Official other NCAA Tourney Games Thread (1st Round)

[Seth53]

With two games still playing, there are dozens of entries with perfect 140 pt scores in the ESPN challenge.

C'mon, who really took Princeton to win unless you submitted like a gazillion entries.

 

[Northside Hawk]

B1G bats three for five in Thursday games. Purdue, Indiana, MSU on tap today.

I'm rooting for Xavier now. Always liked Nunge and I have them going deep in tournament. Marquette, despite Shaka Smart, could be solid dark horse as well.

 

[kicker22]

Good to see Virginia continuing their tradition of busting brackets. Even though Iowa shit the bed last night I can say as a Hawkeye fan I can hold my head higher than a Virginia or Arizona fan can today.

 

[kicker22]

B1G bats three for five in Thursday games. Purdue, Indiana, MSU on tap today.

I'm rooting for Xavier now. Always liked Nunge and I have them going deep in tournament. Marquette, despite Shaka Smart, could be solid dark horse as well.

Not sure a #2 seed that ended the season ranked #6 and went 7-2 vs. top 25 opponents can be considered a dark horse.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Not sure a #2 seed that ended the season ranked #6 and went 7-2 vs. top 25 opponents can be considered a dark horse.

Fair points. And they've quietly been more consistent than many B1G programs recently and historically.

 

[kicker22]

Fair points. And they've quietly been more consistent than many B1G programs recently and historically

I've got family from Milwaukee so I've always had an interest in them and had them on my radar. They definitely live up to that 2 seed and are poised to make a run, but agree that they're one of the lesser known "contenders" in this tournament and I use the term contenders loosely as it feels like this years fields talent level is so well balanced as theirs very little gap between the 1 and 4 seeds. And with all the injuries that gap seems to be getting smaller and smaller. I think it's going to be one hell of an unpredictable ride this year.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I've got family from Milwaukee so I've always had an interest in them and had them on my radar. They definitely live up to that 2 seed and are poised to make a run, but agree that they're one of the lesser known "contenders" in this tournament and I use the term contenders loosely as it feels like this years fields talent level is so well balanced as theirs very little gap between the 1 and 4 seeds. And with all the injuries that gap seems to be getting smaller and smaller. I think it's going to be one hell of an unpredictable ride this year.

I tried to look at teams with experienced backcourts and coaches with proven tournament success. That's why I have Northwestern and Arkansas (as an eight) going to the Sweet Sixteen. Northwestern has the former and Arkansas has the latter. I have Izzo making a nice run.

Of course I also had Arizona winning their region. Oops. For the record I have Xavier winning their region and UConn winning it all.

You know who in our league is suddenly playing their best basketball at the right time? Penn State, the tenth place team in the league. They could make a deep run, perhaps Elite Eight?

 

[kicker22]

I tried to look at teams with experienced backcourts and coaches with proven tournament success. That's why I have Northwestern and Arkansas (as an eight) going to the Sweet Sixteen. Northwestern has the former and Arkansas has the latter. I have Izzo making a nice run.

Of course I also had Arizona winning their region. Oops. For the record I have Xavier winning their region and UConn winning it all.

You know who in our league is suddenly playing their best basketball at the right time? Penn State, the tenth place team in the league. They could make a deep run, perhaps Elite Eight.

I have no faith whatsoever in the Big Ten anymore as I never know what team(s) are going to show up. I could see this being the year where a Gonzaga or Houston win it all, and I'd definitely be ok with the title finding it's way to a new home outside of the traditional year in year favorites.

 

[Seth53]

As of this morning on the ESPN bracket site...there were still something like 1300-ish perfect brackets remaining...out of the 20.5 million entered.

 

[kicker22]

As of this morning on the ESPN bracket site...there were still something like 1300-ish perfect brackets remaining...out of the 20.5 million entered.

All submitted by women who don't watch any basketball (no offense to women) that pick teams based on colors and "cool sounding names" or those that submit 75 brackets just so they can claim that they called the upset. There's very little logic involved LOL.

 

[Seth53]

All submitted by women who don't watch any basketball (no offense to women) that pick teams based on colors and "cool sounding names" or those that submit 75 brackets just so they can claim that they called the upset. There's very little logic involved LOL.

True. Excellent.

 

[hawkeyewx]

Xavier is down by 13 against Kennesaw St. early in the second half.

 

[ajdwhs87]

Nunge State back in front.

 

[99topdawg]

Xavier is down by 13 against Kennesaw St. early in the second half.

Xavier just went ahead, but as I was watching this, I was thinking that every time ISU wins their first game, the higher seed that they were supposed to play in the 2nd round gets upset.

 

[99topdawg]

All submitted by women who don't watch any basketball (no offense to women) that pick teams based on colors and "cool sounding names" or those that submit 75 brackets just so they can claim that they called the upset. There's very little logic involved LOL.

Or the ones that brag about picking the 7/10 upset.

You can also have the computer pick the bracket for you with them weighted by seeds or by BPI, so out of 20 million+ brackets on ESPN, how many did that? Half? In 16 games, there are roughly 65,000 combinations, so at some point, you'd expect the computer, out of maybe 10 million to get the correct combination.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Huge game saving block by Nunge.

 

[ajdwhs87]

And one guess who wins the game vs. KSU. That is why it is called Nunge State and they play on Nunge Court.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Jack Nunge just saved the game for Xavier

Blocked a shot off the glass with 2.6 seconds

The Xmen had a one-point lead

Wish Nunge would have stayed

Things might have been different

 

[thedukeofearl]

Or the ones that brag about picking the 7/10 upset.

You can also have the computer pick the bracket for you with them weighted by seeds or by BPI, so out of 20 million+ brackets on ESPN, how many did that? Half? In 16 games, there are roughly 65,000 combinations, so at some point, you'd expect the computer, out of maybe 10 million to get the correct combination.

Picking by color or cool names will work as well as any other system unless you are a
MIT graduate

Friend of mine's wife picked by the mascots

She did as well as any of us, other than me

Grin

 

[thedukeofearl]

I've got family from Milwaukee so I've always had an interest in them and had them on my radar. They definitely live up to that 2 seed and are poised to make a run, but agree that they're one of the lesser known "contenders" in this tournament and I use the term contenders loosely as it feels like this years fields talent level is so well balanced as theirs very little gap between the 1 and 4 seeds. And with all the injuries that gap seems to be getting smaller and smaller. I think it's going to be one hell of an unpredictable ride this year.

Marquette coach Al McGuire was one of my favorite coaches

He was from Brooklyn and a Character, very colorful, the absolute best

He and Billy Packer were together analyzing games, Packer was all ACC and McGuire Big Ten
and the Midwest

They were entertaining to listen to

The year Marquette won the National Championship

Game day, Al rented a Harley Davidson and went out in the country and
checked antique shops then coached the Golden Eagles to the Championship

After a game win, he jumped on the scorer's table

The fans went wild, as did we who were watching

That's Alliteration for you, Lads