Bear Down Wildcats

Clamped down on defense in the second half … just like you knew a CSM-led team would.

There is no doubt we will be in same region as Xavier this year….

OK Sean, even though I was wearing the lucky T shirt as you stomped UConn you can't take any of its power away from the Cats' next game.

Alieberman wrote: ↑Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:03 pm There is no doubt we will be in same region as Xavier this year….

No doubt we’ll get Xavier, Duke, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Tennessee in our region.

Down goes Purdue.

So, assuming everyone wins this week, then next week its Houston, Kansas, UConn, Purdue, Arizona in that order.

Except that Houston will immediately lose to Cincinatti on Sunday, too late to affect the ranking poll, and Kansas will rotate into the first slot the next week, Houston drops to #4 and Arizona stays at number 5 again.

Yes, I'm cynical.

Lute once said the best place you can be in the regular season is "just" in the top ten. That way, the result of all of your games gets reported in most places, which helps recruiting. But that #1 target on your back is just a big motivation to opposing teams and a distraction to your team. Sure, you want top four seeding in the NCAAs if you can get it, but the AP poll weighted by all the small-town eastern Pennsylvania sportswriter types isn't exactly corellated to that. For Purdue, Zach Edey is enormous, but he's a bit slow, and the rest of the Purdue team doesn't look like a #1 to me. Yeah, they had a big weekend in Portland in November and beat Gonzaga and now down to #16 Duke, but that's about it. And a not very physically impressive Rutgers team beat them when they were #1 for the second straight season.

The nation's last unbeaten team, 14-0 New Mexico, lost last night @ Fresno State.

Was reading up on the Lobos roster and learning their two highest scorers are sons of familiar NBA names. Jaelen House, from Phoenix, is the son of Eddie House and nephew of Mike Bibby. Transferred to New Mexico from Arizona State, where his father was a star. (I'm sure there's drama as to why House left ASU.)

Also Jamal Mashburn Jr (haven't come across that name in a LONG time). Transferred from Minnesota where I'm sure he was brought from by New Mexico's coach, Richard Pitino, where he was fired.

Lol Duke.

24 point loss to NCST

Been watching the UConn/Creighton game. UConn is a prototypical Big East team. They are very physical and it shows on defense. I don't believe the Cats match up with UConn very well. They are more physical than any team we have played all season. They really get into your face. They are not a great shooting team but their physically frustrates their opponents. I would say they are final four quality.

Kentucky is getting rolled by Alabama.

We would put up 110 on Kentucky.

CardiacCats97 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 2:32 pm We would put up 110 on Kentucky.

Way to prove me wrong boys.

How long can the Mormons hang with the Jesuits?

dovecanyoncat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:54 pm How long can the Mormons hang with the Jesuits?

Not long enough evidently.

9 of 13 ranked teams were beaten by unranked or lower ranked teams so far today, 3 more currently on upset alert at this moment, 2 of the 4 ranked wins were against teams with 5 or fewer total wins.

One of those Saturdays.
Could be worse, it could be March 18th, I don't want to lose on March 18th or 19th.

Kansas getting killed

Lol KU...and at home.

Watched KU/KSU, and the beginning of TCU/KU

KU is really good!!

The Big12 is super competitive!!

Down goes Houston at home to Temple.

Houston loses at home to…Temple.

Kansas & Duke both lose on the same night

Kansas has lost three in a row and after playing Kentucky next, they play 5 of the following 7 games against ranked teams.

UAdevil wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 8:55 pm Lol Duke.

24 point loss to NCST

Duke has tread water since that loss, losing at Clemson and last night at Virginia Tech. They are unranked, 14-6, and might be without a key freshman contributor after Dariq Whitehead left the floor with a leg injury Vs the Hokies. As a whole the Blue Devils look pretty blah under Scheyer.

Come! On! Squirrels!

"Well, I'm a gator fan, and I'm callin'."

Y'all haven't seen Big Trouble have you?

Down goes #2.

Tenn is a good defensive team, but man, they can go ice cold on O. That's a team ripe for a 1st weekend upset in my opinion. Especially if they play a school that can shoot from 3.

Even before Chris Holtmann was ejected last night and Ohio State suffered a listless home loss to Wisconsin to drop to 11-11, it sounds like the Buckeyes are ready to move on to the next coach. From a Fansided article:

"Chris Holtmann has started to take a lot more criticism from fans this season. It’s all justified too. He brought in a top-ten recruiting class this season and has done nothing with it. Not only is this team not getting better, they are actively getting worse."

"Fans are starting to call for Holtmann to get fired. I agree with that sentiment strictly based on the results on the court. His recruiting has been indisputably great. That’s what makes the results of this season all the more frustrating. He has talent on the team but he clearly doesn’t know how to direct it."

"As for Holtmann, fans better get their heads around the fact that he’s not going anywhere. Gene Smith offered him that boneheaded extension last summer so Holtmann stays next year."

That's a shame...

First I've watched Kansas,

Not Impressed.

They look tiny. Not one guy is call biggish.

Kansas like always has a dead eye shooter (wilson) and a really good driver/shooter in Dick. Some springs in the front court but could not match up with us. If they are hot you are in trouble because they can really shoot at times.

Points In first half of recent games

Zu 25 vs Oregon
Kansas 21 vs Iowa st.

Kansas loses big

I think a point Walton made about conferences is true. It is the hype of their conference that sets their teams apart and inflates their ranking. Kansas to me is almost like Oregon. If they are hitting from the outside they will bury you. That is what Oregon did to us at their place. I will tell you that Oregon could beat Kansas about half the time and Kansas is a 1 seed and Oregon is out of the tourney.

In KenPom, Kansas is still 10th and we're 11th. Why do we rank so poorly on KenPom?

Alieberman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:01 pm Kansas loses big

Iowa State has some huge wins and some head scratching losses.

wyo-cat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 1:03 pm

Alieberman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:01 pm Kansas loses big

Iowa State has some huge wins and some head scratching losses.

Kind of like a certain team from southern AZ....

With 8 minutes to go:

Tenn 36
Auburn 30

Zu 40

Indiana a great 1st half over Purdue.

Up 50-35

Go IU!

Alieberman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:22 pm Indiana a great 1st half over Purdue.

Up 50-35

Go IU!

Nice job there Ari...

That was a quick turnaround. I guess Purdue ain’t #1 for no reason.

C'mon IU!

Ha, LFG!

EastCoastCat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:34 pm

Alieberman wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:22 pm Indiana a great 1st half over Purdue.

Up 50-35

Go IU!

Nice job there Ari...

Never a doubt!!!

Indiana (and Ari) survive!

Watching Edey play is like me playing nerf hoop when I was a kid

Edey is really really good college player. Our hope would be to out run him in the open court. Just a dominating force both scoring and rebounding and blocking shots.

Duke North Carolina were for the first time in a long time I think, neither team is ranked.