random thoughts thread

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:43 pm

i'd like to congratulate Colorado for an epically bad defense performance last night in Ames. ISU scored at will down the stretch on dribble penetration into the paint....with some timely 3's in the mix. arguably, the biggest basketball game in at least 6 years for CU....after playing their way back on the bubble by beating Texas....give up 58 in the 2nd half to ISU (2-12 in conference)....and lose. unless the bubble is very forgiving or CU makes some noise in KC after getting by a Nebraska team that is a bad matchup for CU....NIT, Buffs.

lately, CU sports really know how to crank up and then deflate fan support. get people excited, wet the bed (the Dan Hawkins story)....is no way to build a program.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:03 pm

Looking forward to the MSU/UM game on Saturday. Too bad it's at AA. Can't remember the last time this game was so pivotal for both teams. Here's what's at stake for Michigan in this game:

-Getting into the Dance
-Possibly knocking MSU out of the Dance
-Sweeping their in-state rival

I'm sure UM will by sky high for this one, but there's more pressure on them to win. Both teams are quite a bit better since they last played, so I'm expecting all out war.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:04 pm

AKA the Big 11 toilet bowl?

Sorry, I'll pass.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:06 pm

Shut up, you front running bitch. I'm sure there will be some shit ass A10 bottom feeder game on for you to enjoy.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:20 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Shut up, you front running bitch. I'm sure there will be some shit ass A10 bottom feeder game on for you to enjoy.

Yes, one of the perks of having CBS College Sports.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:12 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Looking forward to the MSU/UM game on Saturday. Too bad it's at AA. Can't remember the last time this game was so pivotal for both teams. Here's what's at stake for Michigan in this game:

-Getting into the Dance
-Possibly knocking MSU out of the Dance
-Sweeping their in-state rival

I'm sure UM will by sky high for this one, but there's more pressure on them to win. Both teams are quite a bit better since they last played, so I'm expecting all out war.

All and all, it's been a very solid year for Michigan hoops and further reason to look forward to what's ahead. I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth as far as they beating an overrated MSU team at Breslin because I don't think any conference road win is easy no matter how good the team is. They finished 4-5 on the road in conference...3 of those were against teams not headed to the tournament though. Michigan really lacks that benchmark win that separates them from the pack of mediocre. They beat Clemson and Harvard out of conference...Clemson was on the road. They had close losses (by 7 points or less) with Syracuse, Kansas and the home games with Wisconsin and Ohio State. I think if one of those went their way, I think they don't need to sweat out this game Saturday as much.

State's resume isn't that much better than Michigan but when we're dealing with the last teams getting in...State has those few solid wins Michigan could've used. They beat Washington in Maui and they won their game at home with Wisconsin. Had Michigan done that with the Badgers, I'd pretty much put them on level ground with resumes with the Wolverines getting the edge for winning in Breslin. Losing at home on Saturday would essentially knock Michigan out of being a solid at-large to being a team that would have to run the table in Indy to get in. They've recovered from that 1-7 stretch in late December and January and I think it's now down to Saturday and a win probably should get them in over State while a loss puts them in major jeopardy of being left out.

As for State...if they lose tomorrow, I'd have a hard time putting them in the tournament over Michigan with 2 losses against them or if anything, they're one of the last teams in because they've done just enough. They're guaranteed to at least have a .500 record in conference. A win would give them a 10-8 record plus, it's a road conference game. They're only 2-6 on the road in conference. It's hard to take a team that can't do much away from their gym in conference. State also has a few too many big losses...6 of their 8 conference losses were by 9 points or more and lost by at least 20 points three times. State has had those games where they looked entirely outclassed. Michigan had 3 early conference losses of 14 points or more but since January 27 (the win at Breslin), they've gone 7-3 down the stretch with two narrow losses with Illinois and Wisconsin and a 9 point loss at Columbus where they were at least competitive for most of that game.

I think Michigan wins Saturday with the home crowd smelling blood and they've been a much more competitive and confident teams since the win in East Lansing. I was trying to think of the last time these two have played a bigger game...I could think of one off the top of my head. Michigan would love to get the sweep over State and if they win in style, perhaps knock them out of the field and force Izzo's crew to make a deep run in Indy next week. The Big Ten is looking at possibly 6 teams in with Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin as sure things with Illinois, MSU, Michigan and Penn State needing wins to help themselves. I think Minnesota has leaked oil late in the season and Northwestern probably played their way out of the field. If Penn State wins over the weekend and wins a couple games in the conference tourney, maybe they jump past Michigan or Michigan State depending on who wins Saturday. The Lions pretty much can't afford a loss at home against the flounding Gophers. At a minimum, the Big Ten gets 5 teams in if Penn State loses and the Michigan-Michigan State game serving as an unofficial elimination game.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:57 pm

I agree with most of what you said........except for tomorrow's outcome. Of course. Actually, I feel like it's a toss up right now. Michigan's at home, and they have indeed looked better and more confident at times, but I like Izzo and the boys in a must win situation. Plus Kalin Lucas has been playing lights out ever since he fully recovered from the achilles. If the young bigs keep progressing and they can get a little offensive production out of Summers, then they should be fine. Only thing that concerns me is Draymond Green's ankle which he rolled pretty badly in the Iowa game. He sat out of practice, but will play tomorrow. Of course injuries are nothing new with this squad but Green and Lucas are the two guys they absolutely need healthy. I'll go MSU 72 UM 70.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:48 pm

What an abortion of a game on so many levels. Props to UM -- the better team this year. Ugh.

Mace · Post by **Mace** » Sat Mar 05, 2011 11:20 pm

Iowa knocks off Purdue today in Iowa City. Hopefully a sign of things to come at Iowa in the coming years under Fran McCaffery. I'm betting that Fran gets laid tonight by his hot wife.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:50 am

Mace wrote: I'm betting that Fran gets laid tonight by his hot wife.

it's like my buddy said about Jon Paxson after making a big shot for the Buhhs, "guy will never pay for sex again..or being Irish".

Sooners complete an amazing 6 win conference year by the absolute must win against Pokey State. it's pathetic, but 6 wins is a great deal from this team. they lost to Chaminade.

Terry in Crapchester · Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:07 am

Terry in Crapchester wrote:
MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Greenberg has his campaign speech down by now. It is amazing how they are on the bubble every single year. They should squeeze in this time unless there's a bunch of upsets in the conf tourneys.
One thing that's occurred to me is that I think we're likely to see a very forgiving bubble this year. There just don't seem to me to be a whole lot of potential bubble busters out there. Who is there, really? Utah State, for sure -- they'll get an at-large bid even if they don't win the WAC tourney.

But beyond that? George Mason, maybe -- although I suspect the CAA gets two bids in any event. I suppose you could argue that St. Mary's deserves to be in there as well, although St. Mary's has slipped a bit in recent weeks and might not be a lock any longer if they lose the WCC tourney. Maybe Missouri State, although Wichita State would appear to be on the bubble as well out of the MVC, so that conference could get a second bid. In both C-USA and the Horizon, there are a number of teams with similar resumes, but none of those teams has done anything to stand out from the crowd, and it's definitely a possibility that either or both of those conferences could get an at-large bid or two.

Speaking of which . . . is Coastal Carolina a potential bubble-buster?

On the plus side, you have 28 wins and a team that's gotten a little love from the pollsters over the course of the season -- they never cracked the Top 25, but for most of the season they were in the "others receiving votes" category. On the down side is a less than impressive RPI (96 per Palm as of last Monday, 102 per Pomeroy as of Friday, I don't pay for subscriptions from either so I don't have more updated info), as well as a relatively weak SOS (0-1 vs. RPI Top 50). They couldn't handle a UNC-Asheville team that was only the #6 seed in the Big South tourney with an NCAA tourney bid on the line. And from the snippets of today's game that I saw (admittedly the only time I've seen them play this season) I wasn't impressed. I think the Chanticleers are NIT bound, but I suppose stranger things than that have happened.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:27 am

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:What an abortion of a game on so many levels. Props to UM -- the better team this year. Ugh.

get the fuck off my court!

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:59 am

M Club wrote:get the fuck off my court!

That was a Mike Hart level curse right there.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 8:01 am

you mean the hypocritical response it elicited from the msu coach?

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Mar 06, 2011 8:03 am

i mean beatings will ensue.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:37 pm

i thought izzo's guarantee would have been enough to give state the win.

Terry in Crapchester · Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:02 am

Is Cincinnati still a bubble team?

I know their RPI is not the greatest, and their record is in part the function of a joke of an OOC schedule. OTOH, in Big East conference play they finished ahead in the standings of Georgetown, UConn and Villanova, all of whom are considered locks for the NCAA tourney. They earned a single bye, whereas both UConn and Villanova will be playing on Day One.

One thing to look to, I suppose, is the fact that Cincinnati gets the winner of the Villanova-South Florida game in the Big East tourney. If Villanova wins that game and Cincinnati beats Villanova the next day, I think the Selection Committee would be hard-pressed to leave Cincinnati out. Jmho.

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:22 am

Just dropping by to thank the Buffs for finally ridding me of the sig/avatar combo I'd been sporting since the day after the day after Thanksgiving.

What do you guys think of CU's chances? They finished 19-12 (8-8 conf.) with wins over Mizzou, Texas and K-State (x2). Couple close losses to KU (by 4) and aTm (by 3 in OT) in Boulder.

I think they need to beat Iowa St. in the Big XII tourney to get in. That would give them 20 wins, which I think is enough, especially if you have a player like Alec Burks. But if they lose to the bottom seed in the first round of the conference tourney, I'm guessing they're NIT-bound...

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:50 pm

Suck weekend for Sparty...the loss in Ann Arbor and the first season sweep in 15 years or so and then the hockey team goes out in 2 games in Alaska and Rick Comley is sent out to pasture on a very low note.

Degenerate · Post by **Degenerate** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:06 pm

Pat Knight canned at Texas Tech. Time for his old man to call in another favor with someone, since there's no way his kid is ever getting hired on merit.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:37 pm

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan wrote: What do you guys think of CU's chances?

Should be a lock, depending on what happens in the conference tourney, anywhere from a 7-11 seed.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:46 pm

Shoalzie wrote:Suck weekend for Sparty...the loss in Ann Arbor and the first season sweep in 15 years or so and then the hockey team goes out in 2 games in Alaska and Rick Comley is sent out to pasture on a very low note.

It's appropriate MSU went out the way they did. Comley basically coasted on recruiting after winning the national title in 07 and the team is paying the price right now. It's too bad, I've met Comley before. He was always nice and personable to me when I was reporting in Michigan and Indiana. Nice guy who was a pretty good coach, I just think he started coasting on recruiting and with Jeff Jackson's arrival at ND and Blasi at Miami, they started to clean up and Comley was left holding the bag.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:19 pm

Shoalzie wrote:Suck weekend for Sparty...

It's been a suck 4 months or so. And now there's all these UM basketball fans coming out of the woodwork, who spent the last decade claiming "I don't care about basketball." Not you of course.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:35 am

it's an equilibrium: have to make up for all the state fans who can't be bothered to watch anymore.

my only joy in this is discovering what a principled man izzo is. from watching his teams i would have never suspected he believes trash talk and last-second layups to have no place in a basketball game. at least he's a good enough coach that michigan will never get the chance to run up 60 on them.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:39 am

M Club wrote:my only joy in this is discovering what a principled man izzo is.

Then you should seek out more joy than that. You sound like these phantom MSU fans you chastise for getting more out of Michigan losing than State winning.

from watching his teams i would have never suspected he believes trash talk and last-second layups to have no place in a basketball game. at least he's a good enough coach that michigan will never get the chance to run up 60 on them.

Apparently he's a good enough coach that his worst season in many years is about on par with Michigan's best.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:20 am

hahahaha, phantom fans who don't revel in michigan losses. ja, neither of us have never met those. is this where you generalize more of one fan base while calling your own derelicts' anomalies? or as been your mo, complaining incessantly about wal-mart wolverines as if your fan base is more likely to be unemployed.

no, i woke at 4 am to watch the game, so i was happy with the win itself. (even thought to edit my statement but figured i should leave it alone.) then i went back to bed and when i woke up got to read about tom izzo making it all the better by admonishing a michigan player for trash talk because his players must say nothing but yes sir, no sir throughout the entire game. also, they try to steal the ball from darius morris with 10 seconds left and when he instead scores a layup that gives izzo a platform to drop his hypocrisy on the world. maybe the next time he's up 50 on us he'll hold off on the alley oops.

i suppose we've entered the looking glass here: takes one of our best teams in forever to beat your worst team in forever to get overly excited about the first whatever in x years. at least i don't have to be touchy about anything till september.

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Tue Mar 08, 2011 7:35 am

War Wagon wrote:
MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan wrote: What do you guys think of CU's chances?
Should be a lock, depending on what happens in the conference tourney, anywhere from a 7-11 seed.

Definitely maybe.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:20 pm

M Club wrote:hahahaha, phantom fans who don't revel in michigan losses. ja, neither of us have never met those.

You should stick to the specifics of what I'm saying. Of course MSU fans enjoy seeing UM lose. But I haven't met anyone that would RATHER see Michigan lose than MSU win. Even if there are some, I don't see how your random appearance in this forum reveling in some stupid shit about Izzo after he loses makes you any better.

no, i woke at 4 am to watch the game, so i was happy with the win itself. (even thought to edit my statement but figured i should leave it alone.) then i went back to bed and when i woke up got to read about tom izzo making it all the better by admonishing a michigan player for trash talk because his players must say nothing but yes sir, no sir throughout the entire game. also, they try to steal the ball from darius morris with 10 seconds left and when he instead scores a layup that gives izzo a platform to drop his hypocrisy on the world. maybe the next time he's up 50 on us he'll hold off on the alley oops.

Throughout the entire game? Morris was making his rounds AFTER the game ended. That's why this is even a story at all. But can I blame Morris? I'd say act like you've been there before, but when was the last time they've been there without cheating?

In any event...OH NOES!! A coach bitching about stuff after an emotional loss? Yeah, first time in recorded history that's happened. Principles? Hypocrisy? Jeezus, give me a break with the dramatics. You should reserve your hatred for the true scumbags of the sport like Calipari.

So Izzo's a sore loser and Morris is a little bitch. Fine by me. All this stuff is good for the rivalry which has been non-existent for over a decade.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:15 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote: You should stick to the specifics of what I'm saying. Of course MSU fans enjoy seeing UM lose. But I haven't met anyone that would RATHER see Michigan lose than MSU win. Even if there are some, I don't see how your random appearance in this forum reveling in some stupid shit about Izzo after he loses makes you any better.

true, i've never had this chat with anyone:

sparty - hahahahahahahaha, you lost.

moi - eh, state did to.

sparty - so. hahahahahahahahahaha.

or this version:

sparty - hahahahaha, you lost to purdue or something. purdue purdue purdue purdue.

moi - aren't you 4-7?

sparty - purdue purdue purdue purdue

of course, this is your world of fiat, so obvs i'm lying or something.

Throughout the entire game? Morris was making his rounds AFTER the game ended. That's why this is even a story at all. But can I blame Morris? I'd say act like you've been there before, but when was the last time they've been there without cheating?

i suppose we could frame it that way: morris probably said absolutely nothing while the outcome was on the line. only when the game was over and he was safe did he think to talk shit.

aside from your imagination, the actual reason this was a story is because morris said something a million other people have said before - state players included - and lucas went bitch and threw a ball at him. no different than the rest of your bitch ass players who whine about lack of class when they lose but don't seem to mind when they're on the other side.

In any event...OH NOES!! A coach bitching about stuff after an emotional loss? Yeah, first time in recorded history that's happened. Principles? Hypocrisy? Jeezus, give me a break with the dramatics. You should reserve your hatred for the true scumbags of the sport like Calipari.

i didn't access my inner drama queen for this thread. i merely laughed that some guy who's had no problem with running up the score in the past throwing a fit over a guy scoring a layup during a two-possession game.

So Izzo's a sore loser and Morris is a little bitch. Fine by me. All this stuff is good for the rivalry which has been non-existent for over a decade.

ja right. kick me awake when michigan reaches the top three in conference play, and not because there's a five-way tie for mediocrity. have to take advantage of these wins while i can.

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:22 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote: You should stick to the specifics of what I'm saying. Of course MSU fans enjoy seeing UM lose. But I haven't met anyone that would RATHER see Michigan lose than MSU win. Even if there are some, I don't see how your random appearance in this forum reveling in some stupid shit about Izzo after he loses makes you any better.

true, i've never had this chat with anyone:

sparty - hahahahahahahaha, you lost.

moi - eh, state did to.

sparty - so. hahahahahahahahahaha.

or this version:

sparty - hahahahaha, you lost to purdue or something. purdue purdue purdue purdue.

moi - aren't you 4-7?

sparty - purdue purdue purdue purdue

of course, this is your world of fiat, so obvs i'm lying or something.

Throughout the entire game? Morris was making his rounds AFTER the game ended. That's why this is even a story at all. But can I blame Morris? I'd say act like you've been there before, but when was the last time they've been there without cheating?

i suppose we could frame it that way: morris probably said absolutely nothing while the outcome was on the line. only when the game was over and he was safe did he think to talk shit.

aside from your imagination, the actual reason this was a story is because morris said something a million other people have said before - state players included - and lucas went bitch and threw a ball at him. no different than the rest of your bitch ass players who whine about lack of class when they lose but don't seem to mind when they're on the other side.

jehuu caulcrick wrote:dear michigan, i just planted this flag on notre dame's field but act like you've been there when you beat us, wah.

In any event...OH NOES!! A coach bitching about stuff after an emotional loss? Yeah, first time in recorded history that's happened. Principles? Hypocrisy? Jeezus, give me a break with the dramatics. You should reserve your hatred for the true scumbags of the sport like Calipari.

i didn't access my inner drama queen for this thread. i merely laughed that some guy who's had no problem with running up the score in the past throwing a fit over a guy scoring a layup during a two-possession game.

So Izzo's a sore loser and Morris is a little bitch. Fine by me. All this stuff is good for the rivalry which has been non-existent for over a decade.

ja right. kick me awake when michigan reaches the top three in conference play, and not because there's a five-way tie for mediocrity. have to take advantage of these wins while i can.[/quote]

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:54 pm

Can't I have the last word just once?

M Club · Post by **M Club** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:40 am

eh, we're talking michigan/msu basketball. i thought it was implied you had the last word.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:45 am

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan wrote:
War Wagon wrote:
MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan wrote: What do you guys think of CU's chances?
Should be a lock, depending on what happens in the conference tourney, anywhere from a 7-11 seed.
Definitely maybe.

CU got screwed.

I feel guilty while my team of gutless, heartless, no talent loser ass punks made it in over the Buffs.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:19 am

i knew CU was in trouble when MU (projecting at 8/9 all week) came in at 11. I also knew something was up when Jerry Palm didn't have them in his bracket.

CU fans on suicide watch around here. Burks will turn pro, and then who knows? i'm disappointed for them. they got hosed. USC?

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:39 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:
Goober McTuber wrote:
Goober McTuber wrote:This Saturday would probably be an opportune time for tOSU to drop their first game. Don’t want to be headed into the NCAA tournament unbeaten. Way too much pressure.
Belated BTW.
I thought Purdue was going to be the first team to get OSU, so yeah, props to the Used Car Salesman and his pasty band of fighting floppers. I look forward to their annual 1st or 2nd round exit in the tournament.

Badgers look like they are totally out of gas at this point. Bo plays Taylor, Leuer and Nankivil 38-40 minutes a game and they’re starting to wear down. First game in the tourney is against a running team (Belmont), and I imagine Wisky can slow them down and frustrate the hell out of them, but K-State should knock them out in the second round.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:46 pm

I thought I heard Belmont was a sharp shooting team. Four of their guys shoot over 40% from 3. That's exactly the kind of team that gives them trouble, imo.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:22 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:I thought I heard Belmont was a sharp shooting team. Four of their guys shoot over 40% from 3. That's exactly the kind of team that gives them trouble, imo.

Just teams that shoot 14-15 from 3. Hard to tell about Belmont. The only times they played honest to goodness major college teams, they lost.

FLW Buckeye · Post by **FLW Buckeye** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:11 pm

Goober McTuber wrote:Just teams that shoot 14-15 from 3.

:D

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:22 pm

FLW Buckeye wrote:
Goober McTuber wrote:Just teams that shoot 14-15 from 3.
:D

Just keep it up. I'm picking tOSU to win it all in multiple brackets. I might as well make some money off of you shits.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:03 pm

CU definitely got screwed. Are they better than USC or VCU on a neutral court? I'd say so. They also have multiple legitimate victories. Don't have a huge problem with UAB as they won their conference regular season. Actual hardware is good on a resume.

Va Tech? All I can say is bwahahahaha. Greenburg whines about the necessity of expansion, gets it, and STILL doesn't get in.