March Madness 2025

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Didn't the women's side have all four #1 seeds make it every year for quite some time? I think that streak broke sometime 15-20 years ago. Or am I thinking of the finals?

It is more common on the women's side due to the disparity between #1 and say the #20 ranked teams.

Also, due to women players having to stay at least three years (domestic players have to be 22 in the year of the WNBA draft) they stay longer
So schools that get very strong recruiting classes like Connecticut, South Carolina, Tennessee, LSU, Duke, Stanford etc
Their players stay for longer and get better at college basketball.

Men's college basketball does seem to have a bit more variance due to the 3 point shot, transfer portal and one and dones.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Didn't the women's side have all four #1 seeds make it every year for quite some time? I think that streak broke sometime 15-20 years ago. Or am I thinking of the finals?

It's only happened four times in the women's tournament: 1989, 2012, 2015, and 2018.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by pilight

It's only happened four times in the women's tournament: 1989, 2012, 2015, and 2018.

Ok. So It must be the finals.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Ok. So It must be the finals.

I don't know what you're thinking of. The women's tournament has had two #1 seeds in the finals several times, but never more than two years in a row.

[Déjà Bru]

Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg named the AP men's college basketball player of the year

Flagg joins Duke's Zion Williamson (2019), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas star Kevin Durant (2007) as freshman winners. Each went either No. 1 or No. 2 overall in the NBA draft a few months later. Flagg is only 18 years old; that's difficult to keep in mind when you see him make a play like this.



https://x.com/DukeMBB/status/1876799400124514310/

Also, it's nice to see Rick Pitino get the credit that he deserves. He really turned around the St. Johns program in short order.

Auburn's Pearl and St. John's' Pitino share AP coach of the year honors, 1st tie in history of award

[Déjà Bru]

Final Four: Why this 'uncommon' UCLA team has worked out (and dominated) this college basketball season

On the women's side, it's hard to fathom that this is the first trip to the Final Four for UCLA. You associate that school with collegiate sports excellence and over the course of 40 years, you would think that they would have had a trophy or two.



UCLA vs. UCONN is a must-see game tonight on ESPN.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

On the women's side, it's hard to fathom that this is the first trip to the Final Four for UCLA. You associate that school with collegiate sports excellence and over the course of 40 years, you would think that they would have had a trophy or two.

They did make two Final Fours during the AIAW days, including winning a national championship in 1978 with Ann Meyers.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

UCLA vs. UCONN is a must-see game tonight on ESPN.

Woof. Not even close.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Woof. Not even close.

That felt like a UCONN final four showing from 20 years ago!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

That felt like a UCONN final four showing from 20 years ago!

Picture this:

UCLA (34-2) steamrolled through the Big Ten tournament to set up a third meeting with USC and this time delivered with a title in its inaugural season in the conference. They've taken care of business in the NCAA tournament, averaging a 19-point winning margin knocking out No. 16 Southern, No. 8 Richmond, No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 3 LSU.

But then they run up against UCONN and, frankly, they looked like a play-in team at best. How to account? I don't think there is that great a disparity between the two teams . . . on paper.

Perhaps it's an intangible, like confidence, experience, or tradition. UCONN just looked like it belongs on top, while UCLA looked like deer in headlights.

[thehef]

So it's basically Bin Laden against Hitler. Ugh.

Pains for me to say it but I'll guess I'll be rooting for the lesser of two evils: UConn.

[LD84]

No one outside of Betts had anything going for UCLA.

UConn had it's best player in Bueckers make a strong contribution, but got contributions from all over the place.


And Bueckers will go first in this WNBA draft and Betts is a strong contender to go #1 overall in 2026.

The WNBA is getting infusions of talent every season now. Quality of play in that league will just keep improving.

[Cobra Mgr]

[Déjà Bru]

Indeed, but also give the Cougars credit.

If you missed the ending or wish to see it again, this article has an embedded video of the final 1:14 of the game (no video controls, so you need to pay close attention as there is no rewind, only replay at the end).

Duke makes mistakes but Houston makes the plays. Floundering versus fortitude.

So much for the Cooper Flagg march to collegiate glory.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Picture this:


But then they run up against UCONN and, frankly, they looked like a play-in team at best. How to account? I don't think there is that great a disparity between the two teams . . . on paper.

Perhaps it's an intangible, like confidence, experience, or tradition. UCONN just looked like it belongs on top, while UCLA looked like deer in headlights.

The UConn Mystique intimidates so many teams into playing badly

[pilight]

UPSET = Any lower seed winning
BIG UPSET = Upset in which the teams are more than four seeds apart
CLOSE GAME = Any game decided by single digits or in OT
BLOWOUT = Any game decided by 20+ points

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Indeed, but also give the Cougars credit.

Oh I give them credit. I tell everyone, my 3rd favorite team is dook. 2nd fave is UNC. Fave is whoever is playing dook.