<p>Unc Is Gone!!!!</p>
<p>OHMYGOD!!!</p>
<p>All those last minute fouls done by Miller...</p>
<p><em>tears out hair</em> And they were the champs last year... how??? :(</p>
<p>GMU beat UNC!!! Yay, if not Duke, Mason's definitely the team I would've wanted to knock off the Tar Heels. :D</p>
<p>UConn won...barely...wow...I was jittering around...</p>
<p>Still can't believe UNC lost...</p>
<p>Wow, some great picks, HeyBucs. But how did Bradley and GM slip in? This tourney might just be the craziest yet.</p>
<p>Let's keep this thread alive. I'll throw out my opinions of Thursday and Friday's games to get some discussion started. I have 7 of my original Elite 8 picks still alive (lost Michigan State), so I'll be sticking to my original picks:</p>
<p>LSU beats Duke: I know this is a Duke board, but Shelden will have trouble with Glen Davis. Without the inside help, I don't think JJ will be able to carry the team. It will take an outstanding performance from JJ (or the guys in stripes) for Duke to win this game, and I just don't think Redick has it in him</p>
<p>Memphis beats Bradley: Bradley hasn't seen a team this athletic. Carney might make Sportscenter on five separate occasions.</p>
<p>West Virginia beats Texas: LaMarcus Aldridge is up there with Josh Boone as guys who look completely uninterested in what is going on. Texas gives the Mountaineers some trouble inside, but seniors Pittsnogle and Gansey won't let the dream die here.</p>
<p>Gonzaga beats UCLA: The Bruins just really aren't that good. No one scares me on this team. For Gonzaga, on the other hand, Morrison's supporting cast is stepping it up, and he won't be as cold as he was against Indiana. Batista's a player, and if Raivio can contribute they should win this one.</p>
<p>Boston College beats Villanova: I know Villanova has been at a serious height disadvantage all year, but I think it will really catch up to them this game. Dudley is almost Sheridan's size, Craig Smith is an absolute tank, and Sean Williams is a defensive force! Sean Williams may actually score points this game!!! BC's height and strength is just a bit too much for Villanova to handle</p>
<p>George Mason beats Wichita State: In the game for who gets slaughtered by UConn, I think George Mason will take it. Wichita State lacks the senior leadership (and senior desire) that George Mason has. With Ogirri's hand cooling off, the Shockers can't get it done, and the Patriots keep on dancing.</p>
<p>Georgetown beats Florida: Florida really hasn't impressed me that much either. Roy Hibbert is an absolute monster, and I think Brandon Bowman will get back on the right track. With my newfound appreciation for the bounce pass after watching the Georgetown - Ohio State broadcast, Jeff Green is also a player.</p>
<p>Connecticut beats Washington: Who has five possible 2006 first-rounders on the roster? The real question is, do they feel like trying? Rudy Gay is one of the best players in the nation when he feels like it, the problem is he doesn't feel like it very often. Marcus Williams is throwing this team on his back and carrying it by himself. Maybe he can talk a few of his teammates into talking during this week of preparation. East Coast Huskies prevail in this one</p>
<p>You seem to pick Duke to lose in every round; I think you underestimate Shelden Williams. It's interesting how out of those 8 games, you pick the higher seed to advance only 2 times, not to say that I think you're wrong necessarily, it could certainly happen. I agree with BC over Villanova and Georgetown over Florida.</p>
<p>My picks are far from unbiased, but after watching about 33 hours of basketball this weekend (thankfully my friend bought the DirecTV package so I could watch four games at once), I feel confident in all of those picks more than the seedings of the committee. The committee did a subpar job this year seeding teams (anyone who watched the Big East this year could tell you Syracuse was NOT a 5, and 21-7 Tennessee was just not very good). Duke and Texas are the two shakiest losers in my opinion. Wichita State could continue to fire better than 50% from behind the arc, and if Morrison's off again Gonzaga will be in a world of hurt.</p>
<p>I gotta say, I thought more people on this board would watch basketball, but I guess not. If Williams and Redick are both on their A-game, we can't lose. I have a feeling Williams is gonna get into foul trouble against Glen Davis though. It should be a pretty close game.</p>
<p>heybucs: florida hasnt impressed u? they are the only team so far in this tournament to have more than a 20 point spread. brewer hit 23 points against UW and noah also hit 17. i dont know but thats pretty good.</p>
<p>I liked the whole Bradley/Pittsburgh thing this weekend. Funny. (for those dense people they had Brad Pitt on the scoreboard...) I'm def enjoying the tourney, doin pretty well with my bracket.</p>
<p>i am 4th out of 25th in the brackets. top 3 win money so i hope i will get at least 3rd.</p>
<p>The problem with Florida is that they're doing it against weak competition (you could apply the same logic to West Virginia, I just have a good feeling about all those seniors). Joakim Noah hasn't faced a legit center in the tourney, and Roy Hibbert is a very large man.</p>
<p>I'm telling you, if Shelden gets in foul trouble and the whole load falls on JJ, watch out. Look at Redick's performances their tourney losses the past 3 years.
2003: 2-16, 5 points
2004: 4-12, 15 points (missed game tying shot with 12 seconds left)
2005: 4-14, 13 points</p>
<p>Here are my picks:
Duke beats LSU. Duke's outside shooting is just too much. LSU's stifling defense won't be enought to contain Duke. Baby Shaq has not impressed me all that much yet.</p>
<p>Texas manhandles WVU. WVU relies too much on outside shooting. Texas just has too many players: Aldridge, Tucker, Buckman and more.</p>
<p>UCLA beat the Zags. UCLA is a great second half team. Affalo and Farmar are just too good for Zag to stop. UCLA also has a stifling D that will contain Morrison, Batista, and Ravio.</p>
<p>BC will beat Nova. Nova depends too much on the shooting of Ray. BC will put Sean Marshall on Ray and stop him. BC also has too many players who can score: Williams, Marshall, Dudley, Smith.</p>
<p>GMU and Wichita State I have no idea about. I'm going to pick WSU just cuz they're from the MVC.</p>
<p>GTown will beat UF. UF depends too much on the play of Joakim Noah. I think that GT is a more complete team who will be able to have several players in double digits. </p>
<p>And UConn is the better Huskie. I don't know where Wash would be without Roy. Uconn is much more complete.</p>
<p>^agree with u. only two more days until sweet sixteens.</p>
<p>Sean Williams cannot score. Believe me, there's a reason that he only shot once in 22 minutes against Montana. With the exception of the occasional thunderous dunk, he isn't a scorer. That being said, he may be the best off-ball low-post defender in America. He was clearly in Montana's head every time a big man posted up Craig Smith, and the guards didn't even really dream of going inside. But if Allan Ray is on, he's a borderline unstoppable college player, the problem is he won't be taking it in Sean Williams house very often, so Marshall won't have to respect the drive that much.</p>
<p>West Virginia is definitely my shakiest pick, but don't underestimate the desire in those seniors. They almost made it to the Final Four with roughly the same team last year. It sort of depends on whether Lamarcus feels like trying, he's looked disinterested at times. And Buckman didn't exactly tear up the Wolfpack...</p>
<p>I definitely think that WVU's run will end one round earlier this year. I think the same thing will happen this year as last: they'll depend too much on outside shooting, and when that gets cold, they will lose. We saw it against L'ville last year. I think it will be a repeat.</p>
<p>a lot of the experts are picking LSU over Duke because of matchups and that big fat baby. I'm a diehard duke fan, and am centering my whole happiness around duke's run toward the championship- i kinda fear LSU in that their size may pose some foul problems- but it's the tournament- you have to beat good teams to make it- let's all pray duke's freshmen and other role players step up to the task.</p>
<p>mcroberts = incredible.</p>
<p>WOW, **** THIS</p>
<p>wow, i'm devastated</p>
<p>who ever said duke gets all the calls must be castrated... </p>
<p>w/e it's not good to be sore... they had a great season</p>
<p>THE TRUE basketball dynasty</p>