Fina 4 who ya got?

I've seen some comments about those in the media and other conferences having "football envy" so aside from not giving SEC basketball programs due respect....they have ignored us as legitimate contenders.

Personally, I don't find myself getting all caught up in this ACC vs. SEC stuff, etc, etc.

I do however enjoy seeing the SEC prevail against other conferences.

I mean it is what it is. The SEC as a whole is improving but I don't feel we are anywhere near the level that we have achieved in football.

Bazza said:

I mean it is what it is. The SEC as a whole is improving but I don't feel we are anywhere near the level that we have achieved in football.

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You, me and the "cage cognoscenti"_idea::wink:: Link: "SEC Basketball, in Football's Shadow, Seeks to Regain Its Old Luster"

TitleWave said:

You, me and the "cage cognoscenti"_idea::wink:: Link: "SEC Basketball, in Football's Shadow, Seeks to Regain Its Old Luster"

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Thanks, Wave...really enjoyed that article!

I know in addition to good coaching hires as mentioned in the article, in many cases our athletic departments need to upgrade their facilities, if they truly want to compete in the big ring.

In the meantime, I've enjoyed seeing strides made in our conference wrt head coaches and look forward to the other improvements as they take place in the near future.

Bazza said:

I know in addition to good coaching hires as mentioned in the article, in many cases our athletic departments need to upgrade their facilities, if they truly want to compete in the big ring.

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Who knows but after 'Bama gets up to the 'Gators speed with the refitted O'Dome*, UF will also be the model for upgrading - and installing - LAX (lacrosse) facilities in T-town. Next big thing for the SEC, LAX, at least it should be.

* Have discussed the arena's merits with namesake's offspring, incidentally - all good.

Worst officiating I've ever seen this year. Here are the three worst so far:

Northwestern/Gonzaga where the guy CLEARLY goes through the goal to block a shot. Don't blame Collins for the Tech either, that would have put the game at NW being down by 2 if goaltending was called there.

St. Marys/Arizona where an Arizona big man gets the ball with his back to the goal close to the paint, well he proceeds to throw the top of his shoulder clearly into the St. Marys kid's nose and the SM kid immediately hits the floor with what looks like a broken nose. Whistle blows right away and the foul was called on the SM kid. He never even touched the Arizona guy except for when the Arizona guy threw a shoulder check to his nose.

USCe/Dookie where towards the end USCe is to inbound the ball under the Dookie goal. Yes the USCe kid moved too far up the baseline, but you could clearly see the Dookie defender with BOTH FEET inside the blue which puts him in the 3 foot box on inbounds as well. Last I checked that's illegal and the ref must stop play to either warn the Dookie player or call a tech because he did it after a warning was given. Either way you don't let the play continue until the USCe kid runs out of the box and gets a traveling call which I'm almost certain is the wrong sign for that play.

There was one commentator on, I think CBS, who said that the SEC was TOP heavy with only 4 legitimate teams or something to that effect. As a result of this thinking, we have fewer teams selected to be in the top 68 than say the B1G or the ACC. Why did Northwestern deserve to be there any more than Alabama? Look what Bama did to South Carolina and look at what South Carolina did to Duke. Also look what the Barn did to Bama. Now, I did think one commentator had it right when he said Duke lacked a good point guard.

I honestly think the SEC has very competitive teams in it's top 10.

As far as the Final 4: first I have 8 teams in the final sixteen. That really irritates me. Should have gotten at least 12 in the top 16. I just did a quick pick without putting much thought into this. I picked too many teams to upset higher seeded teams when in reality, they had no chance.

I picked UK to win it all against Gonzaga, I do think UK will have problems with UCLA. If they can get past UCLA, I think they will have an easier time with UNC. If UK can't win it, I hope South Carolina can. Down the stretch South Carolina didn't do so well, but that was then, this is NOW! Go Cocks!

230kv_barehand said:

Northwestern/Gonzaga where the guy CLEARLY goes through the goal to block a shot. Don't blame Collins for the Tech either, that would have put the game at NW being down by 2 if goaltending was called there.

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The goaltending call would have put them down by three. They were down 5 going into that play. The technical free throws put them down 7.

230kv_barehand said:

USCe/Dookie where towards the end USCe is to inbound the ball under the Dookie goal. Yes the USCe kid moved too far up the baseline, but you could clearly see the Dookie defender with BOTH FEET inside the blue which puts him in the 3 foot box on inbounds as well. Last I checked that's illegal and the ref must stop play to either warn the Dookie player or call a tech because he did it after a warning was given. Either way you don't let the play continue until the USCe kid runs out of the box and gets a traveling call which I'm almost certain is the wrong sign for that play.

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The rule is after a made shot, the inbounder can run the baseline. Duke made a shot, then SC tried to throw it in bounds but Duke knocked it away. Then, I think they went to a time out. The knock away at that point, since it was no longer directly after a made shot, made the in bounds situation one where he could not run the baseline. The SC player becomes like a player possessing the ball in bounds anywhere on the court. He cannot move both feet. Once he moved both feet, it was a traveling call and the ref made the right call/motion.

DzynKingRTR said:

96 teams is just ridiculous. I love March Madness but adding more teams that have no shot at the title is just insane.

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Nah, think "Hoosiers" and (almost) all-in. Expanding to 96 (essentially 1 in 4 D1 teams making the tournament) would enable first-round byes for an apposite number of 1 & 2 seeds, and then with the upsets you inevitably see in what's still for all practical purposes the round of 64, any team still in could have a half-legitimate chance at winning it all. Especially the Power Five conferences. Wouldn't you like 'Bama's chances against UK in a third go this season - I would. And again, given what USCe and UF and (almost) Arky have done thus far, you think 'Bama couldn't have won a couple of games in this year's tourney? And if you win a couple of 'em, who knows but that The Force be with you and that you can't win a couple, three more to the end?

Bama Shoals said:

The rule is after a made shot, the inbounder can run the baseline. Duke made a shot, then SC tried to throw it in bounds but Duke knocked it away. Then, I think they went to a time out. The knock away at that point, since it was no longer directly after a made shot, made the in bounds situation one where he could not run the baseline. The SC player becomes like a player possessing the ball in bounds anywhere on the court. He cannot move both feet. Once he moved both feet, it was a traveling call and the ref made the right call/motion.

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Wrong. On a dead ball, you have a 3 foot box you can move in as you cannot travel on an inbound play (per the NCAA rulebook). You can back up all you want as long as you get the ball in before 5 seconds is called. If you move outside the box (meaning up or down) then it is a penalty. But traveling CAN NOT be called in that situation. Just as the Dookie player is NOT supposed to be across the line and the "imaginary line" put up by the ref before in the inbound. The ref was supposed to stop the play to give the Dookie player a warning before the guy left the box. So both were in the wrong yet USCe were the only ones called for it.

Al A Bama said:

If they can get past UCLA, I think they will have an easier time with UNC

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Easier? UK only beat UNC by 3 on a neutral court in Vegas back in December with a starter missing via broken bone in foot.

230kv_barehand said:

Wrong. On a dead ball, you have a 3 foot box you can move in as you cannot travel on an inbound play (per the NCAA rulebook). You can back up all you want as long as you get the ball in before 5 seconds is called. If you move outside the box (meaning up or down) then it is a penalty. But traveling CAN NOT be called in that situation. Just as the Dookie player is NOT supposed to be across the line and the "imaginary line" put up by the ref before in the inbound. The ref was supposed to stop the play to give the Dookie player a warning before the guy left the box. So both were in the wrong yet USCe were the only ones called for it.

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My apology. I learned something. It does change from being able to run the endline to a 3 foot wide box with no limitations for depth. It does say you have to keep one foot over the designated spot. Thanks for the correction. Here's the rule:

Art. 8.
The following pertain to a designated spot:
a
The designated spot is the location at which a thrower
-in is presented
disposal of the ball out of bounds as in 4-11.1.a through .c.
b.
The designated spot shall be 3-feet wide with no depth limitation.
c.
The thrower
-in must keep one foot on or over the designated spot until the
ball is released. Pivot foot restrictions and the traveling rule are not in
effect for a throw-in.
d.
The
thrower-in shall not leave the designated spot until he has released the
ball and the thrown-in ball crosses the plane of the sideline or end line.

230kv_barehand said:

Easier? UK only beat UNC by 3 on a neutral court in Vegas back in December with a starter missing via broken bone in foot.

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I could be WRONG, as usual, but those UK FRESHMEN are now experienced and vicious Wildcats.

Al A Bama said:

I could be WRONG, as usual, but those UK FRESHMEN are now experienced and vicious Wildcats.

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And UNC has its 5th starter back too. There is rarely an easy or easier time this far into the tournament.

Al A Bama said:

I could be WRONG, as usual, but those UK FRESHMEN are now experienced and vicious Wildcats.

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Well, it was a close game, but I was WRONG AGAIN.

Only one team left in my final four and that's Gonzaga. Kentucky, Villanova, and Kansas let me down.

I picked Kentucky to win it ALL. I guess I'll hope South Carolina can win it for the SEC. I think
SEC basketball is a lot better than those in the know, know. NO! They don't KNOW everything.

If USCe wins it, Bama can at least say that we beat the NC's twice this year.

If USCe wins, the entire state of South Carolina will be very happy (football and basketball NC's), I think.

I was wrong about Gonzaga but I nailed UNC as I knew UK wouldn't have an easy time winning that one. My and my oldest nephew are big Tarheel fans in basketball (we have family ties back to the 1800's in Chapel Hill) so we got tickets and spent Saturday and Sunday nights in Memphis and copped tickets on stubhub. What a wild and crazy game and we had a blast!

They showed USCe/Florida on the big screen at the Forum, I was very surprised at that one as Florida as playing pretty dang hot!

Al A Bama said:

If USCe wins, the entire state of South Carolina will be very happy (football and basketball NC's), I think.

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Don't forget USCe's girls team is still in the tourney too and is a power house under Dawn Staley now.