Villanova vs Xavier and UNC vs NCState

[cliftonparksufan]

I couldn't find what channel Nova was on tonight so I had to google it. Is it the Big East or the Big Least. Anyway it is on Fox Sports 1 and the UNC game is on one of the ESPN College stations, maybe 394.

This is definitely a good test for Nova tonight. They win and most likely wrap up a one seed. Should be a very good game.

I'm interested to see NC State play. Big game for them vs the Tar Heels. It will be interesting to see how well or how poor they play and then of course they are coming up north. Actually I don't even care who wins, as long we win on Saturday.

 

[PoppyHart]

They have 2 of the top-6 teams at the moment but they are the Big Least?

 

[cliftonparksufan]

They have 2 of the top-6 teams at the moment but they are the Big Least?

I was referring to their TV contract but as far as their basketball playing ability I will get back to you after the first couple rounds of the NCAA.

 

[Ghost]

Xavier's court is obnoxious.

 

[cuseattle]

Xavier's court is obnoxious.

Not as bad as Oregon!

 

[Ghost]

Not as bad as Oregon!

Quite true!

Glad to see the ref's pull back the foul on the kid that pretended he got elbowed in the face.

HEAT CHECK.....Xavier on fire.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Quite true!

Glad to see the ref's pull back the foul on the kid that pretended he got elbowed in the face.

HEAT CHECK...Xavier on fire.

Xavier looking like the better team.

 

[CorduroyG]

Nova is the new gonzaga

 

[Ghost]

Nova down three.

Nova is so hard to judge because the Big East. Every team in the country will want them as the #1 in their bracket, just like with Gonzaga when they're ranked this high (as Corduroy mentioned).

 

[NineOneSeven]

Cat Barber is going to do things to us

 

[cuseattle]

Xavier up 10. Great D and only 2 turnovers.
A&M on ESPN2 tight at the 2 min mark.

 

[orangenirvana]

Nova down three.

Nova is so hard to judge because the Big East. Every team in the country will want them as the #1 in their bracket, just like with Gonzaga when they're ranked this high (as Corduroy mentioned).

I don't get the Gonzaga comparison. When has the WCC ever been a Top 5 conference?

 

[Ghost]

I don't get the Gonzaga comparison. When has the WCC ever been a Top 5 conference?

I think it's more about the ranking - Nova is good, but if you're looking at 1 seeds, Nova is going to be your goal. The Big East just isn't on par with the other conferences any more - not bad, but probably a notch below. Whenever you see the 2 line, it seems like a lot of years you're hoping you can grab Gonzaga because they're always so high. They're not bad teams - just have an easier path to their high seeds because the conferences are weaker. I guess that's the similarity.

 

[Jack Hall]

I think it's more about the ranking - Nova is good, but if you're looking at 1 seeds, Nova is going to be your goal. The Big East just isn't on par with the other conferences any more - not bad, but probably a notch below. Whenever you see the 2 line, it seems like a lot of years you're hoping you can grab Gonzaga because they're always so high. They're not bad teams - just have an easier path to their high seeds because the conferences are weaker. I guess that's the similarity.

So difficult to handicap these teams. They both look to me worthy of top ten watching them tonite, ie very talented. But they are both rather undersized and neither program, to my memory, has played a top program outside of their conference so theres always that question mark. I guess it all comes down to mathups in the ncaa...

 

[orangenirvana]

I think it's more about the ranking - Nova is good, but if you're looking at 1 seeds, Nova is going to be your goal. The Big East just isn't on par with the other conferences any more - not bad, but probably a notch below. Whenever you see the 2 line, it seems like a lot of years you're hoping you can grab Gonzaga because they're always so high. They're not bad teams - just have an easier path to their high seeds because the conferences are weaker. I guess that's the similarity.

The Big East wasn't what it once was but to compare it to the WCC is not right.

Rank Conference W L Strg. Rank RPI

1. Big 12 177 97 .5994 1 .5954
2. Pacific 12 197 119 .5944 2 .5858
3. Atlantic Coast 255 152 .5794 3 .5787
4. Big East 167 102 .5660 5 .5664
5. Big Ten 231 152 .5596 6 .5576
6. Southeastern 219 161 .5672 4 .5571
.
.
14. West Coast 134 131 .4956 14 .4952

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Cat Barber is going to do things to us

I'm gonna be real pissed if Maverick Rowan goes off on us. Like really, really pissed.

 

[Ghost]

The Big East wasn't what it once was but to compare it to the WCC is not right.

Rank Conference W L Strg. Rank RPI

1. Big 12 177 97 .5994 1 .5954
2. Pacific 12 197 119 .5944 2 .5858
3. Atlantic Coast 255 152 .5794 3 .5787
4. Big East 167 102 .5660 5 .5664
5. Big Ten 231 152 .5596 6 .5576
6. Southeastern 219 161 .5672 4 .5571
.
.
14. West Coast 134 131 .4956 14 .4952

I don't mean to compare the conferences so much as the perception of the teams as high seeds.

 

[Alsacs]

The thing that impressed me most was that Xavier fans didn't rush the court when they beat Nova. If that were us beating Nova our fans would have rushed the court.

I hate when elite programs rush the court and Xavier showed its fans get it.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I'm gonna be real pissed if Maverick Rowan goes off on us. Like really, really pissed.

It is going to be pick your poison. I could see Malik-Abu and Anya going berserk inside too. They have talent. I don't know. We are going to have to score (duh) since I think they will be effective scoring. Hopefully we can get the offense going.

 

[Bayside44]

The thing that impressed me most was that Xavier fans didn't rush the court when they beat Nova. If that were us beating Nova our fans would have rushed the court.

I hate when elite programs rush the court and Xavier showed its fans get it.

We didn't rush the court when we beat Duke in the Dome, why would we do that for a program we've beaten a good amount?

 

[Alsacs]

We didn't rush the court when we beat Duke in the Dome, why would we do that for a program we've beaten a good amount?

We were the higher ranked team and favored. If we had rushed that game it would have been embarrassing.
Programs like Syracuse should never rush the floor. As we should expect to win every home game even when we struggle home games wins shouldn't be shocking.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I'm gonna be real pissed if Maverick Rowan goes off on us. Like really, really pissed.

I'm still pissed at Ron Rowan.

 

[jncuse]

I really don't understand the hate or drastic underrating of the Big East. I don't remember the exact record, but a few weeks back I had noted the Big East had a great record against the Power 5 this year. Maybe 26-17?

Is Nova the best team? Probably not, hard to tell who is the best. But the Big East is not the pile of turd that people are making it out to be. What Nova was good at this year was winning ALL the games they should against decent teams -- not traditionally what makes someone #1, but in a year like this I guess it does. The teams they are beating are not San Francisco, Pepperdine, Portland, and San Diego.

Here are teams other top 10 schools have lost to that are not in the tourney. Villanova has avoided this:
Oklahoma St
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Florida St
Kansas St
Georgetown
Creighton
Nebraska
Northern Iowa
Penn St
UCLA
Minnesota
Clemson

Every team from 2-11 has lost at least one game against a non tourney team. Are you really going to argue that Nova does not play this quality of team in conference? Villanova just takes care of business, in a season when nobody does it. They beat every middle of the breaket / bubble team they faced. So it is not true that have showed any more vulnerability against 8/9 level teams.

That being said Nova has not done well against the elite -- they is 1-3 against elite teams and that no doubt is a problem if they lose another game. I'm not sure if any team clearly has a case for a #1 seed right now.

 

[Bayside44]

We were the higher ranked team and favored. If we had rushed that game it would have been embarrassing.
Programs like Syracuse should never rush the floor. As we should expect to win every home game even when we struggle home games wins shouldn't be shocking.

Very strange thing to take a shot at our students about. :noidea: