Saturday's NCAA Tournament Thread (Elite Eight)

[fishwax]

Eight teams left -- winners go to the Final Four :woohoo:

4:30 PM (8) Butler vs. (2) Florida CBS
7:05 PM (5) Arizona vs. (3) Connecticut CBS

So who do you have, DU? And how's your bracket? :hi:

[JonLP24]

1. Rooting for Butler and UConn today

:woohoo:

[fishwax]

4. I'm rooting for Butler too

in the other game I'm a little ambivalent. I had UConn going to the final four, so I'd be happy if they won; but Arizona has been a good story thus far -- so I'm mostly just hoping it will be as good a game as the two late games last night :)

[bigwillq]

6. The two late games were insane.

Glad I was able to catch the second half of each.
I did not watch the two early games. Was out and about and then watched a movie.

[fishwax]

9. you definitely caught the best part of the action, then

the two early games were never close. But the night games made up for it. I'm still shaking my head at VCU's game-winning play inbounding from beneath the basket. Great stuff. :)

[JonLP24]

10. Certainly, 2 of the best games of the tournament

[Ptah]

2. Arizona (Destroyers of Duke) for the win!

[fishwax]

5. they looked pretty great in the second half on Thursday

but then again, UConn looked pretty dominating too. Should be a good game :)

[Ptah]

43. Arizona 0 UConn 0

:scared:

[bigwillq]

3. Go Butler and Arizona!

:bounce: :hi:

[WolverineDG]

7. Didn't have a chance to see any results until today

:wtf: Ohio's gone? :crazy:

dg

[Modern_Matthew]

8. Courtesy of the Kentucky Wildcats. Har har. nt

[WolverineDG]

17. Congrats! :) nt

[bigwillq]

11. Pretty good first half

Hoping Butler can pull it off.

[fishwax]

12. indeed -- here's hoping

:toast: :bounce:

[fishwax]

13. tie game! 3 minutes left

:woohoo:

[bigwillq]

14. WOO HOO!

:bounce:

[Ptah]

15. Great game!

:applause:

[JonLP24]

16. Nice job Butler

They kept fighting and fighting and managed to tie the game. Florida is shooting free throws though but it is impressive Butler was able to fight back into the game.

[bigwillq]

18. Florida has been very good

at the free throw line in this game.

[fishwax]

19. 60-59 with 1:34

:kick:

[bigwillq]

20. Free throws for Howard

After the TO.

[JonLP24]

21. tie!!

[JonLP24]

22. OVERTIME!!!!!

[bigwillq]

Love OT!

Love extra basketball! :bounce:

[fishwax]

25. Smith fouled out

:banghead:

[gratuitous]

23. OVERTIME

Can the Butler do it again?

I think my bracket is a shambles, and the current leader in a our tiny office pool stays in the lead with a Florida loss.

[fishwax]

28. my bracket is in shambles too

And I had both of these teams out by the second round :rofl:

[fishwax]

24. Why don't more college basketball teams think two for one?

Butler gets the ball back with about a minute left and down by 1. Between 45-50 seconds they get some open space--could have driven to the basket shot a pull-up jumper or passed for a quick catch-and-shoot, but instead they dribble back and kill time, taking a timeout when there's 33 seconds left. Best-case scenario, that still gives Florida the chance to control the last shot.

I've always kind of wondered why more teams don't take advantage of the clock in that way, as they do in the NBA. Earlier this year some commentator mentioned the same thing, but I can't remember who it was (maybe Barkley, although I think it was someone who normally does college ball instead of the NBA). I'm not saying Butler should have rushed a shot or anything, but if the opportunity is there (and it was) then taking it just gives you a better chance to win the game, it seems to me. But maybe I'm missing something.

[JonLP24]

26. I heard the same thing

It was one the game announcers that said that so it couldn't of been Barkley but I'm not sure who said it.

I'm sure, I think maybe 35 seconds is too long to focus on that while NBA teams have 24 seconds. Other than that, I can't figure it out and can't imagine that is a very good guess.

[fishwax]

27. I suppose it's also more important in the NBA since they have 4 opportunities per game instead of 2

So it makes sense that it's more emphasized in the NBA. But even so, that just seemed like a natural place for Butler to take advantage.

Another great game, though! :bounce:

[JonLP24]

29. Oh wow, 3 -- knew that lead couldn't last long

[fishwax]

30. that was pretty awesome, though

he just dragged the double team all around the court and then timed his pass perfectly. :applause:

[JonLP24]

31. Another 3!!

[fishwax]

And another!!

[JonLP24]

32. Another 3!!

:wow:

[fishwax]

33. wow!

[JonLP24]

34. 1 point game, Florida ball

[gratuitous]

35. 14 seconds to go - foul quick or try to steal?

Hoo hoo!

[gratuitous]

37. Quick foul

Two free throws and the Gators need that ill-advised three.

[JonLP24]

36. I think that foul is as close as you can get to getting 3 free throwss

without getting 3 free throws.

[WolverineDG]

38. Okay, that's it, I can't take this anymore

I'm going to turn off the computer, go watch some DVDs, then sign on tomorrow to see what's left of my brackets. And start praying that VCU finally bites it because otherwise, the next time I see my friend the Georgetown alum, I'm gonna get it.

lol

dg

[bigwillq]

39. Butler WOOHOO!!

:bounce:

[fishwax]

40. YES!

:woohoo:

[Ptah]

42. hip hip hooray

:applause:

[gratuitous]

41. Once again, Butler executes down the stretch

The Florida 3 came way too early, they couldn't corral the rebound, and the long pass to nobody seals the deal. Butler leads the field into the Final Four.

[fishwax]

44. yes indeed

:applause:

[fishwax]

45. Paging Uconn

your game is scheduled to start any minute now ...

[Ptah]

46. It's a time zone thing.

[bigwillq]

48. UConn heating up.

:( HATE UConn

[Ptah]

49. I don't hate UConn, I just want Arizona to demolish them.

[bigwillq]

50. I HATE them.

I live in Connecticut, but have always been a Syracuse fan. Besides my Dad, I knew very few UConn fans until about the 1990s. A lot of folks jumped on the bandwagon when they started to do well. Cocky fans too, I might add.

[fishwax]

51. hot indeed

Arizona is going to need another great second half to stay in this thing ...

[bigwillq]

52. Williams with three fouls for Arizona

Not good.

[gratuitous]

47. I think Arizona surprised Duke Thursday night

The Wildcats certainly surprised me. I figured that Duke would use their talent, experience and coaching to just squeeze the life out of Arizona in the second half. Duke had a six point lead, and I thought Arizona might get back to within 2 or 3, maybe even have the ball, but Duke would just stay on top and keep them at arm's length.

Instead, Arizona came out in the second half aggressively, and didn't let up. I don't think Duke was prepared for that, and when Arizona went on that big run (19-2 or something like that), Duke looked shocked. That's something the Blue Devils are used to putting on other teams, not having done to them.

UConn had best be prepared with their A game today. This is a different kind of Arizona team than when they were coached by Lute Olson.

[rbnyc]

53. I;m just hanging on by Arizona. (nt)

[JonLP24]

54. Wow -- Arizona came back

They were cold for awhile.

[Ptah]

55. Crap.

Congratulations UConn

[bigwillq]

56. Another great finish.

Too bad UConn had to win. :mad:

[rurallib]

57. This has been a fun tourney - no one outstanding team

really looks like any team on any day.
Has there ever been a final four with no #1 seeds?

[JonLP24]

58. 2006

In 2006 11 George Mason, 2 UCLA, 3 Florida, and 4 LSU.

Don't know if there was another year.

[NoGOPZone]

59. Along with 2006, it happened in 1980, the second year of seeding. nt