NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

[bonstonker]

LSU V OKLAHOMA


GO LSU TIGERS

 

[CanadianSteve]

Well, the Tigers won, but for my money USC was the best team. It was too bad the computer ranking system left them out of the big game. There is a lot of talk now about fixing the system so there could be a playoff. One more game this year would have settled the question this year.

 

[El Coconuto]

The system is absolutely hopeless. We could go on about this topic for ages, but in my opinion, college football needs to introduce thr bracket scheme.

BCS, out the window, bracketology through the door!

 

[El Coconuto]

From football to basketball, the mens college hoops tournament is approaching. Any early projections or tips?

 

[CanadianSteve]

Here's the draw, as announced today:

http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/ncaa/04mensbracket.gif

 

[CanadianSteve]

I heard commentators on ESPN radio today saying how much better the tournament could be if players like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown and others were in it instead of having jumped to the NBA out of high school or only 1 year of college.

I read something similar by Stephon Marbury in the mid-90s, how he sometimes thought about what it would've been like if he, Iverson, Kobe, Vince Carter, McGrady and others had all been in college ball at the same time, if they'd gone for 4 years as players used to.

College basketball and the tournament are still great excitement, but the quality isn't what it could be if players didn't go to the NBA early.

 

[El Coconuto]

True that, but the majority of players that do go early do so predominantly because they've achieved all they can in that team (ala Carmelo Anthony) or given the team all they could but without adequate reward (ala Dwayne Wade).

How did Utah manage to draw Boston College and we got Syracuse? Ouch!

 

[CanadianSteve]

I should have asked about this before. I've read about the Aussie player on the U. of Utah team, but I hadn't heard of the 7-foot Aussie on Georgia Tech until they got to the Final 4. Sensher (sp?) was his name, I think. He had a good tournament, though he had a tough matchup against Okafor of UConn in the final game. What is his background, has he played for the national team yet? He may be a good NBA prospect after another year or 2 of college.

 

[Glenn]

Luke Schenscher, hasn't played at a senior level for the national team yet, however he has been named in a provisional squad of 26 for the start to their Olympic Campaign.

http://www.nbl.com.au/default.asp?s=featuredisplay&aid=930

 

[CanadianSteve]

I notice from that list of 26, that there are more from Victoria than the other states. Is Victoria traditionally the basketball breeding ground?

 

[El Coconuto]

Breeding ground is the prefered term. They are much more disciplined than 'Sydney City Slickers'. If you were scouting for a good youngster in Australia, you'd probably start by looking in Melbourne.

 

[Glenn]

As far as basketball development is Vic has produced alot of the current Boomers, however as far as the national game goes, definitly a shift of the powerbase from Vic to NSW

 

[CanadianSteve]

I moved this topic here because, though it started out on US college football, it turned into a mainly college basketball thread.