2013 Final Four Thread

[GoMuskies]

Go Shockers!

[D-West & PO-Z]

Go Shockers!

In order of who I would like to see win it all:

1. Shockers (cheering for the little guy.)
2. Michigan (Trey Burke seems like a good dude)
3. Louisville (I picked them to win it all, and they arent Boeheim's team)
4. Syracuse (Cant stand Jimmy)

[GoMuskies]

Uh...nice start.

[UCGRAD4X]

In order of who I would like to see win it all:

1. Shockers (cheering for the little guy.)
2. Michigan (Trey Burke seems like a good dude)
3. Louisville (I picked them to win it all, and they arent Boeheim's team)
4. Syracuse (Cant stand Jimmy)

Great minds....

...especially the Jimmy part. Can't stand the dude. Wanna see a Bigtime Boeheim Beatdown.


Oh yeah...Go Shockers!

[GoMuskies]

WSU is making it appropriately ugly so far. Their only hope. Louisville can really suck in the halfcourt (though sometimes they catch fire and are just unbeatable).

[GoMuskies]

20 minutes from the city of Wichita exploding. Let's go Shockers!

[UCGRAD4X]

Gumbel just called them the Stalkers on the 1/2 time show.

[GoMuskies]

Orupke missed those two front ends of the one and one with about 14 minutes to go. I think that's going to end up killing the Shockers.

[paulxu]

This is a hell of a ball game.

[GoMuskies]

Baker HAS to have these FTs. Great player, but he's a freshman.

[GoMuskies]

That jump ball call was bullshit.

[paulxu]

Shockers got jobbed on that jump ball call.

[UCGRAD4X]

Hard to say that decided the game, but it sucks that a bogus call like that will be the enduring moment - and now we'll never know if they would have at least tied it,


A not so shining moment.

Nice job Shockers - they've got nothing to be ashamed of.

[LA Muskie]

Horrible horrible call. But I think UL wins regardless. So while I was rooting like hell for the Shockers I'm not losing sleep over it.

[LA Muskie]

2 games. 2 bad calls to end them. Maybe I have to stop complaining when people whine about referees.

[GoMuskies]

Louisville and Michigan. Not sure I'll even watch.

[BENWAR]

Louisville and Michigan. Not sure I'll even watch.

Winning score ends in a four and the losing score ends in a three equals two grand for me!!

[xubrew]

Wichita plays a tight zone for about the first thirty minutes of the game.

Wichita was also handling Louisville's pressure for the first thirty minutes or so, which was something I didn't think was possible. One of the ways they were handling it was by not allowing Louisville to set up the full court press, or to control the tempo of the game. One thing that enabled Wichita to do it was their tight zone defense.

Louisville was not able to attack the basket or get points in the paint. They were getting open looks from the outside, but they aren't a great outside shooting team. The reason for this was Wichita's tight zone defense.

Wichita had built up a twelve point lead, and Louisville appeared to have no answers whatsoever for Wichita's tight zone defense.

So, with a twelve point lead with about ten minutes to go, what does Wichita State inexplicably do??

They change their defense to a straight man. Within about ninety seconds, Lousville has it down to six, and is finally able to drive the lane.

I don't understand it. If Wichita stays with the zone, I don't think Louisville ends up getting within ten, much less winning the game.

It was a fantastic gameplan for Wichita. I didn't think they had a chance in hell, and they controlled the first thirty minutes of the game. They prevented Louisville from playing to their strengths as good as anyone possibly could have, and they also went head to head in the post and were winning that battle. It was a great game plan. I just don't understand why they abandoned it. If they don't, I think they win.

Every season ends in heartbreak. Had Ohio State come all the way back, which they almost did, Wichita would have been forever lamenting how they blew a chance to go to the Final Four. So, at the end of the day, there is still a lot to feel good about. Having said that, Wichita could have won that game, and arguably should have. 24 hours ago, I would have believed that to be insane. They beat a very good Pitt team, a Gonzaga team that was ranked #1, and a very good Ohio State team that appeared to be playing as well as anyone in the country. They nearly beat Louisville in the FF. It was a FANTASTIC run for Wichita. For a second I thought we'd get to see another "mid-major" with a crack at the championship. As much as it stings for them now, and I know that it does, it will eventually fade some and they'll feel really good about the season. After we lost to Duke in 2004 in such a close game, many of us were crestfallen. Now that season is one of our shining moments.

[xubrew]

Louisville vs Michigan is a GREAT final. Louisvlle plays outstanding defense. Michigan is great offensively. Michigan also played better against a better team in their FF game, so it's not a cakewalk for Louisville by any stretch of the imagination.

[JTG]

2 games. 2 bad calls to end them. Maybe I have to stop complaining when people whine about referees.

You should. Way too many close games are decided by incompetent officials by swallowing their whistles, or making bad calls. Bad calls do not even out in a close game. There are more Ed Rushes than the NCAA would like to admit. Hell, officials tried to gift wrap a trip to the Final Four for OSU in their last two games with ridiculous charge calls against Iowa State, and more bad calls against Wichita State.

[Cheesehead]

Jump ball call was atrocious and it did impact the game. I am going to root for....(gasp).... Michigan.

[UCGRAD4X]

At least Boeheim lost, and it's nice that we won't have to deal with him next year either.

[xubrew]

I honestly didn't the jump ball at the end of Louisville v Wichita was a bad call. It was a quick whistle, but they were tied up.

I'll have to watch it again, though (and am not sure when I'll get to). The thing to "watch" for is when the whistle blew. They were clearly tied up for a second (if that), and then Wichita came up with the ball. Did the whistle blow while the two were tied up, or after Wichita came up with the ball??

If it's the former, then I'm going to believe that the players were tied up and would have stayed tied up because the Lousiville player heard the whistle and just let go. If it's the latter, then I will concede that it was a bad call because in that situation (or any situation) the refs should allow more than a second for someone to come up with the ball. I mean, if you can't even get your whistle blown before a team comes up with the ball, then they weren't tied up long enough for it to be a jump ball, IMHO.

[LA Muskie]

I don't even think they were "tied up" at all. Regardless, at an absolute minimum, it was way too quick of a call.

[Masterofreality]

Hey, I'm from Louisville, and think that U of L got absolutely bailed out for the entire last 8 minutes by the refs.

They stopped calling the same reach in fouls that they had called all game and basically let The Cards get away with murder, then the "jump ball" call.

AS Gary Parrish wrote this morning, "Karl Hess robbed America of what would have been another great NCAA moment". That is if Wichita has the ball with a chance to tie.

But they did not.

[paulxu]

Is Karl Hess related to John Cahill?

[XUPhilly04]

I didn't think the jump ball call was that bad of call. Maybe a little quick but the ball was a tied up. We wouldn't even be talking about it if the poss. arrow was in Wichita St.'s favor. I think the charge call at the end of the 'Cuse/Mich game was more suspect but still a tough call. Refs don't seem to consider that the guy needs space land when he is in the air. Even that call didn't end the game for 'cuse, as that play call at the end was awful. You are down 3 with around 13 seconds to go and you have a guy who isn't comfortable with dribble driving, taking it down the lane for 2. Should have taken the 3 and if missed, go for the rebound and get the quick 2.

[xubrew]

After looking at it again, the one thing that sticks out to me is the ref that made the call. Of the three refs, he seems to be the only one who clearly could not see anything.

I'm changing my verdict.

BAD CALL.

[GoMuskies]

The arrow actually should have been in WSU's favor. Forgot about the terrible double foul call when Van Treese knocked Baker to the ground with about 3 minutes to go. Instead of Baker to the free throw line, it was a jump ball that gave possession to Wichita State but the arrow to Louisville.

[DC Muskie]

One of the rules I'm in favor of changing is making the "jump ball" an actual jump ball like they do for the pros.

My initial reaction when the play happened, that it wasn't a bad call. Sure it was quick, but I thought they were tied up.

Did they call a foul on Baker when Van Treese hit him across the face? I missed that double foul.

[UCGRAD4X]

One of the rules I'm in favor of changing is making the "jump ball" an actual jump ball like they do for the pros.

My initial reaction when the play happened, that it wasn't a bad call. Sure it was quick, but I thought they were tied up.

Did they call a foul on Baker when Van Treese hit him across the face? I missed that double foul.

Yes. The refs got together and decided to call a double foul. They were kind of tied up together and a foul was not out of the question but Van Treese really clocked Baker and they decided kind-of retroactively to make the double foul call. If it had been an elbow instead - it might have been a flagrant 2.

[ammtd34]

One of the rules I'm in favor of changing is making the "jump ball" an actual jump ball like they do for the pros.

My initial reaction when the play happened, that it wasn't a bad call. Sure it was quick, but I thought they were tied up.

Did they call a foul on Baker when Van Treese hit him across the face? I missed that double foul.

Yeah, it was a double foul. I was surprised they didn't go to the monitor for that. They do for everything else, but not a potential flagrant late in a Final Four game?

[DC Muskie]

So Baker got hit for foul? Did he hit Van Treese? I'm not remembering what he did exactly.

[GoMuskies]

I'm not remembering what he did exactly.

He hit Van Treese's elbow with his face.

[DC Muskie]

He hit Van Treese's elbow with his face.

Oh okay. Man that call just sucked.

[Masterofreality]

He hit Van Treese's elbow with his face.


Oh okay. Man that call just sucked.

And that changed the posession arrow, which changed who got the ball on the jump ball.

There was an awful lot of officiating that went against Wichita State in the last 8 minutes of that game. And an awful lot of whistle swallowing that wasn't happening like that earlier.

[X-band '01]

One of the rules I'm in favor of changing is making the "jump ball" an actual jump ball like they do for the pros.

My initial reaction when the play happened, that it wasn't a bad call. Sure it was quick, but I thought they were tied up.

Did they call a foul on Baker when Van Treese hit him across the face? I missed that double foul.

The NCAA tried that about a decade ago - sort of.

They would give the team that forced a tie-up possession but use the arrow only when, in the ref's mind, there was truly dual possession of the ball.

Using an actual jump ball would be logical, but this is the NCAA we're talking about here.

[xudash]

And that changed the posession arrow, which changed who got the ball on the jump ball.

There was an awful lot of officiating that went against Wichita State in the last 8 minutes of that game. And an awful lot of whistle swallowing that wasn't happening like that earlier.

Shades of Xavier / Duke.

[xudash]

I didn't realize that Brad Redford's cousin played for Michigan.

What a performance.

[letskeepitreal]

I didn't realize that Brad Redford's cousin played for Michigan.

What a performance.

Is he really brad's cousin?

[GoMuskies]

White guys ruled the first half.

[XUFan09]

This Acura commercial is getting a tad bit old...

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

[D-West & PO-Z]

Would love seeing a kid from Columbus, who OSU didnt want, win the National Championship for MICHIGAN in the same year he wins player of the year. HA!

[GoMuskies]

Russ Smith must be shaving points. Only possible explanation.

[xudash]

Shades of Derrick Brown on the Outabounds line.

[LA Muskie]

Curious coaching out of Belein. Wasted nearly 15 precious seconds there. .

[XUFan09]

Shades of Derrick Brown on the Outabounds line.

I was thinking the same thing.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

[GoMuskies]

I hate Rick Pitino.

[LA Muskie]

I think the streamer explosion just shaved 10 years off his life. His reaction scared the crap out of me.

[paulxu]

First one to 60 wins again.

[GoMuskies]

No Xavier? One Shining Moment is dead to me.

[xudash]

No Xavier? One Shining Moment is dead to me.

Me, too GM. Switched it off after Ware cut the final cord of the net.

So this season is officially fully behind us.

It's time to look forward to Xavier having moments like UL did tonight - sooner than later.

[boozehound]

Curious coaching out of Belein. Wasted nearly 15 precious seconds there. .

Yeah. I don't think this was Belein's best-coached game.

In the first half he let the same player take (and make) the same 3pt shot on 4 consecutive possessions without calling a timeout. After the second made 3 by Hancock from virtually the exact same spot I was screaming for a TO.

I also might have played Burke with 2-3 min left in the first half. That's a really tough call though, and Burke didn't finish with 4 fouls so it's not like he only had 2-3 the whole game.

The end game situation was not particularly well managed either. Take Burke off the floor and just foul the first guy with the ball instead of wasting time trying to get the right foul situation.

Rebounding in the second half was absolutely terrible, but almost all of that is on the players. Defense was poor as well for must of the game, particularly in the post. Really makes me appreciate Xavier's defense.

[coasterville95]

Thinking ahead - I believe in 2015 (or is it 2016) the Final Four is back at Lucas Oil in Indy. I noticed the adverts during the Elite Eight games thisyear saying that 2014 Final Four tickets were on sale, so it stands to reason at about this time next year the 2015's should go on sale.

I also understand that ticket sales may be based by a lottery system. Has anybody had any luck with that? I'd really like to see one final four weekend in person, even if the seats are super upper Nosebleed. (Particularly if 2015 is the year we pull it all together) Is that my best option to persue, wait for the "Ticket application" process to open, put in for two seats and hope for the best?

[Cheesehead]

Thinking ahead - I believe in 2015 (or is it 2016) the Final Four is back at Lucas Oil in Indy. I noticed the adverts during the Elite Eight games thisyear saying that 2014 Final Four tickets were on sale, so it stands to reason at about this time next year the 2015's should go on sale.

I also understand that ticket sales may be based by a lottery system. Has anybody had any luck with that? I'd really like to see one final four weekend in person, even if the seats are super upper Nosebleed. (Particularly if 2015 is the year we pull it all together) Is that my best option to persue, wait for the "Ticket application" process to open, put in for two seats and hope for the best?

I put in for tickets through lottery system for Indy in 2010 and got them. I think it was $375.00 for the 3 games. Yes, I had nosebleed and unless Xavier is playing, I will never watch a Final 4 in a football stadium again. Because the action was so far away, I ended up watching one of the video boards near my section and I said to myself "I can do this at home with my flatscreen and I have beer at home." They don't sell beer for the Final 4. I took my son so the overall experience was good but I sold my tickets for the Championship game and we went back home.

[xu95]

From what I understand it isn't that hard to get tickets through the lottery system. I am half tempted to buy some every year and then just Stub Hub them. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I haven't started doing that yet. Damn.

[DC Muskie]

From what I understand it isn't that hard to get tickets through the lottery system. I am half tempted to buy some every year and then just Stub Hub them. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I haven't started doing that yet. Damn.

Just as an aside, since you referenced StubHub. I noticed that the Nats have partnered with them in selling tickets, but they have put a base line price. So in essence, the Nats and StubHub are limiting your changes of finding a deal. Have you noticed this with other places, like the NCAA tournament tickets? I just noticed it this week because I'm selling a few on the site.

[paulxu]

I just noticed it this week because I'm selling a few on the site.

Wait a sec. I know the Reds manhandled them...but this is a little early to be bailing on the Gnats.

[xubrew]

Thinking ahead - I believe in 2015 (or is it 2016) the Final Four is back at Lucas Oil in Indy. I noticed the adverts during the Elite Eight games thisyear saying that 2014 Final Four tickets were on sale, so it stands to reason at about this time next year the 2015's should go on sale.

I also understand that ticket sales may be based by a lottery system. Has anybody had any luck with that? I'd really like to see one final four weekend in person, even if the seats are super upper Nosebleed. (Particularly if 2015 is the year we pull it all together) Is that my best option to persue, wait for the "Ticket application" process to open, put in for two seats and hope for the best?

I'm not sure how it works now. Whenever I try and buy tickets to anything I seemingly always have the worst luck with it. In 2004, I paid a lot of money to sit far away for the games in Atlanta, and learned that nearly paid less to sit closer. By "everyone" I mean every single person who was at the Georgia Dome. Someone I was with was able to work it so we got itno the Xavier section for the game against Duke, but like I said....he did that. Not me.

Last year, it was the same story. I paid a lot and was again far away. It wasn't hard to move down, though.

So, from now on, I leave it up to other people when it comes to getting tickets. To anything. Fortunately for me, I know people who are very good at that stuff.

Anyway, the way the Final Four lottery used to work is that everyone paid $300 (I guess now it is $375). If you won the lottery, you got tickets. If you lost, you got your money back.

Butler is hosting the games in Indianapolis. The best way to get the best tickets is to make friends with someone who works in Butler's athletic department. If that doesn't work, then the lottery is probably the next best idea.

As far as seeing the game, you're able to follow what's going on, but if you really want ot intently watch the game it's best to watch the video screens, or just stay at home. The court is roughly the same area as home plate is to first base at a baseball game. If you're way out in the bleachers, you can see what's going on between home plate and first base, so it's not as if you're unable to follow the action if you're far away from the court. But, you can't see every little single detail of what's going on. You just kind of know to yell when things are going right. Or, you're watching the jumbo screens.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I went to the Final Four in St. Louis when UNC beat Illinois to win it all. I was a freshman at SLU and my buddy was a huge NC fan and he got us two and 3 of our other buddies tickets to the game for free. I remember being pretty high up in the Edwards Jones dome in the middle of thousand of Illinois fans but dont remember thinking I couldnt see the court well. Maybe I was in a better position to the court high up. Obviously though football stadiums were not meant to house basketball games.