2012 NCAA Tournament

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by RiverRat13

I'd guess Boals takes over. And while I obviously can't prove it, I think he'll be an upgrade to Groce in Athens.

The interesting thing in regards to Groce will be Chicago recruiting. The high school coaches in Chicago wanted a minority to be hired at Illinois.

I've read on other message boards that Chicago in general is at odds with the state's flagship school.

You would think Illinois would be successful with a major city to draw from, but the Chicago public schools have been at odds with the University since they hired Bill Self and never really got over it. The fact that Illinois couldn't keep Derrick Rose or Anthony Davis, two of the top in-state prospects, from leaving should say something.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by WVRed

I've read on other message boards that Chicago in general is at odds with the state's flagship school.

You would think Illinois would be successful with a major city to draw from, but the Chicago public schools have been at odds with the University since they hired Bill Self and never really got over it. The fact that Illinois couldn't keep Derrick Rose or Anthony Davis, two of the top in-state prospects, from leaving should say something.

Illinois has never gotten the Chicago players. Even Lou Henson failed at it.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by WVRed

I've read on other message boards that Chicago in general is at odds with the state's flagship school.

You would think Illinois would be successful with a major city to draw from, but the Chicago public schools have been at odds with the University since they hired Bill Self and never really got over it. The fact that Illinois couldn't keep Derrick Rose or Anthony Davis, two of the top in-state prospects, from leaving should say something.

Evan Turner, Lenzel Smith Jr, and Sam Thompson look awfully good in Buckeye red and they came from Chicago.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

Evan Turner, Lenzel Smith Jr, and Sam Thompson look awfully good in Buckeye red and they came from Chicago.

LOL......and all Illini nation wonders why?

[RiverRat13]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

Illinois has never gotten the Chicago players. Even Lou Henson failed at it.

Yep. Kind of like Maryland with D.C. If the Chicago and D.C. pipelines were perpetually flowing, Illinois and Maryland would be two of the top 10 jobs in the nation. For some reason that isn't the case.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by RiverRat13

Yep. Kind of like Maryland with D.C. If the Chicago and D.C. pipelines were perpetually flowing, Illinois and Maryland would be two of the top 10 jobs in the nation. For some reason that isn't the case.

Very good point. Heck, IU and Notre Dame have great players from the D.C. area.

[Scrap Irony]

KSR's CM Tomlin came up with this Final Four Story:

You don’t have to tell Famous Coach how important Saturday’s game is. He already knows.

A scrawled, painted banner hangs on Fan’s house saying that this is the year for Basketball Team to win it all. Assistant Coach’s daughter kissed him goodbye at the airport, telling him to “win it all, Daddy.” A handwritten note, penned by Someone Who Couldn’t Make It, hangs on a locker in the New Orleans Arena locker room reading “This is Team’s year.” Students at University have ditched their classes and carpooled to the Big Easy for a glimpse of the moment when Team would bring home the trophy.

This is the Final Four.

Best Player has been waiting for this moment his entire life, from the moment he set foot on a basketball court for the first time when he was in the sixth grade. His opponent? Fellow Player. They didn’t know it then, but they’d soon join up to lead Team to the championship. And now all comes down to this.

Famous Coach has breakfast with Moral Center Of The Team once a week. They talk about the team, the game of the previous weekend, the game of the upcoming weekend. “This team’s really magical, you know,” Moral Center Of The Team told Famous Coach on Thursday morning during their weekly meal, a tear misting in his eye. He knows, more than anyone, how special this team truly is. Because these teammates are more than another University team. They’re his friends. His family. They’re there for each other.

They picked each other up off the floor after a devastating loss to Awful Team early in the season, and kept each others’ spirits high when Middle-Tier Team beat them or came close to beating them. When the sports pundits said Team wasn’t what they were supposed to be, they didn’t listen. When the papers tried to challenge Famous Coach’s credentials by rehashing past controversies, he refused to let their attacks get to him. When Beloved Senior missed three or more games due to Injury, Team rallied to win games in his honor. “We had to do it for Beloved Senior,” said Player With Questionable Past, “because that’s what we do.”

In City, the streets run Color with Team spirit. Because City is a place where basketball truly means something. Where young men dream of playing for University someday, and grown men recall the past greats which gave University the legacy it holds today. Just ask Old Man in Barbershop. He’ll tell you what it meant to see Past Great play ball. He still remembers watching Famous Game on his black and white television, back before City had high-definition television, or even cable TV. He remembers how that Win or Loss felt. He’ll tell you how important University basketball is. He’s lived it.

No one knows what it means to be a Team Nickname more than Walkon, who was once told by doctors he’d never play basketball again. After Time Frame of intense physical therapy, of doubts in himself, of questions whether it was all worth it, he finally picked up the basketball again. And now he’s one of Team’s most valuable assets. His parents are there at every game, watching his every second. His Father laid off from Job, his mother working overtime as an Occupation and an Occupation to send Walkon to Basketball Camp. To Walkon, it’s more than just a game. It’s the reward for a lifelong struggle.

On Saturday, Famous Coach will face Famous Coach for the first time since Last Time. The two have known each other for years, once being Relationship and now each leading his own team to the fight for the NCAA trophy. They’ll be on opposite ends of the court on Saturday, but make no mistake that surely they’ll be looking at one another with Emotion. For forty intense minutes, Emotion won’t matter. There are bigger things at stake.

As Fan Favorite told reporters on Thursday, “We have to do this for State. And University. And Famous Coach, who believed in all of us.”

And we all know what that means. Because this is the Final Four.

Pithy Closing Line.

Greatest. Story. Ever.

[Johnny Footstool]

http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/new...30/ohio-state/

An excellent article outlining Ohio State's weaknesses (gives up a lot of threes, not great at shooting threes) and strengths (everything else).

Both teams play basically the same style. It's going to come down to which team sinks threes.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by WVRed

I've read on other message boards that Chicago in general is at odds with the state's flagship school.

You would think Illinois would be successful with a major city to draw from, but the Chicago public schools have been at odds with the University since they hired Bill Self and never really got over it. The fact that Illinois couldn't keep Derrick Rose or Anthony Davis, two of the top in-state prospects, from leaving should say something.

There's, apparently, quite a large "pay to play" aspect to Chicago recruiting.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

There's, apparently, quite a large "pay to play" aspect to Chicago recruiting.

LMAO!!!!!!!!

[traderumor]

With respect to the "Clash of the Titans" Final Four, with really only Louisville unexpected but still a top 4 seed, I'm sure high ratings are expected. Last year, with the upset special Final Four, ratings were low. I imagine tickets were accessible and less money flowed to the ticket clearinghouses.

The irony there is that while one of the attractions of the tournament is "anyone can win," when the rubber meets the road, folks want to see the tradition and the powerhouses duke it out in the end. The little dog gets his day through to the Sweet 16, but folks really don't want to watch Butler in the finals. They want Final Fours like this year. They want Kentucky, Duke, N. Carolina, Kansas, Ohio State, et al. They want the powerhouses to watch this weekend.

And it may not be right, but I'm right there with them, regardless of my team included. There's just a different atmosphere when the big boys are playing on this weekend.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by traderumor

With respect to the "Clash of the Titans" Final Four, with really only Louisville unexpected but still a top 4 seed, I'm sure high ratings are expected. Last year, with the upset special Final Four, ratings were low. I imagine tickets were accessible and less money flowed to the ticket clearinghouses.

The irony there is that while one of the attractions of the tournament is "anyone can win," when the rubber meets the road, folks want to see the tradition and the powerhouses duke it out in the end. The little dog gets his day through to the Sweet 16, but folks really don't want to watch Butler in the finals. They want Final Fours like this year. They want Kentucky, Duke, N. Carolina, Kansas, Ohio State, et al. They want the powerhouses to watch this weekend.

And it may not be right, but I'm right there with them, regardless of my team included. There's just a different atmosphere when the big boys are playing on this weekend.

I am with ya. I like seeing the big boys play.

[Tony Cloninger]

Can they just introduce the players and get on with the game?

We have to hear "Party People in the House" and a montage of just corny stuff.... just get on with the game.

Yes..I'm old....but does not mean I don't have a point.

[Ohayou]

I wish the NBA would change that 1 year rule. Kentucky is ridiculous.

[WVRed]

Kansas is imploding.

I think Ohio State is the most likely team to knock off Kentucky:

1. Davis won't have a game like he did tonight against Louisville. Dieng is a good center, but Sullinger is more formidable. At best I think the two cancel each other out.

2. DeShaun Thomas and Terrence Jones is a wash with a slight edge to Ohio State. Jones is the type of player that if he turns it on, he can carry Kentucky. Both are similar players though.

3. Kentucky's advantage is at the wings and penetrating. MKG, Lamb, and Miller all carving inside. Haven't followed Ohio State much this year so I don't know how they will respond, either with a zone or man to man. Kentucky can hit the three if needed but the dome will play a factor for both teams.

4. PG is the matchup of the game with Craft on Teague. Craft is going to be the most cerebral PG Kentucky has faced all season and is such a defensive nightmare that I think will give Teague fits. He gave Knight all he could handle last season and Knight is a better PG than Teague right now.

5. Kentucky won tonight by natural talent. Nerves were showing tonight, especially another meltdown from the line tonight by Terrence Jones. I'm thinking Ohio State will let Kentucky play their game and make them beat them from the line. I don't see Indiana repeating itself.