2020-21 College Basketball Discussion and Pick'em Thread

[GeorgiaModerate]

There are rumors that the NIT, which had been planned for a 16-team field in NYC, is likely to move to Dallas, with Asheville as a possible second location for some games.

[NewYorkExpress]

Butler leads #8 Villanova 34-24 at halftime.

[DINGO Joe]

They'll probably give the 4th seed to some rando Big 10 team, but if WV beats Baylor this week, they deserve to be in the mix.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Down goes Nova, 73-61 to Butler.  This has been a wild week for upsets.

[NewYorkExpress]

The four #1 seeds are, in my opinion:

1. Gonzaga
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Illinois

Alabama probably gets the fourth 1 seed if they win the SEC Tournament. Baylor returns to the 1 line if they make the Big Twelve Tournament Final or better.

[GeorgiaModerate]

The four #1 seeds are, in my opinion:

1. Gonzaga
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Illinois

Alabama probably gets the fourth 1 seed if they win the SEC Tournament. Baylor returns to the 1 line if they make the Big Twelve Tournament Final or better.

Baylor's a #1 seed unless they lose a few more (which is possible, as rusty as they look).  But their resume right now is clearly ahead of everyone except Gonzaga and Michigan.

[NewYorkExpress]

The Ohio State/Iowa game is looking like it's a really good one.

Iowa currently leads 49-42 midway through the second half.

[NewYorkExpress]

A bit of coaching housekeeping, as the New Mexico Lobos fire head coach Paul Weir.

Paul Weir will be out as New Mexico's head men's basketball coach at the end of the season, the school announced Friday night.

Weir is expected to coach in the regular-season finale against Colorado State on Wednesday and in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

"Paul and I agree that a change of leadership in our men's basketball program is in our best interest at this time," athletic director Eddie Nunez said. "While this year has certainly been challenging for Coach Weir, his staff, and our student-athletes, after evaluating the overall program, it is the appropriate time for a new beginning. I want to thank Paul and his family for their commitment and service to New Mexico and we wish them the very best in the future."

New Mexico has struggled this season, sitting at 6-14 overall and 2-14 in the Mountain West entering Wednesday's game. The Lobos were displaced because of the coronavirus pandemic and played most of their home games in Lubbock, Texas. They went 19-14 last season, 14-18 in 2018-19 and 19-15 in 2017-18.

[GeorgiaModerate]

WEEK 14 RESULTS

A ton of upsets made it a rough week for picks!  Donerail and I were the only ones (barely) above water, tying for first at 16-14.  Full results:

16 Donerail, GeorgiaModerate
13 YE
11 Illiniwek
10 NY Express

The tie means that I'm still up by 12 games overall, but now with only one week left.  Year to date (405 games):

268 GeorgiaModerate
256 Donerail
237 NY Express
202 Illiniwek
80 JGibson
74 YE
34 CraneHusband
27 dfw
6 Orwell

[DINGO Joe]

The four #1 seeds are, in my opinion:

1. Gonzaga
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Illinois

Alabama probably gets the fourth 1 seed if they win the SEC Tournament. Baylor returns to the 1 line if they make the Big Twelve Tournament Final or better.

Baylor's a #1 seed unless they lose a few more (which is possible, as rusty as they look).  But their resume right now is clearly ahead of everyone except Gonzaga and Michigan.

I don't see any way that the Big 10 gets 3 of the top 4 seeds because everybody has a tough schedule left and it's not clear that any of them aside from Michigan deserve it. 

[NewYorkExpress]

#9 Iowa flattened #4 Ohio State today 73-57.

With that result, a new look at the #1 seeds.

1. Gonzaga
2. Michigan
3. Alabama (assuming the Crimson Tide wins the SEC tournament, they're in the best position to claim a #1 seed)
4. Baylor

Illinois and Ohio State each can claim #1 seeds if they win the Big Ten tournament,or if they advance to the Big Ten Tournament final while beating Michigan, in my opinion. There's literally nothing Gonzaga can do to lose a #1 seed. Michigan can only lose their #1 seed if they lose twice to Michigan State (losing to Illinois shouldn't hurt them, though it would help Illinois in a #1 seed battle), and loses early in the Big Ten tournament. The only other teams in any realistic contention for a #1 seed are Iowa (needs to win the Big Ten tournament, and have Michigan lose all remaining games), and Oklahoma (needs to win their final two regular season games, advance to the Big Twelve tournament final, face Baylor in the Big Twelve tournament final, and win that game, plus hope other teams- Alabama/Illinois/Ohio State, keep losing down the stretch.)

[GeorgiaModerate]

North Carolina @ Syracuse
Dayton @ St. Bonaventure  (carried over from last week)
Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State  (carried over from last week)

If you posted picks last week for the last two games, you don't need to do it again.

[Donerail]

Heels

[NewYorkExpress]

Will Brown is out as Head Coach of the Albany Great Danes.

University of Albany men's basketball coach Will Brown is out after two decades.

Brown said in a news release issued Monday that he and the school had agreed "to mutually part ways." The 2020-21 season was the final year of his contract extension.

"Anyone who knows me knows this decision was extraordinarily difficult," Brown said in the release. "But I leave the University at Albany with an enormous sense of pride in the positive impact that my staff, my family and, most important, the student-athletes I had the honor of coaching, have had on UAlbany basketball and the greater Albany community."

The university, which plays in the America East Conference, said it will begin a national search for a successor immediately.

Brown, who was hired in December 2001, took a team that had recently become a Division I member (1999) and built it into a solid mid-major. His teams posted a record of 315-295 and earned five NCAA tournament berths.

The Great Danes' 2020-21 season ended Sunday with a loss to Hartford in the America East tournament quarterfinals. They finished 7-9, their third straight losing season.

I guess this is going to be a busy coaching carousel this March too. We already have openings at Albany and New Mexico, and there will probably be several other jobs opening up before long.

[GeorgiaModerate]

St. Joseph's, which started the season 1-14, has now won its last three (LaSalle, @Dayton, and @Richmond).  Tonight's result should knock Richmond well off the bubble.

[NewYorkExpress]

St. Joseph's, which started the season 1-14, has now won its last three (LaSalle, @Dayton, and @Richmond).  Tonight's result should knock Richmond well off the bubble.

Were Richmond or Dayton even on the bubble?

Dayton has some really bad losses (SMU, La Salle, Fordham, Duquesne, Rhode Island), and so does Richmond (Hofstra, La Salle).

I'd be surprised if either team makes the scaled-down NIT (assuming neither wins the A-10 Tournament, of course.)

[GeorgiaModerate]

St. Joseph's, which started the season 1-14, has now won its last three (LaSalle, @Dayton, and @Richmond).  Tonight's result should knock Richmond well off the bubble.

Were Richmond or Dayton even on the bubble?

Dayton has some really bad losses (SMU, La Salle, Fordham, Duquesne, Rhode Island), and so does Richmond (Hofstra, La Salle).

I'd be surprised if either team makes the scaled-down NIT (assuming neither wins the A-10 Tournament, of course.)

Richmond was in Lunardi's Next Four Out before tonight.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

St. Joseph's had 3 OT losses (including Auburn!) and did lead Kansas in the second half before losing it down the stretch. Billy Lange is an outstanding coach, he should have them competitive before long. Hopefully both Daly and Funk opt to come back.

The A-10 could be quite good next year with few NBA losses if players come back.

[GeorgiaModerate]

It's really early, but the other unbeaten entering tonight, Gonzaga is trailing Loyola Marymount  12-10...

In the old days of LMU's insane offense, it would have been 112-110 by now.

What do you think about the way Dick Vitale gets into a game on the air?

I love his enthusiasm, but it's sometimes annoying.  Announcers shouldn't distract from the game.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Wisconsin @ Purdue
Ohio @ Kent State
Akron @ Buffalo
Auburn @ Alabama
Duke @ Georgia Tech
Kentucky @ Mississippi

Yep, all the home teams.

[NewYorkExpress]

Rodney Billups out as Head Coach at the University of Denver.

Rodney Billups is out as basketball coach at the University of Denver after five seasons.

Billups finished 48-94 at the school where he once was a standout player. The Pioneers were 2-19 overall this season and 1-13 in Summit League play. Denver didn't qualify for the conference tournament in two of the past three seasons.

Tommy Dempsey out as Head Coach at Binghamton University.

Binghamton University announced Monday that men's basketball coach Tommy Dempsey is out and assistant Levell Sanders has been named interim coach for next season.

Athletic director Patrick Elliott said in a news release that Dempsey's contract would not be renewed after his nine years at the helm. Sanders, a former star at Seton Hall, joined Dempsey's staff in June 2019. The school said a search for a permanent replacement would be conducted next year.

Dempsey finishes with a 71-194 record at Binghamton in nine seasons. He was the second America East Conference coach to find out Monday that his contract would not be renewed, joining Albany's Will Brown.

Binghamton (4-14) started the season 1-12, its win coming against eventual regular-season champion UMBC on the road, and finished 4-10 in the conference, ahead of only Maine. The Bearcats closed their season Saturday with a loss at Hartford in the opening round of the conference tournament.

[Donerail]

Wiscy
Kent
Buffalo
Alabama
Tech
UK

[YE]

Dempsey was still there?

Wisconsin
Kent State
Buffalo
Alabama
Georgia Tech
Ole Miss

[GeorgiaModerate]

Tonight's Ohio U.-Kent State game has been canceled.  Everyone had picked Kent.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Baylor guts out a tough OT win at West Virginia, clinching the Big 12 regular season championship.  It's their first conference championship in basketball since 1950 (the old Southwest Conference).