NCAA tourney first round thread

Harangody gets Baynes into foul trouble early and it's a 10 point game most of the way, IMO.

 

Well, are we talking coaching here, or some guy who compiles stud talent?

I concede Williams did some fine work in 1991-1994 or so. Kansas was locked and loaded after that, though. I mean - it ain't that damn hard coaching Jacque Vaughn, Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz.

As for the 10, here ya go:
K
Calhoun
Izzo
Pitino
Self (I think he is; others may argue)
Tim Floyd (ask just about anybody how good this guy actually is)
Howland
Gillespie
Pearl
Ryan

Anybody who watched UNC-Georgetown saw classic RoyBall - a helpless coach watching on as his team missed long jumper after long jumper in overtime - 22 of the last 23, most of them bad.

 

I don't think there's a person on this board that hasn't been burned by Kansas multiple times in bracket land.
With that said, I have them in the Final Four.
And I'm preparing for the worst ... again.

 

Oh, I forgot to account for Washington State.

 

Are we talking about pure coaching ability here? Or the total collegiate package of recruiting, babysitting, time managing and all the other stuff that goes with it? Because I think if you look at it all, then Williams has to be in there. Whether you agree with his X's and O's or whatever or not, you can't deny he's always done a top notch job at recruiting and the like.

 

And Bruce Pearl has won exactly nothing in his entire career.
Tim Floyd? Not so far.
And you're still 12 short of the 20.

 

He coached at Kansas and North Carolina. How damn hard was it going to be? He's a very good coach. Not a great one.

 

My Final Four: UCLA, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Texas.

Taken purely by merit, I have no faith in Texas. But two things struck me: they're in Memphis' bracket, and they're due to go down, and Texas will play its games in Little Rock and Houston before the Final Four in San Antonio.

I think the bubble bursts in San Antonio. UCLA wins it.

 

Roy could fuck up a wet dream.

Bill Self would have to lose to Bucknell four more times to reach a roy-like level.

Yes yes I know: He won a title. With Matt "I heart SMU" Doherty's guys.

Bill will outwit the "master" two weeks from Saturday.

 

Oh I'm not disagreeing with you. And obviously this isn't the case with UNC, but don't you think he had a little something to do with Kansas building it's program up into a power?
Again, not saying he's John Wooden here, but I mean there are definitely worse guys to have on the bench.
See Brian Ellerbee.

 

First 1/2 seed to get knocked out?

I vote Tennessee against Butler. Yes I am high.

 

I didn't say 20. I said maybe that.

And, again, this isn't the pros. These guys aren't getting the same players, resources, etc. We all know this. If we're going to sit here and say Lloyd Carr, for example, was a great football coach because he happened to be sitting on his duff at Michigan, then there really is no discussion. If we're going to talk about how a guy coaches the game of basketball, and gets lesser players to do more, well, then, OK.

If you watch RoyBall, you know what the guy does and doesn't do, and why, often times, his team fails to perform when it counts. The team's design, its inability to use clock on a possession, his failure to understand endgame situations....the VT game was a good example. It was mere serendipity - and Danny Green's nice play - that Hansbrough happened to loop behind the play, find the ball, and get the shot. Williams had him out by the elbow, doing God knows what.

Ask around about Tim Floyd, and you'll know. Guy made a fatal error taking a job with Jerry Krause, but, in five years, if he chooses to stay at USC...Trojans/Bruins will be one of the great rivalries.

Bruce Pearl, BTW, has won everywhere he's been. Had 231-46 record in D-II. Immediately won at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Immediately won at Tennessee.