2025 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament Discussion

[str8baller 7,173]

  On 3/21/2025 at 11:12 AM, Eagle’s Rug said:

It’s hard to stop a team from taking the air out of the ball.  Long possessions put a lot of pressure on defense.  Limiting the number of offensive possessions for the other team.  It’s a playing style that has been incredibly successful for them this year.  Absolutely hated playing against teams like that.  Hate that playing style, but good for them.  Glad he’s not our coach.

 I’d rather have DeVries style of trying to score within 12 seconds. Most players want to get out and run.  Indiana was a transition team first, then ran that beautiful motion seamlessly out of it.

WVU was pretty slow this year (ranked over 300th in tempo) so I wouldn’t get wedded to the idea that we’ll be a transition heavy team. His Drake teams were fairly average in tempo.  
 

Maybe he changes his style at IU, but it seems like his teams are fairly content grinding it out in the half court.

[johnsoniu 7,042]

  On 3/21/2025 at 10:57 AM, str8baller said:

I don’t love their guards and even the big Yalie gets sloppy with the ball the games I have watched. I think if Dusty can build some rosters up there he’ll be trouble for the league. Last year his FAU team couldn’t defend but it was mostly due to that Johner (?) kid. This years UM can defend. Dusty seems to be good at coaching around his personnel. 

Absolutely agree on Dusty building a program that will have to be reckoned with. He kinda had to throw this group of guards together, will be interesting to see who he targets in the future. Donaldson is pretty good, but Gayle and Cason are loose cannons.

[Helgo 60]

Grinding out in the half court will keep a team in almost any game, but also makes a team susceptible to horrible loss as it leaves most poor teams in as well.

[Lebowski 3,252]

It's been covered in the thread dedicated to him but his screen motion offenses actually produce. They make layups and drain 3s. They force defenses to play hard every second of every possession and they hardly take midrange shots. If a defense slips up for one second they take advantage of it. It's really fun to watch in my opinion. 

It's his defenses that most folks don't talk about and the reason why his teams are almost always in the game.

[Eagle’s Rug 610]

  On 3/21/2025 at 11:25 AM, str8baller said:

WVU was pretty slow this year (ranked over 300th in tempo) so I wouldn’t get wedded to the idea that we’ll be a transition heavy team. His Drake teams were fairly average in tempo.  
 

Maybe he changes his style at IU, but it seems like his teams are fairly content grinding it out in the half court.

They slowed it down after their injuries to protect Javon Small due to the load he had to take on.  Drake was 150 last year in adjusted Tempo, in the 200-250 range before.

Coach declared in his opening presser that they like to score in first 12 secs, so transition and secondary break will be stressed if true to his word.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

@AH1971 

"I don't think Stirtz is anymore than a 6th man/serviceable role player...at least on a team expected to contend for a B10 title. He's good in McCollum's system vs D2 and MVC caliber players. "

 

.... do you think Missouri feels the same this morning? 

[AH1971 2,666]

  On 3/21/2025 at 1:52 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

@AH1971 

"I don't think Stirtz is anymore than a 6th man/serviceable role player...at least on a team expected to contend for a B10 title. He's good in McCollum's system vs D2 and MVC caliber players. "

 

.... do you think Missouri feels the same this morning? 

Played a great game last night, never said he wasn't a good player. Dribbling the ball around and taking a shot with less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock ain't going to fly in the B10 during a 20 game conference slate.

I stand by what I said, nice player but nowhere near a star for a team expected to compete for a B10 championship. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

  On 3/21/2025 at 1:59 PM, AH1971 said:

Played a great game last night, never said he wasn't a good player. Dribbling the ball around and taking a shot with less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock ain't going to fly in the B10 during a 20 game conference slate.

I stand by what I said, nice player but nowhere near a star for a team expected to compete for a B10 championship. 

He's a Robin, no less, on basically any team outside of the top 5. Top 5 team he's a third-best player, at least. Last night proved that. 

You called him a 6th man/role player lolololol 

[AH1971 2,666]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:01 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

He's a Robin, no less, on basically any team outside of the top 5. Top 5 team he's a third-best player, at least. Last night proved that. 

You called him a 6th man/role player lolololol 

One game proved that? In the event McCollum does take the Iowa job we'll, be able to put this to bed in a year or so. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:03 PM, AH1971 said:

One game proved that? In the event McCollum does take the Iowa job we'll, be able to put this to bed in a year or so. 

One game? lololol 

No, he's handled P5 competition all year. I'm not quite sure you know what you're looking at. 

[AH1971 2,666]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:05 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

One game? lololol 

No, he's handled P5 competition all year. I'm not quite sure you know what you're looking at. 

P5 competition all year lol? Drake played one tournament team during the regular season and had one of his least efficient games of the year. 7-24 Miami was P5 in name only, they lost to Charleston Southern and Mt St Mary's for crying out loud. They sucked lol

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:08 PM, AH1971 said:

P5 competition all year lol? Drake played one tournament team during the regular season and had one of his least efficient games of the year. 7-24 Miami was P5 in name only, they lost to Charleston Southern and Mt St Mary's for crying out loud. They sucked lol

What does that have to do with Stirtz dominating all 4 P5 teams he played? 

20p 6a 4r 53% from the field in those 4 games. 

Hurry, change the goal posts 

[AH1971 2,666]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:21 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

What does that have to do with Stirtz dominating all 4 P5 teams he played? 

20p 6a 4r 53% from the field in those 4 games. 

Hurry, change the goal posts 

I don't care that he dominated Miami, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, or Missouri. You aren't winning a B10 championship if he's the best player on your team. I've been pretty consistent on that. Not sure what dominating a 7-24 Miami team does for winning a conference title? 

Hopefully McCollum goes to Iowa and we can put this discussion to bed.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:23 PM, AH1971 said:

I don't care that he dominated Miami, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, or Missouri. You aren't winning a B10 championship if he's the best player on your team. I've been pretty consistent on that. Not sure what dominating a 7-24 Miami team does for winning a conference title? 

Hopefully McCollum goes to Iowa and we can put this discussion to bed.

You're creating the "he's the best player on your team" scenario here. The only person that's brought that up. You called him a 6th man, it's hard to grasp how wild that take is. 

well... you still need to beat poor teams to win a conference title, you know that, yes? 

If he's your Robin, your team is REALLY good... if he's your #3, mercy. and again.. you called him a 6th man. 

[RoadRage 2,965]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:08 PM, AH1971 said:

P5 competition all year lol? Drake played one tournament team during the regular season and had one of his least efficient games of the year. 7-24 Miami was P5 in name only, they lost to Charleston Southern and Mt St Mary's for crying out loud. They sucked lol

You really don't know what you are talking about! Drake didn't even play Charleston Southern or Mount St. Mary's!

[AH1971 2,666]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:26 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

You're creating the "he's the best player on your team" scenario here. The only person that's brought that up. You called him a 6th man lololol 

well... you still need to beat poor teams to win a conference title, you know that, yes? 

If he's your Robin, your team is REALLY good... if he's your #3, mercy. 

Yes a 6th man/role player on a title contending team. There's nothing wrong with that, every title contending team has a player(s) that fills those roles.

Let him go be Batman or Robin at Iowa and Iowa will finish mid to bottom pack of the B10 next year.

Done arguing with you on this, not asking for you to agree with my opinion. 

[AH1971 2,666]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:28 PM, RoadRage said:

You really don't know what you are talking about! Drake didn't even play Charleston Southern or Mount St. Mary's!

I know they didn't...but Miami did. Which is why bragging about dominating a **** Miami team is....stupid. Miami was P5 in name only this year.

Keep up

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

eFG% 56.8% ... almost 3:1 A/T... 39.7% from 3 ... avg 39+ mins a game for the season. Which is absolutely nuts. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:28 PM, AH1971 said:

Yes a 6th man/role player on a title contending team. There's nothing wrong with that, every title contending team has a player(s) that fills those roles.

Let him go be Batman or Robin at Iowa and Iowa will finish mid to bottom pack of the B10 next year.

Don't arguing with you on this, not asking for you to agree with my opinion. 

absolutely wild .... your opinion of B1G is crazily skewed. 

That would probably be the best team ever assembled if they force him to the bench/UNC with Sean May. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,064]

  On 3/21/2025 at 2:29 PM, AH1971 said:

I know they didn't...but Miami did. Which is why bragging about dominating a **** Miami team is....stupid. Miami was P5 in name only this year.

Keep up

Sooooooo.... what was Mizzou? Ohhhh that's right. "just one game" got it, got it.