NCAA Basketball Tournament

[mikeyank]

Last night was Selection Sunday as the brackets and pairings were unveiled for the 2016 tournament. My team the Duke Blue Devils got a slightly higher seed than projected, a #4 in the West, playing Thursday at noon in Providence Rhode Island against a #13 UNC-Charlotte. This is not a classic Duke team, and they won the championship last year and so I will sit back and watch and hope with no great expectations this year.

Our other big college basketball fan that I know of on the forum is Spartans who graduated from Michigan State and still attends games on campus. His team was expected by many to get a #1 seed, but did get a #2 and is opening up close to home in St. Louis against a #15 team, Middle Tennessee. Michigan State is a legitimate Final Four Contender.

Is anyone else into the March Madness and have any teams that you follow or expect to give a deep run? For me this is a great time of the year as this tournament will cover three weeks bringing us into Spring and for me into Yankee baseball, and closer to retirement. lol Good luck to any fans out there and to your teams. Let the games begin!

 

[Spartans987]

Last night was Selection Sunday as the brackets and pairings were unveiled for the 2016 tournament. My team the Duke Blue Devils got a slightly higher seed than projected, a #4 in the West, playing Thursday at noon in Providence Rhode Island against a #13 UNC-Charlotte. This is not a classic Duke team, and they won the championship last year and so I will sit back and watch and hope with no great expectations this year.

Our other big college basketball fan that I know of on the forum is Spartans who graduated from Michigan State and still attends games on campus. His team was expected by many to get a #1 seed, but did get a #2 and is opening up close to home in St. Louis against a #15 team, Middle Tennessee. Michigan State is a legitimate Final Four Contender.

Is anyone else into the March Madness and have any teams that you follow or expect to give a deep run? For me this is a great time of the year as this tournament will cover three weeks bringing us into Spring and for me into Yankee baseball, and closer to retirement. lol Good luck to any fans out there and to your teams. Let the games begin!

This is a great post Mikeyank - thanks!

I was up late last night celebrating the Big Ten Tournament victory in Indy with a friend from Broke Straight Boys Although I am disappointed with the #2 seed and not understanding it, I am thrilled that we won our tournament. I figure the seed won't really matter since I believe and I am confident that we will win it all. This is my absolute favorite time of year and look forward to traveling to St. Louis tomorrow to root on MSU.

Congrats to all others who have teams in the NCAA Tournament as always its going to be a great dance.

 

[BSBGageOwens]

Last night was Selection Sunday as the brackets and pairings were unveiled for the 2016 tournament. My team the Duke Blue Devils got a slightly higher seed than projected, a #4 in the West, playing Thursday at noon in Providence Rhode Island against a #13 UNC-Charlotte. This is not a classic Duke team, and they won the championship last year and so I will sit back and watch and hope with no great expectations this year.

Our other big college basketball fan that I know of on the forum is Spartans who graduated from Michigan State and still attends games on campus. His team was expected by many to get a #1 seed, but did get a #2 and is opening up close to home in St. Louis against a #15 team, Middle Tennessee. Michigan State is a legitimate Final Four Contender.

Is anyone else into the March Madness and have any teams that you follow or expect to give a deep run? For me this is a great time of the year as this tournament will cover three weeks bringing us into Spring and for me into Yankee baseball, and closer to retirement. lol Good luck to any fans out there and to your teams. Let the games begin!

We can't be friends. lol You are a Duke fan. I'm a UNC Tar Heel fan all day! <3 Good luck! haha. Hope you have a great week.

 

[mikeyank]

We can't be friends. lol You are a Duke fan. I'm a UNC Tar Heel fan all day! <3 Good luck! haha. Hope you have a great week.

My brother is a HUGE North Carolina Tar Heels Fan, and we're friends, so PLEASE be my friend too. And by the way Gage Owens, I think that you are very pretty!!!

 

[peterh6308]

Gonzaga to the finals!!!!!! The hottest guys than any other team in the country and that's important lolololol

 

[mikeyank]

Gonzaga to the finals!!!!!! The hottest guys than any other team in the country and that's important lolololol

Gonzaga is playing a local team from the NY Metropolitan area, Seton Hall out of South Orange, New Jersey.

The Zags have had some cute boys in the past, but I haven't seen much of them this year. I googled them and if these two are on this years team, they are pretty cute.

But I think Seton Hall will knock them out before we get to see much of them, but we shall see.

 

[stowe1]

Gonzaga is playing a local team from the NY Metropolitan area, Seton Hall out of South Orange, New Jersey.

The Zags have had some cute boys in the past, but I haven't seen much of them this year. I googled them and if these two are on this years team, they are pretty cute.

But I think Seton Hall will knock them out before we get to see much of them, but we shall see.

From my perspective, Seton Hall has a tendency to choke a bit in big games, whereas Gonzaga tends to play better in them. I'll be rooting for the Zags, given it is a Jesuit university. Time will tell.

 

[Spartans987]

great to see you posting Gage Owens! and glad your a basketball fan. Out of curiosity, what makes you a fan of the tarheels?

 

[funbilly]

YES PETER!!!!! BIG Gonzaga fan here! I also like the Oregon Ducks, Montana Grizzlies, Arizona Wildcats.
I am a baseball fan but love college basket ball & football to carry me through the MLB offseason. Thanks for the topic Mikey

 

[mikeyank]

YES PETER!!!!! BIG Gonzaga fan here! I also like the Oregon Ducks, Montana Grizzlies, Arizona Wildcats.
I am a baseball fan but love college basket ball & football to carry me through the MLB offseason. Thanks for the topic Mikey

Your welcome Billy. Baseball was my first love in sports and at the end of the day, the Yankees are still my favorite sports team, with the Duke Blue Devils basketball team right up there. It's great how the seasons run, with the NCAA champonship game usually the Monday night of opening day or week in baseball, so one season flows right into the next.

How do the Mariners look this year? I am rooting for Robinson Cano to have a big year, as he is a terrific player and hasn't shown his true talents yet in the Pacific Northwest. But for right now it's college basketball and my Dukies, not a strong team this year, but I always root and hope for the best.

Tonight begins with the play-in games to complete the field of 64, so Let The Games Begin, and may the best team win!!!!

 

[funbilly]

Hey Mikey, How do the Mariners look this year? Hmm that's the 10000000 question. There was nearly a complete over haul during the off season. They kept a few guys but pretty much starting over. I like some of the guys they brought over so we will see. I am looking towards next season to be a really good one but of course am hoping this year we end up above 500. I know it sounds negative but I'm just being realistic. As far as Cano is concerned buyers remorse baby. I think they could have spent that $240 mil in a lot of different ways. The dude doesn't run down the first base line for gods sake. He is a hell of a second baseman I will give him that OH and he has a killer smile. Otherwise please get him take him away. You can have him for a bag of chips lol

 

[mikeyank]

Hey Mikey, How do the Mariners look this year? Hmm that's the 10000000 question. There was nearly a complete over haul during the off season. They kept a few guys but pretty much starting over. I like some of the guys they brought over so we will see. I am looking towards next season to be a really good one but of course am hoping this year we end up above 500. I know it sounds negative but I'm just being realistic. As far as Cano is concerned buyers remorse baby. I think they could have spent that $240 mil in a lot of different ways. The dude doesn't run down the first base line for gods sake. He is a hell of a second baseman I will give him that OH and he has a killer smile. Otherwise please get him take him away. You can have him for a bag of chips lol

The running hard to first base was an issue here in NY too. But overall, the Yankee lineup really misses him. From 2009-2014, he hit between 25-33 homers and drove in between 85-114 runs per year. (By the way, I just looked that up. I am not that much of a geek to have those numbers memorized. lol). Plus as you say, he is a magician with his glove. He signed up with Jay-Z to represent him and it wasn't the money per year, but he wanted a 10 year contract and the Yankees didn't want to stuck with him when he is over the hill and getting paid 24 million a year, but the Yanks definitely miss his bat.

We also have Michael Pineda a good young pitcher who came from Seattle, plus an infielder Dustin Ackley and of course A-Rod. Over the years we had former Mariners, Tino Martinez, Randy Johnson, Ichiro among others. I will root for Seattle this year except when they play the Yanks.

But back to basketball, Duke is not having a traditional Duke year, but I love them anyway! We open the tournament Thursday at 12:15 and I'm taking off from work to watch it. I hope my boss isn't a member of Broke Straight Boys lol GO DUKE!!!

 

[BSBGageOwens]

great to see you posting Gage Owens! and glad your a basketball fan. Out of curiosity, what makes you a fan of the tarheels?

I have always liked the TarHeels. I actually lived in NC for awhile. I grew up around the basketball scene. Even though i lived near State I could never be a State fan and let's be serious, Carolina Blue looks better than Puke blue.

Thank you Mike Yank! <3

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week and Happy St. Pattys Day.
Thank you

 

[mikeyank]

Well, Duke won their opening game. It wasn't pretty and it was against a lesser team, but I will take the win and at least they move on to Saturday. Senior Marshall Plumlee played the game of his life, but it was admittedly against a smaller team, but a win is a win.

Good luck to all the fans out there of your teams. I will watch more games when I get home tonight.

 

[mikeyank]

I have always liked the TarHeels. I actually lived in NC for awhile. I grew up around the basketball scene. Even though i lived near State I could never be a State fan and let's be serious, Carolina Blue looks better than Puke blue.

Thank you Mike Yank! <3

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week and Happy St. Pattys Day.
Thank you

I got that "Puke" blue reference Gage Owens. You have lousy taste in basketball teams, but I still think you're a hot guy!!!!

And by the way I think Duke Blue looks a lot better than "Tar Hole" blue. lol

 

[mikeyank]

I went to work this afternoon and missed a huge upset as Duke will be facing Yale on Saturday instead of favored Baylor. This is the story from Yahoo Sports.

"In its first NCAA tournament appearance in 54 years, 12th-seeded Yale ousted fifth-seeded Baylor 79-75 on Thursday afternoon. The Ivy League champ's first NCAA tournament victory in program history earned them a round of 32 matchup with fourth-seeded Duke on Saturday."

Most intriguing matchup on Saturday!

 

[stowe1]

Well, mikey, I think Duke has a chance to win it all. Sports Illustrated arrived in the mail with its Part II on March Madness. It predicts Duke not making it out of the round of 32. Given the SI Curse that probably means Duke will win it all !!!!!

BTW, SI picks Kansas to win it all, so we know they are doomed - lol !!!

 

[Spartans987]

I went to work this afternoon and missed a huge upset as Duke will be facing Yale on Saturday instead of favored Baylor. This is the story from Yahoo Sports.

"In its first NCAA tournament appearance in 54 years, 12th-seeded Yale ousted fifth-seeded Baylor 79-75 on Thursday afternoon. The Ivy League champ's first NCAA tournament victory in program history earned them a round of 32 matchup with fourth-seeded Duke on Saturday."

Most intriguing matchup on Saturday!

I watched the game and as you stated It wasn't pretty" however they won and that is what matters. I agree that it is currently the most intriguing match up so far on Saturday.
GO GREEN...

 

[mikeyank]

I woke up to discover that Gonzaga "manhandled" local favorite Seton Hall 68-52. Congrats to Peter & Billy and any other Washington State college hoops fans. It was a fairly interesting day one with the Yale victory being the big story of the day.

Today Sparty and his friend get to attend the Michigan State game in St Louis. Many are picking The Spartans as the team to cut down the nets this year on April 4th in Houston.

 

[peterh6308]

I woke up to discover that Gonzaga "manhandled" local favorite Seton Hall 68-52. Congrats to Peter & Billy and any other Washington State college hoops fans. It was a fairly interesting day one with the Yale victory being the big story of the day.

Today Sparty and his friend get to attend the Michigan State game in St Louis. Many are picking The Spartans as the team to cut down the nets this year on April 4th in Houston.

that's what we do in the other Washington we manhandle!!!!