A few weeks removed from the Champions Classic...

[TrollyMcTroller]

So after a few weeks, have the teams lived up to the hype?

#1 MSU
Downed by Villanova
Nearly downed by Columbia (if only those kids could read the shot clock instead of relying on the crowd)
Otherwise looking pretty pedestrian in their other matchups.

#2 Kentucky
Lost to MSU at the event. (managed to outplay MSU for 35 minutes and look terrible while doing it)
Lost to Baylor in Jerryland.
Still utterly incapable of putting together anything that looks like a half court offense.

#4 Duke
Lost to Kansas at the event
Lost to Arizona
Nearly lost to Vermont at home.
Needs more Plumlees. (Or Hansbroughs or Zellers, or McLankywhites for an inside presence)

#5 Kansas
Lost to Villinova
Lost to Colorado
Honestly, I haven't watched a lot of Kansas yet this season, so I can't say a whole lot about them other than I didn't expect them to be sitting at two losses, at this point in the season.

While I think all of these teams are capable of beating any other team in the country on a given night, they sure haven't looked very impressive thus far.

Where do you think these teams end up going into Tournament time?

 

[H2S]

MSU collapsed for unranked UNC (who also beat #3 LOUISVILLE)

I'm sure you knew that. anyway,

if they learn from their mistakes, get their mojo up?...
there's no reason not to think Final Four - like most everybody thought three weeks ago.


if they don't?...
anything from NIT to s16.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

I'm sure you knew that. anyway,

if they learn from their mistakes, get their mojo up?...
there's no reason not to think Final Four - like most everybody thought three weeks ago.


if they don't?...
anything from NIT to s16.

Yeah, I wrote that in a post-nap fog. Totally slipped my mind, but yeah, they all have two losses now. Also I had the rankings flipped for MSU and UK. That's what I get for not doing my homework before I post. The ol' memory ain't what it used to be. (I think it used to be better... I can't really remember )

Typically I try to avoid knee-jerk reactions (as in "they just lost, they're {fill in the blank: terrible, overrated, all hype}") But in this case, none of them have really impressed me yet this season. (Zona is the only team to impress me this season, but I've only seen a couple games from them too, so maybe they've had a few snoozers too) I've seen flashes of brilliance from all of them, and they all clearly have boatloads of talent. Potential doesn't get ya in the dance though.

Honestly, I'd love to see the preseason top 15 all hitting stride by tournament time. To hell with all of this Cinderella nonsense. Let's have all of the big boys slugging it out in the Sweet 16.

 

[H2S]

We've never seen anything like this...so many great matchups so early in the year (post-season hype & expectations during preseason - with all the angst and anxiety of such heaped on the backs of kids who, however talented, need time to learn & adjust.) Arizona and Syracuse have proven their expectations...everybody else <groan> needs more time.

 

[rmilia1]

Im most disappointed in kansas and msu because those teams had some really solid pieces returning to go with their cladses. Duke is diappointing too because they havent played as well even in their wins as I thought they would. Im least disappointed in uk because the team is so young its tough to expect them to dominate right away. Imo msu and uk have the best potential to turn it around

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Im most disappointed in kansas and msu because those teams had some really solid pieces returning to go with their cladses. Duke is diappointing too because they havent played as well even in their wins as I thought they would. Im least disappointed in uk because the team is so young its tough to expect them to dominate right away. Imo msu and uk have the best potential to turn it around

I think KU has a decent shot to right the ship as well. I think Duke is going to have a tough time. I think it was douggie that first mentioned Duke's lack of interior presence, and that you can't really teach. You either have some big bodies or you don't. Duke doesn't.

 

[rmilia1]

I think KU has a decent shot to right the ship as well. I think Duke is going to have a tough time. I think it was douggie that first mentioned Duke's lack of interior presence, and that you can't really teach. You either have some big bodies or you don't. Duke doesn't.

For sure. Duke is the only one of those 4 teams that I cant see making the final 4

 

[H2S]

For sure. Duke is the only one of those 4 teams that I cant see making the final 4

I still have mixed feelings (pinch of anger, cup of relief, pound of jealousy) about Jabari Parker's decision to do Duke instead of MSU...and it'd be just fine with me if Duke DOESN'T make the s16, e8 or FF this year. It'd also be nifty to see Kentucky's 1-dun experiment fail miserably - which isn't likely, but (imo) would be a great opportunity for 3-4yr cbb program purists to stress their case. Randle & Co will go on to make $millions (maybe), UK will retool with yet another crowd of wunderkind - and Wildcat cbb will continue to concentrate on Vitale's "diaper dandies" bullshit at the expense of the program's long term sense of continuity & tradition.

1-dun Parker will most likely slide into the NBA next year...he'll be replaced with two other Izzo 1-dun losses to K for 2014/15: Okafor and Jones. Ditto Self losing Wiggins - who'll be replaced by 1-dun Alexander (yet ANOTHER lzzo recruiting loss! arrrgh!)

gee...that's 3 more pounds of jealousy right there...kinda fawks with the argument for tradition, don't it? (fuck it, enlightened self interest trumps conservatism every time.)