Game Thread: Championship Final - 2026 NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 6 - 8:50pm ET TBS/TNT/truTV

[bamacpa]

If Michigan holds on, it will the 6th time Bama was eliminated by the eventual champs.

 

[AlexanderFan]

That was a travel.

I don’t even know why they bother with rules anymore.

 

[Joefus]

UConn showed a lot of heart and grit but Mich is just that good. Glad Hurley doesn’t have another championship. Roll tide

 

[Bazza]

Final score: 69-63 Michigan! Congrats to Coach May and team. UConn was still in it till the end but just couldn't get the shooting they needed.

 

[TideEngineer08]

So, Alabama was actually the 2nd best team in the tournament right? We actually led these clowns at halftime.

I didn't watch. Didn't watch a single second of the entire tournament, and indeed, I don't think I watched a single live moment all season. So take what I say with a huge grain of salt. It seems to me, following from afar as I have been, that NIL/Portal has been an absolute boon for the Big Ten and has seriously hamstrung the rest of the nation. Particularly the SEC.

Much online ink has been spilled on this, mainly claiming that now the SEC isn't the only league that can pay players. Which is utter nonsense. I think the real reason is that, for now, the Big Ten has bigger donors. And all of the SEC money which went into facilities and coaching salaries (which was the only legal way to pump money into programs before a few years ago) has been rendered useless in the NIL/Portal era. The geographic advantage the SEC has enjoyed for so long has also been rendered moot, as you can straight up pay the players now as well as recruit them off active collegiate rosters.

The "casuals" will say the SEC has fallen behind because they aren't the only ones who can pay. The real story is the SEC has fallen behind because cheating has been legalized in order to nullify the SEC's built in advantages of geography.

I'm here, so obviously my interest has not completely died. But it's literally existing on life support because of all of this. Couple what NIL/Portal has done to the games with the horrendous officiating and decline in quality of play, and I've just found better things to do on Saturdays and other game days. Can we really say congrats to these "champions"? Their rosters are directly bought by big time business donors, not just from high school, but other colleges and even pro teams washouts! (I won't get started on that farce). I just don't get the point anymore.

 

[Bazza]

I'm here, so obviously my interest has not completely died. But it's literally existing on life support because of all of this. Couple what NIL/Portal has done to the games with the horrendous officiating and decline in quality of play, and I've just found better things to do on Saturdays and other game days. Can we really say congrats to these "champions"? Their rosters are directly bought by big time business donors, not just from high school, but other colleges and even pro teams washouts! (I won't get started on that farce). I just don't get the point anymore.

You are not alone, @TideEngineer08 - hang in there - and watch/enjoy whatever is possible is my advice.

Is it true that a player can now make 9 million dollars a year while playing college basketball?

Things will never be how it used to be with money once again overruling everything else, whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

Ultimately money is what has ruined everything we know in civilization, if you want to zoom out.

For sure there are many who do not see it this way and that's fine.

I myself have decided to just relish in the fact that I'm old enough to have ENJOYED the good old days. In my back room I still have all the Sports Illustrated magazines from my subscription in the 70's. If I looked through one of those issues it would bring a smile to my face.

I stopped watching pro sports a while back actually but will continue to clutch onto what I can in college.

Now you know why Coach Saban retired from coaching college football.

 

[AlistarWills]

UConn showed a lot of heart and grit but Mich is just that good. Glad Hurley doesn’t have another championship. Roll tide

It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Hurley fell face first into a cheese grater. I loathe that guy.

 

[Bazza]

I dunno - he doesn't bother me that much. He's different that's for sure. But his players LOVE him and I think he's a good coach - maybe that's all that really matters?

 

[Bazza]

The college basketball season is over.

SO WHO'S WINNING THE NATTY NEXT SEASON?

https://twitter.com/x/status/2041360629496246285

 

[Joefus]

Whoever hits that portal right is gonna be the winner most years barring injuries. I see lotsa big men with hard to pronounce names in the portal let’s snag a couple and see what Nate can do with a real 5

 

[JDCrimson]

I forgot that Cadeau play against us when he was UNC either last year or the year before. I believe the analysis then was to let him and Trimble shoot as they didnt shoot well enough to beat us. This time around he did...