I'm a Louisville fan, here's our scouting report, ask me anything...

[_kai_]

Maybe our leadership could be just as quick putting the ax to those foreign fans who are doing nothing but trolling as it was for one of our own.

Report the posts, it's much quicker than bitching about the mods.

[SubGod22]

But it's not as fun :)

[Jeffrey Korchek]

You absolutely can. And because Loo-evil also LOST to Duke this year, you can derive this:

WSU > Iowa > Virginia > Duke > Loo-evil

or you can go

WSU > VCU > FGCU > Georgetown > Loo-evil

or

WSU > Pitt > Georgetown > Loo-evil

Therefore we're gonna win!!!

Well, if we're going by the transitive property of sports, this site predicted a Wichita State championship all the way back on March 5: http://collegespun.com/national/this...s#.UV2EgBmkCuU

[Kung Wu]

Well, if we're going by the transitive property of sports, this site predicted a Wichita State championship all the way back on March 5: http://collegespun.com/national/this...s#.UV2EgBmkCuU

Holy mindblowers, Batman.

[WstateU]

Well, if we're going by the transitive property of sports, this site predicted a Wichita State championship all the way back on March 5: http://collegespun.com/national/this...s#.UV2EgBmkCuU

There's that old friggin' WSU logo again...

[SHOCKvalue]

There's that old friggin' WSU logo again...

Yeah, the new one is muy bueno.

[Cdizzle]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/statistics/team/_/stat/steals/seasontype/2

WSU has played 4 games against these teams. @VCU, @ Bradley, Southern Miss @ IBA, Bradley. WSU is 4-0 in those games.

In head-to-head match-ups, WSU has 5 more steals (36-31) and one less turnover (58-59). Keep in mind that 2 of these games were on the road and the third at IBA. Two of these games were played without 3 starters, 2 of whom have since returned. Also of note, while we're on defensive specialty stats, WSU out-blocked these teams 24-8. Without 2nd leading shot-blocker Carl Hall for 2 of the games.

Does any of this mean anything for the upcoming game? Probably not. But don't let anyone tell you WSU should be shaking in their boots because of the ball pressure Louisville is going to apply (I'm looking at you, every sports pundit I've heard this week).

[deep3card]

1. Gonzaga was not the most overrated #1 seed ever. Just like every other #1 other than Louisville, they lost to a team that made the Final Four. KU lost to TCU this season meaning Gonzaga probably wasn't even the most overrated #1 seed this year. I would hope that Louisville fans would give more respect to non-BCS teams that do nothing but win and can't get respect from the "big boys" given their history.

2. I keep hearing from UL fans that we shouldn't consider games like UNI, Illinois St., and Pitt because UL is on a double-digit win streak where they are playing much better than they were earlier. That is a perfectly fair argument. However, keep in mind that Ohio State was on an 11 game win streak when we met them (and the Big 10 is hardly chopped liver). Either being on a hot streak is predictive or it's not, but you've got to choose.

How was Gonzaga NOT the most overrated #1 seed ever? They beat TWO ranked teams the ENTIRE season, and those teams (Okla St and Kansas St, which was unranked when they played) BOTH lost 3 of their last 5 to close out the season. The 2 other "ranked" teams they lost to during the season ended the regular season unranked. So, the Oklahoma and Kansas State wins were their entire body of work for playing decent teams well. They snuck past #16 Southern in round 2, and then you guys laid the death blow to their season in the next game.

The only argument for a weaker #1 seed would be St. Joesph's, but they had 2 NBA players on that team (Nelson and Delonte West) and went undefeated in the regular season.

Ohio State was more up and down this season, but because of their late run, as I said either in this thread or another thread, that it was your most impressive victory of the tourney. You stopped their run and forced them to play your game. Their lack of a post presence really hurt them against you guys too.

As a side note - this site times out much faster than any other site I've visited. If I type a long response, I pretty much lose it because I get logged out somewhere between starting and posting.

[Cdizzle]

How was Gonzaga NOT the most overrated #1 seed ever? They beat TWO ranked teams the ENTIRE season, and those teams (Okla St and Kansas St, which was unranked when they played) BOTH lost 3 of their last 5 to close out the season. The 2 other "ranked" teams they lost to during the season ended the regular season unranked. So, the Oklahoma and Kansas State wins were their entire body of work for playing decent teams well. They snuck past #16 Southern in round 2, and then you guys laid the death blow to their season in the next game.

The only argument for a weaker #1 seed would be St. Joesph's, but they had 2 NBA players on that team (Nelson and Delonte West) and went undefeated in the regular season.

Ohio State was more up and down this season, but because of their late run, as I said either in this thread or another thread, that it was your most impressive victory of the tourney. You stopped their run and forced them to play your game. Their lack of a post presence really hurt them against you guys too.

As a side note - this site times out much faster than any other site I've visited. If I type a long response, I pretty much lose it because I get logged out somewhere between starting and posting.

If rankings are all that matter, then Gonzaga was the most UNDERrated 1 seed THIS YEAR. Again, you can't have it both ways.

[deep3card]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...s/seasontype/2

WSU has played 4 games against these teams. @VCU, @ Bradley, Southern Miss @ IBA, Bradley. WSU is 4-0 in those games.

In head-to-head match-ups, WSU has 5 more steals (36-31) and one less turnover (58-59). Keep in mind that 2 of these games were on the road and the third at IBA. Two of these games were played without 3 starters, 2 of whom have since returned. Also of note, while we're on defensive specialty stats, WSU out-blocked these teams 24-8. Without 2nd leading shot-blocker Carl Hall for 2 of the games.

Does any of this mean anything for the upcoming game? Probably not. But don't let anyone tell you WSU should be shaking in their boots because of the ball pressure Louisville is going to apply (I'm looking at you, every sports pundit I've heard this week).

Comparing any of those teams to us is asinine. Because they don't have the offensive firepower to make you pay in transition like Louisville does. As Coach Pitino said, our losses have come from a lack of mental focus (Particularly the ND 5 OT game and the Villanova game). I can't imagine any team being unfocused at this point in the season.

I don't think you're going to be shaking in your boots at all. A confident team that already beat a Big East team and a Big 10 team so far in the tourney shouldn't be fearful of anyone they play at this point.

Shooting in a dome can possibly make a HUGE difference if you're not used to it. I'm nowhere near a decent athlete, but I've played basketball competitively since I was 13 (37 now). As primarily an outside shooter, I can tell you that your vision of the basket is incredibly important, and while domes try to put dark backgrounds up to help with shot vision, it won't work when the dome is utilizing the entire stadium for seating. If you look at stats for all of the Final Four teams of the last 8-10 seasons, there are very few that shoot their average % when playing in a dome versus anywhere else, unless you already have experience in a dome, like Syracuse. We shot 2-13 from 3 point range vs Duke, and 4-13 vs Oregon at the Indianapolis Colts stadium, and we shoot 33% on average.

[cardinalfan123]

I just hope Digger picks you guys to win. We're undefeated when he picks against us.

[The Mad Hatter]

How was Gonzaga NOT the most overrated #1 seed ever? They beat TWO ranked teams the ENTIRE season, and those teams (Okla St and Kansas St, which was unranked when they played) BOTH lost 3 of their last 5 to close out the season. The 2 other "ranked" teams they lost to during the season ended the regular season unranked. So, the Oklahoma and Kansas State wins were their entire body of work for playing decent teams well. They snuck past #16 Southern in round 2, and then you guys laid the death blow to their season in the next game.

The only argument for a weaker #1 seed would be St. Joesph's, but they had 2 NBA players on that team (Nelson and Delonte West) and went undefeated in the regular season.

Ohio State was more up and down this season, but because of their late run, as I said either in this thread or another thread, that it was your most impressive victory of the tourney. You stopped their run and forced them to play your game. Their lack of a post presence really hurt them against you guys too.

As a side note - this site times out much faster than any other site I've visited. If I type a long response, I pretty much lose it because I get logged out somewhere between starting and posting.

First on Gonzaga, playing a weaker conference does not make you a weaker team as long as you win the games you are supposed to win. There are numerous different statistical measuring systems (including KenPom and Sagarin) that try to evaluate the strength of different teams that played different schedule. Here is the Massey comparison of 59 of those systems from right before the tournament:

http://www.masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm

Louisville is #1. Gonzaga is #2. All the statistical measures say that they were a #1 seed. I don't care who you are or where you play, going undefeated in your conference is a big deal because every school knows you and you are their "superbowl" every single game. As for pro players, Olynyk is likely an NBA lottery pick. Elias Harris has an NBA shot, and Pangos is an awfully good player as well. Watching both Gonzaga and Ohio State first hand, there is no doubt it my mind that Gonzaga is not only the better team, they are substantially better.

Consider this, so far in this tournament, the biggest lead any team NOT named Gonzaga has had over WSU is 2 points. Gonzaga had an 8 point lead on us at one point. In addition, that 8 point second half lead represents the ONLY second half lead any team has held on WSU in this tournament.

As for the problem with being logged out, try clicking the remember me button when you login. It should solve that problem.

[Cdizzle]

Comparing any of those teams to us is asinine. Because they don't have the offensive firepower to make you pay in transition like Louisville does. As Coach Pitino said, our losses have come from a lack of mental focus (Particularly the ND 5 OT game and the Villanova game). I can't imagine any team being unfocused at this point in the season.

I don't think you're going to be shaking in your boots at all. A confident team that already beat a Big East team and a Big 10 team so far in the tourney shouldn't be fearful of anyone they play at this point.

Shooting in a dome can possibly make a HUGE difference if you're not used to it. I'm nowhere near a decent athlete, but I've played basketball competitively since I was 13 (37 now). As primarily an outside shooter, I can tell you that your vision of the basket is incredibly important, and while domes try to put dark backgrounds up to help with shot vision, it won't work when the dome is utilizing the entire stadium for seating. If you look at stats for all of the Final Four teams of the last 8-10 seasons, there are very few that shoot their average % when playing in a dome versus anywhere else, unless you already have experience in a dome, like Syracuse. We shot 2-13 from 3 point range vs Duke, and 4-13 vs Oregon at the Indianapolis Colts stadium, and we shoot 33% on average.

This post is all over the place. Thanks for the info on Domes, I guess? WSU also beat the #1 team in the country, which is much more impressive than just beating a Big10 or BigEast team.

I'm not comparing a team's ability to score in transition. I'm comparing a team's ability to turn another team over.

[malicecooper]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...s/seasontype/2

WSU has played 4 games against these teams. @VCU, @ Bradley, Southern Miss @ IBA, Bradley. WSU is 4-0 in those games.

In head-to-head match-ups, WSU has 5 more steals (36-31) and one less turnover (58-59). Keep in mind that 2 of these games were on the road and the third at IBA. Two of these games were played without 3 starters, 2 of whom have since returned. Also of note, while we're on defensive specialty stats, WSU out-blocked these teams 24-8. Without 2nd leading shot-blocker Carl Hall for 2 of the games.

Does any of this mean anything for the upcoming game? Probably not. But don't let anyone tell you WSU should be shaking in their boots because of the ball pressure Louisville is going to apply (I'm looking at you, every sports pundit I've heard this week).

I can't stand that the talking heads act like this is a huge mismatch and go ahead victory for U of L, and I'm even a U of L fan. Wichita State had to play some damn good basketball to get to the final four, and beat some good teams along the way. They deserve recognition for being a very good team, not a team who lucked into their situation.

That said, the only team of that list that applies pressure like U of L is VCU in their press. Outside of their press and the intensity with which they go after the ball handlers in that press... there really is no similarity. VCU this year applied fantastic pressure in the back court, but less than stellar in their half court defense. Part of that, in my opinion, is attributed to their small line up. They are such a guard heavy team, and many of those guards are actually quite small. They ran a lot of 3G/2F sets and occasionally threw out some 4G lineups. It was very easy to shoot over top VCU and it was even easier to harass them in the paint. Then factor in that they didn't rotate back on the press quick enough, allowed many wide open runners to the basket, and you had a team that really broke down quite frequently and gave up easy points

So with that being said, I'm not going to go on about Louisville defense because then I'm just doing the same thing the talking heads do. I'm not going to claim how our defense shuts you down, or that you can't handle it, but I will say it is a type of defense you haven't seen all year. That could be a good thing, it could be a bad thing. It could be good because maybe its a defensive setup your players adjust to and react well against, but at the same time it could be a bad thing because it is a hard setup to scout and counter, and much of how you counter relies on team make up more than anything else. That and having a good coach who can make offensive adjustments to beat it, and I think Gregg Marshall is an excellent coach.

Ultimately, if WSU keeps shooting well from the 3 point line, then you are a team that could counter us. I know you have multiple players who can line up behind the arc, I know you have a couple great catch and shoot players, and I know that there are a couple guys who have a great step back three point shot. That worries me much more than Carl Hall on the interior, although I greatly respect the game Carl Hall plays. He's got some great post moves, and really knows how to protect his shot with the basket from shot blocking centers. I really expect this to be a good game, because the Shockers are hot at the right time just like the Cards are. Both are coming off emotional runs (for two different reasons), and both have overcome some great adversity throughout the season. Both teams are fearless, both teams are physical, both have very good defenses, and both are playing some incredibly solid offense. Here's to hoping for a clean game, well officiated, and no injuries.

[Shockeriffic]

Comparing any of those teams to us is asinine. Because they don't have the offensive firepower to make you pay in transition like Louisville does. As Coach Pitino said, our losses have come from a lack of mental focus (Particularly the ND 5 OT game and the Villanova game). I can't imagine any team being unfocused at this point in the season.

I don't think you're going to be shaking in your boots at all. A confident team that already beat a Big East team and a Big 10 team so far in the tourney shouldn't be fearful of anyone they play at this point.

Shooting in a dome can possibly make a HUGE difference if you're not used to it. I'm nowhere near a decent athlete, but I've played basketball competitively since I was 13 (37 now). As primarily an outside shooter, I can tell you that your vision of the basket is incredibly important, and while domes try to put dark backgrounds up to help with shot vision, it won't work when the dome is utilizing the entire stadium for seating. If you look at stats for all of the Final Four teams of the last 8-10 seasons, there are very few that shoot their average % when playing in a dome versus anywhere else, unless you already have experience in a dome, like Syracuse. We shot 2-13 from 3 point range vs Duke, and 4-13 vs Oregon at the Indianapolis Colts stadium, and we shoot 33% on average.

So comparing games against other teams that get a lot of turnovers is asinine? That doesn't make any sense to me. The point of that was to illustrate that pressure defense doesn't bother this team.

Also it sounds like Louisville is used to shooting poorly in a dome and you expect Wichita State to also shoot poorly in a dome. Sounds like that effect will hurt both teams equally.