NCAA basketball 2017 - 2018

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 11:52 am

I win my work bracket if Nova wins. But... Screw that go Loyola. I figure they are likely to lose in the final four but I can hold out hope...

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:05 pm

If Michigan gets to the finals and anyone but Kansas wins, I win my family pool. My money pool is shot already.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:54 pm

Pyperkub wrote:Eh, I had picked duke to win that game, but when watching it I was pretty amazed at how easily Kansas carved up the Duke defense.

Yeah, opponents had figured out that defense headed into the tournament. Both UNC and Syracuse figured it out - Duke only got past Syracuse because they were exploiting the same defense and had the slight offensive edge. That's why I think even had Duke squeaked past Kansas, they'd have probably been destroyed by Villanova.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 2:08 pm

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:54 pm
Pyperkub wrote:Eh, I had picked duke to win that game, but when watching it I was pretty amazed at how easily Kansas carved up the Duke defense.
Yeah, opponents had figured out that defense headed into the tournament. Both UNC and Syracuse figured it out - Duke only got past Syracuse because they were exploiting the same defense and had the slight offensive edge. That's why I think even had Duke squeaked past Kansas, they'd have probably been destroyed by Villanova.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Villanova - I picked them to win it, but they seem like they might struggle against size - and Kansas has a pretty good commitment to pounding the ball inside, and Michigan can certainly throw some size at them (though they haven't been much for exploiting size down low as much as they probably should be). Even Loyola has some good size, though I think Wagner may well have a field day against them as I'm not sure their Frosh Center can keep up with him. Either Michigan runs away with that game, or it's yet another defensive grinder for both teams.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:37 pm

On the lighter side - no love for Sister Jean here? Well now there is!

To the surprise of no one who has paid even casual attention to the NCAA tournament, a bobblehead of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt became the best seller in the history of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum within 48 hours of its release.

The 98-year-old nun, who leads the Loyola Chicago men’s basketball team in prayer before each game, is perhaps college basketball’s most recognized new personality in the midst of the Ramblers’ improbable march to the Final Four

A collectors item, in Chicago at least!

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:10 pm

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:37 pm A collectors item, in Chicago at least!

"Most popular" is rarely a collector's item, too damn common. Collector's items would be their least popular (and therefore rarest); perhaps something in a Johnny Manzell.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:37 pm

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:37 pm On the lighter side - no love for Sister Jean here? Well now there is!

To the surprise of no one who has paid even casual attention to the NCAA tournament, a bobblehead of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt became the best seller in the history of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum within 48 hours of its release.

The 98-year-old nun, who leads the Loyola Chicago men’s basketball team in prayer before each game, is perhaps college basketball’s most recognized new personality in the midst of the Ramblers’ improbable march to the Final Four
A collectors item, in Chicago at least!

Michigan has its own elderly woman fan, Jalen Rose's 100 year old grandmother. Since ours is 2 years older, I assume that means we win by 2.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:44 pm

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:37 pm Michigan has its own elderly woman fan, Jalen Rose's 100 year old grandmother. Since ours is 2 years older, I assume that means we win by 2.

I dare you to paint your face blue then go watch the game in a local watering hole.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:14 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:44 pm
ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:37 pm Michigan has its own elderly woman fan, Jalen Rose's 100 year old grandmother. Since ours is 2 years older, I assume that means we win by 2.
I dare you to paint your face blue then go watch the game in a local watering hole.

Not a problem.

Spoiler:

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Mar 27, 2018 11:32 pm

Utah beat Western Kentucky tonight to make it to the finals of the NIT. While I’d rather they have gone to the dance, watching them come together through this tourney has been more fun than I expected.

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 5:24 am

Skinypupy wrote:Utah beat Western Kentucky tonight to make it to the finals of the NIT. While I’d rather they have gone to the dance, watching them come together through this tourney has been more fun than I expected.

I remember a few years ago when BYU made it to the finals of the NIT I realized while I prefer they make the NCAA tournament winning in the nit was more fun than bowing out in the first round of the NCAA. Good luck to Utah in the final. Nice run they are having here.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 11:15 am

On the flip side, losing at home in the first round of the NIT is worse than losing in the play in games.

Chrisoc13 · Post by **Chrisoc13** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 10:06 pm

Pyperkub wrote:On the flip side, losing at home in the first round of the NIT is worse than losing in the play in games.

Truth.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:48 pm

Damn. Once we lost our one remaining big, it was over. Add on the fact that Penn State couldn't miss, and we were screwed.

Oh well...was still a fun run.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:41 pm

Congrats to Michigan! Too bad Villanova looks unstoppable...

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 1:17 am

I find myself in the very unfamiliar place of actively rooting FOR Michigan. If they win, I win the office pool.

This is just... weird.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:16 am

Jaymann wrote: ↑Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:41 pm Congrats to Michigan! Too bad Villanova looks unstoppable...

Nova killed Kansas from behind the arc. Michigan is very good at defending the three. Should help make it interesting. Of course, if they both start the way they did yesterday it'll be over very quickly. Still, defense got Michigan to the game so I have to believe they can slow Nova down.

rshetts2 · Post by **rshetts2** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:26 pm

Grats Michigan, on making it to the Finals! They have a real tough one now but in spite of Nova's credentials, they may have been the best option for Michigan. Nova plays more into Michigan's defensive strengths. I think that the Wolverines would have had major matchup issues against Kansas. Mo was a stud Saturday nite but I will say if the rest of the team plays as poorly as they did for Saturday's game and hopes Wagner carries them they will find themselves in a very deep hole really quick. Three of U of M's starters combined for 7 total points. That cant happen Monday.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:50 pm

The women's side has been insane this year too. On Friday, Arike Ogunbowale, guard for Notre Dame, hit a last second jumper against UConn send the Irish to the title game.

In the championship today versus Miss St, the same player hits an off balance 3-pointer with .01 on the clock to win it all.

Madness, indeed.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:31 pm

this should be interesting, and could get me to not just fast-forward through halftime...

Using a predictive analytics architecture and workflow built over the last few months, Google says it will produce and air real-time ads during half time that will attempt to anticipate what will happen in the second half of the Final Four games.

The end-to-end analytics architecture leverages Cloud Spanner, Cloud Datalab and BigQuery to ingest, load, and analyze observations from the first half of each game, along with decades of historical NCAA data, to make predictions about the second half. Google said the predictions will include things like the number of three-point shots each team might attempt.

Not sure if I still have the recordings from Saturday's games to check (went out to dinner, and watched the games after getting home late).

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 2:56 pm

I did notice one on Saturday near the beginning of the Nova/Kansas game about the predicted # of assists in the game. But it was more of likelihood of it happening than an out-right prediction (I think it said something like "there is a 75% chance that this game will have 26+ assists"). I would be much more interested in predictions about individual foul trouble, etc.

Also, did anyone else find the car horn buzzer incredibly annoying? For the whole first game I thought someone was honking their car outside of my place. It wasn't until I turned the channel between games that I realized the sound was part of the game. So annoying.

DD* · Post by DD* » Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:03 pm

Welp, if my alma mater wins the office $$ pool is mine! Go Blue!!

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:49 pm

Unbelievable how often Nova gets to lower their shoulders and shove the defender away with no call being made.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Apr 02, 2018 11:22 pm

Remus West wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:49 pm Unbelievable how often Nova gets to lower their shoulders and shove the defender away with no call being made.

Wildly inconsistent officiating is one of the main reasons I have quit watching college basketball almost entirely.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:10 am

Remus West wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:49 pm Unbelievable how often Nova gets to lower their shoulders and shove the defender away with no call being made.

The reffing had nothing to do with why Michigan got run out of the building in that game, and as a fanbase, Michigan needs to stop blaming the officiating for everything. We look so whiny after every damn loss. The reality is that Villanova was the best team in college basketball this year, and they whooped us.

PLW · Post by **PLW** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:16 am

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:10 am
Remus West wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:49 pm Unbelievable how often Nova gets to lower their shoulders and shove the defender away with no call being made.
The reffing had nothing to do with why Michigan got run out of the building in that game, and as a fanbase, Michigan needs to stop blaming the officiating for everything. We look so whiny after every damn loss. The reality is that Villanova was the best team in college basketball this year, and they whooped us.

I agree with this assessment. They had so many threats and played good D to boot.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:19 am

Nova certainly had the Duke-esque move to draw foul calls by making their head look like it’s been shot after any contact. Got a few iffy calls in the first half. But, as said above, the refs didn’t determine the outcome of that game. Nova just dominated on both offense and defense after about the 10 minute mark; Nova was clearly the better team.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:20 am

Skinypupy wrote:
Remus West wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:49 pm Unbelievable how often Nova gets to lower their shoulders and shove the defender away with no call being made.
Wildly inconsistent officiating is one of the main reasons I have quit watching college basketball almost entirely.

They are actually pretty consistent in how they call that. If the arm goes out, they call it, if the arm stays in, they mostly don't.

Villanova is just well coached and I think they practice that. I remember them blowing out a physical Howland ucla squad in 2009 the same way. It's incredibly frustrating to watch, but they have been doing it for years.

However, the difference in the game was the Villanova defense. They were able to shut down Michigan for long stretches multiple times.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:32 am

It's not like I wasn't upset at points with the officiating. I mean, if basketball doesn't work out for Brunson, he can go to Hollywood or perhaps play professional soccer. Still, a lot of the Michigan fan base thinks the refs are out to get us. Like the powers that be are interesting in upsetting one of the largest alumni bases in the world. In reality, officiating tends to even out, and the better team tends to win.

P.S. The spot was bad in 2016.

P.P.S. The block was clean in 2013.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:12 am

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:20 amHowever, the difference in the game was the Villanova defense. They were able to shut down Michigan for long stretches multiple times.

This.
I wasn't saying the refs were the reason Michigan lost. Not guarding the ginger (I forget his name already) better hurt a hell of a lot more. Not being able to score themselves hurt more. Yet you could tell the frustration when Nova gets to body into them on both ends and not get called while on the defensive end Michigan was called for several fouls where they didn't even make contact. Hell, their first foul Simpson turned around looking like he was trying to see where the action was only to find out he had been called for a foul.

In the end, Nova hustled for more loose balls, hit more shots - contested and not, and played better defense. They earned the win (unlike Louisville - those cheating bastages). The officiating was simply bad though.

Jag · Post by **Jag** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:08 am

DD* wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:03 pm Welp, if my alma mater wins the office $$ pool is mine! Go Blue!!

Won my office pool too. Had Michigan and Nova with Nova going all the way.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:44 am

ImLawBoy wrote:
P.S. The spot was bad in 2016.

P.P.S. The block was clean in 2013.

P.P.P.S The Chris Webber travel in 1993? But maybe the officials knew that not calling the travel and waiting for Webber to call a TO would be even better for Carolina.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:13 am

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:20 am
Skinypupy wrote:
Remus West wrote: ↑Mon Apr 02, 2018 10:49 pm Unbelievable how often Nova gets to lower their shoulders and shove the defender away with no call being made.
Wildly inconsistent officiating is one of the main reasons I have quit watching college basketball almost entirely.
They are actually pretty consistent in how they call that. If the arm goes out, they call it, if the arm stays in, they mostly don't.

Villanova is just well coached and I think they practice that. I remember them blowing out a physical Howland ucla squad in 2009 the same way. It's incredibly frustrating to watch, but they have been doing it for years.

However, the difference in the game was the Villanova defense. They were able to shut down Michigan for long stretches multiple times.

For the record, my comment was more about officiating in general, not just in that game.

I didn't even watch last night, just glanced at the ESPN app a few times for updates.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:12 pm

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:45 pm
Moliere wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 1:29 pm Bank records in FBI probe list payments from agents to college players

Bank records and other expense reports that are part of a federal probe into college basketball list a wide range of impermissible payments from agents to at least two dozen players or their relatives, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.

Yahoo said Friday that the documents obtained in discovery during the investigation link current players including Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Duke’s Wendell Carter and Alabama’s Collin Sexton to potential benefits that would be violations of NCAA rules. According to the report, players over the past several years and family members allegedly received cash, entertainment and travel expenses from former NBA agent Andy Miller and his agency ASM Sports.

Yahoo's report now names (some?) names:

An ASM balance sheet in the hands of federal investigators shows accounts through Dec. 31, 2015, with the subheading, “Loan to Players.” It listed several who were in high school or college as receiving four-figure and five-figure payments from ASM Sports. Among the largest listed loans:

Dennis Smith, who would go on to play at North Carolina State in 2016-17, received $43,500 according to the documents. Another document headed “Pina,” for ASM agent Stephen Pina, says Smith received a total of $73,500 in loans, and includes notes about “options to recoup the money” when Smith did not sign with ASM.
Isaiah Whitehead, at the time a freshman at Seton Hall, received $26,136 according to the documents. The “Pina” document says Whitehead received $37,657 and was “setting up payment plan.” Whitehead signed with ASM but later left the agency for Roc Nation.
Tim Quarterman, at the time a junior at LSU, received at least $16,000 according to the balance sheet.
Diamond Stone, at the time a freshman at Maryland, received $14,303 according to the documents.
A listing that refers to “BAM” for $12,000 is later identified in the documents as Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, who would go on to play at Kentucky in 2016-17. He did not sign with ASM. There’s a later reference to Adebayo that says he received $36,500. “Bad loan,” reads the document.
Markelle Fultz, who would go on to play at Washington and become the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, received $10,000 according to the documents. He did not sign with ASM...

...Several players, families of players or handlers received more than $1,000 in payments from ASM Sports before turning professional:

Current USC player Bennie Boatwright and/or his father, Bennie Sr. (According to documents, they received at least $2,000.)
Current USC player Chimezie Metu and/or adviser, Johnnie Parker. (According to documents, they received $2,000.)
Current Texas player Eric Davis. (According to documents, he received $1,500.)
Current South Carolina player Brian Bowen, who was ensnared in the initial federal investigation and started his career at Louisville last fall until the school withheld him from competition. His father, Brian Sr., also received money, according to the documents. (Dawkins’ expense reports also list more than $1,500 in plane tickets for Bowen, his father and his mother. He and his family received at least $7,000 in benefits, according to the documents.)
Former Utah star Kyle Kuzma received at least $9,500 while in school, according to the documents.
Former South Carolina player P.J. Dozier received at least $6,115 while in school, according to the documents.
Former Xavier player Edmond Sumner and/or his father, Ernest. Documents show they received at least $7,000 in advances while Edmond was in school.
Former Wichita State player Fred VanVleet. Documents show he received at least $1,000.
Former Clemson player Jaron Blossomgame received a payment by Venmo while in school for $1,100 according to the documents.
Apples Jones, the mother of former Kansas player Josh Jackson, received $2,700 according to documents.

More data from the FBI (per CBS Sports) - NC State and Kansas now:

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors filed a superseding indictment in its ongoing probe, which expanded the scope of the investigation to include student-athletes connected to NC State and Kansas in addition to previous allegations believed to have included Miami and Louisville...

...The allegations involving NC State are believed to involve Dennis Smith Jr., now with the Dallas Mavericks, and a $40,000 payment arranged by Adidas consultant James Gatto in 2015 to keep Smith from de-committing from the Wolfpack.

Gatto is also alleged to have funneled $90,000 to the family of a player to sign with the Jayhawks.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:15 pm

More info from Yahoo Sports Pat Forde:

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:16 pm

More KU stuff (and the way the AAU system is corrupt):

A blueblood program is between a Final Four run and one of its highest rated recruiting classes in history, and now faces the allegation that rising sophomore Silvio De Sousa — unnamed by the FBI's revelations but easily identified — was an unwitting part of a guardian's bidding war between apparel companies.

That the school remains in discussions on a 12-year, $191 million contract extension with adidas — the company that has allegedly "victimized" Kansas — only adds to the muddy mess...

...if it's proven that De Sousa knew about a payment, he will likely be ineligible and KU's 31 wins, Big 12 championship, and Final Four appearance last season vacated.

But if it were that simple, this would be a much easier (and shorter) column because here is a deeper truth:

So much money is exchanged so often and in so many different ways that those inside college basketball find it easy to believe KU and De Sousa were unaware.

Plausible deniability is an important thing, but there's actually another term for this, used by many coaches, including two who spoke for this column: "legally cheat."

Here's how it usually works. A parent, guardian or someone close to a top prospect creates an AAU team with a sponsorship of, say, $100,000 from a shoe company. Well, it might only cost $30,000 to run that AAU team. This is how business is typically done. This is how shoe companies typically buy influence.

Or, agents can have influence. An agent can build a relationship with a prospect before a college can sign him. The agent has a certain level of influence and can guide a prospect to a certain program.

You know we gotta get him back, the agent might tell the coach, which means the representation after the player goes to the NBA. If the agent signs the player out of college, the agent knows he can trust the program and a mutually beneficial relationship strengthens.

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:49 pm

Another AAU coach (apparently originally unnamed in the Federal filing) has pled guilty and appears to have flipped:

Earlier this month, federal paperwork showed that a co-conspirator that Yahoo sources identified as Gassnola had conspired to make payments to basketball recruits at both Kansas and North Carolina State. That included Gassnola delivering cash to hotel rooms in Las Vegas and New York City and wiring money to a parent of Kansas recruit Billy Preston. He also withdrew $40,000 for an N.C. State coach to solidify the commitment of Dennis Smith Jr. and spoke about arranging $20,000 for Kansas recruit Silvio De Sousa.

Gassnola pled on March 30, two weeks before the release of the updated indictment that included Kansas and North Carolina State. The updated indictment came out on April 11.

“The timing suggests he’d pled guilty and it was under seal well in advance of the new allegations, suggesting that he could have been one of the sources for the new allegations,” Hill said.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Wed Jun 06, 2018 2:57 pm

Well, John Beilein scared the crap out of the Michigan fanbase (including yours truly) by interviewing withe Pistons last week. I could see that being something interesting to him as a last stop before retirement - give the top league a try and see if his style works there.

Fotrunately, he withdrew his name today, and now there's word that he's got a new 5 year extension (had 3 years left on his old contract) with a nice raise that makes him the Big Ten's highest paid men's basketball coach (I read $3.95M). I am happy and relieved.

Remus West · Post by **Remus West** » Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:54 am

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Wed Jun 06, 2018 2:57 pm Well, John Beilein scared the crap out of the Michigan fanbase (including yours truly) by interviewing withe Pistons last week. I could see that being something interesting to him as a last stop before retirement - give the top league a try and see if his style works there.

Fotrunately, he withdrew his name today, and now there's word that he's got a new 5 year extension (had 3 years left on his old contract) with a nice raise that makes him the Big Ten's highest paid men's basketball coach (I read $3.95M). I am happy and relieved.

You and me both.