NCAA Watch Party - w/Coach Marshall

[jocoshock]

Jason King's take on the brackets...

I hate that Wichita State and Virginia Commonwealth are playing in the opening round. The fifth-seeded Shockers are the best mid-major team in the tournament and VCU is a fan favorite after reaching the Final Four last season. It’s a shame one of these schools will be out after just one game. No offense Shaka Smart and the No. 12 seed Rams, but I’m picking Wichita State in this one. I think Gregg Marshall’s squad will advance all the way to the Sweet 16.

Speaking of the eyeball factor, did no one on the committee watch Detroit annihilate Horizon League regular-season champion Valparaiso on its home court last week? This is a team with a McDonald’s All-American at point guard and a center (Eli Holman) who will make a living playing pro ball somewhere. The only reason Detroit has 13 losses is because Holman missed the first semester while on suspension. In terms of pure talent and potential, Detroit could be the best No. 15 seed in the history of the NCAA tournament. If No. 2 seed Kansas plays tight - remember Bucknell, Bradley, Northern Iowa and VCU? - an upset isn’t out of the question. If I’m Bill Self, I’m ticked right now.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/53106/jason-king-changes-id-make-to-bracket

[jocoshock]

Myron Medcalf:

The VCU/Wichita State winner is headed to the Sweet 16: It’s unfortunate that this game will eliminate a potent midmajor. Wichita State and VCU, a Final Four team last year, are two of the best in the country. I predict that the winner of this game will end up facing Kentucky in the Sweet 16. They’re both tough, physical defensive teams that will pressure Indiana in the round of 32. The Hoosiers have struggled outside of Bloomington. And whether they face the Shockers or the Rams, they’ll be in for a battle, one that I expect them to lose.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/53100/10-bold-predictions-about-the-ncaa-tourney

[kcshocker11]

Wonder who Dickie V will be 4 KU or Detroit his old school

[jocoshock]

Wonder who Dickie V will be 4 KU or Detroit his old school

From Jason King via Twitter:

Butler's Brad Stevens, on Horizon League foe Detroit: "There may never have been a 15 seed that looks like Detroit."

Something tells me that Dickie V won't stick his neck out and root for Detroit....

[shockerfan]

From Jason King via Twitter:


Something tells me that Dickie V won't stick his neck out and root for Detroit....

Nope he didn't. He was on CBS and said that he loves Detroit, but he has to go with KU as Robinson and Taylor will be a little bit too much for Detroit to handle.

[ShockerFever]

After today, I am pretty sure we have conclusive proof that Jerry Palm is the worst of the major-site bracketologists.

That guy's a true hack. Always has, always will be. Had us underseeded, had sCUm wayyyy overseeded (seeded higher than us) and had Northwestern in, who practically wasn't even a bubble team by the end of the day. He's God awful.

[ShockerFever]

Like some of you, I was bit upset we got pitted with a middy with something to prove in the first round, which won a lot of games. But then again, I didn't even care when I was finally able to see our name on the screen at Koch with thousands of cherring fans. Who cares? I like the revenge factor. I don't think anybody has forgotten about the team that likely kept us from the NCAA's last year. The revenge factor will be in hand. VCU is everybody' sexy team, fresh off the Final Four. They have a target. Our guys won't look at this one as us being the favorites.

This is NOT the same VCU team of last year. They won a lot of games, in a much weaker CAA. I don't even know what their best win was? I know they had a few bad losses early on.

It's time for a piece of payback..

[cjp27]

You beat me to the punch...that's precisely what I was thinking when I saw the matchup....who will be the first to speculate where both coaches will be next year?

Lutz is probably already dubbing our game a BCS coaching audition between Marshall and Smart.

He says this exact thing in his column tonight.

[Rlh04d]

For what it's worth - I have both Temple and WSU in my ESPN bracket final four. WSU, Michigan State, Temple, Vanderbilt.

WSU 83 Vanderbilt 74.

I think you've been watching a different Temple team than I have. The one I've seen has been embarrassed twice in a week by UMass and hasn't looked impressive in weeks. It took possibly the most lopsided officiating I've ever seen to keep Temple in that UMass game and keep them from losing three of their last four. Not a lot of teams limping into the tournament worse than them at the moment.

I think it's very possible they get upset in the first round. Loss to Michigan in the second at best.

[jcdshocker]

No clue on the location of the tickets.

[rrshock]

How many people were in attendance yesterday?

[1979Shocker]

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/11/the-cbt-bracket-breakdown-south-region/

Final Four sleeper (5 or lower): No. 5 Wichita State: To be honest, I think that Wichita State is one of maybe two teams (Baylor) in this bracket that can knock off Kentucky. They have size, they defend, they have shooter and they have good guard play. They are a very, very good basketball team. The problem? I honestly would not be surprised if they lost in the opening round of the tournament. That’s what happens when you get VCU in the first round.

[SubGod22]

How many people were in attendance yesterday?

Sully said about 1400.

[Anthroshock]

@owenc: Has the podcast of the coahces show been posted yet?

[Anthroshock]

Bump.

Still no podcast. Too bad that in one of the best years the Shocks have had that we don't have a record of the selection show coach's special.