March Madness 2013 discussion

[Razor Shines]

I'm just messing with you, WMR, you know I yelled at my kids and locked my wife in the bathroom for three hours because she wasn't sitting the right spot during the game.

[WMR]

I'm just messing with you, WMR, you know I yelled at my kids and locked my wife in the bathroom for three hours because she wasn't sitting the right spot during the game.

You should know by now you don't need to say it.

I'm sure I'll hear it next season from everyone who dislikes UK (everyone besides UK fans ) if UK doesn't win it all with the expectations they're going to have heaped on their shoulders.

On a serious note, as I said in another thread, I honestly believe cutting down those nets was a mistake by Crean. It fostered a false sense of accomplishment when there was still tons of work left to do.

[Hoosier Red]

On a serious note, as I said in another thread, I honestly believe cutting down those nets was a mistake by Crean. It fostered a false sense of accomplishment when there was still tons of work left to do.

You may be right. It's easy to guess the psychological impact of actions with very little data to corroborate both the input and output. (Fun too!)

This didn't really strike me as a team too wrapped up in its own accomplishments, if anything, the guys seemed to be harder on themselves than warranted. With that in mind, a ceremony recognizing that no matter what they could look back on the season as a success might have allowed them to play a little more freely. Obviously that didn't happen, or if it did, the effects didn't last very long.

[Boston Red]

Ouch you really got me?

Football smack from the liddle bros in a march madness thread... When liddle bro is still alive...

It's about as relevant as talking about 2012 and 1987 in a thread clearly labeled 2013.

You must love your little brother, though, because you talk about him on this board more than anyone for sure. I can't wait for the flurry of posts you have ready should Louisville manage to lose at some point this March.

[WMR]

It's about as relevant as talking about 2012 and 1987 in a thread clearly labeled 2013.

You must love your little brother, though, because you talk about him on this board more than anyone for sure. I can't wait for the flurry of posts you have ready should Louisville manage to lose at some point this March.

Here's hoping!

I don't know though, you guys got a gift wrapped path to the elite 8 and UL is looking pretty damn good right now.

[WMR]

You may be right. It's easy to guess the psychological impact of actions with very little data to corroborate both the input and output. (Fun too!)

This didn't really strike me as a team too wrapped up in its own accomplishments, if anything, the guys seemed to be harder on themselves than warranted. With that in mind, a ceremony recognizing that no matter what they could look back on the season as a success might have allowed them to play a little more freely. Obviously that didn't happen, or if it did, the effects didn't last very long.

Do you think Crean adequately prepared his team for the Cuse zone and they didn't perform how he wished or was the prep inadequate or was the team just not able to handle it?

Did IU peak too soon? They honestly didn't look like the same team I saw in January/early Feb.

Probably the most important question at this point: are zeller and dipo coming back?

[bucksfan2]

Do you think Crean adequately prepared his team for the Cuse zone and they didn't perform how he wished or was the prep inadequate or was the team just not able to handle it?

Did IU peak too soon? They honestly didn't look like the same team I saw in January/early Feb.

Probably the most important question at this point: are zeller and dipo coming back?

I don't think Crean adequately prepared his team. I actually think it was a pretty poor job of coaching on his behalf. You would think that Watford would have been able to successfully play right around the foul line with Oladipo and another shooter on the wing and Zeller down low.

I think IU may have peaked earlier than that. The thing I saw was IU has the most talent of any team in the country. I think for the most part they stayed status quo throughout the season. When the book came out on how to best them, be more physical, slow the game down, IU really didn't adapt.

I think Zeller and Oladipo are gone.

[dabvu2498]

I'm glad Cal is finding time to tip a few brews between signing the greatest recruiting class in the history of collegiate athletics.

Yeah. Heaven forbid if he had to do game prep or run practice right now.

[Hoosier Red]

Do you think Crean adequately prepared his team for the Cuse zone and they didn't perform how he wished or was the prep inadequate or was the team just not able to handle it?

Did IU peak too soon? They honestly didn't look like the same team I saw in January/early Feb.

Probably the most important question at this point: are zeller and dipo coming back?

I think the preparation angle is slightly overblown and it misses the weakness I do think Crean shows on occasion. From an X & O standpoint, they knew what they had to do. The first few possessions they got to the back of the zone and had three decent looks. (None of which went down, and they were only 3-6 on the Free Throws, usually a strength.)
But after a turnover or two, the team definitely got rattled. All of a sudden even when they'd find an opening in the zone, they didn't trust what they were seeing and would hesitate.
Against any defense, if you hesitate, you're in trouble. If you hesitate against that zone, you're dead.

Where Crean failed wasn't in preparing the team, but in keeping them calm and focused during that first 10 minutes.

As for whether they peaked too soon, the data is noisy. Any team would look like it had "peaked" when it's schedule was as backloaded as Indiana's. I think peaking at the right time is a lot like clutch hitting, it's very difficult to measure and there are going to be infinitely more cases of false positives and false negatives used as evidence. In my mind, the safer bet is to take the best team you possibly can, play as well as you can any particular night, and hope for the best.

The last question is the easiest to answer. Hell no. They're not coming back, nor should they. Zeller may not be ready for the NBA(I submit this has been overblown) but he's not going to prove anything next year other than he wasted a year where he could be making a couple of million dollars.

[Razor Shines]

On a serious note, as I said in another thread, I honestly believe cutting down those nets was a mistake by Crean. It fostered a false sense of accomplishment when there was still tons of work left to do.

I don't disagree. I don't know what effect that had on the team but it's certainly possible it wasn't good.

On a side note to your serious note. I meant to post in this thread last night but my thunder has been slightly stolen:

Post game, Washington, DC. Indiana locker room. Team sits quietly in sorrow as it awaits the arrival of its coach, Tom Cream. Crean bursts in with hands above his head in triumph shouting "Back to back Sweet Sixteeeeeeens!!!"

[joshnky]

Just like my life wouldn't really be any better if IU had won the tournament last year as apposed to not winning since 1987, but for some it's a big part of their lives. That's another way to go.

This. I honestly don't care that UofL has won two titles. I hope they win this year but a sporting event doesn't really impact my life much one way or the other outside of the actual moment of the game.

I've reached the point where I feel sorry for people who get so worked up over a game and the relative status of their program.

[Scrap Irony]

This. I honestly don't care that UofL has won two titles. I hope they win this year but a sporting event doesn't really impact my life much one way or the other outside of the actual moment of the game.

I've reached the point where I feel sorry for people who get so worked up over a game and the relative status of their program.

Shenanigans.

I'd have agreed with your assessment, except I've read your posts here on Redszone. You only post when Louisville wins or when Kentucky loses. You're a Louisville homer who lives and dies with his team-- and you take a savage joy in seeing your biggest rival laid low.

In other words, you're just like the rest of us.

[joshnky]

Shenanigans.

I'd have agreed with your assessment, except I've read your posts here on Redszone. You only post when Louisville wins or when Kentucky loses. You're a Louisville homer who lives and dies with his team-- and you take a savage joy in seeing your biggest rival laid low.

In other words, you're just like the rest of us.

You're probably right that I'm more similar than I'd like to admit.

[Scrap Irony]

Not a biggie.

We all want our teams to beat the living snot out of all the other ones-- especially the "big bads" that are our rivals.

According to Charles Barkley, this is Louisville's year.

[RiverRat13]

Worldwide Wes banned from credentialed access in Indy:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ament/2037075/