Louisville Cardinals Win Big East Regular Season...and the Tournament Too!!

ebag4 · « **on:** 8 Mar 2009, 04:19 pm »

Way to Go Cards!!!
Now let's win the BE Tournament!!

spudco · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Mar 2009, 04:33 pm »

The Mountaineers gave them all they could stand last night. Congrats are in order.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Mar 2009, 05:52 pm »

A totally amazing Big East tourney at Madison Square Garden to come

West Virginia and Villanova (my alma mater; so I admit to watching them with rose-colored glasses on

) can knock any team in the country out on any one particular night (but perhaps not two consecutively, tho

)

Honestly, I just don't Louisville in the same calibre of team as a Pitt or UConn this year (not to take the hard fought regular season title from them). There was a lot more Big East basketball on TV this year than last (probably due to 6 teams in the top 25), so I got to (finally) see all of them play and I think Pitt is a man-sized handful despite being slightly undersized, overall.

Damn, what happened to Notre Dame & Georgetown?...the Big East competition just gobbled those guys alive this year.

John

ebag4 · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Mar 2009, 06:28 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy on 8 Mar 2009, 05:52 pm

Honestly, I just don't Louisville in the same calibre of team as a Pitt or UConn this year (not to take the hard fought regular season title from them).

You and everyone on ESPN. They would have you believe going 16-2 in the BE is no big deal, anyone could do it....NOT.

Let's not forget the Cards beat Pitt when they were ranked #1.

Also, let's not forget Lville is 5-1 against top 25 teams and is 9-1 in BE road games (although that 1 did smell a bit

)

Every game in the BE is a hard fought game. Too many really good teams.

Should be a great tournament.

GO CARDS!

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Mar 2009, 11:48 pm »

Hey Ed,

Something taught to me my senior year of college at Villanova - 1985 (their title year) - was that once you get into the NCAA tourney...it's just a matter of how can run off 6 straight wins, rather than who has the best team per se.

Statistically, the best team should be the one most able to run off 6 straight wins and take it all, but injuries, confidence (too much of or lack thereof), luck (both good and bad when it comes to being in the right place for shots and rebounds) have so much to do with it.

I have pretty much found that unless you have one or more seriously big men (power fwd and or center) that is healthy and can reliably feed the ball inside to, I don't think you can run off 6 straight games against the final 64. A guard dominated team, like my Villanova has this year and has had in the most recent past, may be able to sneak into the Elite 8, but not further.

The 1985 Villanova team had 3 solid big men - who just peaked in the last 6 games of the year

After playing a 30 game schedule regular season, a game or four in your conference tourneys, then battling progressively taller, stronger, better shooting, faster teams...the little guys are pooped

. Without some serious timber (or, alternatively, a solid 8 man rotation)

What a great sport NCAA hoops is!

John

Wildcat_Fan · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 12:28 am »

Have to give credit where credit is due - Congratulations UofL!

Once again the commonwealth of Kentucky will have at least two participants in the Big Dance. Unfortunately, those teams will not include my beloved Wildcats.

At least my alma mater, Morehead State, will be playing.

Paul

ebag4 · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 12:45 am »

Quote from: TheChairGuy on 8 Mar 2009, 11:48 pm

Hey Ed,

Something taught to me my senior year of college at Villanova - 1985 (their title year) - was that once you get into the NCAA tourney...it's just a matter of how can run off 6 straight wins, rather than who has the best team per se.

Statistically, the best team should be the one most able to run off 6 straight wins and take it all, but injuries, confidence (too much of or lack thereof), luck (both good and bad when it comes to being in the right place for shots and rebounds) have so much to do with it.

I have pretty much found that unless you have one or more seriously big men (power fwd and or center) that is healthy and can reliably feed the ball inside to, I don't think you can run off 6 straight games against the final 64. A guard dominated team, like my Villanova has this year and has had in the most recent past, may be able to sneak into the Elite 8, but not further.

The 1985 Villanova team had 3 solid big men - who just peaked in the last 6 games of the year

After playing a 30 game schedule regular season, a game or four in your conference tourneys, then battling progressively taller, stronger, better shooting, faster teams...the little guys are pooped . Without some serious timber (or, alternatively, a solid 8 man rotation)

What a great sport NCAA hoops is!

John

Or a 10 man rotation!

I love college basketball.

ebag4 · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Mar 2009, 12:47 am »

Quote from: Wildcat_Fan on 9 Mar 2009, 12:28 am

Have to give credit where credit is due - Congratulations UofL!

Once again the commonwealth of Kentucky will have at least two participants in the Big Dance. Unfortunately, those teams will not include my beloved Wildcats.

At least my alma mater, Morehead State, will be playing.

Paul

Congrats to Moorehead State.

drphoto · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Mar 2009, 02:49 am »

Louisville won it all when I was an undergrad and again when I was in grad school. Now that I'm a student there once more, maybe they'll go all the way this year!

ebag4 · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 01:49 am »

Quote from: drphoto on 12 Mar 2009, 02:49 am

Louisville won it all when I was an undergrad and again when I was in grad school. Now that I'm a student there once more, maybe they'll go all the way this year!

Stay in school drphoto, it's working!!

Chairguy John, your guys played a good game.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 02:01 am »

The game clearly pointed out to me the three reasons why Villanova may, at best, make it to the Elite 8:

1. Undersized - little guys are pooped by season and tourney end

2. Porous defense - good shooters on the team, but only 1 1/2 plays solid D

3. Slow - lack of speed relative to better teams (combined with lack of size)

Louisville passed the ball and had better off-the-ball motion...marks of really good teams in the past.

'Nova never play well in the Big East Championships for some reason (they only won in 1995...the year they won the post-season NIT's against Vandy), so who knows if they make a miracle or 4 during the NCAA's

Some size coming back for 2009/10 with their injured 6' 10" center, a transfer from Duke that's been red-shirted this year and a real big prospect from Africa that signed with them...along with the 4 seasoned guards they have now.

John

ebag4 · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Mar 2009, 03:27 am »

The Cards win the regular season and the Big East Tournament!!!
WAY TO GO CARDS!!!!

ebag4 · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 02:31 pm »

Chairguy John,Your guys looked really good last night, way to go Villanova! Strike another one up for the Big East!

I hope my Cards can continue the Big East streak tonight....GO CARDS!

Best,
Ed

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 08:34 pm »

I cannot believe it myself, Ed. It's as if they were intentionally loafing on defense all season.

All of a sudden, Shane Clark's habit of ticky-tacky fouls are no more, Reggie Reading is a playmaker and defender, Scottie Reynolds learned how to play D and Dwayne Anderson is now a substantial part of the team's engine.

I saw a LOT of their games this year on cable as the Big East had so many rated teams and got coverage, and THIS team I have seen for the past 3 games is unlike the one in the other 32 games they played.

They could explode offensively, that much was seen before - but the level of D they've played has Final 4 possibilities, at least.

I'm happily stunned by everything right now with my 'cats

John

woodsyi · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 08:52 pm »

I would go for the 'Nova win just to see Jay Wright and his fancy duds get a Gatorade shower.

A college buddy's little girl just started at 'Nova. She is all for a 'Nova win so they can close school and party like the last time.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #15 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 12:25 am »

Boy THAT was some party in '85, too. Cars overturned on Lancaster Avenue and not a dry eye or liver for days around April 1, 1985.

Graduation was 5 weeks later - we HAD to have been the happiest senior class yet

John

zybar · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 12:27 am »

Quote from: ebag4 on 27 Mar 2009, 02:31 pm

Chairguy John,Your guys looked really good last night, way to go Villanova! Strike another one up for the Big East!

I hope my Cards can continue the Big East streak tonight....GO CARDS!

Best,
Ed

They are looking darn good tonight.

George

ebag4 · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 02:03 am »

Quote from: zybar on 28 Mar 2009, 12:27 am

Quote from: ebag4 on 27 Mar 2009, 02:31 pm
Chairguy John,Your guys looked really good last night, way to go Villanova! Strike another one up for the Big East!

I hope my Cards can continue the Big East streak tonight....GO CARDS!

Best,
Ed

They are looking darn good tonight.

George

Yes they are!! I'm not certain they can play much better than that. Big East has 4 teams in the Elite 8...not too bad!!!

Go CARDS!!!

arthurs · « **Reply #18 on:** 28 Mar 2009, 02:05 am »

I'll grant you it was Arizona they played...but boy that was a championship caliber dominant performance tonight...

ebag4 · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 Mar 2009, 01:28 am »

Villanova in the final 4, congrats John! Great game, screwed up my bracket

.

Best,
Ed