2016-2017 West Region: #2 Seed

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:38 pm

What about FSU?

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:56 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:What about FSU?

They're not playing as well as they were earlier. Kinda limping into the tourney.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:57 pm

CatFanOneMil wrote:I'm gonna go on record now and say we will have to go through West Virginia to get out of the West...no one else bothers me.

Press Virginia is the team that scares me the most. We only have two ball handlers, and the other guards (Trier/Rawle) can get a littler turnover happy. We've pretty terrible on contested/pressured inbounding lately. Since Kobi is riding the bench and also isn't a ball handler, we have no one else if PJC/Allen gets in foul trouble or rolls an ankle. WVU is also deep, have length where UA doesn't (6'6'-6'9).

But they're not on our side of the bracket and ND is a terrible terrible matchup for WVU, they don't turn the ball over. We're #45 in fewest turnovers per game (ND is #2), so as long as we don't turn it over we win

CalStateTempe wrote:What about FSU?

FSU is potentially worrisome. They have depth, length and athleticism. FSU sucks away from home however and they're very flaky. San Jose would be a pseudo home game. But they have talent so always scary in theory.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:06 pm

There's not a 3-seed in the country that isn't scary, so I'll take FSU.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:28 pm

FSU would be my 3 seed of choice, with UCLA second. Yes, they are tall and athletic, but they are not a good outside shooting team. Basically, an Oregon situation without having to worry about them killing you from deep too. As far as I know, none of those guys have tournament experience as FSU hasn't gone dancing since 2012, and their best players are all freshmen or sophomores.

prh · Post by **prh** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:34 pm

rgdeuce wrote:FSU would be my 3 seed of choice, with UCLA second. Yes, they are tall and athletic, but they are not a good outside shooting team. Basically, an Oregon situation without having to worry about them killing you from deep too.

I'd go a step farther and say less skilled than Oregon and worse coaching. I've seen a bunch of their games and they just run around taking bad shots and throw the ball around everywhere.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:46 pm

prh wrote:
rgdeuce wrote:FSU would be my 3 seed of choice, with UCLA second. Yes, they are tall and athletic, but they are not a good outside shooting team. Basically, an Oregon situation without having to worry about them killing you from deep too.
I'd go a step farther and say less skilled than Oregon and worse coaching. I've seen a bunch of their games and they just run around taking bad shots and throw the ball around everywhere.

Agreed on this. Poorly coached (he's never made it out of the S16) and their games look like a mess.

They excel in that they have length, but so do we. Who does it better? I say us by a country mile.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:50 pm

NYCat wrote:
CatFanOneMil wrote:I'm gonna go on record now and say we will have to go through West Virginia to get out of the West...no one else bothers me.
Press Virginia is the team that scares me the most. We only have two ball handlers, and the other guards (Trier/Rawle) can get a littler turnover happy. We've pretty terrible on contested/pressured inbounding lately. Since Kobi is riding the bench and also isn't a ball handler, we have no one else if PJC/Allen gets in foul trouble or rolls an ankle. WVU is also deep, have length where UA doesn't (6'6'-6'9).

But they're not on our side of the bracket and ND is a terrible terrible matchup for WVU, they don't turn the ball over. We're #45 in fewest turnovers per game (ND is #2), so as long as we don't turn it over we win

I could see WVU getting the best of Gonzaga. Maybe. But I'm not that concerned about matching up with them.

We saw some press out of Oregon and didn't respond all that well to it, but we did get better with a little coaching down the stretch. Once it was clear that PJC may be too small to fight through two defenders - Miller had some of the bigger guards receive the in bounds pass. I'm fine with Trier receiving the ball and addressing a two man press - he's incredibly gifted at fighting through contact. Rawle has shown himself to be a gifted passer as well. We'd have time to prepare with something as simple as "space the floor, give the ball handler an angle and make quick passes. Attack the rim with numbers or force the foul if their press gets sloppy."

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 4:27 pm

rgdeuce wrote:FSU would be my 3 seed of choice, with UCLA second. Yes, they are tall and athletic, but they are not a good outside shooting team. Basically, an Oregon situation without having to worry about them killing you from deep too. As far as I know, none of those guys have tournament experience as FSU hasn't gone dancing since 2012, and their best players are all freshmen or sophomores.

We just need to be solid on the boards and I like us vs FSU. Tall and athletic, as long as we keep them off the boards, we have the firepower to win.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 4:33 pm

I don't think the West region is anywhere near the easiest bracket for what the design is...for the #1 to advance.

I'd argue that the 4/5 seeds of WVU and Notre Dame and the 2 seed of Arizona make this the toughest bracket for a 1, any #1, to advance from.

The overall bracket may be weakened by Gonzaga as the 1, though I consider them a more deserving 1 than UNC. This region has the most realistic 2-that-should-have-been-a-1 story, a 4 that is the best ceiling #4 on the board and a 5 that some thought could be a 3...even the #3, FSU, is an ACC team that has a rather high level "best performance".

I'd argue we got a nicer path than many. Despite the numbers above, I'd rather play St Marys', if chalk held, than some major conference 7 with some sporadic injury issues or a mid major with a bunch of 2nd and 3rd chance guys and high level recruits (think SMU, close at a 6). And our 1 is very much in danger with their 4/5.

But, overall, this region is brutal on its #1. Even if its number 1 was Villanova.

prh · Post by **prh** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 5:51 pm

YoDeFoe wrote:
prh wrote:
rgdeuce wrote:FSU would be my 3 seed of choice, with UCLA second. Yes, they are tall and athletic, but they are not a good outside shooting team. Basically, an Oregon situation without having to worry about them killing you from deep too.
I'd go a step farther and say less skilled than Oregon and worse coaching. I've seen a bunch of their games and they just run around taking bad shots and throw the ball around everywhere.
Agreed on this. Poorly coached (he's never made it out of the S16) and their games look like a mess.

They excel in that they have length, but so do we. Who does it better? I say us by a country mile.

Bingo. I really like FGCU to knock them out. Every time I've watched them they look awful, but I was trying to sound objective the first time.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:31 pm

I am not really fearing anyone, truly with the way the team is playing. I just don't want to watch us play VCU nor WVU or ND.

CatFanOneMil · Post by **CatFanOneMil** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:47 am

One of the things we put behind us in the heat of the selection Sunday vibe is the fact that we just beat the #3 team in the nation and then the #5 team in the nation...and while we did struggle a little with Oregon I would say that in both games we were very "poised" and managed to control the game and stayed in front the majority of both clashes...

Now lets think about that a minute...there is stuff in that mix that is going to be ignored by computer models, the fact that ALL THREE TEAMS were playing for pride, for the conference trophy and for seeding...no one showed up half assed...

Granted Oregon had a bump the day of, but to be fair Boucher was not a starter and Altmans a good coach, it may have made a difference if Boucher had played but honestly no one knows how it would have gone down, we assume he adds points but he may have changed the way the game was called by the refs and that would have been a huge shift as well...regardless Oregon did not give in or play to lose and they have been in the top of the nation for a while now...

What other team nationally can say they ended their season in victory by beating two teams in the top 5? This JUST happened.

I would put those two teams up against Gonzaga or Kentucky or Duke any day and it would be a battle...

Oregon beat us by 27 a month ago...in that month we have improved enough to not only eliminate the defeat margin but pass it...

My point is we all have that natural response where we are trigger shy to believe the current hype but there is real substance behind it...this team is not going to lose in the West...not after we schooled UCLA and the Ducks...we know how to win.

Gonzaga, West Virginia, St. Marys, whatever...we are not losing in the west.

CatsbyAZ · Post by **CatsbyAZ** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:49 am

azgreg wrote:
CalStateTempe wrote:What about FSU?
They're not playing as well as they were earlier. Kinda limping into the tourney.

I was wondering about the Seminoles as well? Why are they a #3 seed?

The consensus seems to be saying St M is a bigger worry.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:42 pm

Obama has us coming out of the West.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 3:11 pm

Ray Smith in between Lauri and Dusan?

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:20 pm

For Miller, it’s not as easy to take the more global view. At blueblood Arizona, which went to four Final Fours under Lute Olson and has been the dominant recruiting power on the West Coast since Miller arrived in 2009, there’s a different urgency to the task. While Miller also talks about appreciating the process, he knows he can’t run from the conversation about what he hasn’t accomplished — even if three Elite Eights in the last six years at Arizona is unfairly taken for granted.

“The success of the entire journey, the entire regular season has to be taken into consideration,” Miller said. “But at the end of the day, you know, all of us are judged by what happens in March and for us to duck that or look at that as not being the case is somewhat unrealistic. For us, you want to take advantage of a good seed, you want to play your best basketball in March and if that happens and you still don’t advance, all of us walk away with our head held high and we’ll put our ball away and come back next year. But clearly, the goal is to get all the way to the end.”

Blueblood? Wut

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:51 pm

I'm offended to be called a blueblood.

prh · Post by **prh** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:43 am

Is anybody here in SLC for the games? Would love to meet up with people. I know most people who travel are probably planning on San Jose

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:51 am

prh wrote:Is anybody here in SLC for the games? Would love to meet up with people. I know most people who travel are probably planning on San Jose

Did you try Grinder?

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:39 pm

SMC takes care of the ball and doesn't make much mistakes, they play so slooooooooooooow, definitely will keep the game close because of that.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:41 pm

Dead last in possessions per game. They completely destroy anything fun about basketball

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:42 pm

NYCat wrote:SMC takes care of the ball and doesn't make much mistakes, they play so slooooooooooooow, definitely will keep the game close because of that.

Complete opposite of this AAU game we just played where North Dakota streaked down the court and shot it immediately. St. Mary's may give us out toughest or second toughest game before the final 4

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:42 pm

NYCat wrote:SMC takes care of the ball and doesn't make much mistakes, they play so slooooooooooooow, definitely will keep the game close because of that.

Something tells me we'll set the pace Saturday.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:48 pm

4:45 PT/7:45 ET Tipoff

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:51 pm

NYCat wrote:4:45 PT/7:45 ET Tipoff

So, 9:00 PM then.

FreeSpiritCat · Post by **FreeSpiritCat** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:53 pm

Bennett Ball

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:16 pm

NYCat wrote:4:45 PT/7:45 ET Tipoff

On CBS!

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:23 pm

That Jamie Erdahl is hot.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:25 pm

St. Mary's has a 54% chance to win per Kenpom.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:30 pm

azgreg wrote:That Jamie Erdahl is hot.

I want to smell her neck.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:31 pm

ChooChooCat wrote:St. Mary's has a 54% chance to win per Kenpom.

Maybe Arizona can pull off the upset.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:42 pm

This needs to be said - not many complete individual performances against Arizona tournament teams like the one Quinton Booker gave tonight and he did it w Kadeem Allen in his grill most of the night. Dude never once left the floor til ND threw out their walkons w 38 minutes left.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Thu Mar 16, 2017 11:03 pm

That team hit like 96% of its 3s and had that stretch where they scored on 72 possessions in a row, and we still won.

It came down to one thing...if we could limit run-outs, be they from traditional turnovers or nontraditional set ups (like Dusan posting himself under/behind the basket, hitting the side of the backboard with a left hook, deflecting toward the break for an immediate 5 on 3 while Dusan remained buried on the baseline and a follow up rebounder didn't come close with the ball hitting the side and ricocheting, running himself right out of the play pursuing the never-coming miss), we were going to be OK. They went through that one spurt of hitting everything, but they were gassing themselves. The story line for them staying in was easy points off run outs caused by some hero ball, a ridiculously high pace of 3s, and those two things repeating. We eventually got them in half court sets where they weren't pulling NBA Jam "On Fire" stuff, and it only took stringing one or two scores together along with not hero-balling into a run-out to right the thing.

They were like a "weird science" designed perfect 15 seed for up. Up tempo, man, not going to choke possessions, no answers for our height, no depth. Now, here comes the severe other side

IndianaZonaFan · Post by **IndianaZonaFan** » Sat Mar 18, 2017 4:24 pm

Are we absolutely sure that Mark Few isn't related to Kevin Bacon?

RaisingArizona · Post by **RaisingArizona** » Sat Mar 18, 2017 4:43 pm

Based off of the way NU is getting crammed I'm pretty sure that NU's fans are going I be rooting for us. They're a smart enough fan base to know that we're the most likely squad to take them out and I think they'll be out for blood.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:39 pm

I'm noticing more and more talking heads taking the WVU/Zags winner to come out of our region. Seems weird when we were such a trendy Final Four pick a week ago.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:48 pm

Part of that is I think how badly the Zags beat up SMC and how we struggled with them

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:52 pm

azcat49 wrote:Part of that is I think how badly the Zags beat up SMC and how we struggled with them

If so, some people in the media don't know much about college basketball.

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