Selection Sunday Live Blog
by Peter Bean on Mar 15, 2009 4:20 PM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Basketball
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PrintWe'll start live at 4:45 CDT. Bracket pairings will be announced live on CBS at 5:00 p.m. Reader comments go in their usual spot below the post.
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Louisville, Pitt, UConn, and UNC are the #1 seeds
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:04 PM CDT reply actions
I'm hoping we're paired with UConn
they have to be the weakest of the #1 seeds by far without Dyson.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions
We're not in the MidWest
so we don’t have to deal with Louisville, Michigan St. or USC in the 1st round
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:12 PM CDT reply actions
Since the liveblog
seems to be a masturbatory session, I guess we can chat down here.
If I'm a mid-major
seeing Arizona in the tournament has to be disheartening. Creighton and St. Mary’s are done.
UConn in the West
please put us in there as an 8 seed!
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:17 PM CDT reply actions
A&M as a 9
I think would make us look good as a 7. Any shot at a 6?
No no!
Memphis #2 in the West. I don’t want us here as a 7 seed.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:19 PM CDT reply actions
Yes!
We’ve caught another break. No Memphis to deal with.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:20 PM CDT reply actions
I hope AW is right
lets get #2 Duke with us as the 7 seed.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:21 PM CDT reply actions
If we're a 7
I think that’s who we HAVE to get. Duke can’t be a #2 with UNC and we can’t be a #7 with a (projected) #2 Oklahoma.
Only thing about Duke I'm concerned with
is they have like 5 bombers from three. We’ve had troubles this year with guards going off on us from the perimeter. Our big boys down low have to dominate. Abrams has to try to neutralize those guards by making threes of his own.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:23 PM CDT reply actions
lets not put the horse before the cart
still gotta get past the golden gophers
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:31 PM CDT up reply actions
We'll know soon
This is the bracket we have to be in to be a 7 seed
Phew...
I saw an orange at #8 playing Pitt. Turns out it was OSU.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:26 PM CDT reply actions
Yep you called it
We’re playing Minny and then probably Duke in the East region
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:27 PM CDT reply actions
fffffffffffffffffffffff
Duke is a great 2nd round draw… but im worried about Minnesota
They got some hot shooters, but no real big men
Minnesota basically equals Baylor… same team
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:30 PM CDT reply actions
Who are Duke's big men?
Zoubek and Singler? Gotta like Dex’s adv inside
nah, minnesota has no big men
neither does duke
but the gophers can shoot the j and the 3 ball better than 90% of the team inthe big 12
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions
tubby smith is a great coach
and barnes doesnt have a great track record against good coaches
COACH BOOM BABY!!
My high school coach
is great also. It’s still about talent.
Our Final Four year
we beat Tom Izzo and Jim Calhoun if I’m not mistaken.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions
You're making my point
the personnel is more important than you think
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:50 PM CDT up reply actions
No big men at U of M???
We have Ralph Sampson III and Colton Iverson. Sampson is one of the best freshman in the conference and Iverson is a 7’0 who has started most games.
the sec is full of mediocre teams this year in b ball
miss state won the tourney… how many ranked teams does the sec have?
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not worried about Minnesota
They only have 2 players that shoot 35% or better from three. Nobody on their team averages more than 5 rebounds.
They have a 6’11" freshman C named Ralph Sampson III. Could it be!? Son of Ralph Sampson, drafted by the Houston Rockets, and a member of the twin towers with Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon?
http://kenpom.com/team.php?y=2009&team=Minnesota
88th in adjusted offensive efficiency, 20th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:37 PM CDT reply actions
The mid majors
took it in their bunghole. Maybe deservedly in many cases, but really . . Arizona. Apparently getting hot for 7 games in early February is all you need.
haha +1
how in heck do teams like SFA, American university, george washington, cornell even get into the NCAA tourney….. who the hell have they even played? this is why i like college football better than College B Ball… i mean come on…… SFA getting into the tourney is like Texas State getting a nod for the Capitol 1 bowl……
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions
OK now that is a major reach
the College bball system is infinitely better than the BCS.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions
agree with that, but
little teams playin the likes of mich state, duke, OU, etc is funny to me
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
not sayin its worse than the bcs, but just the fact that
Austin High gets a team in the tourney is laughable
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
I guess?
At least they have a chance.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions
basketball has natural advantage since its more tournament friendly..
you know this format is not friendly to football
COACH BOOM BABY!!
SFA has a chance?
im just saying that its kinda prepostorous to have team like that in the NCAA from little schools who havent played anyone all year
people always clamor about the mid majors, but the only team i can remember in the last 20 years that made any noise in the tourney is George Mason….
its seriously like putting TA&M CC in the bowl mix
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Minnesota Similar to Texas
I’ve not caught any of them this year, but looking at the Gopher’s schedule they’ve had a very similar season to the Horns. They started out strong, impressive win over Louisville but since mid January they’ve been on again off again, very inconsistent. Only difference down the stretch was Texas pulled off the big win over OU; Minnesota has no real big win since early season.
So, that’s the season trend, but what do you know about the matchups, styles of play, coaching history between Barnes & Tubby, personnel, etc.?
all i know is that didnt minnesota win their 1st 10 or 11 games in a row?
should be a good game
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Their non-conference was much worse than ours
they have a win over Louisville and that’s it.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
That win was a long time ago
It’s virtually irrelevant now—although it helped get them in. Louisville would torch them today.
Minn v. K St/Neb/Bay?
In UT’s three conference losses to teams not in the NCAA tournament but good enough for the NIT we knew Texas was better but we lost anyway. Minnesota seems to be that same kind of problem opponent who could leave us severely disappointed on Thursday. Texas has beaten this kind of team more than they’ve lost to them this season, but it’s a toss-up in my mind based on the season.
What I don’t know is if this is the kind of team that has tendencies, styles, that favor UT enough for me not to be all that concerned, or if this really could be a one and done year.
agreed... if this were last years team, id sleep through this game
but our jekyl/hyde nature is gonna make this on interesting
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions
If you look at our players individually...we definitely are better than Minnesota
As a team we are a bit shady…..We are neither peripheral-oriented team or strong inside team….we are somewhere in the middle and can’t really call us a “balanced team” probably because we dont play consistent enough
COACH BOOM BABY!!
hahahahh going is right
its all good tho
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Given all the 10 seeds
Michigan, USC, Minnesota, and Maryland, I think Minnesota’s the best match up for Texas.
Avoiding Michigan and their 1-3-1 stuff and USC’s athleticsm was key.
The worst part...
“Texas has no answer for Anthony”
Yeah
Melo, Chris Paul, and whoever was in the other version of this commercial are all with Air Jordan and this is their new commercial theme.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:48 PM CDT up reply actions
I feel bad for St. Mary's
this team could’ve done some damage in the tourney with a healthy Patrick Mills.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:52 PM CDT reply actions
thats the same software they use over at bevosports.com
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:52 PM CDT reply actions
i dont like it, but i dont love it either
kinda love this inline threading tho… better than shaggybevo.com or barkingcarnival.com
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Sounds like it's more about names
Arizona over St. Mary’s? Please.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Couldn't agree more
Arizona was 2-9 playing road games. Those wins: Oregon and Oregon State. One of the worst picks I’ve seen in the last 10 years.
Looking forward to playing you guys.
Whoever said above that we have no big men is wrong. That’s our strength at this point, scoring inside and rebounding. But yes, we can’t shoot at all.
Maroon and Gold Headquarters: The Daily Gopher
I was reading your Selection Sunday gameday thread
looks like you guys are terrified of teams playing zone on your guys. I guess it makes sense looking at your 3pt shooting statistics.
Hopefully Rick Barnes is aware of this. 2-3 zone is a must. Doesn’t look like Minny is a good rebounding team either so a zone won’t hurt us much, not to mention we won’t have to worry about Pittman getting in foul trouble.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 5:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Minnesota
Started conference play 4-1, finished at 9-9. Lost four of their last six and six of their last eight in the regular season.
Beat Illinois, Wisconsin (twice), and Ohio State in conference play and Louisville way back in December.
--AW--
minnesota
minnesota plays 10 deep, all averaging quality minutes and scoring. they play great in your face defense, and always have fresh bodies on the court. Minn is top defensive team, half court offense is bad.
don’t underestimate freshman Sampson and Iverson inside. Sampson in particular has been playing very well down the stretch
F damien johnson is best defender in the big ten
G brian westbrook is a scorer, if he gets hot watch out. averaged 40 ppg in high school. if he has a big game, gophers win this.
G hoffarber is a sniper from outside, but very streaky. watch out if he hits a 3 early.
Nobody on their team averages more than 30 minutes a game
It is a deep team.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Probably a little bit of both
Is Minnesota in if they don’t beat Louisville? I don’t think so. The matchups aren’t all world, but this isn’t a very good team.
Minnesota is as Good As
Baylor, Kansas State and Nebraska and those were tough teams for UT this season. This team is not to be underestimated by any stretch, this is a toss-up game in my mind.
In terms of talent
I disagree, particularly with regards to Baylor. Maybe Nebraska is a decent approximation. Well-coached and plays hard. And certainly Texas can lose. But would you rather play USC?
The "Rather Play"
kind of went out the door when the team we would have rather played, Baylor, beat KU and that didn’t end up meaning much. The who we could have ended up with ended as soon as our bracket was set. Now it’s a matter of who we have there, and we have a team that is just as dangerous to a one and done appearance in the NCAA’s as Nebraska, Baylor and K State were to UT this season.
Barnes & Co. better be figuring out what friggin’ team they want to show up on Thursday and how to get them there – better than he’s figured out how to manage them this season to date or they’ll be back home on Friday.
The point being
this is the best matchup Texas could have hoped for. We may lose. Hell, we could get blown off the court. But this team doesn’t have as good as basketball players as we do looking across the board. Ultimately, I’d rather be us than them and it isn’t that close in my mind.
Guess we'll find out
But as a Minnesota alum, I say the former. Minnesota’s a good team, but they’re young and inconsistent on the offensive end.
Time to switch to ESPN
lets see Dick Vitale rant about St. Mary’s being left out
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:01 PM CDT reply actions
Someone's got to represent the mid-majors
It sure isn’t Jay Bilas
im gonna call it now
Binghamton get the upset over Duke in a 13 OT thriller where 8 people foul out
by greenspointexas on Mar 15, 2009 6:04 PM CDT reply actions
Gopher fan here...
If we shoot well and don’t turn the ball over, you guys are screwed, but I’m pretty sure we haven’t done those both at the same time since mid February. And we’re much, much better than Kansas State and Nebraska.
Frankly
if you take away the Louisville win, you are pretty close to Kansas State. A fringe bubble team that wouldn’t even be here.
W/o Louisville win
Minnesota doesn’t get in. Period. Best win: at Wisconsin, Illinois at home?
--AW--
No BCS
The arguments are over the 34th and 35th best teams. In football, its the 2nd and 3rd best that we are arguing about. Very, very different.
--AW--
Colton Iverson
related to Allen Iverson? Abrams really wants to know.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:16 PM CDT reply actions
Appreciate the updates
Sucks being stuck in the victoria, BC airport during the selection show.
Besides St. Mary’s and arizona, were there any other surprises?
Not really
Everything else was pretty much expected. Texas got what they wanted pretty much except for location.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Shot Blocking
According to Ken Pom’s stats, Minnesota is the top shot blocking team in the country. Freshman Colton Iverson, 6-10, and freshman Ralphy Samson, 7-0, both rank in the top 50 nationally in block percentage.
Texas is the 11th best shot blocking team in the country.
--AW--
But can they block Pittman?
Dexy weighs about 300 pounds. Both Iverson and Sampson are raw freshman that are about 65-85 pounds lighter than Dex. I think we have the edge.
And despite their height, neither of them are even averaging more than 5 rebounds a game. We have 3 guys that are (James, Johnson, Pittman).
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed
I haven’t seen Minnesota play this year but the stats show that the Gophers played at a decent pace in the non conference and then played incredibly slowly in conference play. Texas could also have an advantage in a quicker paced game. Minnesota also struggles with turnovers.
The depth of Minnesota could be a factor but with the longer timeouts, Texas should be fine as long as we stay out of foul trouble.
--AW--
Yep, foul trouble is the X-factor,
which further encourages zone defense against Minny given their shooting struggles from deep.
Only thing is our defensive rebounding has to get better than what we saw in the Big 12 tournament. That was embarrassing.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Besides, the whole block statistic is kind of overrated
blocks are only useful if you get the ball back. Many times people swat shots out of bounds. Sure, they look fancy and are highlight material, but the other team gets the ball back.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:27 PM CDT up reply actions
Haha... Bob Knight wants 128 teams in
that’s a little silly. I guess I could go for getting rid of 64 vs 65 and instead putting in 8 more teams (so 1 seed and 2 seed get BYES), but I think this system is OK. The drama about who gets in and who gets snubbed adds intrigue.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:22 PM CDT reply actions
Why not
just invite all the BCS teams and screw everyone else? The tournament is pretty damn good as it is. I’d argue a few less at-large bids would make it better, but that’s just me.
And really, is the hoops world clamoring for Iowa and Vanderbilt to be in the tournament? Are we really missing anything when borderline NIT teams don’t get in?
Yeah I agree
I guess the gist of Knight’s point is many teams are left out that would still have a ghost’s chance to pull a George Mason. Even a team like Baylor could win a couple of games in the tournament with the right matchups.
by goingforthecorner on Mar 15, 2009 6:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Aggies
BYU and A&M played last year in an 8/9 matchup. Committee just set the exact same match up this year. Hmmm.
--AW--
Impressive
commenting considering your skiing in Tahoe by the way.
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