2025 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament Discussion

[TheWatShot 15,416]

LOL at the "largest lead tonight" graphic when Duke went up by 20. 

[TheWatShot 15,416]

Just found out Florida coming back from the dead killed my bracket. I'm behind a person who picked the same teams in the remaining games. 

 

Bracket contests are stupid anyways. 

[str8baller 7,246]

8 hours ago, Asha’man said:

Bama dying by the 3 tonight. And their defense isn’t elite to keep it closer. Game is over imo. 

That’s Bamas and Oats m.o. And why I’ve never been as high on him as others. He’s a good coach but hard to run off 6 straight games when your philosophy is literally live and die by the 3, especially if you can’t defend. When they’re on they look amazing but last night they were like 25% from 3.

[OliviaPope40 7,436]

11 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

Getting way ahead of myself here, but say Florida and Duke reach the title game ... 

I find it difficult to imagine there's ever been a championship game coached by two guys in their 30s. 

I have them in the final game so does my sister and brother in law.

[OliviaPope40 7,436]

Scored 113 against BYU only scored 65 against Duke lose by 20 points crazy. 

[rayl456 850]

1 hour ago, str8baller said:

That’s Bamas and Oats m.o. And why I’ve never been as high on him as others. He’s a good coach but hard to run off 6 straight games when your philosophy is literally live and die by the 3, especially if you can’t defend. When they’re on they look amazing but last night they were like 25% from 3.

Duke’s defense had a lot to do with that %.  IMO.

[BlueDevil 9,539]

1 hour ago, str8baller said:

That’s Bamas and Oats m.o. And why I’ve never been as high on him as others. He’s a good coach but hard to run off 6 straight games when your philosophy is literally live and die by the 3, especially if you can’t defend. When they’re on they look amazing but last night they were like 25% from 3.

and his teams more often than not are shotty on D

[Asha’man 699]

14 minutes ago, BlueDevil said:

and his teams more often than not are shotty on D

This year wasn’t bad still top 30 kenpom def efficiency. But he has only 1 elite defensive year and the rest have been bad. 

[HoosierDevils 81]

53 minutes ago, rayl456 said:

Duke’s defense had a lot to do with that %.  IMO.

This. BYU defense is ranked 82 on KenPom. That game was comically bad defense all around. Duke is 5. It was always going to be hard for Bama to replicate their shooting performance from the S16–they typically don’t shoot the ball THAT well as it is—but they also faced a much better defensive team with a ton of length. 

[Asha’man 699]

58 minutes ago, rayl456 said:

Duke’s defense had a lot to do with that %.  IMO.

Yeah Duke is the real deal. Top offensive team in the country and 4th defensive efficiency. 
 

Florida is 2nd offensive and Auburn is 3rd. Both are also top 10 defensively. 
 

Moral of the story to me is that to really have a shot at a national title, DDV will need to get us to a top 10 level in both offense and defense. It’s also why I wasn’t a believer in the Zeller team that got a 1 seed. Great offensively but were around the same level defensively as bama’s def eff ranking this year. Quality team but not good enough. 

[rayl456 850]

1 minute ago, HoosierDevils said:

This. BYU defense is ranked 82 on KenPom. That game was comically bad defense all around. Duke is 5. It was always going to be hard for Bama to replicate their shooting performance from the S16–they typically don’t shoot the ball THAT well as it is—but they also faced a much better defensive team with a ton of length. 

Duke’s 3 point defense was smothering.  Sears and Holloway had very few, if any, good looks shooting the ball.  Duke made them rush shots all night.

[BlueDevil 9,539]

1 minute ago, rayl456 said:

Duke’s 3 point defense was smothering.  Sears and Holloway had very few, if any, good looks shooting the ball.  Duke made them rush shots all night.

just crazy Duke doesn't have a single player in their rotation under 6'5

[rayl456 850]

1 minute ago, BlueDevil said:

just crazy Duke doesn't have a single player in their rotation under 6'5

The big kid, the center, can guard the perimeter effectively on switches and still get back to protect the basket.  They’re a really smart team.

[IUHoosierJoe 2,080]

40 minutes ago, Asha’man said:

Yeah Duke is the real deal. Top offensive team in the country and 4th defensive efficiency. 
 

Florida is 2nd offensive and Auburn is 3rd. Both are also top 10 defensively. 
 

Moral of the story to me is that to really have a shot at a national title, DDV will need to get us to a top 10 level in both offense and defense. It’s also why I wasn’t a believer in the Zeller team that got a 1 seed. Great offensively but were around the same level defensively as bama’s def eff ranking this year. Quality team but not good enough. 

Actually, we were 19th in defensive efficiency that year.  Probably the only really good defensive team Crean had here.

[BlueDevil 9,539]

17 minutes ago, IUHoosierJoe said:

Actually, we were 19th in defensive efficiency that year.  Probably the only really good defensive team Crean had here.

yeah I was shocked they were that good in 12-13 when I went back and looked. Indiana was awful under Crean on defense.

[Hoosierfan1901 8,213]

Florida vs Duke will feed families 

[Asha’man 699]

52 minutes ago, IUHoosierJoe said:

Actually, we were 19th in defensive efficiency that year.  Probably the only really good defensive team Crean had here.

That isn’t good enough imo. Sure some in the 20’s have won it.  But we need to be top 10 in both. 

[TheWatShot 15,416]

35 minutes ago, BlueDevil said:

yeah I was shocked they were that good in 12-13 when I went back and looked. Indiana was awful under Crean on defense.

This four-year snapshot perfectly sums up Crean as a coach:

2011-12: #4 offense, #72 defense

2012-13: #2 offense, #19 defense

2013-14: #138 offense, #26 defense

2014-15: #8 offense, #200 defense

[BlueDevil 9,539]

9 minutes ago, TheWatShot said:

This four-year snapshot perfectly sums up Crean as a coach:

2011-12: #4 offense, #72 defense

2012-13: #2 offense, #19 defense

2013-14: #138 offense, #26 defense

2014-15: #8 offense, #200 defense

to be a high major with a #200 defense is just ungodly dogs**t bad. Criminally bad lol. 

[str8baller 7,246]

2 hours ago, rayl456 said:

Duke’s defense had a lot to do with that %.  IMO.

Of course. But they are also capable of putting up a lot of points on good defenses. They did it on multiple occasions this year. When they’re on (or any team) they’re making contested 3’s all game. That’s kinda part of the strategy. 
 

Any team can and should take the open 3s.