Go Mean Green NCAA Bracket Challange

[Mean Green 93-98]

You guys are funny. I hope I never find myself in need of first aid with just you around! I mean, it's a bit cringe-worthy, but it's just a compound fracture. During some periods, basketball causes more ER visits than any other sport. Even if you don't go looking for it, you have to kind of expect things like this to pop up every now and then.

Really? When is the last time you saw an injury comparable to this in a basketball game?

[MeanGreenTexan]

Really? When is the last time you saw an injury comparable to this in a basketball game?

Also,

There's not much "first-aid" you're doing with this type of injury. With this type of injury, you just need to keep the bleeding minimal and get to the ER ASAP.

If you're a strong person, you can try to calm the injured person down as they are certainly in shock (emotionally), and will undoubtedly be in shock (medically) soon. That takes a special person though, as you're probably also in shock (emotionally).

[JesseMartin]

Really? When is the last time you saw an injury comparable to this in a basketball game?

I've never seen something like it, but it was a statistic about overall ER visits I read, I don't remember the time period included.

Also,

There's not much "first-aid" you're doing with this type of injury. With this type of injury, you just need to keep the bleeding minimal and get to the ER ASAP.

If you're a strong person, you can try to calm the injured person down as they are certainly in shock (emotionally), and will undoubtedly be in shock (medically) soon. That takes a special person though, as you're probably also in shock (emotionally).

In this instance, that's pretty much it, yep.

[CMJ]

Wheat Shockers up 1 at half.

[JesseMartin]

Wheat Shockers up 1 at half.

"Wheat Shockers"? I don't get it. Should I?

[Green P1]

They just got straight up f'ed by that tie ball call.

[CMJ]

No guarantee WSU hits the trey to tie if not for the tie ball, but that was a REALLY crappy call.

[CMJ]

"Wheat Shockers"? I don't get it. Should I?

It's their full mascot. They just go by the shortened "Shockers" now.

[Andrew]

The refs handed this game to Louisville on a silver platter. From the jump ball call to the ridiculous double foul that kept Wichita from shooting free throws and made them lose the possession arrow. Which in turn gave Louisville the ball on that last possession.

[JesseMartin]

What is a wheat shocker? Like a thresher? I guess it's kind of like Nebraska going by Huskers instead of Cornhuskers. Either way, I bet Dane Cook is a Wichita State fan.

[CMJ]

Harvesting wheat is apparently referred to as "shocking" it.

[JesseMartin]

Preparing a pool, too. Maybe they didn't want to limit themselves so they could be both farmers AND poolboys, as well as...well, you know. An NCAA tournament surprise, that's totally what I meant.

[JesseMartin]

If you guys go to Abuelos' page on Facebook, you can pick the winner of the game tonight and if you're right, you get a free appetizer. Since I'll already get a free burger if Louisville wins, I picked Michigan for the Abuelo's one so that no matter what, somebody is giving me free food.

[Quoner]

Funny stuff.

[CMJ]

What an amazing first half.

[JesseMartin]

I just started typing that when your post popped up. Craziness.

[JesseMartin]

I might add that I'm "watching" Les Miserables and the game at the same time. So even if the movie is as unwatchable as some have said, I'm sure to be entertained one way or another.

[Green P1]

They are letting Louisville get away with murder.

[CMJ]

Louisville with their first title since 1986.

[JesseMartin]

Free burger for me! Plus maybe $100 if I had the highest score (not on our bracket, the one I did at the restaurant). Who else won some stuff/money? I should have started doing this years ago. I'm not big on betting, but I'll totally accept free stuff to participate.

[CMJ]

So, does Louisville enter the "blue blood" realm, or are they still outside of it? Usually the blue blood programs are considered to be the six most storied (in no particular order Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Indiana, UNC, & Kansas). They have a pretty impressive history (16th all time in wins, plus some HOF'ers who have come through there) and now have won 3 NCAA Titles, which is tied for 6th with Kansas and Connecticut.

I don't really consider Connecticut a blue blood despite their 3 titles, because they weren't really relevant at all before Calhoun and who knows how they're gonna fare without him. UL has to at least be in the conversation though since they have been in the national discussion off and on for years.

I'd probably have the current tiers something like this:

Blue Bloods (in no order)

UCLA (11 titles, relevant off and on for the last fifty years)

Kentucky (8 titles, plus a couple of NIT titles back when the NIT was just a big a deal as the NCAA...all time winningest program)

Kansas (3 titles, relevant since forever....Dr. Naismith coached there...I mean c'mon!)

UNC (5 titles, good since the 50's)

Duke (4 titles, decent success before Coach K...awesome levels of success since)

Indiana (5 titles spread from 1940 through 1987...made title game in 2002...back in the spotlight again after probation)

Second Tier (In no order)

Connecticut (3 titles, no history before Calhoun)

Louisville (3 titles, some success before Denny Crum....great success with him...fall off after he retired till Pitino)

Florida (2 titles...not a great deal of history until Donovan)

Michigan State (2 titles...numerous Final Fours under Izzo...Magic Johnson going to school and getting a ring there)

NC State (2 titles...plus some great teams in the 60's and 70's that were probably National Title worthy if not for UCLA)

Syracuse (1 title...always in the hunt...coach has the 2nd most wins all time)

I am thinking Louisville might slide into the Blue Blood group. Especially if Pitino continues to have success there. I'm not even talking titles either...just some solid seasons and good tourney runs.

Edited April 9, 2013 by CMJ

[greenminer]

How long can UCLA play the part of Blue Blood? They were unparalleled for their title run, but I haven't really seen them do much at all since I've been following sports.

[CMJ]

How long can UCLA play the part of Blue Blood? They were unparalleled for their title run, but I haven't really seen them do much at all since I've been following sports.

They made three straight Final Fours with one title game appearance in the last few years? Yeah, their last title was 18 years ago, but they were still in the hunt pretty recently. Plus they always compete for their conference at the very least. On the west coast UCLA is still thought of as the program with the cache -- even over Zona which has had arguably more success the last 20 years.

Not to mention UCLA still leads the field in NCAA titles by a nice margin.

Edited April 9, 2013 by CMJ

[JesseMartin]

Considering that there are now what, 331 teams or something like that in D-1 basketball, I would think that both of your tiers are basically the overall top programs, regardless of time spans. If there was an even distribution of victories, even over a century, that would yield 3 champions per year. Since your list includes 50 championships, not even counting consistency of being "in the hunt", even in about an 80-year span they cover about 3/4 of the titles. I think they'e all deserving, again, especially considering the huge field of teams in which they play.

[CMJ]

***Also a special note for Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, and San Francisco all of whom have 2 titles decades ago (mostly built around a star player) but haven't really had a great deal of success otherwise (Oklahoma State ALMOST got included in my 2nd tier though since they do have two Final Fours in the last 20 years which is being more nationally relevant than NC State in recent years, but at least NC State's historical success is remembered by a lot of people...OSU hasn't won in so long that they were Oklahoma A&M back then).

Edited April 9, 2013 by CMJ