2023-2024 College Basketball Discussion Thread

[GeorgiaModerate]

Final: Northwestern 77, FAU 65 (19-7 in OT).  That might be the best-played OT period I've ever seen from a team.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Oddly, I'm currently in last place but have the most possible points remaining.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Yale just got a 6-point play.  Three-pointer, shooter fouled, missed the FT, got the offensive rebound and sank another 3-pointer.

[GeorgiaModerate]

In a wild one, Colorado scores with 1.7 seconds left to beat Florida 102-100.

[7,052,770]

I hate to say it, but it's pretty obvious that the SEC was overrated.

[GeorgiaModerate]

I hate to say it, but it's pretty obvious that the SEC was overrated.

Yep.  A&M and Alabama should be worried tonight.

Auburn had at least 6 chances to win or at least tie that game at the end, but blew it.

[7,052,770]

SEC so far:

2 Tennessee - blew out 15 seed (congrats)
3 Kentucky - lost to 14
4 Auburn - lost to 13
6 South Carolina- lost to 11
7 Florida - lost to 10
8 Mississippi State - lost to 9

Brutal.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I hate to say it, but it's pretty obvious that the SEC was overrated.

Yep.  A&M and Alabama should be worried tonight.

Auburn had at least 6 chances to win or at least tie that game at the end, but blew it.

And, as if we know anything, A&M and Alabama randomly look super impressive.  Still a terrible first round for the SEC.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I like "Duke vs. the Dukes" for a second round game

[GeorgiaModerate]

Standings after the first round (points earned / possible points remaining):

ER 23 / 152
Ferguson 22 / 136
OSR 22 / 128
Harry 21 / 80
YE 20 / 148
GM 19 / 154
JGibson 19 / 148

[GeorgiaModerate]

Finally an exciting game in today's group (Oakland-NC State).

[GeorgiaModerate]

Dusty May going from FAU to Michigan. Good hire IMO.

[JGibson]

Illini move on to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005, as they handily beat #11 seed Duquesne 89-63. They will face #2 seed Iowa State Thursday.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

1 UConn
2 UHOUS
3 Perdue
4 UNC
5 DUKE

THOSE ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO WIN TOURNAMENT

[GeorgiaModerate]

Grand Canyon-Alabama is not a thing of beauty, but it's highly entertaining.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Houston-A&M was the game of the tournament and reminded me of A&M's miracle comeback in 2016- except, this time, they missed too many free throws and lost in overtime.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Houston-A&M was the game of the tournament and reminded me of A&M's miracle comeback in 2016- except, this time, they missed too many free throws and lost in overtime.

A&M scored 17 points in the final 1:50 of regulation, a 370 point-per-game pace.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Standings after two rounds (points earned / possible points remaining):

ER 49 / 124
OSR 46 / 100
GM 43 / 128
Ferguson 42 / 104
JGibson 41 / 120
YE 40 /112
Harry 35 / 60

ER's bracket is in the 98th percentile on ncaa.com.

[GeorgiaModerate]

The Utah women’s basketball team had to switch hotels after experiencing what head coach Lynne Roberts called “racial hate crimes” ahead of its first NCAA tournament game.

According to Roberts, the team was staying at a hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho before a first-round game against South Dakota State in Spokane, Washington last week when the incidents occurred.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/sport/utah-basketball-racism-ncaa-tournament-spt-intl/index.html

Utah, among other teams, had to stay in Idaho due to a shortage of hotel rooms in Spokane.  The Coeur d'Alene area is a hotbed of white nationalism.

[muon2]

For over 30 years I've tracked the rate of upsets in the men's tournament. By upset I mean a team winning that is at least two seeds lower, since statistically a game like 8 vs 9 or 4 vs 5 are even. I've found that the tournament upset rate tends to be between 20 and 25%.

This year the first round was upset-rich with 8 upsets in 28 possible games (8 vs 9 are excluded). That's almost 29% and explains the quickly busted brackets. The second round only had 1 upset in 15 possible games, bring the tournament to 9 out of 43 or 21%. That's right in line with historical averages, what in statistics is called the reversion to the mean.

There are 6 games in the next round I'll be watching to see if this is an average year for upsets or becomes an outlier.

[Illiniwek]

I-L-L!!!

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Last year, I boldly had Memphis as my Final Four pick in the bottom left region, and they lost to eventual regional champion Florida Atlantic in the first round. This year, I boldly picked New Mexico to the Final Four (oodles more embarrassing first round result), but can Clemson do the same thing to me?!

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Pain. So much pain.

[Mr. Illini]

I-L-L!!!

I-N-I baby!! This team is so fun to watch. Bring on Connecticut!

[GeorgiaModerate]

Standings after the Sweet Sixteen (points earned / possible points remaining):

ER 65 / 80
OSR 62 / 8
GM 59 / 32
JGibson 57 / 16
Harry 51 / 32
Ferguson 50 / 64
YE 48 / 56

Houston's loss pretty much killed my chances.