Posted on 03/18/2013 5:01:36 AM PDT by RonPaulLives
Louisville is the top seed in the NCAA tournament after a topsy-turvy season in college basketball, capped by another round of upsets over the weekend.
That other team from the Bluegrass State won't even get a chance to defend its national title.
While the Big East champion Cardinals surged to the top of the 68-team bracket released Sunday, joined by fellow No. 1 seeds Kansas, Indiana and Gonzaga, the school that won it all a year ago was left out of the field. Kentucky was hoping the committee would overlook a dismal performance in the Southeastern Conference tournament, but the Wildcats had to settle for a spot in the second-tier National Invitation Tournament.
"You've got to earn it each and every year," said Mike Bobinski, the Xavier athletic director who chaired the selection committee.
As if that's not bad enough for Kentucky fans, Louisville (29-5) gets to rub a little more salt in its rival's wounds by opening the tournament about 75 miles from campus on Kentucky's home court, Rupp Arena in Lexington. The Cardinals will face either Liberty or North Carolina State in a second-round game Thursday. Kentucky plays an NIT game Tuesday -- on the road because Rupp is taken for the NCAAs -- at Robert Morris.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
Yea... writing a series of $6,000 or sometimes $13,000 checks tends to make you think you SHOULD be a fan. :-( I do have some shirts and caps now.. and, I watch pretty much every UK game.
Funny thing is.... when we first moved here, 12 years ago, we kinda were more Cardinal fans. Now, my wife really DOESN'T like the Cards... But, I do.
But then, I was NOT a UK fan before moving here.. in fact, I liked.... hmnnnn... not sure I should say this on a public forum..... oh, what the hell DUKE!!!!
But, I got my mind right now... HATE Coach K!!!!! ;-)
You forgot to mention the most famous, most bizarre mascot!
Bwahahaha! Good one, although not original; I have heard that a few times from disgruntled, bitter UK fans. I will agree that the NCAA tournament is called a lot closer than the Big East tournament. But to say that U of L commits “more fouls than any other team, and don’t get called for it” is absurd.
Quit while you're ahead.... I hit a 4-team parlay in baseball the first bet I ever made in a sportbook... won $>750.
That was 27 years ago... I'm STILL trying to duplicate it. :-(
LAST YEAR, Louisville made the final four with a team scoring the FEWEST PPG of any team since the beginning of the expanded tourney... That’s how suffocating their defense is...
This year’s team is just as good on defense, but can actually score a little too. They’re on a roll.
I just wish they hadn’t finished so strong... now, EVERYBODY is expecting them to win it all... I’v been expecting it since early January.. when, I bet $50 on them in Vegas. :-)
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK! GO KU.......... Good luck to you in your bracket. We have the homecourt advantage at the Sprint Center. It will be a Crimson & Blue day in KC.
The Zags are riding a 14 game winning streak...not discounting UL & OSU.
During this Zag winning streak the only team they beat that made the tourney is St. Mary’s (beat them 2 times) which has to play a play in game.
Hopefully we'll play you (again) in the Elite Eight. Last year's game was great, and our guys want another shot at you.
No doubt Big 10 is tougher than the WCC, but you've got a few weak sisters yourself to feast upon: Nebraska, Penn State, Northwestern...and Purdue wasn't so hot, either.
With an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 50,000, one would think that THE Ohio State University could find 10 good ballplayers. ;)
With an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 50,000, one would think that THE Ohio State University could find 10 good ballplayers. ;)
Certainly the school can recruit quality players, but it also loses players to Big Ten rivals (Trey Burke @ Michigan and Adrian Payne @ Michigan St are both from Ohio). This year’s team is less talented offensively than last year’s squad, which reflects well on the job that Coach Thad Motta has done navigating this season.
If you take his success at OSU together what he accomplished at Butler and Xavier, plus the assistant coaches who have worked under him who have since moved on to become head coaches, he has acquitted himself very well among his peers.
Gators are an enigma..but they sure can play defense...If they’d won the SEC..they might have been a #2 seed..maybe now they’ll be pissed..and focused..
Here in Tampa, folks are very high on our new football coach at USF..for which I thank you....
I don’t know, they’ve blown so many leads this year, and of course in the last two tournaments....If they haven’t figured it out by now, they never will.
Patrick Young is becoming a real beast..he can carry them on his back to the elite 8 easily..
Boynton is the X-Factor, he’s disappeared so many times late in games, though.
But he also scored, what..14 points in 5 minutes, along with a bunch of steals, in the semi-final win..
That’s just it, he’s hot and cold, no consistency. Can’t win a tournament with that.
I think their seed would have been the same, regardless of what happened yesterday. And actually it’s a fairly favorable bracket.
The good news is that if they make it to the Sweet Sixteen, I’ll be able to go watch them, since the regional finals are here.
“Louisville better hope they don’t have a night where the officials call the game tighter than normal. UL fouls more than any team in the NCAA with their press, they just don’t get called for it. One game with things called right and they will be in trouble.”
Only VCU fouls more than UL. They both foul on every possession and get away with half of them. It is a good strategy, as most ref crews try to even out the number of fouls called, and do. If they run into a crew that calls them as they see them, they can be in trouble.
Just finished my brackets..going for a long shot this year..New Mexico Lobos..to win it ALL. I actually think that NONE of the #1 seeds will make the final four..
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