Worst opening day of the NCAAT since when?

[JFCats22]

I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.

Well…don’t forget the first play-in game. It was good. 👍

 

[gbl97]

Agree. The McNeese game was the only one within 6 points and it was only close at the end.

Other than us hopefully winning big, here's to a day of excitement tomorrow.

 

[gbl97]

San Diego getting hot. Maybe this will keep everyone up.

 

[shaudyshaud]

Yeah no game winning shots . Hopefully we get some tomorrow

 

[KY_Kid]

I wonder if we'll see less upsets in general with the power 4 schools raiding the best mid-major talent. It reduces their talent pool, and removes some of their advantage around team chemistry as well.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

San Diego getting hot. Maybe this will keep everyone up.

I was about ready to pass out too. Off this week but kid has school so have to be up at 630 every day to take his butt to school by 7. Ugh.

 

[Kuhldaddy]

Explains why my bracket says 98%.
Disappointed in the lack of buzzer beaters

 

[TOMCATS1990]

UNCW the last game of the day is going to go to the wire.

 

[Butters' Dad]

I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.

Yeah I'm at 90% in my bracket still (which is obviously going to change tomorrow.) Not been any real surprises.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

I’m 99 percentile with the only loss being High Point not beating Purdue. I have UNCW upsetting Texas Tech so go Seahawks

 

[Butters' Dad]

I’m 99 percentile with the only loss being High Point not beating Purdue. I have UNCW upsetting Texas Tech so go Seahawks

Unfortunately past success is not an indicator for future success! I'm sure my bracket is about to go to total sh*t.

 

[Lempface]

I still had fun 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[gbl97]

I’m 99 percentile with the only loss being High Point not beating Purdue. I have UNCW upsetting Texas Tech so go Seahawks

Let's go. I'm rooting for you.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

UNCW up and UC San Diego is tied here we go

 

[crawfords corner]

Kansas and UL lost. This was a fantastic opening day.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

McNeese State as the 12 over 5 did not shock me at all. Held their own against two SEC teams within 8 points on the road to Alabama and 3 points vs Mississippi State.

 

[AJG-15]

I think with nil money is going to get harder and harder to have small schools , mid major to advance to final 4 like GMU or VCU.

Big East is holding up well.so is Big 10 and Big 12 if we excluding Kansas. ACC and SEC are bleeding out….let’s see what going on tomorrow.

 

[Ancientmarsupial3]

I think with nil money is going to get harder and harder to have small schools , mid major to advance to final 4 like GMU or VCU.

Big East is holding up well.so is Big 10 and Big 12 if we excluding Kansas. ACC and SEC are bleeding out….let’s see what going on tomorrow.

SEC was expected to go 4-3, they went 4-3.

 

[UK90]

I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.

Probably gonna see more of this in this new transfer portal/NIL era.

It’s harder to have those first round cindarella upsets in an era when the big boys poach all the best mid major talent each off season.

 

[know1]

I enjoyed it. It's still one of the 2 best basketball days of the year.

And a lot more interesting than talking about the portal while the season is still playing.

 

[MonsterMash79]

Unfortunately past success is not an indicator for future success! I'm sure my bracket is about to go to total sh*t.

Your Arkansas boys won though 😉

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Kansas and UL lost. This was a fantastic opening day.

We have a winner.

 

[kywildcat41035]

Yeah no game winning shots . Hopefully we get some tomorrow

Hopefully our game isn’t one hopefully our game is a blowout and we’re on the end of giving that to Troy.

 

[KYExtemper]

Probably gonna see more of this in this new transfer portal/NIL era.

It’s harder to have those first round cindarella upsets in an era when the big boys poach all the best mid major talent each off season.

Yeah and I think this will eventually kill enthusiasm and support for athletics at the lower levels. Hard to get fan support when you are being raided every year and struggle to compete.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

It was pretty uneventful. The later games were a little more solid. But not a whole lot of mayhem outside of Drake and McNeese

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Probably gonna see more of this in this new transfer portal/NIL era.

It’s harder to have those first round cindarella upsets in an era when the big boys poach all the best mid major talent each off season.

This is the most insightful post in the thread.

People want to cite the San Diego State/Florida Atlantic 2023 Final Four appearances as evidence that the mid majors will compete gong forward, but they forget that the NCAA didn't pass the full-on portal allowances until 2021.

Mid-majors are going to be cooked going forward now that everyone is used to the system of poaching. You might have a few mid-major teams sneak into the Sweet Sixteen with guys who were massively under the radar, but that will become rarer and rarer once players are essentially targeted early on in their mid-major careers. Retaining those guys by their junior or senior year will go the way of the dinosaur.

Ultimately, it will make an already unwatchable sport (thanks the inconsistent referee whistles) become even more unbearable to stomach with the absence of upsets in the first weekend.

 

[UK90]

Yeah and I think this will eventually kill enthusiasm and support for athletics at the lower levels. Hard to get fan support when you are being raided every year and struggle to compete.

Yeah, we’ve basically turned the mid majors into just a farm system for the power conferences. The minor leagues where players start out until they’re ready to be called up to the majors.

It’s a lot harder for fans to maintain rooting enthusiasm for a school they know is now being viewed that way.

 

[Oldbluefart]

People see things differently; is the glass half full or half empty?
Agree the games were sort of bland but maybe the selection committee got things right the first day in seeding?

On a positive note; with Arky winning a game in the NCAA shows their coach isn't totally washed up. On the bad side of that, once I came to accept they will not allow a tie, I found myself pulling for the Chokehawks for once.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

SEC was expected to go 4-3, they went 4-3.

This. People actually expected the sec to win all 14 games by the way people post on this board lol.

If auburn plays a and m in the sweet 16 and uk plays UT, the same goobers will be on Here stating a and m and UT losing proves the sec is overrated 😆

 

[UK90]

People want to cite the San Diego State/Florida Atlantic 2023 Final Four appearances as evidence that the mid majors will compete gong forward, but they forget that the NCAA didn't pass the full-on portal allowances until 2021.

And isn’t it telling that several of the best players for that season’s SDSU and FAU teams are still playing in this years tounament (Butler, Davis, Goldin, etc.). Except now they’re playing for schools like Kentucky, Arkansas and Michigan.

 

[JFCats22]

Hopefully day two picks it up because yesterday was really damn boring

 

[catlogic15]

The thing about a boring Thursday is it makes for fantastic Saturday matchups.

 

[CatEye2010]

So, SEC= 4-3 so far.

Big Ten= 4-0; all were higher seeds.

Today (friday) same thing. SEC has 5 higher seeds, 2 lower, Big Ten=all 4 are higher seeds.

So all 8 Big Ten teams were higher (favorites) seeds.

 

[Cats192]

Definitely felt blah.

I worry that upsets are going to be a little less frequent. Obviously McNeese did their thing. SDSU was close. Hopefully we'll see some today.

But the transfer portal being what it is--with no sit out requirement--Power schools are going to keep pillaging the mid majors.

NIL: Older guys are going to come back for another year or 2. And there's just more money at the power schools.

We're going to see the talent more and more consolidated at the Power schools. And I worry we're going to see less guys blow up in March for their mid major school.

 

[HenryMuto]

This year's 1st round was the first time since 2017 when no 13-16 seeds won a game.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

The first round was pretty blah. ACC is exactly who we thought they were. UNCheat shouldn't even have been in the tournament. Kansas was over-seeded and it doesn't look like UConn will three-peat.
On the positive side...Cats played a horrible game and still won.

 

[HenryMuto]

I did not realize Big 10 was 8-0 wow

 

[Glenn's take]

The guys that used to be seniors on the teams pulling the upsets in the past have all now transferred to the schools trying not to be upset. The joy of unlimited free agency.

 

[megablue]

I cannot remember a more blah and boring opening day of the NCAAT in 30+ years.

Outside of the Ark/KU game nearly every other game has been absolutely uneventful and boring.

There have only been three games end in less than a 10 point victory today.

Quite simply, there has been no MADNESS !!