NFR College Basketball

bobduck · Jan 19, 2023

I've been waiting for someone to start this thread. Football is over but hoops is going strong and I get into it pretty heavy. None of the four Pac 12 teams in the Northwest are really great this year. Just got done watching Michigan lose to Maryland which isn't a game I'd normally watch. Right now I have UW at Colorado which is more to my liking. Conference ball. But what got me going is that if you watch enough games you'll occasionally see something you've never seen before. For example.... A Michigan player put up a shot that was still in his hand when the shot clock went to zero so it was of course a shot clock violation. But the ball hit the rim and was tapped back in by another Michigan player. No call. The Maryland coach went ballistic that the shot was counted. He was told that because the ball was tipped back in that the play couldn't be reviewed. What? I don't get this and think the officials were wrong but it's done now. Since my two favorite teams are Oregon and whoever's playing Washington I have say Go Buffs tonight. Throw rocks at me if you want but I'm sure there's a lot of great discussion to be had on this. Go Ducks!

Stonedfish · Jan 19, 2023

Football is never over, not now with multiple signing dates, the transfer portal and all the NIL stuff…..it’s become a year round thing.

That said, I do look forward to watching a lot of March Madness games. There are always some upsets and thrillers.
SF

bobduck · Jan 20, 2023

Stonedfish said:
Football is never over, not now with multiple signing dates, the transfer portal and all the NIL stuff…..it’s become a year round thing.

That said, I do look forward to watching a lot of March Madness games. There are always some upsets and thrillers.
SF

You're quite right. But if they ain't playin I ain't staying. Watched a couple Pac 12 games last night. Dawgs tamed the Buffs and UCLA -ASU game was exciting right to the end.

Canuck from Kansas · Jan 20, 2023

Cheering for the Jayhawks of course. No great teams this year anywhere this year, but if you want to see really good basketball, watch the Big 12, 5 teams in the top 15. The KU - K-State game earlier this week was a great one.

Cheers (Go Chiefs and Jayhawks)

Stonedfish · Jan 27, 2023

I just read that Billy Packer passed away.
I always enjoyed his calls on CBS during the final four.
SF

Canuck from Kansas · Jan 27, 2023

Stonedfish said:
I just read that Billy Packer passed away.
I always enjoyed his calls on CBS during the final four.
SF

He and Al McGuire together were fun. RIP Mr Packer.

bobduck · Feb 25, 2023

Well, the regular college season is just about over and this thread got a forum record for lack of interest. I get it though as the four Oregon and Washington teams weren't very good this year. March madness is just around the corner and the only team from here that has a chance at doing anything is Gonzaga but as usual they'll get to the sweet sixteen and crash. Maybe we'll have something to talk about next year. One can only hope. Sigh. I plan to be in Albany on March 11th so say Hi if you see me. I'll be wearing a green shirt.

RCF · Feb 25, 2023

If today's games with record setting comebacks is a prediction of what is coming in March Madness---> bring it

Canuck from Kansas · Feb 26, 2023

Go Jayhawks, the only one of the so-called "blue bloods" having a season.

Cheers

Dr. Magill · Feb 26, 2023

bobduck said:
Well, the regular college season is just about over and this thread got a forum record for lack of interest.

That’s kinda funny
I think it will gain more traction once the tournaments start

Ron McNeal · Feb 26, 2023

Did anyone see the MSU/Iowa game yesterday? Wow!! What a last-minute, hard-to-believe, come-back for Iowa to tie the game and then win in OT. One for the ages......

Bruce Baker · Feb 27, 2023

Ron McNeal said:
Did anyone see the MSU/Iowa game yesterday? Wow!! What a last-minute, hard-to-believe, come-back for Iowa to tie the game and then win in OT. One for the ages......

Unfortunately, I watched it...lol. I am not a sore loser. Some poor coaching on Izzo's part. But congrats to the Hawkeyes, the earned that victory.

Canuck from Kansas · Feb 28, 2023

Bruce Baker said:
... Some poor coaching on Izzo's part. ...

Now that's something you don't hear very often (especially from the TV pundits).

cheers

FinLuver · Feb 28, 2023

College Basketball starts in March for me.
It’s an intense couple of weeks.

iveofione · Feb 28, 2023

College basketball here in the Inland Empire is dominated by Gonzaga. They have had just an average year after being abandoned by the outstanding freshman Holmgren last year. Holmgren had a lot of talent and would have certainly made the Zags formidable this season but he assumed he was a man while he was still just a tall boy. He is one of the worst examples of a player turning pro long before he has grown into his own body. Tall and frail, he was injured early and has never played a minute of a real NBA game yet.

Guys like him just disgust me, he gave up his chance to become a great college player and by missing his chance to develop his game has probably lost his chance to ever be a an outstanding NBA player. One and done done him no favors.

Canuck from Kansas · Feb 28, 2023

iveofione said:
College basketball here in the Inland Empire is dominated by Gonzaga. They have had just an average year after being abandoned by the outstanding freshman Holmgren last year.
had a lot of talent and would have certainly made the Zags formidable this season but he assumed he was a man while he was still just a tall boy. He is one of the worst examples of a player turning pro long before he has grown into his own body. Tall and frail, he was injured early and has never played a minute of a real NBA game yet.

Guys like him just disgust me, he gave up his chance to become a great college player and by missing his chance to develop his game has probably lost his chance to ever be a an outstanding NBA player. One and done done him no favors.

On the face, seems like a dumb, dumb, dumb decision, until you factor that he signed a $20 M contract that could extent to 40 M (not sure how much of the rookie 20 M is guaranteed). Consider if he had the same injury going into his sophomore year, what would he be worth, his stock certainly would have dropped (he could only go up 1 slot)?

Player	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	2025/26	Total
Paolo Banchero	$11,055,120	$11,608,080	$12,160,800	$15,334,769	$50,158,769
Chet Holmgren	$9,891,240	$10,386,000	$10,880,640	$13,731,368	$44,889,248
Jabari Smith	$8,882,640	$9,326,520	$9,770,880	$12,350,392	$40,330,432

All in all, might have been a wise choice, but we'll never really know.

Bruce Baker · Feb 28, 2023

Canuck from Kansas said:
Now that's something you don't hear very often (especially from the TV pundits).

cheers

Izzo even admitted it

I don't expect them to win every game, but when they lose, it is how they lose that will anger me a little.

I admit I am getting tired of their losing more than winning against the top programs they play against during the non-conference portion of the schedule.

For as great as they say Izzo is, he final four record is pretty poor. Izzo has taken them 8 times and has only won 3 games. So I like to sarcastically say, Sparty comes into March Madness like a lion and leaves like a lamb...lol.

I do think Izzo is a great coach and has been good for Sparty, but although this may sound harsh, I think he needs to win at least one more championship to be put in the same category as Coach K, Dean S., Roy Williams, Bob Knight, etc.

I have no explanation, but I am not watching college hoops this year as much as I have done in the past.

I am looking forward to the tournament! I had considered having my retirement date just before March Madness begins so I could watch it all.

Peyton00 · Feb 28, 2023

His financial planner and most people interested in making money would agree, he did the right thing.

RCF · Feb 28, 2023

Peyton00 said:
His financial planner and most people interested in making money would agree, he did the right thing.

He made more money in 1 year than almost all of us will ever make in our life time...

iveofione · Feb 28, 2023

Any of us could live a lifetime on 40 million dollars and with good investments could have more than that when we died. But the discussion on these young bonus babies is always centered on the take the money and run mentality. Holmgren got a lot of cash because he was the number 2 pick but those lower in the pecking order don't get near that much and coming out early is a distinct hazzerd for them. A million dollar bonus might be big for most of us but a million dollars is minimum wage in the NBA. It is a whole different dynamic, Steph Curry makes over $40,000,000 a year, LeBron James is a billionaire.

I have watched a lot of phenoms leave school early, get drafted, get their bonus cash then languish on the bench for over a year before they are ready for big boy play. Some never get ready. While these young kids are still trying to find their ass with both hands, some senior that has led his team for 4 years might get drafted and be able to slot right in with a good team. Since the NBA is just a big meat market the better meat wins and the inexperienced phenom may not be worth the development effort. That is a partial explanation of why so many high draft choices get traded early in their careers. Some will tough it out and eventually realize their potential while others become nothing more than utility players and bench warmers.

It is a similar situation in football where many guys, especially quarterbacks, come out early just a year or two out of high school thinking they are ready for the NFL only to discover that an defensive lineman that weighs 328# can run as fast as they can. The hazards are just the same-leave college early before you are ready, get a lot of money in your early 20's and be out of a job before 30 with no education. These days rookies are getting better consul from their organizations but-like adults-some will never be able to manage money and once the bonus is gone will struggle.

Baseball does it better by not giving so much up front money and then making players earn their way into the bigs. If you can't make it in the minors you ain't goin' to the majors. But careers can be much longer in baseball and the sky is the limit in terms of compensation.