March Madness

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DxCowboy

Ranger
Might as well get this started now that we’re 3 days in.😁

I’m already reminded of why I love March Madness-the memories and stories made by multiple players at multiple schools that will echo for decades in the minds of players and fans.

Watching Drake get their first non-play in win in over 5 decades versus a Mizzou team from a conference touted as having had the best year ever. Will Drake win next round? But does that really matter? Those players and fans will remember that Mizzou game forever, beating them with 4 D2 transfers in a game that hugely mattered.

UMBC becoming the first 16 over a 1. George Mason’s Final Four run. Butler in back to back finals. The list goes on and on through the years.

The paradox between the moments March provides are a stark contrast to what they’re trying to do with college football. Yes, I know they’re different sports, but 2 conferences are trying everything they can to make sure a Drake never beats a Mizzou, god forbid a tOSU.

So here’s to the madness and the random moments it always delivers!🍿👏🍻
 
Don't particularly care about Arkansas, but Kansas getting booted in the first round was nice to see.
 
Conferences after Round 1:

SEC: 8-6 bottom 6 seeds 1-5. Perhaps the hysteria and hype was a little overblown? They have the higher seed in 6 of their 8 2nd round games, 4 of those feel like toss ups.

B1G: 8-0 all 8 were the higher seed. 3 head to head vs the SEC in the 2nd round. Purdue already in the sweet 16. 5 of the 7 left are toss ups.

Big 12: 6-1 5 of 7 were higher seed, 4 of remaining 6 are the higher seeds in 2nd round. 2 games coming up vs the B1G, 1 vs ACC, 1 vs the SEC. You’d hope that the 4 higher seeds advance, doubtful Baylor takes out Duke, Zona-Oregon is a toss up as is BYU-Wisconsin. Houston over Gonzaga and Iowa State over ole Miss and Tech over Drake seem likely.
If the conference can get 4 or possibly 5 in the sweet 16 you’d consider that a good year and that the new schools have helped out overall.

ACC: 2-3
 
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Boynton on the bench on Michigan's staff. That guy is a good man and I miss talking to him.

True story: Boynton and his family donated a massive sum to help feed and clothe impoverished children and senior citizens in Oklahoma. You wouldn’t believe how much money—it helped a lot of kids and senior citizens, to say the least. Oh, and however much you think it is, you’re not even close.
 
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Stargazer said:
Boynton on the bench on Michigan's staff. That guy is a good man and I miss talking to him.

True story: Boynton and his family donated a massive sum to help feed and clothe impoverished children and senior citizens in Oklahoma. You wouldn’t believe how much money—it helped a lot of kids and senior citizens, to say the least. Oh, and however much you think it is, you’re not even close.
Click to expand...
There’s no doubt Mike Boynton is a really good man
 
Stargazer said:
RIP College football and basketball. What a shame. There will mever be 'Cinderellas,' during March Madness ever again. Cinderellas made March Madness the single greatest sporting event in the US.

"Nike’s founder, a Walmart heiress, and the owner of the Dallas Cowboys are among the billionaires bankrolling March Madness Sweet 16 schools"

https://fortune.com/2025/03/20/billionaires-bankrolling-march-madness-sweet-16-schools/
Click to expand...
If you’re talking about winning it all, I agree. But when was the last Cinderella to win it all? Btw we’ve seen 2 16 seeds take out 1’s what, twice in the last 5 years?

The Cinderella stories are gonna be a Colorado State making the sweet 16, like they’re fighting for right now. I think you’ll still see those despite the NIL simply because basketball is so different than fb in terms of roster size and you’ll still have some MVC schools or WCC schools with rosters who’ve been together 2-3 years.

This year’s bracket is definitely top heavy, as evidenced by who’s left. Read somewhere that it’s the first time in 17 years that a 13-16 seed didn’t win a game. Meaning for 16 years you’ve seen a 13 beat a 4, & so on. Maybe it’s splitting hairs, but I think those are your Cinderella stories.
 
Counted at least 3 Florida Atlantic final four players, plus their coach in the sweet 16.

I don’t blame a single one of them for moving on, but you’ve got to build in something that compensates these schools for identifying and developing talent to the point that the money schools want the players. It cannot continue to just be a one way street, costing the big dogs nothing to poach the schools they raid from.

I could be wrong, but I can’t think of another model of sport where it exists in this fashion.
 
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Damn. Was hoping Ole Miss would've knocked Michigan State out of the tournament. I can't stand Tom Izzo. He's a punk and an embarrassment to all homosapiens.
 
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