NCAA College Basketball Talk

[valpopal]

When the brackets were released, I thought the possible North Carolina - Kentucky match-up could be the best of the tournament, might even be worthy of being the championship game, and I wished they wouldn't meet until then. I picked North Carolina in a tight contest, and it couldn't have been much closer. It will be difficult for the Final Four pairings to top today's game. 

[VU2014]

Everyone is making a huge deal about a kid from UNC going to class the next morning after the game. Seriously?

UNC flew directly home after the game on a private jet. Am I the only one who thinks its ridiculous the amount of praise this kid is getting?

So many jokes to be made about UNC student-athlete "classes"? UNC has their new poster child I guess.

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/846363843882352640

[VU2014]

I don't know what is more embarrassing. LeBron's acting or the announcer trying to make excuses for him... This is one of the reasons people struggling to root for him. So Soft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boqYkzkIvP4

[usc4valpo]

How Lebron James was SI's Sportsman of the year over the Chicago Cubs (undoubtedly the team of the year is beyond me. With a safety on the lapel of LeBron's suit on the SI cover, you have to wonder if it was a political motive.

[bbtds]

How Lebron James was SI's Sportsman of the year over the Chicago Cubs (undoubtedly the team of the year is beyond me. With a safety on the lapel of LeBron's suit on the SI cover, you have to wonder if it was a political motive.

I don't agree that the Chicago Cubs are "undoubtedly" the team of the year. You have your opinion, I have mine.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/Catch_N_Shoot/status/846907862546812929

[usc4valpo]

Interesting, and just curious, considering it was a team that broke a 108 year drought, who would be the team of the year?

[bbtds]

Interesting, and just curious, considering it was a team that broke a 108 year drought, who would be the team of the year?

Just because you were bad previously and you suddenly finally win a title that many other teams have won before doesn't make you the team of the year. Maybe if the Cubs keep winning that will be a story but right now all they have done is won one World Series.

Don't gripe at me about the decision. SI made that decision. I just happen to agree with it for the reason I mentioned above. The world didn't end because the Cubs won one WS. It's a regional thing and only Cubs fans truly think that way.

[usc4valpo]

considering that the Cubs championship made world news, I cannot think of a team more deserving.

[usc4valpo]

And I am a White Sox fan!

[bbtds]

considering that the Cubs championship made world news, I cannot think of a team more deserving.

It only made news because they were so bad before. I just don't agree. It's your opinion---not obvious. It's simply my opinion that there is nothing too special about the Cubs. If not for a rain storm they wouldn't have won anything. 

[usc4valpo]

I respect but don't agree what you are say. no problem - I just thought the selection for LeBron James was PC.

[FieldGoodie05]

I respect but don't agree what you are say. no problem - I just thought the selection for LeBron James was PC.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's PC, but I would call it lazy. 

[usc4valpo]

I am cool about debate and conflict, just avoid being Kentucky fans

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/847287525966139392

[bbtds]

https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/847287525966139392

Does Dayton rank that much higher than Illinois State? This would seem like more of a lateral move for Dan Muller. If it is a higher move then only a slight bit higher.

[zvillehaze]

Does Dayton rank that much higher than Illinois State? This would seem like more of a lateral move for Dan Muller. If it is a higher move then only a slight bit higher.

I'd say yes.  Dayton has an Elite 8 and a Sweet 16 in the last 4 years ... Illinois State hasn't even been to the tournament since 1998.

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/SBNationCBB/status/847472556386820103

[VU2014]

Would you pay Big $ to go to the Final 4 when your view would be this? I would personally take a hard pass. What an awful view for the game. I get wanting to make as much $ as possible but this is ridiculous.

https://twitter.com/Valpo_Hoops/status/847480184190058503

[usc4valpo]

I was at the Final Four awhile back Indy, and it is much more of an event than it is to see the game. Many will watch from the big screens, but then they can have a sense that they are there.

[valpopal]

Yesterday's New York Times featured an article outlining the academic dishonesty at the University of North Carolina. It is difficult to watch the North Carolina team play unscathed and unpunished in the Final Four while Jubril was suspended basically for his senior year in conference play. On the CBS broadcast tonight the announcers minimized the academic situation at North Carolina. However, here is an excerpt from the Times article:



3,100 students had received one or more semesters of lousy instruction and that poor work found reward in high grades. Student athletes, particularly those from the "revenue sports" — basketball and football — were steered to these poor or nonexistent courses, and in some cases, they were told they could sleep in class.

Many shared in the dirty secrets.

"Beyond those university personnel who were aware of red flags," Wainstein wrote, "there were a large number among the Chapel Hill faculty, deans and athletics personnel, who knew that there were easy-grading classes with little rigor."

"Little rigor" is a term of art that begs for definition.

Wainstein asked three outside experts to look at a sample of class papers. They found that in 40 percent of the papers, one-quarter or more of the content was plagiarized. The average grade for those papers was close to an A-minus.

The entire article can be found at the following: [size=78%]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/sports/ncaabasketball/north-carolina-final-four-cheating-fake-classes.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fsports&action=click&contentCollection=sports®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront[/size]

[FWalum]

Yesterday's New York Times featured an article outlining the academic dishonesty at the University of North Carolina. It is difficult to watch the North Carolina team play unscathed and unpunished in the Final Four while Jubril was suspended basically for his senior year in conference play. On the CBS broadcast tonight the announcers minimized the academic situation at North Carolina. However, here is an excerpt from the Times article:



3,100 students had received one or more semesters of lousy instruction and that poor work found reward in high grades. Student athletes, particularly those from the "revenue sports" — basketball and football — were steered to these poor or nonexistent courses, and in some cases, they were told they could sleep in class.

Many shared in the dirty secrets.

"Beyond those university personnel who were aware of red flags," Wainstein wrote, "there were a large number among the Chapel Hill faculty, deans and athletics personnel, who knew that there were easy-grading classes with little rigor."

"Little rigor" is a term of art that begs for definition.

Wainstein asked three outside experts to look at a sample of class papers. They found that in 40 percent of the papers, one-quarter or more of the content was plagiarized. The average grade for those papers was close to an A-minus.

The entire article can be found at the following: [size=78%]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/sports/ncaabasketball/north-carolina-final-four-cheating-fake-classes.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fsports&action=click&contentCollection=sports®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront[/size]

This really irks me also.  UNC should have been barred from participation and the NCAA's double standards regarding revenue exposed. I guess because it wasn't a "sex" scandal that no sanctions need be applied. 

[VULB#62]

If they win it tonight and the "investigation" returns a verdict of a punishable offense (NCAA probation?  Loss of scholarships?) might they have to vacate the national championship win?

Conversely, if Valpo had continued to play JA while the investigation was taking place, might the penalty have been a going forward kind of thing rather than retroactive?  Who the hell knows because there is absolutely no consistency.  It's pretty obvious UNC isn't worried about anything retroactive.

[valpopal]

What a bizarre spectacle of poor administration by sports officials we are witnessing across the sports world lately! I am not sure which is worse (both are equally bad, perhaps), the NCAA looking the other way and ignoring the evidence of academic dishonesty at North Carolina while allowing them to play for the national championship or the LPGA stripping a player of her major championship because of an e-mail from a television viewer.

[valpo64]

Amen! brother.