we have roster space?

I’d rather take Euros in the second, like Beaubois…

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions

that probobly makes more sense

by jksnake99 on Mar 21, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions

Am I alone in disliking Griffin and Oklahoma?

I want them to go down in flames….

draft dejuan blair

by Cablinasian on Mar 21, 2009 3:30 PM PDT reply actions

I want them to reach the regional finals

As for Griffin, I don’t think he is that amazing as the comparisons to players like Boozer insinuate. He will measure out with about the size of Beasley or lower, and he doesn’t have the same skills.

by Norsktroll on Mar 21, 2009 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions