March Madness 2013

[Teal]

Congrats to the 'Cuse for a decisive whipping of the Hoosiers. I'm sure PK is reveling in the moment...lol

[pk500]

I drank Black Grouse scotch for the entire game at a party with friends. Safe to say, I'm bringing that bottle to my in-laws Saturday night for Easter weekend.

This is the most gratifying college hoop victory for me since SU won the national championship in 2003. The stakes were Everest-high for me: I work for an Indiana company and have caught endless amounts of Hoosier trash talk this week.

Revenge is sweet, like the nectar from a freshly squeezed orange.

LET'S GO ORANGE!

[fsquid]

Indiana's guards were just too small for that zone.

[fsquid]

I drank Black Grouse scotch for the entire game at a party with friends. Safe to say, I'm bringing that bottle to my in-laws Saturday night for Easter weekend.

This is the most gratifying college hoop victory for me since SU won the national championship in 2003. The stakes were Everest-high for me: I work for an Indiana company and have caught endless amounts of Hoosier trash talk this week.

Revenge is sweet, like the nectar from a freshly squeezed orange.

LET'S GO ORANGE!

cheap bastard

[pk500]

Well, my buddy had a bottle of Laphraoig at his home bar, my favorite scotch on planet Earth. But I brought my Black Grouse to the party and started drinking that at tip-off. SU raced out of the gate and played well, so I sure as hell wasn't going to stop.

Black Grouse: The Official Beverage Of Syracuse's Run to the Final Four.

Plus, Black Grouse is a pretty damn good blended scotch, you elitist prick!

[RobVarak]

Indiana's guards were just too small for that zone.

I thought it was more than that. With Zeller in the middle they should have been working inside-outside to make some space for themselves on the perimeter. Instead, Oladipo and Sheehey kept playing right into SU's hands by trying to slash to the paint to make plays.

I agree that the size of their guards made passing tricky, but I have to place the lion's share of the blame on Crean. This game was a sterling example of why he's never been considered a solid X's and O's guy.

[fsquid]

can't disagree there.

[Brando70]

Crean was completely outcoached, but the execution by Indiana was a disaster all around. Syracuse played the 2-3 perfectly and look very well positioned for a Final Four spot. However, they are hardly a world-beater of a team, and Indiana has played against top competition all year. Indiana made way too many unforced turnovers and were much too hesitant when they got the ball inside. Zeller played like a giant p***y, and that left everyone else to look for outside shots.

That game was also a great example of why Boeheim is such a good coach. He knew exactly what he had to do to defuse Indiana's offense. I was really impressed with their defense and the way they finished around the basket.

[pk500]

LET'S GO ORANGE! FINAL FOUR!

Fear the 2-3 zone, b*tches.

[Teal]

That's one of the most stifling 2-3 zones I've ever seen. They can fill in a lane and cover the perimeter like nobody's business. Wow.

And chalk one up to Wichita State-Shockers, indeed! Nice comeback attempt by Ohio State, but too little, too late. If they'd have done that in the first half, we'd have a much different result.

Great day of games.

[XXXIV]

Michigan going through and Duke losing to Louisville....That is win win in my college sports world.

[Teal]

Louisville's win came at a STEEP price...dang, that was an absolutely gruesome injury to Kevin Ware. Gruesome.

[Brando70]

Really glad I missed the Louisville game so I didn't have to see Ware's injury. Hope he recovers fully.

Marquette-Syracuse was easily the worst Elite Eight game I've ever seen. No criticism of Syracuse, who played fantastic defense, but Marquette was abominable.

[pk500]

Marquette-Syracuse was easily the worst Elite Eight game I've ever seen. No criticism of Syracuse, who played fantastic defense, but Marquette was abominable.

Ugly basketball. Beautiful result.

[sportdan30]

Louisville's win came at a STEEP price...dang, that was an absolutely gruesome injury to Kevin Ware. Gruesome.

That was absolutely horrifying. I read that it'll be a 6-12 month recovery.

Was happy to see Louisville take down Duke.

Still very disappointed KU squandered the lead against Michigan. Bonehead plays and questionable coaching really did them in. Ahhhhhh well...

[EZSnappin]

Just seeing the reaction of the bench gives you the horror of the injury.

[JOZ]

I got home and flipped the game and I am so glad I decided to take a shower then. When I finally got situated and sat down, it showed the ambulance leaving. Ever since I broke my leg during a baseball game in high school, I can't watch anything like that. That footage should be destroyed immediately.

[pk500]

This is a good story about the emotional aftermath of Kevin Ware's injury, with this recurring theme: Ware is a really good kid.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... &eref=sihp

Like everyone, I hope Ware makes a full, speedy recovery.

[bdunn13]

Michigan going through and Duke losing to Louisville....That is win win in my college sports world.

Anyone going through Florida and Duke losing to Anyone.... That is win win in my college sports world.

[pk500]

Ware is lucky in one regard: His gruesome injury took place in Indianapolis.

The orthopedic surgeons at Methodist Hospital, where Ware underwent surgery, are among the best in the world. They have experience rebuilding the bones of Indianapolis 500 race drivers whose legs were shattered into splinters -- literally -- in accidents during the last two or three decades.

[Jackdog]

Ugly basketball. Beautiful result.

Stauskas, Burke and Hardaway were a combined 5/29. McGary and the bench stepped up big. Syracuse had a great season. It was good to see both teams back in the Final Four.

[pk500]

That game was a metaphor for the entire tournament. Ugly, exciting basketball. The gulf in quality between the college and pro games never has been greater in my lifetime.

Anyways, SU had a chance in the final seconds and disintegrated. Still much to celebrate about this overachieving team.

I hope Carter-Williams stayed because last night's performance is a portent of his NBA career. But he'll take the money and run.

I'm rooting for Michigan in the final because of John Beilein's ties to Le Moyne College in Syracuse, my father's alma mater. Plus I have no loyalty to the Big East since it has broken up. And Pitino? Come on -- how can anyone root for that guy? Brilliant coach whose ego can barely fit into the Georgia Dome.

[Teal]

Syracuse just wasn't all there last night. Michigan came out to play, and boy, they were on it. Seemed to be a lack of real energy on their part in the arena. Wichita State proved last night beyond a doubt that they deserved to be there, but Louisville's bench really stepped up in the second half and provided the spark they needed. It was an electrifying game from both teams.

[pk500]

Syracuse just wasn't all there last night. Michigan came out to play, and boy, they were on it.

Agree on the former. Disagree on the latter. Michigan was strong, but the Wolverines were NOT on it when McGary went to the bench in the second half. That let Syracuse climb into the game.

Syracuse and Michigan are similar in that their best respective players were not their most valuable players last night. Michael Carter-Williams gets all the ink for Syracuse, but C.J. Fair is the team's most important, most consistent player. Burke is the Naismith Award winner, but Michigan loses that game last night if McGary isn't on the floor. He's a VERY impressive player, far better than the more-heralded Zeller at Indiana.

[pk500]

One aside about March Madness: GOOD LORD, we need a new college basketball game for current- and next-gen consoles.

Hard to believe College Hoops 2K8 was the last good NCAA basketball game.