NCAA Tournament Saturday Game Thread

[mabrowndog]

Announcing Teams
Pittsburgh--Brian Anderson, Steve Smith, Dana Jacobson
Louisville--Verne Lundqvist, Jim Spanarkal, Allie LaForce
Jacksonville--Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl
Portland--Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Rachael Nichols
 
12:10 pm - Midwest - #11 UCLA vs #14 UAB - Louisville KY (CBS)
02:40 pm - Midwest - #1 Kentucky vs #8 Cincinnati - Louisville KY (CBS)
05:15 pm - West - #2 Arizona vs #10 Ohio State - Portland OR (CBS)
06:10 pm - West - #6 Xavier vs #14 Georgia State - Jacksonville FL (TNT)
07:10 pm - East - #1 Villanova vs #8 NC State - Pittsburgh PA (TBS)
07:45 pm - South - #4 Georgetown vs #5 Utah - Portland OR (CBS)
08:40 pm - West - #4 North Carolina vs #5 Arkansas - Jacksonville FL (TNT)
09:40 pm - Midwest - #3 Notre Dame vs #6 Butler - Pittsburgh PA (TBS)

 

[mabrowndog]

If anyone wants a breakfast warmup, Alabama & Miami tip off in the NIT at 11 AM on ESPN.

 

[canderson]

Only one bracket submitted to ESPN is still perfect.

 

[axx]

Kentucky fans must have bought all the tickets... the stadium is half full.

 

[twothousandone]

Only one bracket submitted to ESPN is still perfect.

Did that bracket have UCLA or UAB winning today?

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Don't understand why this is the game that is shown by itself first. All the UCLA fans are asleep and UAB isn't exactly a powerhouse or even has fans in its own state. 
 
Used to be you'd get one of the Duke/Uconn/Kentucky/Louisville type east coast draws first in the lone spot.
 
Why is the Pitt pod so late on a Saturday? Villanova is a better candidate to go first.  Don't understand the NCAA scheduling.

 

[Cellar-Door]

PAC 12 might have been underrated this year. Killing it in both the tourney and the NIT

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Twent minute halftime in the second round. Two unoppoosed games today. Extra 30 seconds on the full time outs. NCAA is so fucking piggish. This is tough to watch.i'm watching soccer instead.

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Yep
Don't understand why they couldn't just stagger every game 30-45 minutes 1-8, or go 2-2-2-2 with 20 minute staggers within each pair

Tres piggish

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Kentucky fans must have bought all the tickets... the stadium is half full.

No the Sat/Sun games are always half full as the losing teams fan bases on Thurs/Fri have already gone home. When I lived in Greensboro years ago I'd get super sweet seats for the Sat/Sun games as these fans literally give them away.

 

[canderson]

Did that bracket have UCLA or UAB winning today?

UCLA. Here is the bracket: http://games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2015/en/entry?entryID=4932920

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Man, what a dagger by Alford, after UAB had cut it to 9.  Just a big time player stepping up.

 

[axx]

Verne was just about to say "and the winner plays Kentucky" but was stopped.

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Man, what a dagger by Alford, after UAB had cut it to 9.  Just a big time player stepping up.

Nice Genes

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Here's the difference in the college and pro game in a nutshell. The Bruins have one first-round pick who will likely be a lottery pick on their team......and he isn't one of their top 3 players right now.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Umm, how is that not a goal tend?  Was the ball still on the way up?  It was way above the rim.

 

[johnmd20]

Kentucky is fast, strong, tall, and aggressive. It seems like they would have to play a really flat game to lose to Cinncy. None of the other #1 seeds seem like such blatant locks this round. Kentucky looks like they could beat the Knicks.

 

[johnmd20]

Umm, how is that not a goal tend?  Was the ball still on the way up?  It was way above the rim.

 
Should have been.

 

[StuckOnYouk]

Kentucky is probably going to win but Cincy is going to make this an ugly rock fight. 
 
Cincy pulls off this upset, and the dream of two straight national champs from the AAC is alive.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

The Bearcats do not look intimidated by Kentucky.  They are taking it to the lane offensively, and contesting shots defensively.  This game could actually be close. 

 

[johnmd20]

I'm dying to see Kentucky lose. DYING.

 

[StuckOnYouk]

Love Cincinnati's attitude. Burying the 3 after the alley-oop was huge. This game is going to be in the 50's or 60s tops.

 

[StuckOnYouk]

So Kentucky's bigs can do whatever they want apparently..

 

[johnmd20]

So Kentucky's bigs can do whatever they want apparently..

 
Which is GARBAGE.

 

[ifmanis5]

Woah.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Wow.  Sometimes you just have to let them have the dunk.

 

[wibi]

Good thing the half is almost over because Cincinnati looks like they are about to implode

 

[StuckOnYouk]

My god, someday we'll learn how Calipari stockpiled all these kids. 

 

[johnmd20]

My god, someday we'll learn how Calipari stockpiled all these kids. 

 
Undoubtedly.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

My god, someday we'll learn how Calipari stockpiled all these kids. 

Same way Wooden did. Don't overthink it.

 

[johnmd20]

Calipari dresses like a mafia don. That suit. . . .ye gods.

 

[StuckOnYouk]

Same way Wooden did. Don't overthink it.

 
Calipari has had two final fours vacated, no?

 

[johnmd20]

 
Calipari has had two final fours vacated, no?

 
At Memphis and UMass.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

 
Calipari has had two final fours vacated, no?

Wooden should have had all of his vacated. This was before the NCAA had systems in place to penalize programs. Google the name Sam Gilbert with UCLA or Wooden if you aren't aware of the history.

 

[jon abbey]

Kentucky looks very vulnerable today.

 
They've looked this way a bunch this year, they often blow out the game in the final 10 minutes when their depth takes over. 

 

[mabrowndog]

Cincinnati's current approach is the only way they're going to beat them. You have to get into their heads by being late-80s Detroit Pistons-style douchebags and hope they self-immolate.
 
Doesn't look like it's going to work, though.

 

[johnmd20]

 
They've looked this way a bunch this year, they often blow out the game in the final 10 minutes when their depth takes over. 

 
Depth, talent, and height. It is an unbelievable roster.

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

 
Depth, talent, and height. It is an unbelievable roster.

Yup. Their big guys are agile and their guards are big.

 

[StuckOnYouk]

Wooden should have had all of his vacated. This was before the NCAA had systems in place to penalize programs. Google the name Sam Gilbert with UCLA or Wooden if you aren't aware of the history.

 
I see, so when you said Calipari stockpiled insane talent like Wooden did you were actually criticizing Calipari. For some reason I read it as a complement.

 

[mabrowndog]

That was some ridiculous effort, tenacity & rebounding by Cinci during that long possession. But they can't keep taking crappy shots and blow the opportunities they're working so hard to generate.
 
Sure enough, UK easily converts a three at the other end.

 

[jon abbey]

If Booker doesn't find his shot, Kentucky is going to have trouble down the road.

 

[Ed Hillel]

A couple of pretty blatant travels on one possession leads to a KU 3.

 

[mabrowndog]

Good Christ. Towns is an unreal talent.

 

[johnmd20]

Kentucky is just too good. DAMMIT!

 

[canderson]

Cincy played Kentucky as good as you possibly can and will still lose by 15. No one is beating this team.

 

[johnmd20]

Cincy played Kentucky as good as you possibly can and will still lose by 15. No one is beating this team.

 
It's gonna take a Villanova/Georgetown kind of upset.

 

[johnmd20]

Would love to see Arizona get a crack at them.

 
Except they are going to lose today.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Kudos to Cincy for forcing the kind of game that gave them the only chance they had for 30 minutes. That's good coaching and playing that will get lost in a 68-48 scoreline.

Kentucky's defense and ball protection has been great.

 

[McBride11]

 
They've looked this way a bunch this year, they often blow out the game in the final 10 minutes when their depth takes over. 

I think it really picked up with 9:50 left. Nice call.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

If you are going to go inside on Kentucky, you have to look for that extra pass late.  They always have two guys going up for a block, which leaves a teammate open underneath somewhere.  A team with a good guard that can recognize that, and instead of shooting into the blockers, dishes it off (along with a big man with the hands to actually make the catch and finish, something Cincy doesn't seem to have) at the last second can score inside against the Wildcats.