Early Lunardi 1 and 2 seeds
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
Quite frankly I prefer being a 2-4 seed. Especially if we are ranked 5-6 at the end of the season. We will get to play closer to home. I would much rather be that than the number 1 seed sent out west even though ucla will end up with that. It's a given we will have to play them and Indiana for sure and if they can put Kansas with us they will do that as well. To be honest at the end of the yea if we are playing even better than we are now I do t care who we face. I think we will have a home court advantage no matter where it is due to our fanbase. I would love to see ucla on a neutral court with balls dad in attendance to watch his kids team lose. Lastly, I want to see duke get everyone back just to lose early in the tourney since they will have zero experience playing together
If UK is a two and Nova is a one I would take that over UK being a one and UCLA or UNC as a two.
Nova is a very good team and if we meet you guys it should be a war, a classic.
UK and Nova could very well meet up
It's interesting that people say they wouldn't mind being put with Nova. That's a very good team and defending national champions. I know we are just comparing it in terms of the other good teams we'd have to face but I really hate playing that game. Usually when I say we want to face Team X and we do, we end up losing lol
Big Cat,
I think most 'Nova fans would welcome a match up with Kentucky in the tournament. To be the best, you've got to beat the best. Last year 'Nova took out UNC and Kansas, who were clearly the two best teams during the regular season. This year it would be fun to take on UK and Duke. I think either of those games would be classic battles, appreciated by fans on both sides for years to come. Whether 'Nova wins those games is hard to say--it's too early to tell where UK's and Duke's upsides are--but it would be fun to watch.
I'm more interested in seeing our guys develop and learning to play better. All of these projections are just wishful thinking and educated guesses right now. Our front court needs to get better or we will go home early.
Heck I like the 2's better than the ones, especially looking ahead toward March. Still too much uncertainty to accurately project seeding.
Lunardi said so. Big whoop. I always pulled for Villanova's success but now the fanbase has gone elitist. Granted their a scrappy team but beat Xavier this yr before asking for the main event/healiner. Hope to see you come March.
Actually it was Lunardimjust, the Norse god of pointless speculation.
UNC maybe, but KU wasn't the 2nd best team in the regular season. Took 47 FT's to put away an average UK team with no big on their home floor.
For me, it's because at some point, on the trajectory of these 8 teams, Villanova will be the weakest team (or 2nd weakest). It's going to happen, but we don't know when.
Somewhere down the line, Kentucky, UNC, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, will smoke Nova because of the talent they have. The question is then, is that talent fully realized in March?
I'm willing to take that bet. Give me Nova in March over Duke/UCLA/UNC for sure.
Exactly. This is what I've been trying to say. UNC was clearly better than Nova last year. It took the refs/NCAA for Nova to beat them. UNC has gotten better this year compared to last, while Nova is not as good. Now, the Nova fan can watch what UK does to UNC on Saturday and then we'll see if they want any part of UK going forward.
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Kentucky will be a #1 seed unless the normal amount of improvement Calipari always produces in January - February fails to materialize this year.
Not sure UNC is better than last years team without Paige/Johnson. Also UNC can thank poor defense at the end and Jenkins shot for why they didn't win it.
What a great year for college basketball...all of the blue bloods are strong.
"I love this sh**"
"I love this sh**"
Jarms, not sure how beating UK factors in to how we played the entire season. We played all year with Perry Ellis as our 6'7 (in socks) best big and the infamous Landen Lucas. You can cite the FT disparity,but your bigs were slow, and undisciplined as well. No doubt the FT disparity played a part, but UK's perimeter play couldn't get good shots off against Mason, Graham and Selden either. Pretty sure the 3pt% was around 20% and I can only remember a handful of makes from Ulis/Murray/Willis/Briscoe. After Selden, Ulis was the best player on the floor that day. I won't go full homer and say we didn't get some AFH calls---but I think the percentage of iffy calls had to be about the same as it always is for big time programs at home. I expect to be on the opposite end in Rupp this season so I won't be able to com[plain much.
We all know that is about as likely as a ice storm in the desert in July. In my mind UCLA at this point which is what he is basing it off of is clearly the team to beat. I would rank Duke 2 and Carolina 3 I just don't believe Nova has the ump to make it very far this year, but was very proud of them last season for stopping UNC.
I don't.. certainly not to the exten KU got at AFH. But we sure as hell deserve it.. UCLA got home cooking on our own home court.. that pg forearm-shivered about 3 times before it was called. Briscoe was pushed out on the baseline at least once.
I'd be interested to hear your take when Kansas comes to Rupp. I've thought, even before this, of spending the whole game documenting bad calls, even the ones Kentucky gets and comparing.
I think UNC is better this year than last, at least prior to their pg getting hurt. I think, at worst, you can make a strong case for them being just as good. However, Nova is clearly not as good. I think this is a good metric considering they both return a lot of their players. So, this Saturday, the Nova fans will get a taste for what UK would do to them.
Also, yes UNC can thank poor defense on the last play. However, Nova fans can thank the refs for keeping them in it the entire first half and first half of the second half. UNC would have crushed them if the refs let them play. Just like they would crush them this year.
This guy's been lurking ever since Villanova hit #1, waiting for UK fans to talk about them. When they finally do, it's to say we'd love to play them in the tournament. Hilarious.
No? Villanova, UNC, and Kansas are the top 3 rated teams from last year in Sagarin's ratings. Pomeroy shows the same, except with Kansas in 4th place just behind Virginia. Villanova, UNC, and Kansas were the only teams to win more than 30 games. Kansas and UNC were the two top seeds in the tourney last year. Kansas was the highest rated team on Sagarin and Pomeroy prior to the tournament. Kansas had the highest RPI. What makes you think they weren't the best? UK was top-10 and they beat you by 6. Yes, it's clear to anyone with an open mind that UNC and Kansas were the best. And 'Nova beat them because they played better in the tournament. This is all pretty obvious.
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Why do you think UNC is better this year? They look pretty similar, not better. And 'Nova is absolutely playing better right now than they were last year at this time. What happens come tourney time remains to be seen, but 'Nova will likely end up with a better pre-tourney record than last year's team, so you really have no basis for saying 'Nova is not as good as last year.
The problem with that is it is too hard not to be biased. In CBB you could probably call a foul at some point during every offensive set, so if you tried to determine good/bad calls you would have to gauge the call as compared to what the refs seem to be allowing/disallowing. The less you focus on calls as a fan the better the game is. I guess you could go thru the game afterwards and see, but I doubt it would be nearly as entertaining if you won or unbiased if you lost. At some point players have to make plays imo. That being said it can really impact a game and can be turbo frustrating. I would imagine over 50% of the calls Mason and Ulis got were b/c they jumped into the defender--both are/were masters at it. I would prefer they no call it. The most critical foul calls come in the first 5 min and last 5 min---
I think Nova is a great team------I think they don't have a lot of flashy names and ton of media attention, so they don't appear to be the threat that some of the high flying blue bloods are. The team flat out knows how to win and I would rather avoid them before the Final four if possible. As a fan you always want to have a big time match-up, so its easier to think of KU, UK, UNC, DUKE, UCLA.....not that they pose a bigger threat.
First off, there is no way in Hell that the NCAA gives us this gift. We never get the easy bracket.
The fact that you came here and based your entire argument on what one idiot said on TV shows that your BB IQ is at the level of a blabbering toddler who is crying because his big sister stole his shiny new toy.
I wish I had a nickel for every time Lunardi said something wrong about UK. So my comment to you would be, go home, stop watching shows that melt your brain, study more film actually learn something about CBB and don't wish for stupid stuff.
Heart beat? Really? No second thoughts, no consideration to history or the fact that our ceiling is so high that our floor is your ceiling?
Don't you understand that our youth will continue to grow towards their peak while your experience plateaus? We don't base our success on a regular season win total, we base it on how our teams do in March and as the numbers indicate, we do just fine... You? Not so much.
Here is a history lesson for you:
Starting in the 2010 tournament (Beginning of Cal's Era in UK):
UK: 23-5 (1 championship, 1 missed tournament)
Averages 3.8 wins per tournament made (EE/FF)
Nova: 9-3 (1 championship, 2 missed tournaments)
Averages 1.8 wins per tournament made (R32/S16)
Out of 42 possible tournament wins UK has won 54.7% of their games while Nova has won 21.4% If you take away the best seasons for both teams the numbers are even scarier (UK 47.2% 17 out of 36 / Nova 0.83% 3 out of 36).
Or to put it another way. Your best season accounted for 20.57% of your tournament win total, while our best season only accounted for 7.5% of our tournament win total. Kinda cool for a young team that will get punched in the mouth and fold, huh? Seems like your argument is filled with many unsubstantiated holes.
You can take your experience and stick it where the sun doesn't shine! Leave now and when you come back bring someone who knows what they are talking about, because you ain't cuttin it.
One thing though, please pass along our thanks to Nova, we really appreciate you not letting UNC win. That is probably the biggest accomplishment you could have hoped for.
Now, when was the last time an opposing teams fans came here wishing to see us in the tournament? (I know, lots of fans say that when we take their recruits, but that is just jealousy talking, they don't really mean it). But this clown REALLY wants to play us in march...
I'm actually glad. It proves that Cal is the master of disguise... No matter his record or his history of turning high-school kids into juggernauts by March, No matter his sucess... these idiots can look at November and December wins/losses and act like it is a indication of how we will fair come tournament time. Morons, the whole lot of them.
The fact that you came here and based your entire argument on what one idiot said on TV shows that your BB IQ is at the level of a blabbering toddler who is crying because his big sister stole his shiny new toy.
I wish I had a nickel for every time Lunardi said something wrong about UK. So my comment to you would be, go home, stop watching shows that melt your brain, study more film actually learn something about CBB and don't wish for stupid stuff.
Heart beat? Really? No second thoughts, no consideration to history or the fact that our ceiling is so high that our floor is your ceiling?
Don't you understand that our youth will continue to grow towards their peak while your experience plateaus? We don't base our success on a regular season win total, we base it on how our teams do in March and as the numbers indicate, we do just fine... You? Not so much.
Here is a history lesson for you:
Starting in the 2010 tournament (Beginning of Cal's Era in UK):
UK: 23-5 (1 championship, 1 missed tournament)
Averages 3.8 wins per tournament made (EE/FF)
Nova: 9-3 (1 championship, 2 missed tournaments)
Averages 1.8 wins per tournament made (R32/S16)
Out of 42 possible tournament wins UK has won 54.7% of their games while Nova has won 21.4% If you take away the best seasons for both teams the numbers are even scarier (UK 47.2% 17 out of 36 / Nova 0.83% 3 out of 36).
Or to put it another way. Your best season accounted for 20.57% of your tournament win total, while our best season only accounted for 7.5% of our tournament win total. Kinda cool for a young team that will get punched in the mouth and fold, huh? Seems like your argument is filled with many unsubstantiated holes.
You can take your experience and stick it where the sun doesn't shine! Leave now and when you come back bring someone who knows what they are talking about, because you ain't cuttin it.
One thing though, please pass along our thanks to Nova, we really appreciate you not letting UNC win. That is probably the biggest accomplishment you could have hoped for.
Now, when was the last time an opposing teams fans came here wishing to see us in the tournament? (I know, lots of fans say that when we take their recruits, but that is just jealousy talking, they don't really mean it). But this clown REALLY wants to play us in march...
I'm actually glad. It proves that Cal is the master of disguise... No matter his record or his history of turning high-school kids into juggernauts by March, No matter his sucess... these idiots can look at November and December wins/losses and act like it is a indication of how we will fair come tournament time. Morons, the whole lot of them.
There's definitely some indicators.. crowd reaction.. FT disparity.. the ltype of call.. coaches reactions. By themselves, not a good enough indicator.. but it's pretty easy to get a feel of the game when you combine it all together.
Also keep in mind.. we aren't asking for an even game with perfect calls.. No.. we want what KU got last year.. nearly 50 FTs.. 40% of our team fouling out. I want this to be an absolute screw job, to be quite honest.. Then, we can talk about fixing the home/away officiating problem that, in my opinion, is a huge issue with college ball.
Wayne Selden played 44 mins and not a single foul. The FT disparity is hardly a good measure for how a game is officiated, but it clearly explains what I watched with my own eyes.
I don't like using free throw disparity at all TBH.
The truth of the matter is some teams just foul more than others. Some of that being style of play and some of that being the players themselves. The refs might play into it but I don't believe significantly.
What happened in that KU game was pretty much what happened in a majority of our games that season. It was the first time since Cal has been here that we were on the other end of the free throw disparity. Usually it's us that has the big advantage in that category.
The truth of the matter is some teams just foul more than others. Some of that being style of play and some of that being the players themselves. The refs might play into it but I don't believe significantly.
What happened in that KU game was pretty much what happened in a majority of our games that season. It was the first time since Cal has been here that we were on the other end of the free throw disparity. Usually it's us that has the big advantage in that category.
I dont recall Wayne being overly aggressive or getting away with physicality, but i haven't watched that game since I attended it in person. Watching it on TV probably gives a better view. Wayne wasn't a lock down type of guy, but gave a lot of people trouble bc of his strength. He averaged about 2 fouls a game for his career and goose egged the foul column on numerous occasions.
Now here is the truth. The Uk guards were owning u in the first half. Despite the ft difference. At half when they interviewed self he was frustrated when asked what was going on he replied we can't stop their guards. He makes a gamble and comes out with a diamond and two. The gamble is if the other team has a good third three point shooter it could backfire big time but miraculously Willis fouls out with 9 min to go. Willis one of our least physical players who unlike the other bigs last year wasn't foul prone.
Crean gambled the same way in the NCAA tourney and got lucky Willis didn't show up.
Sithlyone,
You need to calm down a bit. I know you were addressing DSH, but there are lots of 'Nova fans who would enjoy meeting UK in the tourney. Why? Not because we have an axe to grind. Not because we're stupid. Not because we think it's an easy win. It's because we expect you to be good and we'd like to play the best teams around. Is that so hard to understand?
Please keep in mind that we aren't scared of any team. No one is so impressive that we can't beat them. That doesn't mean we won't get beaten, of course. There are no guarantees of a repeat championship. And by the end of the year, UK is one of those team that could definitely beat us. But we can definitely beat UK too and view the game as a good test.
Your history lesson, while interesting, is not really relevant. This 'Nova team has already proven they have what it takes to go all the way. This UK team has not. We are defending national champions. Come take the championship away from us if you can. We relish the challenge.
Here's a little history for you. When Jay Wright gets beyond the first weekend, he's never lost to any team except the eventual national champion (it's happened 4 times). Only champions are good enough to beat 'Nova. Is UK that good? We will see. But unless you're good enough and prepared to go all the way, you don't want to see us in the tournament.
I think it was mostly Ulis doing his thing---particularly off the screen and hitting that mid range or hitting that floater. He was on fire from every basketball positive stat besides shooting poorly from 3 pt land. We never really figured out a way to stop Ulis as he finished with 10-13 from 2pt range. Without Ulis and Seldon balling out, it would have been a downright ugly game.
Nova is not as good as last year. They lost 2 seniors who were the 1st and 3rd most important cogs on that team. Who is replacing those two guys and making them better? Who have they actually played to this point in the season?
Yup, because every fan gets hyped for their favorite team's last game of the season.
kyjeff,
Yes, 'Nova lost two seniors. But all the younger guys have improved their games. Hart, leading POY candidate--better. Jenkins--better. Brunson, making the FR to SO jump--better. Bridges, making the FR to SO jump--better. Paschall, A10 ROY transfer--new. And the leading scorer from the championship game, Phil Booth, hasn't even played yet because of injury. Do you understand that two guys are easily replaced by everyone else improving by a few points per game? If you compare 'Nova's games this year versus last year, you will see they're playing better this year.
Who have we played? Our SOS is stronger than yours. RPI SOS ranked 10 versus your 41. Sagarin says #33 versus your 187 (!). Pomeroy says #21 versus your #42. We've played Purdue on the road and ND on a neutral court. Who have you played? A lot of patsies at home, a lame Michigan St. team on a neutral court, and UCLA at home (loss).
One of these teams is not like the other.
You guys haven't played anyone since last year. Barely beat a #15 Purdue and Notre Dame had them. Talk about it when you run with the big boys.
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