[jbock13]

While I chortle audibly, it's often difficult to play at small venues when you're used to big venues. Chaminade has that advantage.

[BJWilliams]

Chaminade has the benefit of playing big name teams every year in this tournament, so they are no doubt not intimidated by the thought of playing major programs. You had to figure that they would get a win one of these days with so many games against very good programs over the years.

[Purple Haize]

They beat Oklahoma in 2010 and have now won 7 games in their tournament.

[jmdickens]

Butler is beating the breaks off UNC right now. Did someone really suggest that LU should be playing Butler? Really?

[lynchburgwildcats]

And Butler in the process of pulling off an epic choke job. Up just six with 1:02 to go as BUtler looks like they've never seen a second of pressure defense in their life prior to today.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Looks like Butler will seal it at the FT line.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Otto Porter makes a very tough running J to force OT against Indiana, then Gtown proceeds to commit idiot foul after idiot foul after idiot foul to let the Hoosiers win the game at the charity stripe.

[Purple Haize]

Otto Porter makes a very tough running J to force OT against Indiana, then Gtown proceeds to commit idiot foul after idiot foul after idiot foul to let the Hoosiers win the game at the charity stripe.

.....where they almost lost it from in regulation...

[lynchburgwildcats]

Seth Curry scored 25 today against Minnesota. Shot 8-11 overall, 3-3 from three, 6-7 from the free throw line. BUT HE'LL NEVER BE ANYTHING BUT MEDIOCRE!

[Purple Haize]

16 NC State 82. UNCA 80

[lynchburgwildcats]

Duke vs. Louisville in the championship game of the Battle For Atlantis Tournament tomorrow night, what should be another outstanding early season game. Who do you think will win? Not want to win, but will win.

I'm going with Duke. Duke has the guards that play with composure and play team basketball to be able to handle the exceptional Louisville defense, as can be seen by having turned over the ball a mere eight times against a VCU defense that's as good as any in the country at forcing TOs. Duke getting to face VCU today was a perfect matchup to prepare for the high TO rate defense of Louisville, couldn't really ask for a better matchup as far as opponent defense goes.

Louisville defense is top notch, maybe even elite level. They smothered Missouri all game long, and Missouri never appeared to make much of any adjustments even though Frank Haith said they would after halftime. ALl I saw was the same team making the same mistakes in the backcourt against the press while continuing to play completely out of control in the half court while being reckless with the ball.

Credit UL with forcing them to play like that, but a disciplined and well coached team wouldn't have played like that the entirety of the game. Duke at this early juncture in the season is always disciplined and well prepared. They may get in a hurry early, but I can't see Coach K allowing it to go on all season long.

The two big keys to the game are Duke's execution against the press and Louisville's shooting. If Duke can't handle it, they'll lose, and it won't be much of a contest. Louisville is as streaky of a shooting team as there is, if they aren't hitting their shots it could get ugly. UL barely squeaked by a solid but unspectacular Northern Iowa, and Northern Iowa is nowhere close to the level of Duke.

Even though I'm never anywhere close to accurate on score predictions, I'll do it anyways for the heck of it. I'm going Duke 72, Louisville 62. I just don't see Duke playing anywhere near as bad as UNI or Mizzou played.

[TDDance234]

Mason Plumlee is the key - he HAS to be able to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble. If he's out early, and Josh Hairston has to play extended minutes, Louisville wins.

[Purple Haize]

Mason Plumlee is the key - he HAS to be able to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble. If he's out early, and Josh Hairston has to play extended minutes, Louisville wins.

I'm just glad his brother is gone. I'm sure playing in the D League is more thrilling then Cameron! Hopefully Little Plumlee will be the best of the 3!

[lynchburgwildcats]

Gorgui Dieng will not be playing tonight, hurt his wrist in the game yesterday and is inactive today. Odd, he played yesterday after the injury. Maybe it swelled up a lot or the injury was worse than originally diagnosed? They for some reason hadn't been using him much this year on offense, so he's been mostly a defensive guy for much of the year. Don't understand their gross under usage of him on offense, he has a solid offensive game, guess they'd rather have their streaky guards jacking up threes left and right regardless of how well they are shooting in the game.

[jmdickens]

Gorgui Dieng will not be playing tonight, hurt his wrist in the game yesterday and is inactive today. Odd, he played yesterday after the injury. Maybe it swelled up a lot or the injury was worse than originally diagnosed? They for some reason hadn't been using him much this year on offense, so he's been mostly a defensive guy for much of the year. Don't understand their gross under usage of him on offense, he has a solid offensive game, guess they'd rather have their streaky guards jacking up threes left and right regardless of how well they are shooting in the game.

That entire analysis can also be used for any Dook big man in their offense.

[Purple Haize]

Duke beats #2 Louisville. Good thing they aren't playing a tough team like Butler or Chaminade.....

[lynchburgwildcats]

76-71 final, Duke wins. Duke did a whole lot to try to lose that game in the second half but somehow managed to pull it out. Can't believe they took so many jumpers after getting into the double bonus with 10 minutes left in the game, especially with the way Louisville plays defense. It's as if they completely forgot what got them in the bonus so early. And then all of a sudden rebounding became optional, it got to the point where I was just expecting Louisville to grab every one of their missed shots.

Don't think they win that game with Dieng healthy though. UL is deeper right now and Duke is more of a jump shooting team, two things that are a major advantage for UL in the matchup since its the third game in three days for both schools.

Would be interesting to see them play in March. Dieng will be playing, but Duke's legs should be fresher for the jumpers, they won't be playing three games in three days and they both have stud freshmen post players (Amile Jefferson for Duke, Montrezel Harrell for UL) that should be making a big impact as the season progresses. Duke also has Alex Murphy to bring along and then another Plumlee.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Oh, and Duke deserves to be #1 in the polls. I know IU hasn't lost, but Duke's resume beats the crap out of IU's. Indiana's best W is in OT over unraked Georgetown. Duke already has two wins over teams that were ranked in the top three at gametime.

[ballah09]

After watching Gardner Webb nearly upsetting Illinois and few of their early games, no doubt they are one of the best teams in the Big South. probably not the most talented team but they're the best defensive and most discipline team there is. It's crazy how similar they are to Butler.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Cal Poly pulls the upset of the year, beats UCLA 70-68 in Pauly Pavilion. For those that don't know, that is UCLA's home court. UCLA with a million All-Americans and what many project to be the #1 pick in Shabazz Muhammad and they can't even win at home against Cal Poly. Ben Howland throwing away all that talent already. LOL

UCLA tied the game with 20 seconds left. So what do they do? Foul Cal Poly. That foul put Cal Poly in the bonus. Naturally, Cal Poly made both. So what did UCLA do to respond? No, they didn't try to get to the rim to tie the game, they shot two three pointers.

[Purple Haize]

Cal Poly pulls the upset of the year, beats UCLA 70-68 in Pauly Pavilion. For those that don't know, that is UCLA's home court. UCLA with a million All-Americans and what many project to be the #1 pick in Shabazz Muhammad and they can't even win at home against Cal Poly. Ben Howland throwing away all that talent already. I chortle audibly.

UCLA tied the game with 20 seconds left. So what do they do? Foul Cal Poly. That foul put Cal Poly in the bonus. Naturally, Cal Poly made both. So what did UCLA do to respond? No, they didn't try to get to the rim to tie the game, they shot two three pointers.

That sort of goes against your theory in the other thread that talent trumps everything.

[BJWilliams]

He likes to talk out of both sides of his mouth...

[lynchburgwildcats]

Cal Poly pulls the upset of the year, beats UCLA 70-68 in Pauly Pavilion. For those that don't know, that is UCLA's home court. UCLA with a million All-Americans and what many project to be the #1 pick in Shabazz Muhammad and they can't even win at home against Cal Poly. Ben Howland throwing away all that talent already. I chortle audibly.

UCLA tied the game with 20 seconds left. So what do they do? Foul Cal Poly. That foul put Cal Poly in the bonus. Naturally, Cal Poly made both. So what did UCLA do to respond? No, they didn't try to get to the rim to tie the game, they shot two three pointers.

That sort of goes against your theory in the other thread that talent trumps everything.

It's true. Coaches can't turn crap into gold. Find me one coach considered great that has ever consistently won with horrible talent. I can't think of one. Why? Because the coaches who don't get talent don't win. It's happening right in your back yard with Dale Layer. Say whatever you want about Ritchie McKay, but the least time Liberty was relevant in men's basketball was when McKay brought in two studs in 2008-09 in Jesse Sanders and Seth Curry.

Now find me some bad coaches who win a lot of games with a lot of talent. They are all over the place - Josh Pastner, Rick Barnes, and Scott Drew to name a few.

They key to any good team is the talent. You aren't going to win consistently if the foundation of the team is garbage. Not even John Wooden or Phil Jackson can take a crap roster and win with it. Just look at the 2006 and 2007 Lakers squads. Roster was Kobe, Odom, and a bunch of garbage that wouldn't play on any championship caliber team. One of those teams barely made the playoffs as a 7 seed and the other finished tied for 8th, and they were coached by the best NBA coach of all-time in Phil Jackson.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Apparently UNC hoops decided to be as uncompetitive as their football team against quality competition. Getting killed at IU worse than a cow at the slaughterhouse. This makes the Butler whipping look like a super competitive game. Apparently boxing out 101, offense 101, and defense 101 were three of the no show classes at UNC.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Correction, after looking at UNC's football schedule, their football team was actually more competitive against quality competition.