Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="manleyzoo, post: 1705634, member: 519"] When it's down to the final 16, there are very few mismatches...most of the teams are pretty similar. Is there anyone in the field who, on the right day, couldn't beat Kansas or any of the other remaining high seeds? JB is right--anyone can beat anyone. As we've already seen, it's all about individual match ups. We tend not to lose to teams with just zone busters but to teams that can drive into the zone and dish and who can rebound. Usually it takes both to beat us like Pitt, Virginia, North Carolina, Louisville, Miami all can do. We beat Duke, Notre Dame, Dayton, MTSU and others because they can't do both. Anyone watching knows that. So the big question is can Gonzaga's guards beat G, Cooney and M off the dribble? It's a given that we're probably going to get killed on the boards but unless their guards can beat our guards they will have trouble winning. Hence, the match ups. With that said, it still seems to me that it all comes down to who's gonna get the yips on the big stage and who's going to be cool. In other words, which team's freshmen will get nervous and which team's won't. You can debate the match ups and style all you want but that's usually what it comes down to--which team plays the game like it's any other and which team is overcome by the heebie jeebies. I've seen Gonzaga at least 10 times this year (once in person against Santa Clara) and yes, they're good. But all anyone really knows about them is they were good in their conference. Not great, but good enough. We've played well in our last two games but no one really knows if this team finally has gelled or if it's just one of those things. So questions about both teams still are unanswered. That's what separates the good teams from the really good--if all their questions have been answered at this point in the season. Also, as my good and great friend Longtimefan has often pointed out, with the five days between games, especially at this time of year, it's pretty much impossible to figure out how either team is going to play. We've done better all year long with the extra rest but you never know. And, isn't it interesting how Cooney hasn't been mentioned in any of the game analyses by anyone on this board or anywhere else, at least that I've seen. Maybe he's the quiet, overlooked guy this time around who'll put up his best game of the year. Would be nice to see. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?