Worst F4 match-up ever?

[Xman95]

Is Butler/VCU the worst Final 4 match-up ever? If it's not, I'm guessing it has to be close.

** This doesn't mean "worst" in terms of an entertaining, evenly matched game. But rather "worst" as far as the quality of the teams. It should be a good, close game. But the same could be said for Fordham vs. Brown.

[GoMuskies]

I think it's one of the best, personally.

KU/Marquette was pretty brutal.

[xavierj]

Is Butler/VCU the worst Final 4 match-up ever? If it's not, I'm guessing it has to be close.

I think it is awesome. Fresh blood. Who wants to continue watching the same teams play in the final 4 every year. I would much rather watch these guys play then say Syracuse and Kansas or something like that.

[paulxu]

I want to see the Muskies in the Final Four. Period.

[gladdenguy]

I feel ya Paul. It sucks that 2 Non BCS teams are in the final four in the last 2 years (3 spots) and none of them are occupied by Xavier.

It makes me think that we blew our chances. I hope that is not the case.

[paulxu]

I think this is the first year in history that there is not a #1 or #2 seed in the final four.

[GuyFawkes38]

yeah, I think a lot of people will be excited to see some new blood in the Final Four.

But from a talent perspective, it has to be.

I think Mack is the only NBA prospect from both teams. He's likely a 2nd rounder.

Probably one of the weakest NCAA tourney fields ever. Yet, it's been fun. So I guess there really isn't a direct correlation between talent and entertainment.

[SlimKibbles]

I think this is the first year in history that there is not a #1 or #2 seed in the final four.

I thought I heard something about it being the 3rd time in the last 30 years that a #1 hasn't made it. Not sure about a #1 and #2 not making it though.

[whitesox]

I thought I heard something about it being the 3rd time in the last 30 years that a #1 hasn't made it. Not sure about a #1 and #2 not making it though.

Yep, 1980 and 2006 are the other times.

In both those years a #2 seed made the Final Four, though. So this definitely is the first year without a #1 or #2.

[Juice]

Not only aren't the teams very good, I hate 3 of them. I despise UK and Butler, and really dislike UConn. I am rooting for VCU by default and they are the least likely to win it.

[LA Muskie]

Is Butler/VCU the worst Final 4 match-up ever? If it's not, I'm guessing it has to be close.

** This doesn't mean "worst" in terms of an entertaining, evenly matched game. But rather "worst" as far as the quality of the teams. It should be a good, close game. But the same could be said for Fordham vs. Brown.
So...it's "worst" because it includes 2 non-Big 6 schools? They won the games to get them there. How are they any less than anyone else? Damn we're hypocrites around here...

[LA Muskie]

I think this is the first year in history that there is not a #1 or #2 seed in the final four.
The funny thing about that is that the talking heads were convinced that this was a top-heavy field, with a significant dropoff after the top 8. Admittedly, I fell into that camp as well.

[LadyMuskie]

I want to see the Muskies in the Final Four. Period.

I don't want to upset Garvin, but THIS! This 1000 times over.

[GuyFawkes38]

So...it's "worst" because it includes 2 non-Big 6 schools? They won the games to get them there. How are they any less than anyone else? Damn we're hypocrites around here...

Just looking at it from a pure talent perspective, I think it might be.

usually Final Four teams have 3-4 draft picks a piece.

VCU and Bu, combined, have 1, I believe.

I think both teams are interesting and good stories. It might be a great game. But not a lot of talent.

[LA Muskie]

Just looking at it from a pure talent perspective, I think it might be.

usually Final Four teams have 3-4 draft picks a piece.

VCU and Bu, combined, have 1, I believe.

I think both teams are interesting and good stories. It might be a great game. But not a lot of talent.
I'll take team ball over divas any day.

[X-band '01]

It is the highest seeded matchup (#8 vs. #11) in the Final 4 since the seeding process began in 1979.

[GuyFawkes38]

Someone brought up that in our 2 elite eights we faced a lot of great NBA talent (Luol Deng, Kevin Love, Westbrook, and jj redick, Duhon, Sheldon Williams).

Butler just hasn't faced that amount of talent. It feels like for the past 3 years, we've had a dry spell in talent in college basketball.

That's not to take anything away from Butler. They are taking advantage of it.

[LA Muskie]

Someone brought up that in our 2 elite eights we faced a lot of great NBA talent (Luol Deng, Kevin Love, Westbrook, and jj redick, Duhon, Sheldon Williams).

Butler just hasn't faced that amount of talent. It feels like for the past 3 years, we've had a dry spell in talent in college basketball.

That's not to take anything away from Butler. They are taking advantage of it.
That may be true, but their path included #1 Pitt, #4 Wisconsin and #2 Florida. Not exactly a walk in the park...

And VCU has looked like the best team in the tournament, bar none. They haven't even had a close game in wins over #6 Georgetown, #3 Purdue, #10 Florida State and #1 Kansas. Their 10 pt win against Kansas was the closest game they've played.

The runs these two teams are on can't be attributed to luck (although luck plays a role in most runs). These teams are on a tear.

[XUFan09]

That may be true, but their path included #1 Pitt, #4 Wisconsin and #2 Florida. Not exactly a walk in the park...

And VCU has looked like the best team in the tournament, bar none. They haven't even had a close game in wins over #6 Georgetown, #3 Purdue, #10 Florida State and #1 Kansas. Their 10 pt win against Kansas was the closest game they've played.

The runs these two teams are on can't be attributed to luck (although luck plays a role in most runs). These teams are on a tear.

Just a correction: They actually went into overtime and won by 1 against Florida State. It's kinda ironic, since FSU is the fourth best team they've played. But yes, they have beat up all their other opponents, which includes two top 10 teams and one team that was in the top 10 earlier in the season.

[Masterofreality]

So...it's "worst" because it includes 2 non-Big 6 schools? They won the games to get them there. How are they any less than anyone else? Damn we're hypocrites around here...

What LA said.

Lets seperate the jealousy and the disdain for the idiot Butler fans who are still pissed at Xavier for leaving the MCC. Butler has earned their way the last two years. Every team that makes a Final Four has some fortunate bounces, but all have tough minds and fight their way through adversity.

We should all celebrate VCU and Butler for adding another chapter to the story that has been gradually tearing down the veil of illusion that only the Big Six Conferences matter in college basketball. Xavier, Memphis and Gonzaga can be considered the pioneers in this process, and with a few more, the evidence grows and grows to where, eventually, there will be no way that the talking heads can ignore it.

If Xavier is good enough, and I am confident that in years very, very soon, we will be, Xavier will bust into that Final 4 and then win a National Championship.

For now, I am very happy that there will be a guaranteed non Big Sixer in the Championship game. The BCS in football is set up to prevent this exact occurrance. "The Man" can't stop it in basketball, however. Any talk of the Big Six trying to create their own BCS football type "Super Tournament" has now been put to rest. That genie is out of the bottle, and shall never be put back in.

[LadyMuskie]

We should all celebrate VCU and Butler for adding another chapter to the story that has been gradually tearing down the veil of illusion that only the Big Six Conferences matter in college basketball. Xavier, Memphis and Gonzaga can be considered the pioneers in this process, and with a few more, the evidence grows and grows to where, eventually, there will be no way that the talking heads can ignore it.

.

This right here is the reason why I have no problem with a VCU v. Butler final four game. It stings that it isn't us, but any time any team not in one of the so-called "Big" Six conferences is playing in the final weekend of the tourney I'm happy. I wish it was us. I want it to be us in the not too distant future, but I'd rather see VCU and/or Butler in the final game than an all Big East final or some nonsense like that.

[MADXSTER]

Lady, keep it all in perspective. Take last year's team in this field and I would feel the same way. This year's team not so much.

[PM Thor]

I really don't care about comparing this year to any other in terms of talent. It's like comparing baseball eras to me. The talent in the NCAA is there, it hasn't changed. It's just that the "big boys" don't corner the market on talent anymore, it's spread out more throughout the nation. I absolutely love this. There are the NBA players out there, they just aren't focused anymore at 10 schools like they used to be.

The teams in the Final Four deserve to be there, they beat the supposed "big boys", and I love it. I just wish we could have had a VCU/Butler Final, I'm sure a lot of talking heads brains would have sploded if that happened.

I HATE dayton.

[xubrew]

All I can say is that it is a damn shame we don't have more "basketball minded" people on the committee. I don't know what the hell that means, but ESPN seems to trumpet it a lot. If it means having more people on the committe who know the game of basketball, then I'm fine with that, but I feel we have that already. If it means getting more people on the committee that think along the same lines as themselves, then they need to piss off, and while they're going through the process of "pissing off" I would also advocate that others unzip and piss on them.

VCU's run in the tournament does not validate their inclusion. Their performance in the regular season does...and did...even though those at ESPN were condemning it because it was made by a committee of non-"basketball-minded people." Had VCU lost their first game, which half the field does, they still would have belonged. They had a great season and belonged in the field. End of it.

I don't know why I let this work me up as much as it did. I guess it's a good thing that all I use ESPN for is to watch games. I've often criticized people on this board for getting too worked up over what the national media says. Now, I'm doing the same thing. I don't give any credence to anything they say, but realize that others do. I guess I don't like that idiots are given credence. That's pretty much ESPN.

VCU vs Butler is GREAT game. I'm sure ESPN says it's not, but it is. It's Butler's match-up against VCU's three guard offense. VCU has been a surprise in the tournament because they've shot the ball so well. They were a decent shooting team, particularly from the outside, during the year, but not great. In the tournament, they have been. Skeen is a great post player...or was...but has struggled on the blocks the last two games. VCU is interesting because they are struggling in what appeared to be their strenghts, and excelling in other areas, such as outside shooting.

How will Butler adjust do this?? Do you scout them based on the season, or what they've done lately?? Or both??

Butler's match up and pack is fun to watch too. It's been more effective in the tournament than I thought it would be. They're outside shooting has also been strong. VCU, a good defensive team, has their hands full. They played some zone today. Normally match-up is their thing, but they can do more than just that. What will they do on Saturday??

BUTLER VS VCU IS AN AWESOME GAME!!!!!!!!! It's a game between two teams that have a large arsenal, and that can do a lot of things. It also happens to feature two teams (VCU in particular) that are suddenly doing things well that they didn't do during the regular season.

If that's not a great game then I don't know what the fuck is.

I encourage EVERYONE to tune every TV in their house in to this game. You may be watching just one TV, but have them all on. Lets boost the ratings. It's one of the more compelling Final Four match-ups in awhile. BTW, the winner earns the right to play for a national championship. There's that as well.


We don't need more "basketball minded" people on the committee. We need more "basketball minded" people on ESPN. Or we should just stop watching ESPN other than the games themselves. Either would be fine with me.

Digger and Dick can suck Dick.

[X Communicator]

All I can say is that it is a damn shame we don't have more "basketball minded" people on the committee. I don't know what the hell that means, but ESPN seems to trumpet it a lot. If it means having more people on the committe who know the game of basketball, then I'm fine with that, but I feel we have that already. If it means getting more people on the committee that think along the same lines as themselves, then they need to piss off...

...I encourage EVERYONE to tune every TV in their house in to this game. You may be watching just one TV, but have them all on. Lets boost the ratings. It's one of the more compelling Final Four match-ups in awhile. BTW, the winner earns the right to play for a national championship. There's that as well.

We don't need more "basketball minded" people on the committee. We need more "basketball minded" people on ESPN. Or we should just stop watching ESPN other than the games themselves. Either would be fine with me.

Digger and Dick can suck Dick.

Well ranted and appropriately repped, mate. It is fitting and just that Butler and VCU are there. Period.

Catholics, Jews & Muslims do not unite on nearly enough ideas, but one that they agree on is that "basketball-minded" is code for "big six schools that have a lot of alums plus ND and Duke."

Pontiff is damned tired of the fact that ESPN on-air people can hardly be understood on account of the fact that they always slurp big school wang as they deliver their thoughtful comments on the purity of amateur athletic competition.

But as you might say, the Vicar is probably pissing into the wind here.

[LA Muskie]

Just a correction: They actually went into overtime and won by 1 against Florida State. It's kinda ironic, since FSU is the fourth best team they've played. But yes, they have beat up all their other opponents, which includes two top 10 teams and one team that was in the top 10 earlier in the season.
Thanks for the correction. I watched the game and somehow still forgot that.

[waggy]

You know what would be delicious? VCU over UConn in the final. :D

[xu05usmc]

So this is the worst final four matchup because of the lack of talent involved? well, both the teams were talented enough to get to the Final Four. I think there are 341 other NCAA Division 1 Teams that wish they were lacking the talent of VCU and Butler.

[muskiefan82]

So this is the worst final four matchup because of the lack of talent involved? well, both the teams were talented enough to get to the Final Four. I think there are 341 other NCAA Division 1 Teams that wish they were lacking the talent of VCU and Butler.

So, if UK wins against UCONN do we automatically crown the VCU-Butler winner as National Champions because they will either beat UK outright or win by virtue of UK vacating the championship in a few years?

[drudy23]

VCU by default and they are the least likely to win it.

At this point....are they?

After watching 4 of their games, they can match up with any of the other 3...no question.

Gotta think UK is the favorite, but I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these 4 win it all.

[GoMuskies]

UK/UConn was an infinitely worse game than VCU/Butler. UK/UConn was just some brutal basketball.

[SixFig]

UK/UConn was an infinitely worse game than VCU/Butler. UK/UConn was just some brutal basketball.

I'm sure Digger would say it was just good defense.

[xudash]

I feel ya Paul. It sucks that 2 Non BCS teams are in the final four in the last 2 years (3 spots) and none of them are occupied by Xavier.

It makes me think that we blew our chances. I hope that is not the case.

It doesn't work that way.

There are no invisible puppet strings, directing outcomes on the basketball court.

Focus on the goal. Every possession matters. You just have to want it through 6 games (in our case,usually). I give credit to Butler for having that modus operandi.

Kentucky on the other hand! Hi, I'm a McDonald AA. Watch me while I chuck 3's all night or, when that gets old, I think I'll drive into the lane against three white jerseys and dazzle the Houston crowd.

[xsteve1]

Butler will beat Uconn and I hope they beat em by double digits.