Official 2009 NCAA Tournament Thread. The Very Best Have Gathered Upon One Stage.

[willinc]

Final 4

Louisville
Villanova
UNC
Memphis

 

[jpzx]

Oklahoma over NC?
or...
NC over Oklahoma?

I think it comes down to Ty and for the Tar Heel fans out there or anyone that has knowledge on the situation...will Ty's injury linger or will he missone, MAYBE two games and be fine? Or does no one know?

I'm not buying into the 'Zaga hype by the way. I've barely got them beating Illinois. I'm a fan of Big Ten basketball and Illinois will put upa fight against whoever they play no matter the round. It will be close if they go up against the Gonzaga in round two..

 

[usabasketball08]

Originally Posted by JPZx

Oklahoma over NC?
or...
NC over Oklahoma?

I think it comes down to Ty and for the Tar Heel fans out there or anyone that has knowledge on the situation...will Ty's injury linger or will he miss one, MAYBE two games and be fine? Or does no one know?

I'm not buying into the 'Zaga hype by the way. I've barely got them beating Illinois. I'm a fan of Big Ten basketball and Illinois will put up a fight against whoever they play no matter the round. It will be close if they go up against the Gonzaga in round two..

As an Oklahoma fan, i say pick UNC. They have too much talent for us, imo.

 

[jpzx]

^ Ok.

Yeah I've been back and forth with it...nice to get some perspective from someone who's a fan of one of the teams.

 

[elpablo21]

I keep getting a feeling UNC might collpase again

 

[tmay407]

Originally Posted by SpecialEd88

%$%* it. I'm not doing a bracket this year.

That's the way I felt a couple of days ago, too. I ended up doing a bracket, including some reaches just cuz I don't really care about itthis year.

It feels like whenever I seriously do a bracket, I lose the whole March Madness feeling of wanting to see a cinderella team, and care more about my bracket.I'd rather just watch some good basketball without any kinds of associations with teams this year.

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by tmay407

Originally Posted by SpecialEd88

%$%* it. I'm not doing a bracket this year.

That's the way I felt a couple of days ago, too. I ended up doing a bracket, including some reaches just cuz I don't really care about it this year.

It feels like whenever I seriously do a bracket, I lose the whole March Madness feeling of wanting to see a cinderella team, and care more about my bracket. I'd rather just watch some good basketball without any kinds of associations with teams this year.

honestly - i've found the best way to gamble and to fill out stuff like this is stay very fringe with it.. maybe look into a few matchupsyou're really uncertain about, but otherwise - go with your gut, first instinct.

For one - it's usually right. Two.. if you don't overthink it, you're not going to be sitting there beating yourself up for getting it wrong. Andthree, not overthinking it is generally the best way to make picks.

I know a lot about these teams every year - but i do best when i trust my gut on them and just let everything i've seen all season dictate how i pick.

Worst case scenario - i haven't put all that much time into this, and i just get to enjoy the show and forget my bracket.

I found out a couple years ago i took 2nd in a pretty big pool and won a hundred bucks or something after not even realizing i was in contention. Just makeyour picks and forget about them.

 

[dlo13]

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

 

[bigmike23]

brackets suck this year i have done 2 so far and both times have been like @$@

 

[krazychino]

Question, what's the best way to go about posting your full bracket?

 

[timcity2000]

Originally Posted by Elpablo21

I'm So damn tired of hearing about Jarvis Varnado

Who are you referring to? Other than your own post, I haven't seen anyone else on here mention him.

That list of "Jarvis-isms" is pretty funny, though. Although I'm pretty sure most of those were originally Chuck Norris jokes.... Where did youfind that?

 

[maxelite]

ALOT of people seem to be taking Memphis to the F4.

Are they a better team than UConn?

 

[jville819]

Originally Posted by MaxElite

ALOT of people seem to be taking Memphis to the F4.

Are they a better team than UConn?

Possibly

I just don't see Thabeet being that big of a difference in the game and the matchups favor Memphis. I know Dozier and Taggart ain't hard body oranything but I still think Thabeet will fade when he goes against them. Adrien could cause problems but his offense is

. Anderson can stop UConns main scoring threat and the size will play a huge factor.

 

[2wenty thre3]

people should hold off posting their brackets 'til 930 tomorrow. some of ya'll are gonna have the same exact brackets

 

[al3xis]

Dozier is far better than Adrien.

I've actually gone back and picked Memphis.

I think if that's the match up they zone Uconn and put Witherspoon and Evans up top and that is a nightmare to go against and specifically when you onlyhave 1 shooter.

 

[maxelite]

Originally Posted by jville819

Originally Posted by MaxElite

ALOT of people seem to be taking Memphis to the F4.

Are they a better team than UConn?

Possibly

I just don't see Thabeet being that big of a difference in the game and the matchups favor Memphis. I know Dozier and Taggart ain't hard body or anything but I still think Thabeet will fade when he goes against them. Adrien could cause problems but his offense is

. Anderson can stop UConns main scoring threat and the size will play a huge factor.

i guess. is Tyreke Evans going to be the difference maker then? i just dont think Memphis has a go-to-guy when the big play needs to happen (ala Rose or CDR)

but then again something irks me about taking UConn, even though they have such a favorable bracket.

 

[al3xis]

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Obviously, the news here was that North Carolina's Ty Lawson is likely a no-go for Thursday against No. 16 Radford.

Here's plenty more:

- Want to know the reason why Texas has struggled after a terrific start? Teams have changed the way they defend the Longhorns. "No one really knew how to expose our weakness early in the year," Texas forward Gary Johnson said. "Then after the first loss, teams started to figure it out and ever since then it's been a tough road."

The game plan has simply been to limit A.J. Abrams touches - and allow the other Longhorn guards to shoot the ball. Redshirt freshman Dogus Balbay, who took over the point guard duties after a failed experiment involving Justin Mason at the point, needs to shoot the ball. "He's the first player I've ever been around in my life that doesn't want to shoot the basketball," Texas coach Rick Barnes said.

- LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell said he hasn't spoken to former Tigers coach John Brady since he was fired in the middle of last season. "We didn't really have much of a relationship off the floor," Mitchell said.

- A couple years ago, when Brady took LSU to the Final Four, the Tigers locker room was nuts with Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas and Mitchell. Things have changed with new coach Trent Johnson. "It's all business," Mitchell said. "It's totally different. There's structure now and I always wanted structure."

- LSU actually practiced at Butler, who they play Thursday, when they were in the Final Four in Indianapolis three years ago. "I feels like it was yesterday," senior Garrett Temple said.

- Butler sophomore big man Matt Howard said he is confident in his young Bulldogs team - even though they are the underdog. "I know a lot of people aren't giving us a chance," he said. "That'll be less pressure on us."

- The Bulldogs aren't making shots like they were earlier in the season and that'll be one of the keys Thursday against LSU.

- Butler coach Brad Stevens said he's happy his team got the draw where they will be the first game in the tourney to tip-off. "I can't imagine having this team of freshmen and sophomores sitting and waiting until Friday."

- Stevens and his staff weren't ecstatic about drawing Davidson earlier in the year in the BracketBusters because at that time, the Bulldogs were rolling and didn't have much to gain. However, after a rough stretch in which they lost two straight, Stevens said a road game against Davidson was critical to turning things back around.

- When Radford assistant Ali Ton started recruiting Highlanders talented big man Art Paratkouski, the 6-foot-11 center from Belarus couldn't speak any English. Ton, who first saw Big Art when he was out of work and helping the Turkish junior national title, ended up e-mailing with Paratkouski and eventually signed him out of the College of Southern Idaho.

- Radford point guard Amir Johnson said it didn't make a bit of difference whether Ty Lawson plays on Thursday. "If he plays, it doesn't really matter," Johnson said. "But we're looking at is as if he's going to play. … It's better for our team is he doesn't play."

- How about the trio of the athletic director, head coach and top player at Radford? Robert Linenburg was in commercial real estate in Dallas after he was let go as an assistant at SMU before the Radford native got the AD job in November of 2007. Greenberg was a former NBA GM with the Philadelphia 76ers and drafted Allen Iverson (he also called North Carolina coach Roy Williams about hiring him in the NBA) and Paratkouski has turned into a guy who could play just about anywhere in the country. "It's totally out of the box," Lineburg said.

- Brad Greenberg on his brother Seth's advice when playing North Carolina: "Get back."

- North Carolina assistant C.B. McGrath has turned down an offer at Elon, according to sources close to the situation.

- Duke forward Kyle Singler couldn't remember back how he felt a year ago at this time, but said he was worn down - mentally and physically - as soon as the season ended in the second round. Singler has added about 20 pounds since his freshman campaign and said he feels fresh. "I feel like the beginning of the season," he said.

 

[fanatic15]

Is there a facebook bracket this year? I haven't been up on anything as of late but let me know.

 

[clutchshooter]

Originally Posted by MaxElite

Originally Posted by jville819

Originally Posted by MaxElite

ALOT of people seem to be taking Memphis to the F4.

Are they a better team than UConn?

Possibly

I just don't see Thabeet being that big of a difference in the game and the matchups favor Memphis. I know Dozier and Taggart ain't hard body or anything but I still think Thabeet will fade when he goes against them. Adrien could cause problems but his offense is

. Anderson can stop UConns main scoring threat and the size will play a huge factor.

i guess. is Tyreke Evans going to be the difference maker then? i just dont think Memphis has a go-to-guy when the big play needs to happen (ala Rose or CDR)

but then again something irks me about taking UConn, even though they have such a favorable bracket.

it's all dyson.

just having his scoring threat on the floor balances that uconn offense. it opens up more room in the paint because the opposing guards cant just drop down offhim to double the uconn bigs.

with him i would have chosen them to steamroll right through that region.

without him i have them out in the sweet 16 to the other huskies.

 

[elpablo21]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

Originally Posted by Elpablo21

I'm So damn tired of hearing about Jarvis Varnado

Who are you referring to? Other than your own post, I haven't seen anyone else on here mention him.

That list of "Jarvis-isms" is pretty funny, though. Although I'm pretty sure most of those were originally Chuck Norris jokes.... Where did you find that?

He was actually being mentioned alot of other boards on scout.com and his name was mentioned a couple post above me in here so I had a mild flashback, my bad

Yeah most of the jokes are just recycled, It was posted on a Udub board on scout.com

 

[craftsy21]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Dozier is far better than Adrien.

I've actually gone back and picked Memphis.

I think if that's the match up they zone Uconn and put Witherspoon and Evans up top and that is a nightmare to go against and specifically when you only have 1 shooter.

dude stop!

you and i are going to have the same bracketand end up hating life together. quit reading my mind.

 

[usabasketball08]

I just think we're going to have to get ALOT out of our guards to be able to compete with a team like UNC or Syracuse.

If Austin Johnson plays extremely well, i think we'd have a chance to beat UNC or 'Cuse.

Willie is gonna come to play every game..So will the Griffin brothers.. AJ is gonna have to play well, it's as simple as that.

 

[al3xis]

glad I'm on your side craftsy. Good to know.

 

[proshares]

When you go into the bracket section on FB just search for Niketalk 09 it should appear right there...108 members so far.

 

[jaysfordays]

VCU/UCLA is going to be a dramatic conclusion to the end of the games on Thursday. Maynor will slay UCLA!