Final Four

[hbbsm713_rivals]

I’ve found myself rooting for Nova. I think their group of players are easy to root for and a likable bunch. As time passes, their douchey fans weigh less on my memory which is probably why I’m able to cheer for them. Man, did their fans suck though.

 

[wicker]

What true college basketball fan could possibly be happy with this final four of the same old teams.

This is exactly what the true fan wants

 

[NickRU714]

This is exactly what the true fan wants

I struggle to find another sport where a large segment of fans are upset when the best teams make the championship rounds.

Why would you want "worse" teams in the championship instead of the best teams?
Who cares if they are the same teams every year.
Should I be mad at the Chiefs for making the Super Bowl so many times and my ****** Giants haven't?
How does that make sense.

 

[RUinPinehurst]

Funny stufff. Raleigh's News & Observer today posts a UNC slobberfest article, heralding: "Leading Heels to Final Four, Hubert Davis restores respect for Carolina basketball."

"Restores respect"? Nice spin. But I don't think so. They've been outed. And it'll be remembered for a long while. Not only for the cheating but for how the school handled the scandal.

"The Carolina Way" made famous by Dean Smith was quite a myth. When caught and revealed for their 23+ years of fake-class cheating, UNC lawyered up and slithered away, escaping NCAA punishment, by acknowledging the problem but by saying the fake classes were an academic problem not an athletic problem. So academic probation was the proper punishment.

The Cheats cheated. For a real long time. Got caught. Weaseled their way out of punishment. And now they're strutting proudly, respect restored. At least in their minds. LOL.

 

[Scangg]

Wait…Duke UNC, probably the greatest rivalry in college sports…in the Final Four…is boring?
I don’t really like either team but it’s certainly not boring.

Yea... a Duke UNC Final 4 in coach K's last year is hard to describe as boring

They have never played in the NCAA Tournament before. This is an enormous and historic game.

Even if you hate both teams, boring is definitely not an appropriate description

 

[Loyal_2RU]

I struggle to find another sport where a large segment of fans are upset when the best teams make the championship rounds.

Why would you want "worse" teams in the championship instead of the best teams?
Who cares if they are the same teams every year.
Should I be mad at the Chiefs for making the Super Bowl so many times and my ****** Giants haven't?
How does that make sense.

In baseball, I want the Mets to win. I don't give a sht how good they are. They lost plenty when they were very good.

I'm rooting for my teams. Never for the theoretical "Best". And I want new blood in general over former or multi winners

 

[12375CAT]

K will W the final 2 game.
Most fitting

 

[rutger80]

Let's see:
Villanova-despised them since the days of Howard "vacated" Porter, not to mention them stealing Jay Wright from us
North Carolina--"University of No Classes"
Duke--I'm sure they are clean as a whistle, haha
Kansas--How many infractions have they assembled under Self?

But, that's the way the game is played.
I'll pull for the Jayhawks, because they are the least objectionable.

 

[RU848789]

UNC, Duke, Kansas and Villanova. I can only hope they all lose. I won’t be watching. Boring.

Same here - couldn't have asked for 4 teams I'm less interested in watching, except maybe Cuse. Hate all of them.

 

[Danprusa_4]

Big ten is overrated

 

[Knight Shift]

I’ve found myself rooting for Nova. I think their group of players are easy to root for and a likable bunch. As time passes, their douchey fans weigh less on my memory which is probably why I’m able to cheer for them. Man, did their fans suck though.

One of Villanova's players is cousins with former RU Tight End Nick Arcidiacono, if that means anything. Pretty athletic family.

Q: Sticking with your family, what were you doing when your cousin, Ryan Arcidacono, led Villanova to the 2016 national title in men's basketball?



A: We were sitting at my house, my brother was there, my roommates Laviano, (John) Tsimis and (Matt) Flanagan. It was unreal when (North Carolina) tied it on that ridiculous shot by Marcus Paige. My heart was racing. I can't imagine what it was like for (Ryan).

https://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/2016/09/q_a_with_nick_arcidiacono_rutgers_royal_family.html

https://scarletknights.com/sports/football/roster/nick-arcidiacono/260

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4592490/chris-arcidiacono

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Arcidiacono

 

[RUinPinehurst]

Let's see:
Villanova-despised them since the days of Howard "vacated" Porter, not to mention them stealing Jay Wright from us
North Carolina--"University of No Classes"
Duke--I'm sure they are clean as a whistle, haha
Kansas--How many infractions have they assembled under Self?

But, that's the way the game is played.
I'll pull for the Jayhawks, because they are the least objectionable.

Dean Smith played and coached at Kansas. Roy Williams played for Dean at UNC, served as his assistant, thru which Dean helped secure the head coach job for Roy at Kansas, where Roy served until brought back to Cheater Hill to replace Dean. Kansas has a history of NCAA rule infractions, of course, as do the UNC White Phantoms, sorry, the "Tar Heels."

 

[Scarlet Blind_rivals]

This year's final four played out like a Hollywood script told by Coach K.

NCAA rep: Which 3 teams would you like to see in your dream final four as a final send off to your career, Coach K?

Coach K: I'd love to see my biggest rival, UNC, there in the semifinals, I have respected Bill Self and Kansas for a long time, I always thought of Jay Wright and Villanova as the Duke of the Northeast. Make sure all of the ACC schools do well in the tournament. As an added bonus, can you stick it to Kentucky one last time and knock them out in the first round, I'm still mad they beat my team in 1998 in the regional finals and won it all. Make sure Pitino is eliminated before the tournament and the team from his conference beat Calipari and Kentucky. Make sure I get one last meeting vs Izzo, too

 

[RUJMM78]

I struggle to find another sport where a large segment of fans are upset when the best teams make the championship rounds.

Why would you want "worse" teams in the championship instead of the best teams?
Who cares if they are the same teams every year.
Should I be mad at the Chiefs for making the Super Bowl so many times and my ****** Giants haven't?
How does that make sense.

Fans would have a different viewpoint if Rutgers was a blue blood program that attracted the best players.Winning matters in sports and losers are quickly forgotten. A small catholic school in the suburbs of Philadelphia has shown that you don't have to be a major university to have a great basketball program.It requires a great head coach and staff who teach fundamental basketball and recruit highly talented players that execute the system.

 

[Scarlet Blind_rivals]

Wanted to do a little Coach K research,

Coach K NCAAT losses, 84 Washington(Marv Harshman), 85 BC(Gary Willams, Md), 86 Louisville(Crum)✔, 87 Indiana(Knight)✔, 88 Kansas(Larry Brown)✔, 89 Seton Hall(Carlesimo) lost final Michigan(Fisher), 90 UNLV(Tark)✔, 93 Cal(Lou Campanelli), 94 Arkansas(Richardson)✔, 95(13-18), 96 EMU(Ben Braun, Cal), 97 Providence(Pete Gilliam, Va), 98 Kentucky(Tubby Smith)✔, 99 UConn(Calhoun)✔, 00 Florida (Donovan) lost final MSU(Izzo), 02 Indiana(Mike Davis) lost final Md(G.Williams), 03 Kansas(Roy Williams, UNC) lost final Cuse(Boeheim), 04 UConn,(Calhoun)✔, 05 Mich St(Izzo)FF, 06 LSU(John Brady), 07 VCU(Anthony Grant), 08 WVU(Bob Huggins), 09 Villanova(Jay Wright)FF, 11 Arizona(Sean Miller), 12 (15)Lehigh(Brett Reid), 13 Louisville(Pitino)✔, '14 (14)Mercer(Bob Hoffman), 16 Oregon(Dana Altman), 17 South Carolina(Frank Martin)FF, 18 Kansas(Self)FF, 19 Mich St(Izzo) FF, 21 (13-11)

✔- NCAA Champ that year
He lost to 9 eventual champions, lost to 4 teams that lost to the eventual NCAA champion, 5 more teams made final Four

3 coaches that Coach K has NCAAT losses ended up coaching in the ACC.

Coach K, 5 titles, 91, 92, 01, 10, 15

2022 Final Four
3-3 vs Kansas, NCAAT Losses '88, '03, '18
0-1 vs Villanova NCAAT, '09
UNC biggest rival, never played NCAAT

West bracket Duke history,
Arkansas('94 loss), UConn('99, 04 loss), ND Brey, his coaching tree, Rutgers Pikiell, Calhoun tree, Mich St(Izzo), NCAAT losses '05, '19, Davidson(25-1) only losses 2nd year at Duke.