Azubuike24 wrote: The winner of this game is the overwhelming favorite to make the Final Four. I'm certain of that. I'd love to see UNI/UT or UNI/OSU, either one would be fine. However, I see UNI's run ending after they beat MSU.

I honestly don't see them winning against MSU, even without Lucas. Now, if Roe is still hurting as well as Allen...then they could. But if those guys are ready, and able to play. I like MSU chances. Izzo will make this game ugly and MSU will be physical. MSU isn't as good without Lucas obviously, but I still believe they are better then UNI.
As many have done...winning one huge game is one thing..coming back to win another is a whole other issue and one that doesn't happen often.

This games scares me, but hell, they all do. I don't like playing athletic teams that can pressure Mr. Turnover, I mean Turner. I don't like athletic teams that can recover to open shooters, because as well as Diebler has shot the ball so far, they were wide open shots. If someone gets a hand anywhere near him he puts up bricks. Lighty can get to the rim when other players are threats, but I don't trust him to create anything if Turner and Diebler are struggling and the defense doesn't have to fear them. Hopefully they can prove my fears unfounded. If they play good interior defense, attack the paint, and make UT take the ball out of the basket, they have a chance.

centralbucksfan wrote:

Azubuike24 wrote: The winner of this game is the overwhelming favorite to make the Final Four. I'm certain of that. I'd love to see UNI/UT or UNI/OSU, either one would be fine. However, I see UNI's run ending after they beat MSU.

I honestly don't see them winning against MSU, even without Lucas. Now, if Roe is still hurting as well as Allen...then they could. But if those guys are ready, and able to play. I like MSU chances. Izzo will make this game ugly and MSU will be physical. MSU isn't as good without Lucas obviously, but I still believe they are better then UNI.
As many have done...winning one huge game is one thing..coming back to win another is a whole other issue and one that doesn't happen often.

That game plays right into UNI's style though. Teams in the MVC tried to do the same all year and the Panthers just beat them. Look at what Wichita tried to do in St. Louis just 2 weeks ago. It worked for about 28 minutes, and then the explosion came.

I'm not comparing Wichita or the MVC to Tom Izzo, but I think people really underestimate how good UNI is. They aren't a one-trick pony. They have a starting corp who are all 3+ year starters, and as we saw with Sonnen, O'Rear, Moran and Jake Koch, they have some depth and guys who will step up in huge games. Hell, their starting 5 next year is going to be NCAA caliber again, and rarely can you say that about mid-majors who make it this far.

I know they are a 9-seed, and they held on for dear life to knock off KU, but I honestly think they take care of MSU. If you look at the name of the schools and the coaching history, you take MSU as a no-brainer, but this is a shattered MSU team who was falling apart even before the NCAA's. They are now without their best player and starting point-guard.

I think it's a very close game, but if anyone is going to fold, I think it will be the Spartans, and it will be on the offensive end.

At this point can't we say that every team is good and every team is capable of beating one another? Its like toddlers every time someone says Ohio State won't win for some of you.

But its MSU, they always win games in March. I dont know how. From now on Im just penciling them into the Sweet 16/Elite 8 every year.

As for this game, OSU should, and they should win by about 5-8. Tennessee is a team capable of beating anyone, but they rarely play to that potential. OSU can match-up with anyone but a team with 2 bigs. I thought GT was a match-up nightmare and it was, when Lawal and Favors were actually able to play. The early fouls in each half helped OSU tremendously. They wont need that to match-up with Tenn. The only way Tenn wins is if they are hitting their outside shots and getting easy buckets in transition. Im thinking double digit threes and quite a few lay-ups. They are certainly capable, but I dont see it happening.

OSU/Tenn: Tennessee has shown they're capable of beating anyone and capable of losing ugly to far inferior teams than they've beaten. They also haven't been SUPER-impressive in the tournament (narrow win in the first round...only up by 5 a ways into the second half before going on a dominating run to pull away from Ohio), which means an amazing performance by their athletes might just be in the cards Friday.

Regardless of what Tennessee brings, I just find it hard to say OSU is anything but the favorite. Right there, they're simply outlasting whoever they face. Sometimes they wind up dominating their opponent...sometimes, they just look superior...sometimes they win a battle of attrition...and sometimes they get a miracle. Simply put, they just win. I won't believe that won't be the end result until it isn't. They have talented players and great chemistry. And have done a great job of convincing me they will find a way to pull out almost any game down the stretch.

If Tennessee or any team beats OSU, my hat is off to them...because I do not see that being a remotely easy feat at this time.

NI/MS: Izzo will need to make this a brawl to win without Lucas. It's an interesting match-up. An "upstart" against a wounded veteran with one of the best NCAA tournament coaches in the game. I look forward to watching this one, as I have no clue what will happen AND have no bracket stake in it, so I can just sit back, drink beer and enjoy!

(Copied from the other thread)

As the board's resident Tennessee fan...

This game could go either way and any way in between. It's entirely possible for UT to shoot the lights out, hammer OSU on defense, and win by 30. It's also possible to collapse defensively, shoot poorly, and lose by 30. Here's why. Bruce Pearl is not a tactical coach, he's a concept coach. He recruits a lot of talent but isn't too picky about basic fundamentals. He comes from the John McNamara school of "roll the ball out there and see what happens".

If you remember the 2007 game, OSU shot poorly in the first half, UT was shooting the ball with 20 seconds left on the shot clock, and there was that huge lead. That entire lead was gone seven minutes into the second half; UT wasn't hitting shots (and they weren't rebounding either) and OSU suddenly started rebounding and getting points on the board.

Tennessee has historically been a very difficult team to predict. In football, Fulmer was all about barely scraping by against mediocre teams or winning against superior ones. In basketball, the inherent inconsistency with Pearl is maintaining the trend...before that, Buzz Peterson's teams could either beat #3 Syracuse on 20+ points by a guy named Genis Grindstaff, they could knock off a top-ranked Florida team, or they could get thumped by a bunch of nobodies. Before that was Jerry Green, and the only consistency there was that there would be a lot of whining and streetball.

OSU wins and cruises to final four.

I still think MSU can beat UNI... but neither of them can beat the Buckeyes once they take care of business over Tenn.

NNN wrote:Bruce Pearl is not a tactical coach, he's a concept coach. He recruits a lot of talent but isn't too picky about basic fundamentals. He comes from the John McNamara school of "roll the ball out there and see what happens".

This is well put, that definitely describes what I see when I watch the Vols play sometimes.

wes_mantooth wrote: I would feel much more comfortable if the bucks had a decent pg to take some pressure off of Turner....or at least one that Matta had faith in playing some.

And this could be their Waterloo. Matta keeps spreading Turner too thin and when he gets tired he gets sloppy and turns into a turnover machine. They need someone to spell Turner.

OSU doesn't need anything else, they just need to keep playing their game.

They have only lost one game, to a Sweet 16 participant by 3, in the past 2 months of play.

devil1197 wrote: OSU doesn't need anything else, they just need to keep playing their game.

They have only lost one game, to a Sweet 16 participant by 3, in the past 2 months of play.

Yeah b/c their competition was sooooooo good over that stretch...

I'll stand by my prediction...Tennessee by 10.

Oh and a side prediction...GTFO of here Michigan State...Northern Iowa BIG in that game.

wes_mantooth wrote:no need to read more posts about Kansas on here

I would just like to quote this one more time...because, well, we all know it's comin.

I swear this is my last post in a row!

CinciX12 wrote:Its like toddlers every time someone says Ohio State won't win for some of you.

This.

God forbid someone mentions a negative or something OSU needs.

"OSU needs a better backup point guard"
"NO THEY FUCKING DONT BITCH THEY'VE LOST ONLY ONE GAME BRO!"

I think OSU wins by 5-8, everybody talks about Tenn. press but if they do that I think they get themselves into foul trouble. If Deibler stays hot and Buford isn't forcing up crazy shots I feel confident OSU pulls this one out.

CinciX12 wrote: At this point can't we say that every team is good and every team is capable of beating one another? Its like toddlers every time someone says Ohio State won't win for some of you.

same goes for you and xavier chach

DeyDurkie5 wrote:

CinciX12 wrote: At this point can't we say that every team is good and every team is capable of beating one another? Its like toddlers every time someone says Ohio State won't win for some of you.

same goes for you and xavier chach

False. If you told me a reason why Minny had a chance to beat X I may have agreed with you. But when you decide to be a douche and just say they suck because they are X, well there you go.

And hell, you can think X sucks for all I care. Just know that you are in the minority with that opinion.

wes_mantooth wrote: Yeah, I understand that you have to play with what you got and no one(especially this year) has zero weaknesses. I will always question their depth, but maybe it will never catch up with them....it hasn't yet.

Not a problem.......The Ohio State Big Four are the 4 best conditioned college basketball players in the NCAA. There are more minutes of commercials and standing around shooting foul shots than there are minutes of action on the court.

SportsAndLady wrote: I'll stand by my prediction...Tennessee by 10.

Oh and a side prediction...GTFO of here Michigan State...Northern Iowa BIG in that game.

Tennessee is a 6 seed for a reason. Even playing in the weak SEC.

CinciX12 wrote: At this point can't we say that every team is good and every team is capable of beating one another?

This sums it up. Northern Iowa, Cornell, Butler, and St. Mary's are all quite capable of making it to the Final 4 and beyond.

In Cornell's case, Kentucky better hope that the Big Red cools off from behind the line. This team can flat out shoot the rock...Same with St. Mary's.

The Buckeyes will have to play better than what they've shown so far. If they don't, they'll be done.

Buckeyes by 6... I hope

Footwedge wrote:

CinciX12 wrote: At this point can't we say that every team is good and every team is capable of beating one another?

This sums it up. Northern Iowa, Cornell, Butler, and St. Mary's are all quite capable of making it to the Final 4 and beyond.

In Cornell's case, Kentucky better hope that the Big Red cools off from behind the line. This team can flat out shoot the rock...Same with St. Mary's.

The Buckeyes will have to play better than what they've shown so far. If they don't, they'll be done.

Tennessee is the team that better play better,If they don't Ohio State can play worse and still beat them. Tennessee only beat San Diego State by 3, an 11 seed! And only beat the 9th place MAC team by 15. Embarrassing!!

LMAO at OSU having to play better than what they have been playing.

Must have not watched Tenneesseee play in the tournament having to win the game in the final minute against an 11 seed.

hoping for the best--the Buckeyes are playing their best basketball right now,and if that's not good enough,so be it..I'll be cheering them loud and proud--GO BUCKS!!!