but they ain't Kansas, UNC, UK, or Duke


That's why I'll be watching...

Exactly...so tired of those "other" teams...looking for either Auburn or Tech to win the Championship.

x2

How could it possibly be horrible? Four high-level teams remaining, all the schools that suck have been sent home.

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War is god

State should have been a 1 seed and hopefully will prove that with 2 more wins.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

All I know is if Michigan State loses to TT, OR Virginia wins the title, I win $800.

I'll be watching. It's been years since a bracket of mine has been in it until the finals (precisely: 2002/03 Syracuse with Melo, I needed them to win the title to win $500 when I was a ridiculously poor college student...fair to say I was a Cuse/Melo fan far longer than I'd otherwise have been after that).

All that said, like it or not the big teams draw more fans; in the early rounds people love the upset, but when it gets to championship time they want to see the teams and players they've been hearing about all year. Outside of the hardcore fans people don't know much of anything outside of the 'big' teams, and while UVA and MSU have some cachet it's not on the same level of big guys, and Auburn/TT don't bring a ton to the table imo...whether or not it's exciting I think this'll be a pretty low-viewed final 4.

Michigan State MAY disagree? 8 Final Fours in 20 years. Yeah, they just aren't quite elite.

Any time the cheating coach at UK, UNC, and Duke all miss the Final Four it is a good year.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

As I'm an Auburn alum, hell yes it's a good thing.




.

I think it's good to have new teams getting a shot but that's easy for me to say because my team is the one that is there pretty regularly.

I wish we could get some new blood in the football playoffs.

Its a good one not a great one. I always like to see a mid-major team get in there and every analyst, ESPN newscaster and power 5 coach be confused about who this team is and ask "Who is George Mason?" "What state is Weber State in?" "What the hell is a Bilikin (St. Louis)", etc.

Didn't realize it was that many.. so over 20yrs MSU makes the final four almost every other year.

Yeah, not very elite.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Every final 4 is great in its own way. If its blue bloods you get "the best of the best." If its others you get to hear stories about programs/coaches you normally wouldnt.

Yeh, they may disagree (like I said). I don't think most people who aren't MSU fans consider them a blue-blood program. Pretty sure they've won the NCAAT twice in their history and they're not even the most historical hoops school in their conference (that honor would go to Indiana, right?). But they're closer than TT and AU for sure, and even UVA, although UVA has a good hoops tradition in my eyes.

Answering my own question, I think this is as wide-open a final 4 as there has been in a while and I love it.

If we applied the stupid football standard to this we'd have Duke, UNC, and Gonzaga in there with UVA and 3 of these teams would have never had a chance. Different sports, obviously, but the NCAA gets it a lot more right in hoops than they do in basketball.

I would call Kentucky, Duke, UNC and Kansas the true bluebloods. Historically in but falling out would be UCLA and Indiana. I would put MSU in a tier just below that with Syracuse, Uconn, Nova etc. Spartan would have a pretty good argument to join the first group with a win Monday night.

Because FBS isn't the NCAA ;)
In FCS, D1, D3 gridiron, the NCAA has an actual tournament and an actual national champion like they do in every other sport

It will be great. I hope Auburn wins it all, just to spit in the NCAA's face. How soon we forget Chuck Pearson, who has pleaded guilty to the FBI. Go cheaters GO.

Really, I am pulling for TT. Big round ball fan here, and I am super happy to see some big time colleges get this far.

Virginia escaped by the skin of their nose. Yes, it was a foul on Auburn. Yes, it was a double dribble that preceded that.

Plus 1 to all

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Auburn's coach was nothing but class in the post game interview

How did that dude just run back out? When he came down the sole of his shoe was facing up.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Good comeback by Michigan St. It's going to be a close finish. Great final 4.

Suck it Sparty.

Go Hoos!

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Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?

Should be a good final - VA vs TT. I want TT to take it all.

May be the least watched final in recent history. Final score, 18-16.

Maybe, though I'm tired of watching Izzo or Kryzewski rant from the sideline. Time for new blood.

Maybe. Who gives a fuck. Happy to see some new teams on there. And it may be unpopular,but I like that there are two teams playing defense in the final

I doubt it. Texas is a pretty good TV market. I'd be surprised if it was a big drop in rating from recent years. There's a huge built-in viewership for the championship game.

You realize people FROM Lubbock describe it as the armpit of Texas? UT, Aggies or even Houston but Tech? Naw.

UT and A&M are the only TV draws in Texas. Nobody gives a shit about any other school unless they went there.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Leave it to ESPN, who seem to know the MSM playbook about selling fake news and less about sports nowadays, to keep pushing the "controversial" call and FTs. Their own basketball analysts said it was without a doubt a foul. There was nothing controversial about the call or the 3 FTs! The only "controversy" was how 2 officials watching the previous play unfold failed to recognize the double dribble. As someone in an article on Yahoo Sports pointed out - the biggest gaffe was then Auburn fouling with 1.5s. The play had unraveled and by fouling, they gave UVA a chance to re-ravel, when they probably would have failed a desperation hoist. And if it goes in, so be it, rather lose that way.

Texas Tech looked real good, but you can't go a 10 minute stretch scoring just 7 points. Well, maybe a against UVA you can ?? This will be a game where a 5 point lead may as well be 20.

Kenny Mayne bailed ESPN out with this segment...

https://mobile.twitter.com/...129735674245121?s=12

Pretty much nailed it.

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Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?

Decent game

The happiest days of my life in order:

1. Wedding day
2. Birthday of my two kids (tie)
3. Today

All the haters - defense first teams can’t win, uva is boring, no one cares because uva isn’t a blue blood, etc - suck it long and hard.

This won’t be the only Natty for Bennett at UVA. Dinosaurs like K, Izzo and Roy are the past. Bennett is the future.

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Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?

I've never heard anyone say a defense first team couldn't win it. Izzo did that 20 years ago. The problem with Virginia getting bounced early was because they were a defense only team. This year they have a top ten offensive efficiency team and won the title because they were able to score on a team nobody else could figure out how to score on.

Of course every team has haters but I think generally the sporting public is pretty happy for Virginia. Of course being poor winner could change all that. Good thing Tony Bennett isn't telling everyone to suck it.

Thankfully, Bennett isn’t an asshole like I am. You aren’t a lifelong died in the wool UVA fan so I wouldnt expect you to have digested every bit of media devoted to UVA basketball during the Bennett years like I have. Trust me, there has been plenty of hate, naysaying and mocking. This is the ultimate redemption. Wahoowa!

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Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?

Ideally you could have beaten MSU in the final and avenged even more misery.

I look forward to seeing what Bennett can do at UCLA ;)

Well yeah ideally we would’ve taken out UMBC, Florida, MSU and Duke in the same tourney, but I’ll take it.

Can’t see Bennett ever leaving for another college job, but the NBA worries me.

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Freedom just around the corner for you. But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?

Great game, and some clutch shots down the stretch by both teams. That 3 by Hunter right before the end of regulation was YUGE!

UCLA just got filled by by Cronin leaving Cincy. Calipari and Barnes turned the job down.

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