NCAA Tourney Sweet 16/Elite 8 Running Thread

I won't disagree with you at all, but since the name of the game is survive and advance, the Pac-10 suffered only one flop by the seeds, but please do spare me the "woulda, couldas" because if we start playing that game all sense goes out the window.

If I'm calling flops, I look at the Big East where teams 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 are now done, three of them to lower seeds and two of them by teams seeded at lease eight points beneath them. That makes USC's flop against Kansas State seem excusable.

 

WSU strikes the fear of whatever in heart of any Carolina fan. They play for keeps in a short game and play well on the road. Notre Dame big man three point shooting fits the UNC mold. I'm gobbling the WSU points and hoping I'm wrong.

 

Though I;m still not sure why the Big 12 would be rated as "down" in the list above. KU and Texas are where everyone thought they would be, K-State beat one of the Pac-10's best, Oklahoma won a game when most seemed to think they would be a first-round exit and Texas A&M damn near upset UCLA, which got that huge non-call, of course.

Only 11th-seeded Baylor fell flat on its face, which seemed right, given how they're in the midst of a huge turnaround from five years ago and had already taken a huge step this season.

 

If Drew Neitzel plays the way he's capable of playing, and the rest follow suit, Texas won't have to worry about Memphis because Mich. State will take care of them.
Which will set up a GREAT MSU-Texas rematch of earlier in the season. This year's Michigan State group reminds me (and I'm sure it reminds a lot of others) of that unlikely '05 bunch that made a run to the Final Four.
That said, Neitzel could tank, Douglas-Roberts and criminal Calipari could go nuts and we'll have at least one more game to call the Tigers overrated and undeserving of a Final Four berth.

 

If Michigan State and Memphis both played solid games, Memphis would win.

However, Izzo vs. Calipari gives State a great head start.

 

If Memphis shoots free throws like they normally do and get into as much foul trouble as they did last game, Mich St. has a great shot.

 

On a side note, someone covering that game should walk up to some Memphis fans and ask them how long they've been following "Memphis State." That one never gets old.

Or ask them if "Shoot, bang, die! Tiger High!" is really the fight song, because you heard it was.

You'll thank me later.

 

Yeah, you're right and I had thought about calling them flat, which is probably the truth of the matter. To me, Kansas and Texas are pretty much always going to be Top 10 or 15s these days, so me calling the B12 down is more based on teams like Oklahoma State and Texas Tech not carrying their weight and TAMU's apparent downward trajectory, but with K-State and Baylor rising, it's pretty much a push.

 

That's quality.

Does Hoss Brock's statement that half the University of Houston fans are shopping at 7-11 and the other half are robbing it apply to Memphis State too?

 

Predictions for tonight?

I'm guessing UNC, UCLA, L'Ville, and West-by-God (though I easily could see Xavier winning that one).

 

On a good note, that missed call kept it from going to OT, and thus making my page all that much later.

 

Rooting for X and UCLA by 11 or less. A Louisville win would be pretty nice, too.