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NCAA Tournament: Dayton, Rhody & VCU

14K views 151 replies 33 participants last post by  Bill Russell 
#1 ·
THURSDAY



FRIDAY


 
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#2 ·
Dayton the biggest 6 seed underdog in over a decade. I know Wichita is good and Dayton lost their last two, but Dayton LOVES playing as an uderdog.

As of this morning URI was the team getting the highest percentage of spread bets. Hope their psycho coach can keep them focused, not believing their own hype. Creighton still ahs some good players even without Watson, but hopefully Rhody takes it to them.

VCU gets brutal draw with Jock Lonsdale and KenPom [URL=http://www.basketballforum.com/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=1]#1 4[/URL] St. Mary's. Pomeroy likes St. Mary's by 10, but Vegas only by 4.5 - rarely ever seen a difference like that except because of an injury. Gales are one of the best passing teams in the country and the #1 defensive rebounding % team. Hopefully Jequan can disurpt their ball handling and VCU can attack the rim over and over and over. Gonzaga got into the paint at will against them all three games (granted, that's a really good Gonzaga team) and the Zags' PF had a big game all three times, so I'm looking for Tillman to step up and for Johnny Williams to muscle his way to the basket.

Hate having to play two mid-majors and a glorified MVC team, but I believe we can get a couple of upsets.
 
#3 ·
I'm thinking much of what you have said. URI has the best matchup of the 3 A10 teams. Dayton/Wichita is about as diabolical a move by the NCAA as they could pull off. VCU needs to establish Havoc early and often.

Good luck to those still playing.
 
#17 ·
Yeah, thanks, '84. WVU was #5 in kenpom earlier this week, and I thought that this was a very unfortunate draw, which of course it was. I really thought the Bison had a decent chance at a few #4 seeds, but when I sat down to watch the game today I felt like I was going to a funeral. I really expected a 20+ point loss.

The top 9 players in minutes played this year all are coming back, so next year should be interesting. Many a slip twixt the cup and the lip, and all that, but there's no reason this team can't be a top 50 next year; and potentially a mid-top 50. Coming out of the Patriot League, there's little or no chance of an at-large even if they are, though, so they'd better win the god damn conference championship again.

I sure wish Bona and Bucknell could get together for a game next year. They might both have a chance at picking up a top 50 win.
 
#22 ·
This reminds me of the GW vs. UNC-Wilmington game in the tourney about a decade ago (after GW went 16-0 in conference) when GW was a little off and UNC-W absolutely shot the lights out in the first half. GW came back from down 18 in the last 12 minutes in that game. VCU isn't quite the team that one was, but St. Mary's has miss more shots this half, even if open, right?
 
#25 ·
VCU is probably in the play-in game - or out - without the refs handing them back to back games vs. the Bonnies and GW.

That said, this isn't about VCU sucking, this is about them playing a team that is executing at an extremely high level and VCU being just a bit off their best in the face of it.

Still time to make a run, but they have to be more efficient on offense.
 
#28 · (Edited)
These refs just brutal on VCU.

St. Mary's broke a guy's nose I think with no call, they hit Lewis so hard they sent him to the locker room with no call, they hammer them inside on every possession with no call, and now on a rebound, they tackle a VCU player and the refs call it on VCU. Amazing.


Then again, what's that old basketball saying, "Live by the refs, die by the refs"
 
#32 ·
OK, bitter man. We know what the A-10 is this year. Did you really think VCU was going to beat St. Mary's? St. Mary's is really good. Better than VCU. Underseeded (and VCU probably overseeded thanks to the two calls against Bona and GW).

They had a chance to win, but St. Mary's played too well in the first half, and VCU hasn't gotten a break.

But regardless, one game doesn't decide what we are as a league. Nor would winning all 3 games or losing all 3. It's a tourney. Weird things happen because it's not a best of 7 series. We already know it's a down year for the league, so I'm not sure what you are even ranting about.
 
#49 ·
VCU was a flawed team that played with grit. I had hopes they would beat St Mary's but VCU just did not have any shooters not named Lewis this year. Shooting from outside was never consistent. It is what it is. I thought they fought hard tonight and I do not think they shit the bed. They fouled the bed but they did not shit it.
I think these two opinions sum it up pretty well. I thought we had a legitimate shot against SMC, but wasn't extremely confident going into it. They are a good team and probably deserved to be a higher seed. This game was a lot like the championship game against Rhode Island...VCU gets down big early, makes a 2nd half run to get close, but can't get over the hump. Poor shot selection and rushed offensive possessions were the biggest problem last night. And as AA said, this team had so many flaws this year on the offensive end, it's not surprising.

I know the offseason just started for us, but I am really curious and excited about next year's team. I had pegged this year and next as more-or-less transition years. This year went better than expected. Next year with no proven shooters on the team (instead of just one this year) coupled with the freshmen we have coming in and the youth on the team (4 fresh, 5 sophs), VCU could look very different.
 
#35 ·
I hated that game but I loved JeQuan's heart. This season was good due to the main fact that VCU laid enough bricks to build a city. The team showed grit all year but it is hard to win without shooters. On to the offseason. Good luck to Dayton and Rhody.
 
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#37 ·
VCU was a flawed team that played with grit. I had hopes they would beat St Mary's but VCU just did not have any shooters not named Lewis this year. Shooting from outside was never consistent. It is what it is. I thought they fought hard tonight and I do not think they shit the bed. They fouled the bed but they did not shit it.
 
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