Better season.. Cuse or UVA

[cuseattle]

#16 upset #1 almost happened twice in the 1989 tournament, Georgetown beat Princeton 50-49, Oklahoma beat East Tennessee State 72-71, so it's not THAT unlikely to happen; what's really crazy is the way they did it, the very worst team (per kenpom) took the very best team to the woodshed.

And they never looked scared. Didn't take the foot off the gas til the 2 minute mark.

 

[mountaincuse]

I think I would take Cuse...

I would take any season that JAB has coached over this year's UVA team's season.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Honestly the only team where this become a tough choice is this years Pitt team.

On the other hand, a winless ACC season is only going to be remembered by fans of ACC teams. Uva’s loss not only will be brought up every March madness until the end of time, it’s going to be brought up as one of the great upsets in all of sports.

 

[malpearl31]

Honestly the only team where this become a tough choice is this years Pitt team.

On the other hand, a winless ACC season is only going to be remembered by fans of ACC teams. Uva’s loss not only will be brought up every March madness until the end of time, it’s going to be brought up as one of the great upsets in all of sports.

You are so right! Plus, Pitt fans/players could say the word “Stallings”, and knowledgeable basketball fans will nod their heads knowingly. What the heck does a UVA fan do?

 

[Cusefan0307]

UMBC lost to Albany by 44 and Vermont by 28.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

UMBC lost to Albany by 44 and Vermont by 28.

Jeezus!

 

[Syracuse153]

I remember Cuse and Unc Asheville in 2012, when Cuse was 1 seed and 16 seed was UNC Asheville. I remember how scary that game was, and kept thinking how cuse could be the first team to ever lose to a 16 seed. Cuse luckily got some favorable calls in the end.

 

[SWC75]

If we go on a great run in this tournament like we did in 2016, you can make a comparison but that hasn't happened yet.

Look at it this way: Would you rather have a 2 loss regular season next year or another 13 loss regular season? If the two loss team lost in the first round of the NCAAs, would it make the 13 loss season a better option? Let's have a great regular season and enjoy it. That's really a better test of the quality of a team than the single elimination roulette wheel of the NCAA tournament. Then let's see where the ball winds up in the Big Dance. You can't do both at once. Enjoy one and then hope for the bets in the other.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

If we go on a great run in this tournament like we did in 2016, you can make a comparison but that hasn't happened yet.

Look at it this way: Would you rather have a 2 loss regular season next year or another 13 loss regular season? If the two loss team lost in the first round of the NCAAs, would it make the 13 loss season a better option? Let's have a great regular season and enjoy it. That's really a better test of the quality of a team than the single elimination roulette wheel of the NCAA tournament. Then let's see where the ball winds up in the Big Dance. You can't do both at once. Enjoy one and then hope for the bets in the other.

Yeah Cuse is still playing as an 11 seed. Gimme that over a 1 seed that got smoked by 20 to a 16 seed. No comparison. Regular season is meaningless

 

[Dinkyspond]

Honestly the only team where this become a tough choice is this years Pitt team.

On the other hand, a winless ACC season is only going to be remembered by fans of ACC teams. Uva’s loss not only will be brought up every March madness until the end of time, it’s going to be brought up as one of the great upsets in all of sports.

This is of the Miracle on Ice magnitude, Jets-Colts too. There will be documentaries on this, these players lives will be changed forever because of the St. Patty's Eve Miracle of '18.

 

[SWC75]

Yeah Cuse is still playing as an 11 seed. Gimme that over a 1 seed that got smoked by 20 to a 16 seed. No comparison. Regular season is meaningless

I hear that all the time and hate to hear it each time.

The regular season is three months of pleasure or frustration and a clearly better test of a team. The tournament is three weeks of euphoria if you make good run but, as the results show, the best team doesn't always win. To dismiss the first and care only about the second dramatically reduces the pleasure you can get out of being a college basketball fan. If the regular season is meaningless, why even pay attention to it? if you aren't a basketball fan, it's all meaningless. You get to decide for yourself what has meaning in sports. Why limit your options?

Syracuse has one of the best records in basketball history but we've made the final four only 6 times. But the rest of the season weren't failures. The 99 point a game Dave Bing team, the Louie and Bouie show, the great teams we had tin the 1986-91 era, the 2000 team that started 19-0, the 2010 and 2012 teams and the 2014 team that started 25-0 all gave 'Cuse fans a lot of pleasure and great memories. They don't deserve to be dismissed as "meaningless'. All the teams I've rooted four in the 50+ years I've followed this team had their accomplishments and provided plenty of excitement to get us through the Syracuse winters. They all deserve our respect.

I agree that Virginia will always remember this season for this game, just as we remember the 1991 Big East champs for the Richmond game. But what those teams did accomplish was real and that should be remembered, as well.

 

[llandz]

I would rather be the little engine that could and not the big shiny engine that couldn't. What we have done the past week outshines most of the other teams seasons. And to talk about injury? We have players that probably should not even be on the floor. We lost 3 players this season. One during the summer, one in December, and one in January. So we are here despite it all, because we are held together by bandaids and heart, oh and one player with strep on an antibiotic that is taking a while to kick in. This may be one of the most impressed I have been with our teams.

 

[PoppyHart]

I hear that all the time and hate to hear it each time.

The regular season is three months of pleasure or frustration and a clearly better test of a team. The tournament is three weeks of euphoria if you make good run but, as the results show, the best team doesn't always win. To dismiss the first and care only about the second dramatically reduces the pleasure you can get out of being a college basketball fan. If the regular season is meaningless, why even pay attention to it? if you aren't a basketball fan, it's all meaningless. You get to decide for yourself what has meaning in sports. Why limit your options?

Syracuse has one of the best records in basketball history but we've made the final four only 6 times. But the rest of the season weren't failures. The 99 point a game Dave Bing team, the Louie and Bouie show, the great teams we had tin the 1986-91 era, the 2000 team that started 19-0, the 2010 and 2012 teams and the 2014 team that started 25-0 all gave 'Cuse fans a lot of pleasure and great memories. They don't deserve to be dismissed as "meaningless'. All the teams I've rooted four in the 50+ years I've followed this team had their accomplishments and provided plenty of excitement to get us through the Syracuse winters. They all deserve our respect.

I agree that Virginia will always remember this season for this game, just as we remember the 1991 Big East champs for the Richmond game. But what those teams did accomplish was real and that should be remembered, as well.

Doesn't matter. The regular season is meaningless, provided you get the chance to compete for the national title. And if they ever expand to 96 teams or whatever, it would be even worse.

 

[littlereg]

I would rather be the little engine that could and not the big shiny engine that couldn't. What we have done the past week outshines most of the other teams seasons. And to talk about injury? We have players that probably should not even be on the floor. We lost 3 players this season. One during the summer, one in December, and one in January. So we are here despite it all, because we are held together by bandaids and heart, oh and one player with strep on an antibiotic that is taking a while to kick in. This may be one of the most impressed I have been with our teams.

If people paid attention to syracuse basketball like us fans do and if there wasn’t a hatred towards Jim, the program, and the zone, then Jim would’ve been highly considered for NAtional coach of the year. People really don’t understand the coaching job he has done this year, one of the best coaching jobs of all time if we’re being honest. This team has no business being where they are but here we are, one of the last 32 teams remaining.

 

[Syracuse153]

We have to start having some regular season success for narrative purposes but at the end of the day, all that matters is the tourney and UVA needs to bounce back next year and actually do something or these past few years might be their high water mark in hoops.

No one will care what UVA does in regular season anymore thats for sure. A loss like that will have an impact on them for a long time, till they finally do something in the ncaa tourney.

 

[kcsu]

In each sport you play for three things.
Regular season
Conference tournament championship
Post season.

The post season is always the most important as that is how we decide the overall Champion.
Superbowl
World Series
Stanley Cup
College Football, Baseball, Lacrosse, and yes Basketball.

Virginia's season is over.

Go Cuse!

 

[All4SU]

UVA at this point. SU would have to get to the F4 to counterbalance an ACC championship.

 

[Caboose]

I feel bad for Bennett. The guy didn't deserve that choke job from his players. They should be ashamed of themselves for putting their coach and program in such a terrible, historically bad spot in basketball lore.

UMBC won that game by spreading the floor and moving the ball amazingly well. All of their players were moving on offense in what seemed like a chaotic pace. There was space everywhere. I've never seen the lane so wide open like that. UVA had no answer on defense for UMBC's chaotic offensive pace and style. I'm kinda happy tho, since I had Arizona beating them. Luckily I have Cincinnati going to the final four. Thanks UMBC, for saving my bracket against all those peeps who had UVA coming out of the South!

 

[realorange]

UVA at this point. SU would have to get to the F4 to counterbalance an ACC championship.

With this years team!? Are you serious?

They have done more with less than any Syracuse team I can remember. If you just want to take an average team and say an ACC Championship versus two wins in the NCAA, then I might agree. But this team doing what it has done is better than an ACC Championship for me.

 

[Consigliere]

Unbelievably proud of what this year’s team has accomplished. And though the pain of Virginia’s loss is certainly historic, they have a lot to be proud of as well. I don’t think one bad night, no matter how bad, overshadows a number one ranking, 31 wins, a regular season and conference championship. Particularly when you consider where Virginia was ranked going into the season. 350 teams’ seasons end in disappointment. It is all a question of degree. I will take Virginia ‘s season at this point.

Now if we beat MSU and Duke I reserve the right to reconsider...

 

[HOFCeluck]

If the regular season is meaningless, why even pay attention to it?

Because the better the regular season, the better you’re seeded in the tournament.

 

[SUMBA]

I feel bad for Bennett. The guy didn't deserve that choke job from his players. They should be ashamed of themselves for putting their coach and program in such a terrible, historically bad spot in basketball lore.

UMBC won that game by spreading the floor and moving the ball amazingly well. All of their players were moving on offense in what seemed like a chaotic pace. There was space everywhere. I've never seen the lane so wide open like that. UVA had no answer on defense for UMBC's chaotic offensive pace and style. I'm kinda happy tho, since I had Arizona beating them. Luckily I have Cincinnati going to the final four. Thanks UMBC, for saving my bracket against all those peeps who had UVA coming out of the South!

If only UVA played zone defense.

 

[RMH44]

I would rather be the little engine that could and not the big shiny engine that couldn't. What we have done the past week outshines most of the other teams seasons. And to talk about injury? We have players that probably should not even be on the floor. We lost 3 players this season. One during the summer, one in December, and one in January. So we are here despite it all, because we are held together by bandaids and heart, oh and one player with strep on an antibiotic that is taking a while to kick in. This may be one of the most impressed I have been with our teams.

Agreed...as frustrating as it is to watch sometimes, this bunch is easy to root for. Plus they're all good kids.

 

[JLine]

The worst loss in basketball history trumps all the good that happened previously.

 

[Caboose]

If only UVA played zone defense.

Absolutely would have slowed down UMBC. I didn't look to see if UVA even tried that at any point in the game. I take it they didn't?