March Madness 2019

[Federer and Del Potro]

Tre Jones coming back for Duke. Glad my last memory of him does not have to be him crying on the court after a brutal loss (I don't really watch the NBA much until playoffs). I'll be rooting for the kid I really liked his brother and now him.

I wouldn't be surprised if his brother told him to stay and develop since his time in the NBA has been rough. But he has survived.

 

[stringertom]

After an ugly start, TTU clawed their way back from 10 down to take brief leads and a couple of ties before UVA’s Jerome hit a trey before the halftime buzzer for a 32-29 lead.

Pretty much what most expected.

 

[stringertom]

Going to OT for the eighth time in history.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

Good game. UVA looked a little better all game. Texas Tech almost stole it at the end but it wasn't to be.

 

[stringertom]

Virginia blows TTU out in the OT.

From 1R ultimate upset to NCAA champion in one year. Hats off to Tony Bennett and all the guys to reverse that choke.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

UVA is both clutch and lucky. Could/should have lost any of their last 4 games. Team of destiny I guess.

 

[Big_Dangerous]

Virginia blows TTU out in the OT.

From 1R ultimate upset to NCAA champion in one year. Hats off to Tony Bennett and all the guys to reverse that choke.

My girlfriend's bracket had Tech and Virginia in the final with Virginia winning.

She won my whole office pool and ended up finishing like 185th out of 3,077,61 brackets on Yahoo.

 

[Big_Dangerous]

UVA is both clutch and lucky. Could/should have lost any of their last 4 games. Team of destiny I guess.

I was actually saying that this morning lol.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

I was actually saying that this morning lol.

Definitely had some big breaks. Purdue guy missing a ft up 3 with 17 seconds left - that would have iced it.
Missed double dribble on Jerome - that would have iced it
Not calling a foul on the 3 (which I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't) - that would have iced it
Tech getting one stop or score at end of regulation - that would have iced it.

I'm sure there are at least half a dozen examples.

That's the nature of the Best of 1 tournaments though. You need a little luck. UVA is insanely clutch with late game shots and FTS though. So it wasn't just a fluke.

 

[stringertom]

Definitely had some big breaks. Purdue guy missing a ft up 3 with 17 seconds left - that would have iced it.
Missed double dribble on Jerome - that would have iced it
Not calling a foul on the 3 (which I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't) - that would have iced it
Tech getting one stop or score at end of regulation - that would have iced it.

I'm sure there are at least half a dozen examples.

That's the nature of the Best of 1 tournaments though. You need a little luck. UVA is insanely clutch with late game shots and FTS though. So it wasn't just a fluke.

Different guys stepping up every time, too. It wasn’t just one Guy. Tonight it was Hunter in the last seconds of regulation and OT. Jerome made some unreal plays. Defense was Key too.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

Think I was spared MSU losing a round earlier. A bit easier to stomach when it isn't for a trophy. Tech fans will have trouble sleeping for a while. This was one of those cliche sucks someone has to lose games.

But March has about 20 of those every year.

 

[Kevin T]

Clutch all year. Luck plays a part but has team been as clutch in crunch time in recent memory? My in-state rival but damn proud of UVA! Class guys and doesn’t get much tougher academically than UVA. First major title for my small home state, so very stoked! (outside of UVA winning the college World Series but who watches college baseball? )


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[Mr.Lob]

A.C.C now has national titles in both basketball and football. "THE" place to be.

Glad to see some new blood win the title.
Congrats to Virginia.

 

[stringertom]

A.C.C now has national titles in both basketball and football. "THE" place to be.

Glad to see some new blood win the title.
Congrats to Virginia.

Tennis too (Wake Forest).

 

[Big_Dangerous]

Different guys stepping up every time, too. It wasn’t just one Guy. Tonight it was Hunter in the last seconds of regulation and OT. Jerome made some unreal plays. Defense was Key too.

Icwutudidthar

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

Injuries are another part of “luck” I’d say. Michigan state not having Langford all yr was brutal. He was our first or second best player and would have taken so much pressure off Cassius

 

[Kevin T]

Injuries are another part of “luck” I’d say. Michigan state not having Langford all yr was brutal. He was our first or second best player and would have taken so much pressure off Cassius

Absolutely. Injuries really hurt UVA last year. Never an excuse to lose to a 16 but they wouldn't have won it anyway.

I was shocked last night when Nance mentioned the state of Texas has only 1 NCAA championship...from Texas Western waaaaay back in the day.

 

[Kevin T]

Tennis too (Wake Forest).

And women's soccer, Tom...Florida State! And the ACC is always in the mix for men's soccer and men's and women's lacrosse, not to mention baseball. A nice run going.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

Absolutely. Injuries really hurt UVA last year. Never an excuse to lose to a 16 but they wouldn't have won it anyway.

I was shocked last night when Nance mentioned the state of Texas has only 1 NCAA championship...from Texas Western waaaaay back in the day.

Deandre Hunter is a huge part of UVA. Don't win last night without him. I think they might have beaten UMBC with him. He has a calming sort of influence. We'll never know for sure but not having him was huge.

 

[atatu]

Absolutely injuries are part of the luck factor, I feel like Auburn could have won the whole thing if that kid didn't blow out his ACL against UNC. On the other hand we would have had to listen to that annoying "SEC" chant which would have been bad.

 

[stringertom]

And women's soccer, Tom...Florida State! And the ACC is always in the mix for men's soccer and men's and women's lacrosse, not to mention baseball. A nice run going.

Duke men’s lacrosse has rebounded from that ridiculous false prosecution of players and last year lost the NCAA final to Yale.

 

[Harry_Wild]

Virginia ran out in final 2 minutes of overtime!

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

Duke men’s lacrosse has rebounded from that ridiculous false prosecution of players and last year lost the NCAA final to Yale.

Yeah they've won a lot of titles since then. 3 I think.

 

[stringertom]

Yeah they've won a lot of titles since then. 3 I think.

I don’t follow LAX much...just know that Johns Hopkins is big, as well as Duke. I had never heard Yale was strong until I looked it up today.

 

[Federer and Del Potro]

I don’t follow LAX much...just know that Johns Hopkins is big, as well as Duke. I had never heard Yale was strong until I looked it up today.

I watch it a little bit. It could still use some rule improvements. It used to have no shot clock at all which was just silly. Now it has one and the games are a lot better because of it. Still a bit too much 'deadness' to the game though where literally nothing happens.

I kind of like college lacrosse and baseball because money hasn't gotten its hooks into it..yet. So they're oft devoid of any kind of controversy in terms of officiating or other dubious things like that.

Plus nobody really cares enough to 'talk trash' so you can just enjoy the games without fear of having to 'defend' your team(s) or whatever.

 

[hollywood9826]

I don’t follow LAX much...just know that Johns Hopkins is big, as well as Duke. I had never heard Yale was strong until I looked it up today.

I think Yale has been a recent entry in the LAX title picture like Denver (2015 champs). Besides Air force who does Denver even play that's anywhere close? I'm pretty thems the only 2 div 1 team west of the Mississippi.

Tons of Lacrosse played around here and some of the high school baseball coaches around here think lacrosse is poaching talent. in the 90s when I played baseball the lacrosse guys were the soccer guys or dumb football players that wanted to wear pads and ram into people. Very few baseball players would have played lacrosse in the fall if it was offered as a sport and not spring. We had a couple real good baseball players that played tennis though and I wish tennis was a fall sport here in MD.

 

[hollywood9826]

As far as BBall I liked VA this year just because I hate when people say a team doesn't have the right style to win the tournament. There is not style that wins a single elim tournament it basically comes down to talent, coaching, and luck. Bennett is a great coach, the teams potential lottery pick was healthy this year, and they caught a few breaks.

Texas Tech cught a break in the first round when they stupidly fouled a guy late and he missed the free throws. VA didn't miss them

 

[stringertom]

As far as BBall I liked VA this year just because I hate when people say a team doesn't have the right style to win the tournament. There is not style that wins a single elim tournament it basically comes down to talent, coaching, and luck. Bennett is a great coach, the teams potential lottery pick was healthy this year, and they caught a few breaks.

Texas Tech cught a break in the first round when they stupidly fouled a guy late and he missed the free throws. VA didn't miss them

TTU won 1R vs Northern Kentucky by 15. Their closest game in the tournament was the 6-point upset of Gonzaga.

 

[hollywood9826]

TTU won 1R vs Northern Kentucky by 15. Their closest game in the tournament was the 6-point upset of Gonzaga.

Yup, Should have said Auburn. NM St Bailed them out by bricking FTs then they VA didn't miss in Semi.
How could I have messed that up witht the hilarious videos of the Auburnites cheering and throwing the toilet paper in that tree because they didn't hear the whistle on the foul.