Worst Final Four ever…

[Jamal Mercer]

I’ll be in the Upper peninsula, Michigan, with horrible phone service and won’t miss this final four one bit.

 

[JDHoss]

So….Cal recruits a disproportionately high number of players who don’t work in FTs. Got it.

Both Nazr and Turner were better FT shooters under Tubby than Pitino. Do you credit Tubby with that? Of course not. Nazr and Turner worked to improve themselves. When players miss a large number of FT attempts, it's on them and no one else.

 

[akaukswoosh]

LOL True.

 

[kydmb99_rivals103809]

You all are so miserable. Last year was a blueblood Final 4. This year we get a bunch of teams no one expected. This is what makes college basketball great. You’ll never see this in football. Same 2 or 3 teams every year.

 

[Joerules19]

It's a far cry from the Final Fours of my childhood.

Remember that '93 Final Four? The Fab 5 vs. Mashburn's Kentucky Wildcats on one side and Kansas vs. UNC on the other?

Talk about the modern game going towards the crapper.

And last year it was Duke, UNC, KU and Villanova. Some of you have short term memories

 

[BlueBomb]

Why because no big conference teams are in it, I think it might be more entertaining that seeing the same old teams over and over.

Yeah, maybe. But I just meant "worst" in terms of overall talent of the four teams.

 

[Rick Honcho]

I don't remember there being an uglier Final Four on paper.

 

[ukfan117]

The average seed number of the four teams making the Final Four is 5.75. Don't ever remember it being that high. No ones, no twos and no threes. Whatever system the committee uses to do it seeding, it failed them miserably this year.

The Quad system and the transfer portal changed the game. There's other factors as well, but the transfer portal definitely helped.

 

[ukfan117]

I don't remember there being an uglier Final Four on paper

The 2011 title game was terrible as well. Neither team shot well. I'm sure the ratings will be down for the FF this year. It's the first time no #1 seeds made it past the Sweet 16. It's definitely a odd FF.

What sucks is UCONN possibly winning another title.

 

[Monroe Claxton]

Future tournaments should have reserved spots for permanent members UK, UNC, Duke, and UCLA in Sweet Sixteen just like US, Russia, China, and France are permanent members of UN Security Council

 

[ukfan117]

This is Miami s year. It was TX or Miami.

Texas gave that game to Miami. Up 13 with 8 minutes to go and they collapsed.

 

[ukfan117]

This is a great FF. All of these teams play basketball well as a team. It has been fun to watch well-coached teams compete.

I would like to see San Diego State and Miami. Anyone besides UCONN.

 

[ukfan117]

Both Nazr and Turner were better FT shooters under Tubby than Pitino. Do you credit Tubby with that? Of course not. Nazr and Turner worked to improve themselves. When players miss a large number of FT attempts, it's on them and no one else.

When it comes to FT's, it pains me to watch our guards struggle. Oscar was better than most of the team this year. I agree that it's on the player's, not the coach when it comes to FT'S. Calipari can make player's practice their FT's, but the responsibility is solely on the player's.

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

So….Cal recruits a disproportionately high number of players who don’t work in FTs. Got it.

The players change, but the coach is the one constant. A certain point, you have to acknowledge the problem.

Actually, I don't think UK is typically bad (nor good) at FTs.
In the past 23 UK seasons (why 23, that's how many I have the Stats "at my finger tips" for), UK has made <69% of our FTs 7 times, 2001, 2002, 205, 2006, 2010, 2013 & 2014.
We've had 3 years from 69-70%, 2004, 2016, 2018.
The rest have been 70%+.
Three seasons it was worse than 66.7% (2 out of every 3), 2001 (65.5%), 2005 (66.3%), & 2013 (64.2%).
Two seasons we made >75%, 2009 (77.3% mostly Meeks since he shot 1/2 of them at 90%), and 2020 (79.7%, has to be a UK record).
Most of Cal's UK teams have been in that 69-73% range, not great but not bad.

But we all remember the misses, Nazr, Wheeler, etc..., because UK is our team. We don't remember when the same happens to other teams because we don't care about those other teams (as much). Their fans don't even care about them as much as we do about UK.

 

[Catman100]

Unwatchable this year.

CBS will make sure blue bloods are all over it next year.
Watch and see.

 

[Neue Regel]

Just got the results of our office pool, hey I finished 2nd! and in keeping with the tradition of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the guy who won has no clue about Basketball or the teams period. LOL.

I came in second only because I had Miami and Texas in the Elite 8 and Kansas State in the elite 8. That's it. I did not get any of the Final Four right as I had Texas winning and KSU winning.

 

[KentuckyFlyer]

I disagree. They didn't earn it. They just got hot at the right time, and caught some breaks in this 3 week long one and done tournament. What happened in the college basketball regular season from November-March is absolutely pointless. College basketball has the worst method of any sport to determine who their champion should be. At least in football you have to earn your shot at the prize by excelling every single game during the regular season. It's not who is hot right this second but who has shown greatness over the long haul.

I agree with the above posters. The ratings on this final four will be one of the worst ever. Not a huge number of people care to see this.

Would you have said this about the 14 UK team?

 

[rabbitTown]

Can't be the best Final Four ever... because we're not in it. But... this tournament has been pretty spectacular otherwise. So many down-to-the-wire games... so much parity.
It would appear that all the concern about the best players going to the "best" programs due to NIL was negated by the lack of truly elite aged players in college basketball.
Which is another underappreciated aspect of basketball that you won't find in other sports. Likely because you can only play five at a time. So long as there is parity, the games are entertaining.... at any level... whether it be DI, DIII, NAIA, JuCo, or HS.

 

[akaukswoosh]

[roll]

 

[Kingslayer07]

[roll]

No sensible college basketball complained about last years final 4. That was a sex dream for CBS. This year is a nightmare. And yes the ratings will probably be an all-time low.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

I’m glad to see all underdogs for once.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

For those saying this is so great: If we had this kind if FF for the next 15 years would it be be great or would it be the death of college basketball?

 

[Carolina4me]

It's a far cry from the Final Fours of my childhood.

Remember that '93 Final Four? The Fab 5 vs. Mashburn's Kentucky Wildcats on one side and Kansas vs. UNC on the other?

Talk about the modern game going towards the crapper.

The games not gone in the crapper - everyone else builds basketball teams geared to win NCAA championships as was one time the case at UK - today while others move forward UK continues to fall by the wayside - no longer feared as once was the case.
When the main point of emphasis is keeping NBA GM's happy and filling NBA order sheets for players this is what happens. Amazing the other programs without having ANY 5 star superstars ( lol) are the ones in the Final 4 - check it out - you will find it to be true.

 

[PoBilly]

Disagree, This is a good final four. If UConn would have lost it would be a great final 4. I am hoping SDSU or FAU can beat either of the other 2. I am hoping Miami pulls off the win over Uconn.

THink it will be SDSU vs UCONN but would love to see the battle of Florida. Actually all 4 teams are good to watch. Just have have like UCONN. Have no issues with the others.

 

[Chitown Terry]

I don't care what anyone says. This Final Four sucks. I tried to watch the 2
games yesterday. I kept falling asleep. This will be the lowest audience
ever to watch the Men's Final Four in NCAA history.

 

[HICATFAN]

Well, I’m going to enjoy it…such a “different” year in college basketball… but that’s okay too…next year could return to the college game (and teams) we are use to… so try to enjoy it, for the kids that did make the Final Four and the Big Dance.

AlohaCat