College Hoops 2020-2021

[SeaBreeze341]

It looked like it was going to be a very bad day for the Big 10, with Ohio State & Purdue losing big (a day after Michigan State's fall).  Wisconsin & Rutgers sorta bailed them out (Illinois won earlier).


Bob Huggins finally got his 900th win, Roy Williams lost a first round game for the first time ever, and Syracuse is once again proving that they belong in the tournament following criticism toward the committee that they don't belong at all

[jude_este]

Tonight's scheduled contest between No. 7 seed Oregon and No. 10 seed VCU has been declared a no-contest due to COVID-19 issues within the VCU program. With Oregon facing the winner of the game between No. 2 seed Iowa and No. 15 seed Grand Canyon.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/oregon-vcu-declared-no-contest-as-covid-19-positive-advances-ducks-into-second-round-of-2021-ncaa-tournament/

[JayC]

Really stinks for VCU they are eliminated without even playing. I wonder if they'll be given an automatic bid into next year's tournament.

[jude_este]

And in another upset in the tournament to wrap up the day, the #14 Abilene Christian Wildcats beat the #3 Texas Longhorns winning 53-52, and will face the UCLA Bruins for a spot in the Sweet 16 Monday.

[SeaBreeze341]

Really stinks for VCU they are eliminated without even playing. I wonder if they'll be given an automatic bid into next year's tournament.

I'd say no to that.  Robert Morris qualified in 2020 by winning its tournament, and a year later, they got nothing.  It sucks that it happened this way, but it should not come as a surprise.  OTOH, if VCU is on the bubble next year, I think the committee will definitely put them in.

Way too soon to speculate, and I'd rather not speculate what happened.  VCU made the final four a decade ago, after playing in an opening First Four round.   I doubt they'd blow it in terms of the protocols; IMO they're just a victim of bad luck.  Meanwhile, Oregon probably would've been happier to knock off VCU to advance

[JayC]

Yes, I don't think they should get a bid if they aren't deserving (as in having a losing record), but as long as they are on the bubble they should likely get in next year because of what happened this year. I didn't think about the schools that had automatic bids last year that weren't put in this year.

[bigblue999]

Loyola upsets Illinois.

[Ccook]

West Virginia and Syracuse are duking it out. Orangemen has the lead up to recent when the Mountaineers went on a 9-0 run.

[therealcu2010]

I really need to stop picking against my own team...

[bigblue999]

Syracuse hangs on. Woot Woot!

[SeaBreeze341]

You just never know what Syracuse team you're going to get.  It's usually a run for the Orange whenever I think they're not built to win, or whenever they have a monster year in the ACC (previously the Big East), they end up going home before the weekend, courtesy of a double-digit seeded team people didn't know existed.

Nevertheless, it was a treat (for me at least) to see a classic Big East game with West Virginia and Syracuse.  That game was probably the best of the day so far & could have gone either way (and nearly did).

I didn't pick Syracuse in either one of the brackets I submitted for the contest on the site.  However, I did have them beating WVU in other brackets, and then making a run before falling to Illinois.  Of course that can't happen, but a Loyola/Syracuse game would be so worth it if it gets to that point

[bigblue999]

Oral Roberts does it again, upsetting the Florida Gators.

[SeaBreeze341]

Oral Roberts does it again, upsetting the Florida Gators.

They're the second 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16.  While Oral Roberts will have their hands full against another SEC team in Arkansas, they have a fair enough chance to make history.  The Razorbacks will have a little more time to prepare, actually more than normal given an extra day due to the schedule, and the lack of travel.

Sucks for Rutgers (victim of a 14-2 run to end the game); they had their game won, but it's never over until there are complete zeros on the scoreboard

[bigblue999]

Another upset. Oregon State defeats Oklahoma State.

[SeaBreeze341]

Oregon State was picked last in its own conference in its preseason poll.  While they'll have their hands full against Loyola, they've achieved success against certain disrespect, with a conference title in the Pac-12 tournament and two NCAA Tourney wins