Detroit 15 seed

StlVUFan · March 11, 2012, 05:49:58 PM

Historically at least, you couldn't ask for a more vulnerable high seed to play than Kansas.

Detroit Titans, you've got work to do, time to get started. I expect a win.

valpotx · March 11, 2012, 05:53:14 PM

Looking at the bracket, we would have been a 14 seed, probably slotted in South Dakota State's slot against Baylor

StlVUFan · March 11, 2012, 06:01:27 PM

With apologies to the Drew family, I'm afraid I'll be rooting for the JackRabbits in that game. #MidMajorityAllTheWay!

Seriously, if any mid-majors make it to the Sweet Sixteen in St. Louis, I'm going to try to go.

vuweathernerd · March 11, 2012, 06:05:12 PM

kansas can suck it. and so can detroit. boiler up!!!

vu84v2 · March 12, 2012, 12:34:41 AM

For more than one reason, I hope that Kansas destroys Detroit. I don't normally root against the Horizon League - but I will this time. I would love to see Robinson go for 25 and 15 and Taylor dominate McCallum.

StlVUFan · March 12, 2012, 06:46:56 AM

Just saw Holman tweet some bravado about how Robinson is going to have to handle him. Last time Valpo played a team of KU's stature in first round we were talking smack like that and got clobbered when we played them. Crusaderboy even wrote a scathing column about it.

Talk is cheap, Eli.

valpopal · March 12, 2012, 07:50:04 AM

Kansas is coming off a loss in the semifinals of their league tournament, and they should be eager to prove themselves again, which might lead to a big victory over Detroit.

vu72 · March 12, 2012, 08:40:38 AM

Quote from: vu84v2 on March 12, 2012, 12:34:41 AM
For more than one reason, I hope that Kansas destroys Detroit. I don't normally root against the Horizon League - but I will this time. I would love to see Robinson go for 25 and 15 and Taylor dominate McCallum.

As this will be on a nuetral floor, don't expect Detroit to get blown out. McCallum is as good as any guard in the country and Detroit's size will matchup pretty well with the jayhawks. An upset wouldn't surprise me. A blowout loss would.

historyman · March 12, 2012, 08:50:00 AM

Quote from: vu72 on March 12, 2012, 08:40:38 AM
Quote from: vu84v2 on March 12, 2012, 12:34:41 AM
For more than one reason, I hope that Kansas destroys Detroit. I don't normally root against the Horizon League - but I will this time. I would love to see Robinson go for 25 and 15 and Taylor dominate McCallum.

As this will be on a nuetral floor, don't expect Detroit to get blown out. McCallum is as good as any guard in the country and Detroit's size will matchup pretty well with the jayhawks. An upset wouldn't surprise me. A blowout loss would.

I would have to agree. If Detroit can play as well as they did at Valpo in a hostile environment and Coach Ray Sr can keep from making any major snafus as he did at Valpo then I can see this game being tight for the first three quarters of the game and the Jayhawks pulling it out at the end. Maybe a 15 point difference but the score will not reflect the how close the game will be.

MattCarter · March 12, 2012, 10:56:56 AM

Quote from: vu72 on March 12, 2012, 08:40:38 AM
Quote from: vu84v2 on March 12, 2012, 12:34:41 AMFor more than one reason, I hope that Kansas destroys Detroit. I don't normally root against the Horizon League - but I will this time. I would love to see Robinson go for 25 and 15 and Taylor dominate McCallum.
As this will be on a nuetral floor, don't expect Detroit to get blown out. McCallum is as good as any guard in the country and Detroit's size will matchup pretty well with the jayhawks. An upset wouldn't surprise me. A blowout loss would.

The almost week long layover usually benefits a team with good coaching. Lots of time to figure out the other team, talk to other coaches, watch film, ect. Detroit was playing some really good, physical ball during the HL tourney but can they keep that up with a week off? I dunno. I have serious doubts.

milanmiracle · March 12, 2012, 03:24:10 PM

I hope they get crushed on national television and they dance and posture for the camera just like they did for the Valpo game. I promise they don't pull the same crap with Kansas that they did with VU. That's what makes it even more disgusting.

valporun · March 12, 2012, 04:38:36 PM

Quote from: milanmiracle on March 12, 2012, 03:24:10 PM
I hope they get crushed on national television and they dance and posture for the camera just like they did for the Valpo game. I promise they don't pull the same crap with Kansas that they did with VU. That's what makes it even more disgusting.

I doubt they get the chance to showboat on CBS like they did on ESPN, since Kansas is the team that CBS producers will showcase for the last 4 games of the day.

FWalum · March 12, 2012, 04:39:28 PM

ESPN is touting Detroit as being under seeded. For what I heard this afternoon Brad Stevens said that Detroit was the best 15 seed the tournament has ever seen. Sorry to disappoint all the Detroit haters, but I hope they scare the pants off of Kansas. I would love to see a 15 2 upset.

milanmiracle · March 12, 2012, 05:12:49 PM

Quote from: FWalum on March 12, 2012, 04:39:28 PM
ESPN is touting Detroit as being under seeded. For what I heard this afternoon Brad Stevens said that Detroit was the best 15 seed the tournament has ever seen. Sorry to disappoint all the D etroit haters, but I hope they scare the pants off of Kansas. I would love to see a 15 2 upset.

Per usual, I agree with you. I also agree that Detroit's underseeded. IF they choose to play to the level they are capable of, they can beat almost anybody. McCallum is as good as anybody, and Holman can be a game changer if he chooses to play to his ability. They have enough athletes on the roster that they shouldn't be "out athleted" or intimidated even against Kansas.

While I would LOVE to see them get humiliated, I don't see that happening. They have the ability to beat Kansas, and while I would be surprised if they won, I wouldn't be shocked. Kansas is the poster child for early round exits. Bill Self seems to have curtailed that to some degree, but Roy Williams was famous for bowing out early.

MattCarter · March 12, 2012, 05:14:23 PM

Quote from: FWalum on March 12, 2012, 04:39:28 PMESPN is touting Detroit as being under seeded. For what I heard this afternoon Brad Stevens said that Detroit was the best 15 seed the tournament has ever seen. Sorry to disappoint all the Detroit haters, but I hope they scare the pants off of Kansas. I would love to see a 15 2 upset.

IOh my fault, if Brad Stevens says it...then its absolutely true. My fault. I was wrong. He is right. Hail Brad

StlVUFan · March 12, 2012, 08:42:15 PM

I am absolutely rooting for the Titans. I'm also looking for a certain point guard to greatly improve his maturity when it comes to representing the HL.

bbtds · March 13, 2012, 10:19:27 AM

Quote from: StlVUFan on March 12, 2012, 08:42:15 PM
I am absolutely rooting for the Titans. I'm also looking for a certain point guard to greatly improve his maturity when it comes to representing the HL.

Yes, that would be the best outcome of the situation of Detroit playing Kansas. If Detroit upsets Kansas, the Horizon League continues to win NCAA tourney games which keeps the HL streak alive which results in more money for Valpo, Ray Jr gets great advice from a mentor, maybe not his dad but someone who he looks up to and respects and tempers his enthusiasm AFTER the game is won and shows great humility. He can celebrate the huge win in dramatic fashion (hug his dad and feel his love) but not do any of the objectionable things he did at Valpo.

wh · March 13, 2012, 10:55:53 AM

You forgot "...and they all lived happily thereafter". How about this instead? Jr. goes off for 30, D still loses, Jr gets drafted, the McCallums have a big family hug, D BB returns to mediocrity, and we all live happily thereafter.

historyman · March 16, 2012, 11:34:26 PM

Well, it wasn't "happily ever after" and Kansas pulled away earlier than 3/4 of the way through, more like 3/8 of the way, but it was a 15 point win for Kansas. You have to complement Detroit for keeping it from being a complete blowout of 30 or more.

Quote from: historyman on March 12, 2012, 08:50:00 AMI can see this game being tight for the first three quarters of the game and the Jayhawks pulling it out at the end. Maybe a 15 point difference but the score will not reflect the how close the game will be.

dylanrocks · March 19, 2012, 12:25:43 AM

Quote from: historyman on March 16, 2012, 11:34:26 PM
You have to compl(i)ment Detroit for keeping it from being a complete blowout of 30 or more.

You do?

That game was an abomination after the first 12 or so minutes.

A lopsided first-round tournament ouster by Kansas? This is what the Horizon League will regularly be without Butler.

wh · March 19, 2012, 01:35:56 AM

Quote from: dylanrocks on March 19, 2012, 12:25:43 AM

A lopsided first-round tournament ouster by Kansas? This is what the Horizon League will regularly be without Butler.

After 5 years in the league the only school I can see that has benefited from Butler's success is Butler. Can you honestly say the quality of Milwaukee's recruits has improved to any measurable degree over that time? A lot of players aren't interested in joining a league basically owned by one team that gets all the attention. My point is that recruiting for the rest of us might actually benefit from Butler leaving. Who knows, but at least it's a more optimistic way of looking at it.

vu72 · March 19, 2012, 09:36:40 AM

Quote from: dylanrocks on March 19, 2012, 12:25:43 AM
Quote from: historyman on March 16, 2012, 11:34:26 PM
You have to compl(i)ment Detroit for keeping it from being a complete blowout of 30 or more.

You do?

That game was an abomination after the first 12 or so minutes.

A lopsided first-round tournament ouster by Kansas? This is what the Horizon League will regularly be without Butler.

Remind me, was it Butler kids, secretly wearing CSU uniforms who won in the first round last year?

agibson · March 19, 2012, 09:50:46 AM

Quote from: vu72 on March 19, 2012, 09:36:40 AMRemind me, was it Butler kids, secretly wearing CSU uniforms who won in the first round last year?

It was a couple of years ago. 2009. But, yeah, while Butler was washing out of their at-large 9 seed, Cleveland State was winning from the 13.

Four NCAA wins from teams not named Butler, in the last eight years, isn't a bad record. (Especially seeing as only Butler had a chance in three of those years.)

dylanrocks · March 19, 2012, 10:10:07 AM

Just trying to give an honest, realistic assessment here, guys.

Milwaukee definitely received a higher seed in both 2003 and 2006 because of Butler's presence in the league, when Butler was an at-large team one year and a solid NIT team the other. In 2005, I think the Panthers were the beneficiaries of having performed well their first time in the tournament.

In 2009, Cleveland State certainly got a seed spot or two higher because of the presence of Butler, which again was an at-large entrant. Instead of drawing a juggernaut like Kansas as a 15 seed, the Vikings instead drew a reeling Wake Forest as a 13.

In fact, the only H League program to receive an NCAA Tournament at-large berth over the last 10 years is Butler, which has accomplished the feat three times.

Put another way, the Horizon League has 19 NCAA Tournament victories since 2003 and 15 of them belong to Butler. With the Bulldogs, the H League rates as the second-best non-BCS league in the country by NCAA Tournament performance. Without Butler, we tie with the WAC for the ninth-best. In just five seasons, Brad Stevens has engineered more tournament victories (11) than any other current member institution has in its existence.

I don't know what to do to make things better here if/when Butler leaves. But I'm not going to bury my head in the sand and say that it doesn't hurt.

StlVUFan · March 19, 2012, 11:33:50 AM

dylan, that may be precisely what I have been feeling about this: "it will hurt"