~2017-18 Big Ten Basketball Thread~

[MarqHusker]

Humiliation. 

[MarqHusker]

Another program with a NCAA tourney win before Nebraska notches one.

[ELA]

Going to bed.  This is the most poorly played tournament game I can recall off my head.  Thanks for the layoff Jim.

[Kris61]

In all my years of picking the tourney no two schools have royally screwed them up more than Arizona and Kansas. Why should it be any different this year?

[medinabuckeye1]

In all my years of picking the tourney no two schools have royally screwed them up more than Arizona and Kansas. Why should it be any different this year?

Arizona has literally been the curse of my brackets for over two decades.  Sometime in the mid-90's (IIRC) I had them winning the whole thing and going out early in back-to-back seasons and they did the opposite.  There have been plenty more examples since then.  At this point I've basically given up.  It is my rule now that anytime I see Zona I pick them to lose either in the S16 or the E8.  It isn't because that is where I think they will lose, it is simply because that is roughly the middle of the tournament so it minimizes the damage either way.  

[medinabuckeye1]

Boise has been a hell of a region to be at today

I commented on that last night.  When the bracket came out I looked at Ohio State's location and decided "no way" because Boise just doesn't appeal to me as a travel destination at all.  However, the folks there got to see:

• A close game between #4 Gonzaga and #13 UNC-Greensboro with Gonzaga winning by four points.  
• A good game between #5 tOSU and #12 SDSU in which Ohio State held a reasonably comfortable lead then imploded into a tie game, then pulled away.  
• A close game between #5 UK and #12 Davidson.  
• A blowout upset by #13 Buffalo over #4 Zona.  

Then on St. Patrick's Day they get blueblood #5 UK vs Cinderella #13 Buffalo and a solid #4 Gonzaga vs #5 tOSU match-up.  

[847badgerfan]

Arizona gonna Arizona.

[847badgerfan]

I guess I'm a Loyola fan. I did pick them over Miami, so that's good.

Time for UW to pounce on a grad transfer from South Dakota State.

[847badgerfan]

Leron Black confirms he is leaving Illinois to pursue a professional career.  That one certainly huts but I can't blame the guy for trying to earn a living.  He is getting married and thinking about his future.

This doesn't seem like a wise move to me.

[CatsbyAZ]

The Pac 12 has to be having the worst year ever for a power conference.  No CFP, then went like 1-9 in bowls.  Only got 3 teams into the tourney, and two were just in the play in game.  Both lost.  Then your lone rep in the field of 64 gets run off the court by a MAC school.

Crap week of sports for sure. PAC 12 loses all their tourney games and the Cardinals sign Sam Bradford.

[ELA]

Going to bed.  This is the most poorly played tournament game I can recall off my head.  Thanks for the layoff Jim.

There was a stretch of almost 9 minutes in the 2nd half where the teams combined for 5 points, all by Michigan, and 11 turnovers.

[FearlessF]

Crap week of sports for sure. PAC 12 loses all their tourney games and the Cardinals sign Sam Bradford.

[CatsbyAZ]

Bradford can play, just gotta keep him healthy

Saying that same Bradford is a good quarterback IF he can stay healthy is akin to saying that Kubrick makes good movies IF he is alive.

[FearlessF]

Bradford started 15 games in 2016, completing 395 of 552 passes for 3,877 yards and 20 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.[140] His 71.6 completion percentage set a single season NFL record, passing Drew Brees's 2011 mark of 71.2.[141] Brees later finished the 2017 season with a 72.0 completion percentage, retaking the record. Bradford's 395 completions set a franchise record for completions in a season.[142]

and the Vikings O-Line was horrible - Sam was repeatedly hammered game after game

not saying it's likely, but it could happen that he stays healthy for a full season