Expect upsets galore in SECT

[EliteBlue]

I think they're absolutely motivated.

I think this will be the healthiest we've seen Lamont Butler vs Alabama. He clearly wasn't himself vs them in Rupp. He missed the game @ Alabama.

Carr was really limited in the 1st game, and still not himself in the 2nd. A healthy motivated Carr hopefully does a better job vs Nelson.

This…I think the “they are a bad matchup for us” is a little overstated.

Are they slightly better 1-9…absolutely.

But the first game we led the whole game with a severely limited Carr unable to matchup with their versatile bigs. They ended up hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch to answer every time we hit a big shot to pull away…and then once they took the lead th way hit back to back 3s to push it to “must score/must stop/perfect basketball territory” under 3 min.

The second game was Butler-less and Jax-less—and we still put up a pretty solid showing but was clearly outmatched in the backcourt defensively. That game was also a foul fest that limited Otega, 2 guys fouled out, and another w 4. …..but we showed we could slow down their bigs

Fully healthy, with Butler to hold his own against Sears, and Oweh hitting his averages… it’s a ball game under 2 min

 

[catlogic15]

Take a dive, and get rested and healthy for the big dance.

Charles Barkley made a convincing argument for this during a halftime segment last week.

 

[GermantownDawg]

Conference tournaments are for the teams that need a few extra wins (or a title) to improve or clinch a big tournament berth. The fans want to win every game. The players do, too. It's the coaches who look at it big picture. Pitino could have thrown the kitchen sink against Mississippi State in 96. Same with Cal against Vandy in 12. I'm thinking the coaches of the top four seeds are eyeing the next tournament. A guy like Golden could get some nice offers if Florida makes a deep run against national competition. Same with Beard, Buzz, and others.

North Carolina (if they don't make it), Indiana, possibly Kansas, Villanova, UCLA....all potential job openings.

I think Pearl wants to win that first game badly, but after that? He wants a second Final Four at Auburn and he can pick the best job available afterward. Golden wants to prove himself. If Oats made another deep run he's in the mix as well.

Once the big tournament starts the lights come on and no one cares about who won the conference tournaments. To me the coaches who have something to prove this week are Pope, Cal, Beard, Buzz and the guys at Miss State, Georgia and Oklahoma. Pope because he knows the assignment. Cal because of his postseason record lately. The others because a few wins this week will make a huge difference.

But the big dogs don't need this.

Why would UCLA open? You think Cronin heads back east?

 

[FurdTerguson]

Why would UCLA open? You think Cronin heads back east?

It's a longshot, but if they fizzle out again I can see them moving on.