College Basketball 2025-2026
- Thread starter Erial_Lion
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Yeah, 1978-79 was Tony Price’s team. Magic had a great game in the semifinals, well done.
This Penn team makes the fifth program McCaffrey has coached into the tournament. Not sure of the all-time record but this is an accomplishment way up there. All respect to McCaffrey.
Edit: four other coaches have accomplished this, coaching five different programs to the tournament. Nobody has done six.
Those that follow it closely will tell you that this was about the most predictable bracket ever...the 3 people I follow most closely and the over Bracket Matrix all nailed the 37 at-large teams and the number 1 seeds.
From a betting standpoint, on paper, this is the chalkiest 1st round I've ever seen. All the top 4 seeds are favored by at least 12.5 points, and the closest spread on a 5/12 game is -8.5 (often, we'll even have one of the 12s favored). There will be a couple of closer 6/11 games (NC only favored by 2.5, and BYU will be 2.5 to 3.5 over Texas/NC St)...all 7 seeds are also favored.
From a betting standpoint, on paper, this is the chalkiest 1st round I've ever seen. All the top 4 seeds are favored by at least 12.5 points, and the closest spread on a 5/12 game is -8.5 (often, we'll even have one of the 12s favored). There will be a couple of closer 6/11 games (NC only favored by 2.5, and BYU will be 2.5 to 3.5 over Texas/NC St)...all 7 seeds are also favored.
A few head scratchers for me. St John’s a five seed stood out.
It was pretty in line with the conventional thinking...the Bracket Matrix had them as the 2nd 5 seed.
Great accomplishment for the guy known on Philly playgrounds as "White Magic" during his LaSalle HS playing days in the mid '70s.
That core lost only 6 games in 3 seasons in the early '70s, two of them under future PSU head coach Dick Harter. All of the players were recruited by Harter, who was from Pottstown.
The only game the Quakers lost in 1970-71 was in the NCAA regional final to Villanova. The score was 90-47. Harter left for Oregon the next season and did well, but I'm not sure he ever got over that regional final.
He started his head coaching career at Lehigh and made it to the tournament.
I haven't really followed the season, but I do know that Miami (OH) was undefeated for the regular season. For them to drop all the way to a play in game is a bit of a slap on the face. The Committee should have seeded them based on the success of the season - regardless of level of play, it's difficult to go undefeated in the regular season in college basketball.
Edit. Penn was down 2 at the end of regulation, not 3. I’m fastidious about any mistake I make, as the board well knows.
Miami of Ohio had no Quad 1 wins and lost in the MAC tourney thus their fall to the First Four.
yep I am glad they got in, but this is the spot they should be in. I am also glad it was at the expense of nepo coach and his squad at Auburn. Yes they havea couple good wins but they also lost to some bad teams and got blown out by other good teams
The blowhards just kill me sometimes..."If you put St John's and Virginia, they play right now, right this second, you think that St John's wouldn't be a favorite. Go ask, they'd be a 5 or 6 point favorite."
Ask all you want dude, but it would be about a pick 'em (or Virginia as a small favorite).
Ask all you want dude, but it would be about a pick 'em (or Virginia as a small favorite).
Thank you for pointing out that there are people who know less about college basketball than I do.
Why did I feel this way? Because St John’s just slammed UConn and in addition UConn had a loss in their last game going into the conference tournament.
I can understand Florida > Vanderbilt but the St John’s 5 seed versus UConn 3 seed doesn’t sit right.
Note to myself: concentrate on picking your brackets, ffs.
The story of the Boozer twins and the circumstances surrounding how they were born is an awesome story. The story is called Blood Brothers and aired on ESPN.
I would like to see Duke win it all among the favorites. I have family members who attended Duke so always like to see them do well.
My heart goes for either Vandy or UCLA as I have strong ties to both schools.
Bring on March Madness!
I would like to see Duke win it all among the favorites. I have family members who attended Duke so always like to see them do well.
My heart goes for either Vandy or UCLA as I have strong ties to both schools.
Bring on March Madness!
Here my summary on the UConn vs St John's...
First off, recent games mean no more in the committee's eyes than games in November (note that this is generally speaking...they could if a team suffered a big injury that's really changed them). St John's being "hot" right now doesn't give them any additional "bump" (same with UConn losing a few down the stretch).
UConn (NET of 10) has a 7-3 Q1 record with wins over Florida (N), Illinois (N), at Kansas, BYU, Villanova, St Johns, at Seton Hall. Lots of high end wins. Predictive Metrics of 9/10/11 (Torvik/BPI/Pomeroy) and Results-Based Metrics of 4/7/7 (SOR/WAB/KPI).
St John's (NET of 16) has a 5-5 Q1 record with wins over UConn twice (home and N), at Villanova, Baylor (N), at Seton Hall. Predictive Metrics of 15/16/17, Results Based Metrics of 10/14/16.
Basically, St John's has been the hotter team as of late (again though, not a factor) and took 2 of 3 from UConn (splitting their home/home games, and winning on a "neutral" court at MSG in the conference tourney). Their only wins over the field are UConn twice and Villanova. In addition to the win over St Johns and Villanova, UConn also beat BYU, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, and Texas. Over the course of the season, UConn has the much stronger resume when you dig into it.
Was he the coach of the Lehigh team that had shot to beat Georgetown? 50-49, if I recall, one of the Hoyas big men blocked a shot from the top of the key in the final seconds or was that someone else?
Got me on that question. Too long ago and I have aged since then. That might fall in Woodpecker's era.
I believe you're thinking of Princeton, not Lehigh.
That’s what I thought. Alonzo Mourning blocked the shot, he was a freshman at the time.
I too was confused by UCONN's higher seed. I guess head to head didn't carry as much weight as I thought it would; especially in a conference tourney final.
It would be great to see Vandy or UCLA make deep runs. I'm trying to decide between Arizona, Florida, Duke, or Houston to win the title. Haven't filled out my bracket.
There was mention on the CBS bracket reveal show that Villanova has some injury issues.
The confusion probably resulted the fact the Princeton coach had coached Lehigh.