home

March Madness Sunday

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Off Topic
Posted on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 01:46:52 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

The Cuse, one of my final 2 teams, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen earlier today. Who will join the 9 (all the top 3 seeds are through so far) already through? March Madness continues today.

This is a March Madness Open Thread.

< Austria's Superior Prison Philosophy | Glib >

  • Premium Ads

  • Blog Ads

  • Contribute To TalkLeft

    donate to TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    March Madness Sunday | 22 comments (22 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Women's NCAA (none / 0) (#1)
    by cal1942 on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 01:57:00 PM EST
    The Michigan State women came from behind to beat Middle Tennessee 60-59 at Breslin.

    They'll probably play number 1 seed Duke and former coach Joanne McCallie in the 2nd round at Breslin.

    Great tourney so far (none / 0) (#2)
    by Dalton Hoffine on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 02:03:09 PM EST
    I'm really enjoying it, even though my Deacs got upset by Cleveland State the first round. I'm actually rooting for the Vikings now, and I hope they can make it far.

    Upset pick for the day: Oklahoma State over Pittsburgh.

    That was hardly an upset. (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 03:52:08 PM EST
    Dalton: "... even though my Deacs got upset by Cleveland State the first round."

    Cleveland State seized the Demon Deacons by the throat from the outset, going up early by scores of 9-0 and 27-12, and didn't look back. Wake Forest was never really in it, save for a fleeting tease mid-way through the second half before the Vikings slammed the door shut. Clearly, the Vikings are the better team. It was only an upset in the sense that if you're like most people (myself included), you never saw the Vikings play before Friday night.

    IMHO, Cleveland State is for real, much like the 2006 George Mason team that crashed the Final Four; both are the type of good mid-major teams that so-called prognosticators are justifiably wary of, come tournament time.

    Because such programs are rarely if ever in the national TV limelight during the regular season, their good players have a tendency to stick around during their college scholarship years. I'd venture that historically, the most dangerous teams have been those top-heavy with senior veterans who have played together for three-plus years. Think Vermont over Syracuse or Bucknell over Kansas a few years ago. Both those winners started at least four seniors.

    My alma mater Washington lost last night to Purdue. Disappointing ending, I admit, in that the Huskies got so close but just couldn't close, but that was no real upset there, either. All we can do in such instances is utter the hopelessly shopworn cliche, "Just wait 'til next year!"

    So, in any case -- just wait 'til next year!

    Aloha.

    [ Parent ]

    Oh, well ... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 04:01:15 PM EST
    ... we can now add Cleveland State to the "just wait" crowd. What's gotten into the Arizona Wildcats these last two games? They looked terrible at the end of the regular season.

    [ Parent ]
    Unbelievable. 21-13 record... (none / 0) (#8)
    by easilydistracted on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 04:26:50 PM EST
    and yet in the sweet sixteen.

    [ Parent ]
    That's what they're saying (none / 0) (#6)
    by Cream City on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 04:01:57 PM EST
    in Madison now.  We'll see what they say at  Marquette, all too soon.

    [ Parent ]
    Jumpin' Jevvies! (none / 0) (#10)
    by Cream City on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 06:07:52 PM EST
    An exciting end -- where did my Marquette men get their energy, after such lackluster work?  Or is that they finally figured out how to get free of Missouri's stranglehold on Hayward . . . so that McNeal could come on hot, at last.

    It's down to who tires first now, and Missouri has a deeper bench.  But if Marquette does bow out, it can do so with pride in a good rally that showed why they got there in the first place.  Uh, sixth place.  Overrating them, but they're playing up to it now.

    [ Parent ]

    We wuz robbed (none / 0) (#12)
    by Cream City on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 07:41:03 PM EST
    Bad call -- ball hit the rim or not? -- at a crucial point.  Looked like the refs got it wrong, but it was a tough one.  So it goes.  

    Next year in Indy!

    [ Parent ]

    Both of your teams (none / 0) (#15)
    by cal1942 on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 09:44:07 PM EST
    won in the first round.  If Wisconsin hadn't gone stone cold they'd be in the Sweet Sixteen as would Marquette if not for ...

    I was pulling hard for both.  Would have been great to have three Big Ten teams in it along with Marquette, a team from the same neighborhood.

    [ Parent ]

    Yeh, we're grateful (none / 0) (#20)
    by Cream City on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 10:37:10 AM EST
    for as good as we got -- one fun weekend, anyway.  And we knew that both teams were riding in on a wish (Wisconsin) and a prayer (Marquette).

    It's just that it's that time of year here when we hope for more than one, as we await and await and await spring.  So we're still somewhat housebound and hoping for better options on teevee than what we now see in March Moribundness.  Sigh.

    [ Parent ]

    gawl, I hope so (none / 0) (#3)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 02:17:49 PM EST
    I have a bone to pick with Pitt.

    [ Parent ]
    Go Hawks... (none / 0) (#7)
    by easilydistracted on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 04:21:48 PM EST
    Its on to Indy.

    I have UConn and Oklahoma in the final... (none / 0) (#9)
    by Romberry on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 04:55:16 PM EST
    ...with UConn taking home the trophy.

    I entered a bracket contest for the first time ever this year. My picks (if anyone is interested) are found here.

    So far my entire elite 8 and 13 of 16 of my picks for the sweet 16 are still in it. (Wake, Illinois and Washington let me down.)

    Picking the (none / 0) (#16)
    by cal1942 on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 09:47:36 PM EST
    brackets is great fun, one of the things I miss most about work.

    [ Parent ]
    I'm now pulling for Gonzaga. (none / 0) (#11)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 06:47:08 PM EST
    The Bulldogs, though, have their work cut out for them next Thursday against North Carolina. But, you never know ...

    Rooting for the Lady Terps - (none / 0) (#13)
    by Anne on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 08:00:06 PM EST
    with some of the best women players in the country.

    Go Maryland!

    Michigan State (none / 0) (#14)
    by cal1942 on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 09:38:19 PM EST
    going to the Sweet Sixteen for the 8th time in 12 years.

    Beat Southern Cal 74-69.  Close game, many lead changes.  Southern Cal was far better than their number 10 seed would indicate.  They had come on strong late in the season and won the Pac 10 Conference Tournament.

    Wonder if Steve M's wife has delivered yet.

    Go Orange! (none / 0) (#17)
    by 1040su on Sun Mar 22, 2009 at 10:30:35 PM EST
    Sweet 16 & Jonny Flynn swears he's coming back next year.  His father's a preacher, so he better not be lying!

    Padres really are terrible. (none / 0) (#18)
    by oculus on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 12:31:04 AM EST


    Go Memphis!! (none / 0) (#19)
    by ruffian on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 09:53:09 AM EST
    Go about 2 minutes longer than last year, that is.

    They sure looked good yesterday. (none / 0) (#21)
    by Romberry on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 11:50:24 AM EST
    Dunno how the Calipari "let the players play" method of coaching will hold up as they go further in the tourny but there is no doubt that it's an exciting brand of basketball. I've got 'em making the elite 8 but not getting past UConn. We'll see...

    [ Parent ]
    Don't care for the 'Cuse (none / 0) (#22)
    by elrapido on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 02:41:38 PM EST
    I find it difficult to root for a team that will tolerate Eric Devendorf.  Whatever it takes to win, I guess.

    March Madness Sunday | 22 comments (22 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment