2023 Final Four general thread

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

[usmc0331horn 968]

Wait, people aren't paying top dollar to see FAU/SDSU and then a final with one of them against probably UCOnn?

[Js1 85824]

8 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

 

Costs more to park and eat at NRG

[CashMcCoy 3249]

[Underdog 28881]

VT/Iowa

FAU/Miami - wanting the Howard Schnellenberger Finals. 

[Brian Fantana 6711]

3 hours ago, usmc0331horn said:

Wait, people aren't paying top dollar to see FAU/SDSU and then a final with one of them against probably UCOnn?

Who's better?

[CurlyDumps 4562]

Are the final four games going to be free throw shooting contests, too? Pass.

[Underdog 28881]

C'mon, Hokies. 

[Underdog 28881]

Well this is quite the turn of events.

[Underdog 28881]

Lady Tigers opened up a can of whoop ass in the 4th to advance on to Sunday's Finals. 

[Wally Pryor 5315]

19 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

 

 

Once the NCAA opened up entire stadiums to the FF quite a few years ago it became a beating to watch the game in person. It was bad enough when the stadiums were cut in half.  Entire stadium? That's a bad, very bad, in-person experience. NRG is no exception. There are 70,000 or so seats available for sale, 2,500 of which are okay seats and go to the schools, NABC and sponsors. The remainder of the seats are distant views, and worse. I made the mistake of going to the semis in NRG in 2016.  Never again, and we were "lower level".

These tickets in the 600s should be given away, all games or otherwise, regardless of the matchups. Buy them and you may as well be watching the game from a neighboring highway. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13559]

I hear you about not going to see a game there. The only reason I would go see a stadium game now is if UT was in the champ game. Only to experience  the win. But knowing the view would suck.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

CC and Iowa putting on the heat to 36-0 SC.   This is just as intriguing as the men's FF with these showdowns.  How is LSU at 33-2 only a #3 while a 5 loss VT is #1? 

[Underdog 28881]

Entertaining game. 

[Underdog 28881]

Clark putting on a show. 

[pops 7044]

This is really bad basketball. But fun to watch. Especially if Staley loses. 

[Stunns38 3712]

The offensive rebound advantage is 25-4 for SC and they’re still losing. Crazy

[shadow_operative 15932]

why would you not have the ball in clark's hands to begin with?

[Stunns38 3712]

The offensive rebound advantage is 25-4 for SC and they’re still losing. Crazy

And Iowa just got #5 that may just seal this game.

[Underdog 28881]

Big O board there. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

5 minutes ago, Stunns38 said:

The offensive rebound advantage is 25-4 for SC and they’re still losing. Crazy

the super tall girl for south carolina who keeps getting boards legitimately seems to have a two inch vertical leap, a 7 mph max sprint speed, and the acceleration of...me. it's just shocking how unathletic they can be and still be at the top of their sport.

[shadow_operative 15932]

there's a south carolina player on the floor who is already crying with the game still absolutely there to win. WTF man.

[Underdog 28881]

Ice.  Cold. 

[Stunns38 3712]

the super tall girl for south carolina who keeps getting boards legitimately seems to have a two inch vertical leap, a 7 mph max sprint speed, and the acceleration of...me. it's just shocking how unathletic they can be and still be at the top of their sport.

They’re stronger and appear twice as big. Clark single-handedly won this.(unless this post jinx’s it)

[pops 7044]

Ha!  Fuck stayley!

[Underdog 28881]

I believe Dallas was the site where UConn’s long unbeaten streak got snappped and now tonight undefeated SCe about to go down. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

SC down by 4 with 8 seconds left. the announcer: "do you need to shoot a three here?"

🙄 

im sorry, but they do so much to promote these chicks, all over espn, and all over major national ad campaigns, from nike to puma to gatorade to video games, and then you finally tune in to watch a FF match between two of their best teams, and the lack of skill and lack of athleticism is just jarring. this game is just not watchable from an aesthetic standpoint. you can watch for the competition if you like, but this sport would cease to exist if it had to exist on its own merits. man that was not enjoyable at all. 

[Stunns38 3712]

Caitlyn Clark really gives that look of a transgender, used to be Cale Clark.

[Brian Fantana 6711]

1 minute ago, shadow_operative said:

SC down by 4 with 8 seconds left. the announcer: "do you need to shoot a three here?"

🙄

im sorry, but they do so much to promote these chicks, all over espn, and all over major national ad campaigns, from nike to puma to gatorade to video games, and then you finally tune in to watch a FF match between two of their best teams, and the lack of skill and lack of athleticism is just jarring. this game is just not watchable from an aesthetic standpoint. you can watch for the competition if you like, but this sport would cease to exist if it had to exist on its own merits. man that was not enjoyable at all. 

Overall I agree but idk man, you'd be hard pressed to convince me there's a point guard in men's college basketball better than Caitlin Clark.

Just now, Stunns38 said:

Caitlyn Clark really gives that look of a transgender, used to be Cale Clark.

The fuck is wrong with you dumbass?

[shadow_operative 15932]

if every girl played like clark i could sit down and watch a game. maybe they'll reach that point one day.

[ztejas 43752]

21 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

 

My first thought was - is that supposed to be low? 

Then I realized it's for all three games. 

Woof. 

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

the last Iowa tourney game had better ratings than any NBA game this season. 

[Stunns38 3712]

SC down by 4 with 8 seconds left. the announcer: "do you need to shoot a three here?"
 
im sorry, but they do so much to promote these chicks, all over espn, and all over major national ad campaigns, from nike to puma to gatorade to video games, and then you finally tune in to watch a FF match between two of their best teams, and the lack of skill and lack of athleticism is just jarring. this game is just not watchable from an aesthetic standpoint. you can watch for the competition if you like, but this sport would cease to exist if it had to exist on its own merits. man that was not enjoyable at all. 

Women’s college ball > WNBA

[MirrOlure 14959]

Caitlin Clark is a bigger deal than all four shit teams in the Final Four all put together

[ztejas 43752]

11 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

if every girl played like clark i could sit down and watch a game. maybe they'll reach that point one day.

Like this?

Clark is awesome but people are acting like she's the first girl that knows how to play basketball. I'm not sure she's any better than Breanna Stewart. She's flashier.

[shadow_operative 15932]

simone augustus was the first chick whom i really enjoyed watching. that was probably 20 years ago by now, if not more.  i think that the guard play in the women's game can be exciting, but the other players are so statuesque, even some of the dominant ones, that i just can't ever get into it whenever i try and watch a game. wasn't courtney paris the best player in the country at one point? the game is just too slow and unathletic to keep me interested.

[ztejas 43752]

The college game can definitely be a slog. The WNBA is pretty solid basketball for the most part. The gap between college and pro is a lot bigger in women's because there's only so many gals worth a shit. 

I mean, I don't watch the WNBA, but I can get into a game if I'm flipping around. 

[PittsburghTiger 6245]

51 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

Overall I agree but idk man, you'd be hard pressed to convince me there's a point guard in men's college basketball better than Caitlin Clark.

The fuck is wrong with you dumbass?

Wait, do you mean Clark, as awesome as she is in the girl’s game, or Clark is actually a better player than every PG in the guy’s game? 

[cactusflinthead 27615]

 

[Js1 85824]

Mulkey’s best shot is to blind Clark with some glittery rhinestone getup on Sunday 

[Not a cat 5740]

1 hour ago, PittsburghTiger said:

Wait, do you mean Clark, as awesome as she is in the girl’s game, or Clark is actually a better player than every PG in the guy’s game? 

I was going to ask for the same clarification. I'd agree with the former as she is more dominant of her peers than any male player is.  But if it's the latter he's claiming, that's just laughable.

[MirrOlure 14959]

I assume he means that her skill set is better than any men’s PG, and not that she could actually suit up and actually play in a men’s game.

[Underdog 28881]

7 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

I'd like to see Izzo pull off that Mulkey look. 

I enjoy the women's game, same goes for volleyball and softball. It can be hard and brutal to watch most of the times but so can the mens.  I found both games yesterday entertaining. 

[Wally Pryor 5315]

I watched the final quarter of that womens game last night. The Iowa gal is good, has a nice jump shot. She seems to walk about every 3rd possession but I'll leave that to the 2,000 or so "refs sucks" subscribers on this board. 

 

The real story was the So Car coach. She was atrocious. Iowa has one player that can beat you. Cut off the damn head. Play one defender on her, run a 2nd one at her constantly and let those 3 big players run a triangle defending the basket. Nothing wrong with making an adjustment in the game. the coach may be the 2nd coming of John Wooden for all I know. Last night she was abysmal. 

[Pam Cummings 9705]

They tried to double her but she made the right pass every time. Keeping the ball out of her hands is much easier said than done, she's just a hooper.

[Underdog 28881]

Or follow what Rupp did with Maravich and let Pete get his but cutoff the teammates, she's carrying her team similarly to what Manning did in '88 for KU. 

[Blotto 23728]

9 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

SC down by 4 with 8 seconds left. the announcer: "do you need to shoot a three here?"

🙄

im sorry, but they do so much to promote these chicks, all over espn, and all over major national ad campaigns, from nike to puma to gatorade to video games, and then you finally tune in to watch a FF match between two of their best teams, and the lack of skill and lack of athleticism is just jarring. this game is just not watchable from an aesthetic standpoint. you can watch for the competition if you like, but this sport would cease to exist if it had to exist on its own merits. man that was not enjoyable at all. 

100% agree. I actually watched the tail end of the  3rd and all of the 4th qtr of Iowa/SC to see what all the hype was about re: Caitlyn Clark. That's more chick hoops than I have watched in years. What jumped out at me even more than what a skilled player Clark is, was the enormous  discrepancy in talent between her and some of the other stiffs lumbering up and down the court.

Clark is very skilled, but the difference between her and the worst player on the court last night would be  equivalent to an NBA player and a 4* high school player. Iowa was regularly sagging off the SC perimeter players giving them 5+ feet of free space, and SC still  only managed 4-20 from deep. SC had as many wide open three pointers as they wanted. You give any decent men's team completely uncontested three's all game long, and they would probably make 25+. Completely different game. Note the discrepancy between the two shots here: 

But to Clark's credit, I'll probably check in on the 2nd half of the  championship game just to see if she gets it done. That will be more women's final four than I have watched since 2003. I bet the TV numbers will be much higher than usual due to the hype of Clark.  

[Pancho 45527]

1 hour ago, Wally Pryor said:

I watched the final quarter of that womens game last night. The Iowa gal is good, has a nice jump shot. She seems to walk about every 3rd possession but I'll leave that to the 2,000 or so "refs sucks" subscribers on this board. 

 

The real story was the So Car coach. She was atrocious. Iowa has one player that can beat you. Cut off the damn head. Play one defender on her, run a 2nd one at her constantly and let those 3 big players run a triangle defending the basket. Nothing wrong with making an adjustment in the game. the coach may be the 2nd coming of John Wooden for all I know. Last night she was abysmal. 

They tried that. Clark was just making legit passes. Watching the final quarter doesn’t help with understanding what Souf Carolina tried to do. 

Dawn Staley isn’t an atrocious coach, but then again you also want off ball offensive fouls taken out of the game so it’s understandable you don’t know how great she is. She has her 2 NCs and will probably be in the mix again next year if Boston comes back. I said on the WBB board that Dawn seemed really subdued this entire game, which is odd for her. She would have been in officials’ faces for some of the non-calls on Clark. Sure, she may have known “we aren’t winning” but I also wonder if she’s leaving for a different job or something a la Beck Hammon. 

Iowa has Clark, but LSU has Mulkey. I think LSU takes it. I think Iowa wanted to beat the monster in Souf Carolina that they will be letdown on Sunday. LSU will fill the arena since it’s not a far trip from BR to Dallas. 

 

With that said, I’m going for SDSU to win the whole thing this weekend

[Underdog 28881]

One of the great NCAAT games... 

 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10479]

11 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

if every girl played like clark i could sit down and watch a game. maybe they'll reach that point one day.

Agreed, but watching highlights of that game she looks so good in large part because everyone else looks so bad. These are final four teams and man they are bad, bad.