WSU VS. LOUISVILLE PREDICTIONS AND PREGAME DISCUSSIONS

[Veritas]

Last reply to this type of worthless post. The WVU sig is a lost bet with WVU fans on if UofL would end up in the B12.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=17&up=KirkUofLGrad

What the HECK was the Big XIII thinking taking WVU and TCU over UoL. Makes no sense or cents.

Kirk: serious question....why did two mid-level Valley teams play UoL so competitively? Do you recall?

[GoShockers89]

More great pub on the frontpage of the world's most visited newspaper website:

http://www.nytimes.com/

ETA: They predict us to win it all.

With that logic as the baseline for a forecast, there is no logic in predicting what will happen on Saturday and Monday in Atlanta. Best guesses are just that.

Thus we present your 2013 N.C.A.A. tournament champion: the Wichita State Shockers.

In this, the strangest of college basketball seasons, that ending would not be strange. It would be fitting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/sports/ncaabasketball/a-final-shock-in-the-mens-final-four.html?hp&_r=0

[ShockerFever]

Did @ShockerFever spawn a demon child and didn't tell us?

another shocker isn't even in the same universe. I'm clueless to why he's gone off the handle in this thread. It happens though. Just ask Paul Suellentrop about it.

[KC Shox]

Someone got a Kleenex?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAXlA9dKTaU

Seth let me down

[KirkUofLGrad]

What the HECK was the Big XIII thinking taking WVU and TCU over UoL. Makes no sense or cents.

Kirk: serious question....why did two mid-level Valley teams play UoL so competitively? Do you recall?

For one they are good teams. But more importantly this was early in the season and Pitino uses those games to teach. At that point in the season Luke and Wayne were both coming of serious shoulder injuries. We had freshmen in Montrez and players will little experience in Ware. Plus Pitino defense is very complex. It takes until Feb. or later for it to click. Pitino teams have always been this way even when he was at UK. Early on he uses rotations he would never use later to see what might work. Last and most important those are solid teams. Not top 25 but solid BB teams.

The UofL team of now is not very comparible to the UofL team back then. The Duke game is another game one can look at to see what I am talking about. UofL offense was pitiful back then and Russ Smith was out of control. He would hurt the team as much as he would help it. That has all changed. The team just wasn't clicking. The defense was solid but not great and the offense was just bad. Right now UofL is just clicking on offense and defense at a much higher level then they were back in Dec., Jan. and even early Feb.

[jocoshock]

boblutz @bob:lutz now
Will be talking to Rick Bozich at 10 a.m. on Sports Daily. He's covered Louisville for 33 years. Listen on KFH, 1240-AM, 98.7-FM.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

caught the tail end on my way to class. Not a bad interview.

Smith was under recruited, really liked the way we play. THinks it will be a very tough & good game.

[deep3card]

The Northern Iowa game was a head scratcher, but it was also our first non-home game of the season in an EXTREMELY hot gym (Bahamas), and playing against an experienced tourney coach, as well as the issues Kirk mentioned. Luke Hancock might as well have been Luke Skywalker trying to play basketball back in 2012. His shoulder injury was worse than our trainer had ever seen, and he has to warm up physically for over 20 minutes before he can even come out on the court to truly warm-up. He has been invaluable in the tournament, so his lack of progression, as well as Ware's were a big reason for the lack of continuity early on, and UNI plays smart basketball, much like the other teams that beat us later on. Mizzou loves to run and turned the ball over a bunch, which is a formula for a blow-out, and also when Dieng broke his wrist.

for the Ill. State game, Dieng was out, and we started Zach Price (who hasn't played since the beginning of 2013, if I'm not mistaken - now not even the 3rd string). Not sure what happened there, but he was no Dieng, that's for sure. Stephan Van Treese (the backup C) played the majority of the minutes, and he just isn't the shot changer and inside force that Dieng is. He can grab rebounds and do the general dirty work, but defense is his shortcoming. ISU got into the lane with ease with Pitino making lineup changes, and no shotblocker there to prevent drivers. ISU made only 5 3's in the game and scored mostly on the interior.

In other words, things are much different now. We have the help defense on the interior now with the development of Montrezl Harrell and Luke Hancock, the return of Dieng, and also Russ Smith has become much more of an overall team player.

You might have heard the term "Russdiculous", and it fits him perfectly. He is a NYC scorer type, not really a passer, and it took much of the season and the LOW point of taking insanely poor shots in the 5 OT loss @ ND to get him to see the light. His growth and maturity are also a major reason for our surge since that game.

[1972Shocker]

We play poorly against teams whose names end in 'ville.

Thank goodness we're playin' Looavul this Saturday.

[1972Shocker]

Someone got a Kleenex?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAXlA9dKTaU

Seth let me down

“We’ve proved we belong,” Marshall said. “And I think we’re better as an underdog, when nothing’s expected. We’re underdogs, which we’ll clearly be on Saturday, and I think that’s when we’re at our best.”

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/04/01/274...#storylink=cpy

[forevershockerfan]

SN has been through a Sweet 16 years ago. However, we have been posting, predicting, and discussing such topics as an Elite 8 and a Final Four for the first time concerning our own beloved Shocker Team. How about that?!! We have even been beating Vegas this Season and far exceeding such predictions as 4th in the Valley Race? Yeal, slightly we surpassed that funny one. Now, how about us beating the odds again for a shot at the Championship and then a win to become National Champions. SN will go viral like never before. Stranger things have happened and we still play these games and beat odds, one at a time.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

SN has been through a Sweet 16 years ago. However, we have been posting, predicting, and discussing such topics as an Elite 8 and a Final Four for the first time concerning our own beloved Shocker Team. How about that?!! We have even been beating Vegas this Season and far exceeding such predictions as 4th in the Valley Race? Yeal, slightly we surpassed that funny one. Now, how about us beating the odds again for a shot at the Championship and then a win to become National Champions. SN will go viral like never before. Stranger things have happened and we still play these games and beat odds, one at a time.

Heres the deal @forevershockerfan:


WE PLAY ON SATURDAY!

[another shocker]

there is no difference between reading the louisville message boards or the ohio state message boards (prior to elite eight). it's like carbon copy, almost word for word. "shockers don't belong". uncanny. when the shockers win in fine fashion, you'll be singing a different tune, 'cards.

[forevershockerfan]

Heres the deal @forevershockerfan:


WE PLAY ON SATURDAY!

I like it!!! I like it alot! That is some awesome sauce Mr. Malone!!!

[another shocker]

The Northern Iowa game was a head scratcher, but it was also our first non-home game of the season in an EXTREMELY hot gym (Bahamas), and playing against an experienced tourney coach, as well as the issues Kirk mentioned. Luke Hancock might as well have been Luke Skywalker trying to play basketball back in 2012. His shoulder injury was worse than our trainer had ever seen, and he has to warm up physically for over 20 minutes before he can even come out on the court to truly warm-up. He has been invaluable in the tournament, so his lack of progression, as well as Ware's were a big reason for the lack of continuity early on, and UNI plays smart basketball, much like the other teams that beat us later on. Mizzou loves to run and turned the ball over a bunch, which is a formula for a blow-out, and also when Dieng broke his wrist.

for the Ill. State game, Dieng was out, and we started Zach Price (who hasn't played since the beginning of 2013, if I'm not mistaken - now not even the 3rd string). Not sure what happened there, but he was no Dieng, that's for sure. Stephan Van Treese (the backup C) played the majority of the minutes, and he just isn't the shot changer and inside force that Dieng is. He can grab rebounds and do the general dirty work, but defense is his shortcoming. ISU got into the lane with ease with Pitino making lineup changes, and no shotblocker there to prevent drivers. ISU made only 5 3's in the game and scored mostly on the interior.

In other words, things are much different now. We have the help defense on the interior now with the development of Montrezl Harrell and Luke Hancock, the return of Dieng, and also Russ Smith has become much more of an overall team player.

You might have heard the term "Russdiculous", and it fits him perfectly. He is a NYC scorer type, not really a passer, and it took much of the season and the LOW point of taking insanely poor shots in the 5 OT loss @ ND to get him to see the light. His growth and maturity are also a major reason for our surge since that game.

illinois state was playing their best basketball of the season when wichita state went in to normal, illinois. egads.. luckily for you, you didn't have to go there then, even with dieng. not an enjoyable experience (except for the final score, where wichita state was concerned).