B1G/NCAA basketball

[entropy]

not watching.. I refuse to watch anything the SEC is in unless the BIG is playing them... or a few teams I like.. .such as OU.

[entropy]

talent... 82 was good... I was just thinking of a ten year run and couldn't leave out 93...

90's had some good ones, but nothing like the 80's early 90's in terms of every year being great games... not just the finals when I say that

[Wild Hoss]

I'm not exactly sure when it started to decline.

JMO, but the vast expansion of television viewing starting in the early 2000s was a huge factor in flattening out the competitiveness (Or "parity" if you will) in college football. Your kid doesn't have to attend a power school at a power conference and outcompete numerous other great athletes to be seen on television anymore. Now they can go be dominant at Boise State, or Cal, or Miami, OH and be on TV...a lot.

Maybe the same applies to basketball, thinning out the talent. Except for those teams who can...ahem...concentrate it.

[Wild Hoss]

This is silly. I'd like to eliminate the cheating and improve the reffing, but otherwise, bah. I mean, yes its frustrating that Kentucky can buy its way there, and I dont' like the dump-and-chase approach, but it's still going to be a fun game to watch no matter which schools.

This KY team is one of the most God-awful Finalist teams to watch play that I can recall. They score so many greasy buckets...its aggravating.

[entropy]

think of all the great teams that never won it...Houston 83, Georgetown 85, UNLV 91 and Michigan 93

I don't say the same thing about recent teams..

[Wild Hoss]

Nebraska 1991?

[entropy]

Michigan 1997.. oh wait, basketball.. nevermind

[hack]

This KY team is one of the most God-awful Finalist teams to watch play that I can recall. They score so many greasy buckets...its aggravating.

Oh, I don't disagree. It's definitely ugly, and not in a pleasingly defensive sorta way. They are kinda the team version of Kobe in his prime, forcing up shit because thanks to hang time, he just can. It's not all that pleasing to watch save for Randle. That said, the games they've been involved in have been delightful to watch. Until the final fucking minute each goddamn time.

[paul daugherity]

The expansion of tv has helped water things down, but I think that the mass early entries to the NBA is the biggest factor. In my opinion it has negatively affected both the pro and college game. It is a rarety that you have a lottery-level pick stay in college 3 or 4 years. 2 years is usually the max. Not to mention the numerous players who are good/great in college, but mistakenly think they are pro material, when they are not (e.g. Darius Morris). Think of today's NBA superstars - how many of them played college for 3 or 4 years? I'd bet it is about a handful. The other area this really shows up to me, and where the teams of the 80s up to the teams in the mid 90s blow today's teams away, is quality big men. Those players are hard to find, and almost always get tagged as a lottery pick, and just do not stick around.

JMO, but I think that the rise of the small schools/cinderellas is because they have guys who are in their system for 3-4 years, allowing them an experience factor that increasingly young with sheer talent cannot match.

[WM Wolverine]

Nobody cares about the silly coaches poll and who they vote for National Champs.

[Wild Hoss]

I've always preferred a system where 2 teams that just flirted with the top 25 play for it all

I look at our 2009 football team, with Suh. That team was the definition of "flirting with the top 25", and yet on any given day could have beaten most any team in the nation IMO. Certainly a large swath of the Top 10 for certain.

So you can make a case for a team like that earning a title shot IMO...but two?

[The Oracle]

Who gives a fuck, especially in this thread.

I'm going to watch, and intently, because I want to see that piece of shit Calipari go down like he should have 3 weeks ago. 70-65 UConn.

[Cody_Russell]

Kevin Ollie's pencil mustache game too strong

[Pasadena Blue]

oracle, gets his wish ... Coach One and Done, does not get it done.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Thank you, UConn. And rumors were flying right before the game that Cal is going to be hired by the Lakers. Would love to see it happen. Double meltdown for Kentucky fans.