Week 18 preview (Mar. 7-13)

[cancontent]

Wow, that UCF/USF was maybe the roughest, most physical game I've watched all season. There was a little extra juju coming from both sides. Not the prettiest game offensively but couldn't ask for better entertainment.

A 4 point lead in rivalry game usually feels like nothing, but once UCF got up 44-40 with multiple minutes to go in the 4Q, the game already felt over in a way. It sounds crazy to say, but the way the game was going, you just knew USF wasn't gonna score two buckets against UCF's defense. Kaba had an epic block on Mununga to disrupt an otherwise very well drawn up baseline out of bounds play that would have brought USF within 2 points.

Depending on who ends up as the 2-seeds, I could definitely see 7-seeded UCF giving LSU and Iowa State some trouble. Maybe even Louisville...

Actually, I'd be interested in seeing this match up. If it's a defensive battle, there could be some interesting match ups.

 

[Plebe]

Oklahoma puts away upstart Kansas 80-68 in the Big 12 quarterfinals. I'm really impressed with how well Oklahoma has done this year, especially after losing Ana Llanusa to injury. Madi Williams has been awesome; she was on triple double watch in this one.

I really thought Baranczyk deserved Big 12 COY, but the award went to Schneider of Kansas.

 

[LETTERL]

Oklahoma puts away upstart Kansas 80-68 in the Big 12 quarterfinals. I'm really impressed with how well Oklahoma has done this year, especially after losing Ana Llanusa to injury. Madi Williams has been awesome; she was on triple double watch in this one.

I really thought Baranczyk deserved Big 12 COY, but the award went to Schneider of Kansas.

It seemed Kansas missed 15 shots right at the rim in that 4th quarter alone. They got the lead down to 6...but those missed bunnies, affected by tenacious Oklahoma defense, prevented them from getting any closer.

Kansas has come a long way, though. They were irrelevant in WCBB for many years after Marian Washington retired..

 

[Geew1992]

UIW with a huge win over McNeese 90-63.

 

[undersized]

It seemed Kansas missed 15 shots right at the rim in that 4th quarter alone. They got the lead down to 6...but those missed bunnies, affected by tenacious Oklahoma defense, prevented them from getting any closer.

Kansas has come a long way, though. They were irrelevant in WCBB for many years after Marian Washington retired..

The "tenacious Oklahoma defense" you speak of is rated 208th in the nation by Massey. I think it's more a case of Kansas being a decent but not great team. But I'll grant you that they've come a long way this year.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Couldn't have been more than a few hundred fans for the UCF/USF game.
Two florida teams playing in Fort Worth was not much of a draw I guess.

 

[UCFKnights]

Couldn't have been more than a few hundred fans for the UCF/USF game.
Two florida teams playing in Fort Worth was not much of a draw I guess.

I strongly debated driving up to the game but I'm hoping that UCF's tournament draw is close enough for me to go to next week.

 

[azfan]

1pm MST tip as Jack's take on Bobcats in a Big Sky semi.

Battle of PGs - first team All Big Sky Darian White v third team Regan Schenck.

 

[nwhoopfan]

1pm MST tip as Jack's take on Bobcats in a Big Sky semi.

Championship, not semi.

 

[triaddukefan]

Depending on who ends up as the 2-seeds, I could definitely see 7-seeded UCF giving LSU and Iowa State some trouble. Maybe even Louisville...

Maybe they will send them to Storrs for a possible renewal of the UCF-UCONN lovefest

 

[nwhoopfan]

For the 1 bid leagues, I have kind of a love/hate thing for conference tourneys. For teams that excel during the regular season, it can make all of that irrelevant. Toledo was 19-1 in the MAC and 26-5 overall. Today they fell in a semifinal game, not sure if they are in the running for an at large bid. Looking at their schedule, nothing really there in OOC wins.

edit--it will be Buffalo vs. Ball St. for the auto bid

 

[Plebe]

For the 1 bid leagues, I have kind of a love/hate thing for conference tourneys. For teams that excel during the regular season, it can make all of that irrelevant. Toledo was 19-1 in the MAC and 26-5 overall. Today they fell in a semifinal game, not sure if they are in the running for an at large bid. Looking at their schedule, nothing really there in OOC wins.

edit--it will be Buffalo vs. Ball St. for the auto bid

Definitely no at-large bid for Toledo.

I know it's disappointing for them, but I'm at peace with it. You either build an at-large resume through the OOC or it's only fair for the conference tournament to function as a play-in. They still have a regular season title banner, and they still have the WNIT to look forward to.

 

[GoChips20]

For the 1 bid leagues, I have kind of a love/hate thing for conference tourneys. For teams that excel during the regular season, it can make all of that irrelevant. Toledo was 19-1 in the MAC and 26-5 overall. Today they fell in a semifinal game, not sure if they are in the running for an at large bid. Looking at their schedule, nothing really there in OOC wins.

edit--it will be Buffalo vs. Ball St. for the auto bid

I agree. In competitive mid-major leagues without a dominant power, it’s even tougher. I don’t believe the MAC has produced the same regular season and tournament champion since the year CMU won and made the Sweet 16 (alongside Buffalo, who they beat in the title game).

It’s sometimes hard to see the 8th-place SEC or 7th-place ACC team sneak in at the expense of a team like Toledo — but in an overall head-to-head, that P5 team probably wins the matchup more often than not and so I get why the selection process plays out as it does.

 

[azfan]

Bobcats dance as Darian White shows her credentials as the first team Big Sky PG.

Jack's fall 75-64 after digging themselves into a hole with a 6 point second quarter and shoot 5 for 28 from threeland.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Sorry @azfan but Montana St. is gonna take out NAU, barring a miracle in the last 20 seconds. But MSU's Kola Bad Bear might be the coolest name in all of wcbb, so at least there's that.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Maine and Albany just getting started for the America East crown. #1 vs. #2 seed, haven't been too many conference tourneys w/ the top 2 seeds advancing to the final.

 

[Plebe]

Maine and Albany just getting started for the America East crown. #1 vs. #2 seed, haven't been too many conference tourneys w/ the top 2 seeds advancing to the final.

It helps that the high seeds get home court advantage.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It helps that the high seeds get home court advantage.

Yeah, there's not much of that anymore. Maybe they can join the dozen other conferences who have their tourneys in Vegas (okay, there aren't quite that many).

 

[triaddukefan]

Sorry @azfan but Montana St. is gonna take out NAU, barring a miracle in the last 20 seconds. But MSU's Kola Bad Bear might be the coolest name in all of wcbb, so at least there's that.

With a name like that, seems that she should play for the flagship Montana school.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It helps that the high seeds get home court advantage.

Home court didn't help today. Albany going Dancing.

 

[BRS24]

Woooo ... some spice from Princeton

 

[eebmg]

Woooo ... some spice from Princeton

Hmm. Ivy smack?? Could use some work

 

[UConnCat]

Woooo ... some spice from Princeton

Love it.

 

[Geew1992]

UIW into the championship game knocking out the #1 seed 54-33

 

[Plebe]

UIW into the championship game knocking out the #1 seed 54-33

Incarnate Word is one of the hottest teams in the country!