NCAA Basketball 25-26 Season

[Blake]

Pretty normal I think for the first couple rounds.

 

[JMarkJohns]

All the #1s had a game they looked vulnerable, which is sort of shocking in a season at least 3 of them really only lost to top-20 teams.

I was super annoyed about Arizona having an 18 point lead at around 15 minute mark, they got outscored by 14 over next 10, before basically going on a 20-10 run to push the lead back to double digits.

This is my primary concern with Arizona is the “TTCC” or the Typical Tommy Coached Collapse. It’s a thing with Arizona where big leads just fucking vanish. It can happen real quick too. Arizona was up 18 at BYU and almost lost over the last 5 minutes. I have no ideal why they can’t fucking break the neck of the opposition.

Both Michigan and Duke looked much better game 2 than game 1.

Houston is set up real nice for a Final 4.

Michigan is probably next with Jefferson ISU injury.

Arizona has Acuff in Sweet 16, and either Purdue or Sean Miller’s revenge tour vs Arizona in Elite 8.

I hired Duke has toughest road vs Pitino and healthy Johnnies and then either UConn or Michigan State.

 

[benefactor]

Purdue is a dirty fucking team.

 

[JMarkJohns]

Was really rooting for Sean. Totally sucks. And I’m not looking forward to Purdue should Arizona hold on.

 

[JMarkJohns]

That was a fun game. A little chippy in that second half. Arizona could have scored 120 if they wanted to, and only took 6 3s. I think they made 5.

Purdue worries me because they can shoot and are a quirky matchup pace-wise. Like a better version of Utah State who doesn’t turn it over.

Arizona is better. They need this win.

 

[benefactor]

That was a fun game. A little chippy in that second half. Arizona could have scored 120 if they wanted to, and only took 6 3s. I think they made 5.

Purdue worries me because they can shoot and are a quirky matchup pace-wise. Like a better version of Utah State who doesn’t turn it over.

Arizona is better. They need this win.

You got this. We almost beat them with two one-legged players and missing half of our free throws

 

[JMarkJohns]

You got this. We almost beat them with two one-legged players and missing half of our free throws

It’s been a weird 25 years for Arizona. Lute had 2 legit Title Contenders after that 2001 Runner Up. They were roundly the #1 team all year until Luke Walton sprained ankle in 2002-03. That team was so deep it had 3 NBA players off the bench, highlighted by Iguodala. They crushed #2 at time and eventual runner up Kansas at Phog.

But Kansas got them back in Elite 8, creating a string of merciless losses for Arizona as Gardner missed the go-ahead three. A theme upcoming in many more Elite 8s.

In 2005 Arizona was up 15 with 3 minutes vs Deron Williams and Illini and let’s just say we don’t fucking talk about this game ever. Second straight Elite 8 loss at buzzer on a miss. This one in OT.

Then came the Miller era:

2011 saw Arizona smoke defending Champion Duke in Sweet 16, only to lose to Kemba Walker and UConn when Arizona missed 2 threes to win the game. That’s 3 in a row lost by a single possession.

2014 was supposed to be their year. HUGE wins vs top-10 teams in Duke, Michigan, San Diego State, went 21-0, then lost #2 Scorer and starting PF Brandon Ashley for the season. Arizona eventually regrouped and played well entering March, but lost in OT to Wisconsin after Nick Johnson was called for a phantom Offensive Foul by a back ref to end regulation and then TJ McConnell forced into an awkward missed jumper to end OT. Fourth Straight Elite 8 loss by a single shot.

In 2015 Arizona literally, by all accounts, outplayed Wisconsin in Elite 8 rematch, but career 32% from range Sam Dekker went 4/5 down the stretch and Arizona lost despite outrebounding them, having fewer TOs, having more FTs, and shooting a higher FG%.

In the last 25 years Arizona has lost 5 Elite 8s by a total of 14 points.

So, yeah…

I can’t be mad. Arizona’s 1997 Title it defeated 3 Number 1 seeds for the only time in NCAA history en route, including an All-Timer in Kansas with Pierce, Carolina with Carter and Jamison, and defending champ Kentucky with Mercer and half a dozen other pros.

But man, Arizona has a top-7 Win% since 1980, and yet hasn’t been to Final 4 in 25 years.

 

[Blake]

Glad to see Zona being a force again. The Big 12 in basketball is sick. Like a bigger version of the Big East back in the day

 

[JMarkJohns]

Glad to see Zona being a force again. The Big 12 in basketball is sick. Like a bigger version of the Big East back in the day

Yeah, but I need a Final 4. Even ducking UCLA and Oregon have a fluke Final 4 run with iffy teams.

Arizona is elite in every single measure these last 25 years except for March Madness. They should have 2-3 Final 4s just on average with maybe another Title in either 2003 or 2014. Had another 2 Sweet 16 go down to Final Shot.

But I do love being in a basketball conference, though I worry with Self and Sampson that they may only have a few years left. Would like to see Cincinnati be really good again.

 

[Blake]

I hate Baylor and am glad to see them slide down this year lol.

BYU is going to be really good if that 5 star kid they got stays healthy.

Hopefully Tech pays enough for Toppin to come back...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2022854546255454358

 

[JMarkJohns]

BYU will always be solid if they keep spending. Bruce Branch is legit. He was an Arizona/Duke recruitment had he stayed in 2027, but he reclassified looking for a bag. Will be interesting his health.

Baylor’s slide was abrupt and aggressive. They bought Tounde away from Arizona (I was furious at the time at Lloyd getting bullied by NIL like he had with a few others).

I like Tech, Houston, Kansas, Iowa State, Cincinnati, and will begrudgingly accept BYU and Baylor or UCF being good. Utah can suck my dick. Sun Devils with Randy Bennett have my attention. Not sure they have my respect, yet. I hate Jamie Dixon and this his teams are dirty as fuck, like Stanford used to be. No real opinion on Colorado, KState, or West Virginia.

I’m in favor of adding UConn and San Diego State in time. Same Louisville and Pittsburgh when ACC implode.

Southwest
Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
BYU
Colorado
Houston
San Diego State
TCU
Texas Tech
Utah

Eastern
Cincinnati
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Louisville
Oklahoma State
Pittsburgh
UConn
UCF
West Virginia

 

[Blake]

If the big 12 turned down Memphis who literally had a bag of cash to bring to the table, I don't see them adding SDSU or UCONN any time soon.

If the ACC implodes, I think they would pitch hard to Duke and NC, especially if they can't get Florida State and or Miami who will probably be in the SEC at some point

 

[JMarkJohns]

San Diego State brings California exposure, which is way more valuable than anything Memphis brings.

Carolina is going to the BIG with Virginia, and Miami and Florida State likely SEC. Duke makes sense to add for Big12, maybe instead of UConn. But so have always thought Duke will get the invite to BIG because of Carolina rivalry, excellent academics which BIG requires, and they could be the even-number counter to Notre Dame joining BIG.

NC State may be available with a Va Tech instead of Pittsburgh. Maybe Syracuse has a glow up of note.

But personally I think UConn joins because they can’t join others because Football sucks balls. Louisville joins as top added duel-threat program. SDSU is added to open up California exposure. And then one of Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Va Tech, or Georgia Tech for Atlanta market is added. Personally if GT could get its shit together and be WR University again or PG University in basketball, I’m leaning them. But I don’t know how many eyes GT brings. Seems pretty low on popularity poll in GA.

But Georgia Tech from late 80s through mid-2000s was. Crazy significant in basketball and produced. Lot of quality NFL players.

 

[Blake]

San Diego TV market is #30. That's not terrible but doesn't bring much extra for the big 12 at the moment contract wise and would have to split more of the pie per school.

I think the Big12 plan right now is to stand pat and see how the ACC situations play out and go from there.

Maybe there's a chance that the Big 12 can add Florida St if they give them a lot of concessions. And if the ACC does implode in guessing an invite would finally go out to SMU.

 

[JMarkJohns]

Playing games in SoCal is worth more than TV Broadcast ratings. San Diego to LA are major recruiting meccas in all sports so having your program and conference in that is super important. There’s a reason why Arizona plays so many games in Cali or vs Cali teams.

If Big12 is patient it gets leftovers. May still end up that way. But I think there’s a world it can get some quality adds.

 

[Blake]

Playing games in SoCal is worth more than TV Broadcast ratings. San Diego to LA are major recruiting meccas in all sports so having your program and conference in that is super important. There’s a reason why Arizona plays so many games in Cali or vs Cali teams.

If Big12 is patient it gets leftovers. May still end up that way. But I think there’s a world it can get some quality adds.

If it were that important, the B12 would have already added them.

Arizona needs both California and Texas recruiting grounds so that makes sense for them. W Virginia, Cincinnati, Kansas etc don't do much recruiting in Cali and probably never will.

 

[JMarkJohns]

I mean, there’s a half-dozen Big12 teams that recruit California. It’s not just Arizona. ASU, Utah, BYU, Colorado, Kansas all recruit SoCal.

 

[Blake]

The reason a conference wants to add a school isn't really the recruiting, it's the TV market. That's about it, tbh.