Men vs. Virginia - game thread

[Maverick.AU 13,279]

6 minutes ago, DAG said:

Yep it could’ve easily been us versus Texas tech is the big what if for me. Like this close to a national title appearance. It is really hard to do in college basketball. 

Exactly, national championships are so hard to come by in basketball, especially with the gauntlet of the tournament. Auburn vs Texas Tech, it was literally setting up for auburn to have maybe its best chance for a very long time at a national title.

[Maverick.AU 13,279]

 

[Sully to Beasley 643]

May sound like sour grapes, but I hope Texas Tech beats UVA like a drum. UVA knows in their hearts that they did not win last night's game without help from the so called "refs" and I hope that stays in their minds Monday night. Even if UVA wins, their natty should have an * by it.

On a positive note, A-Day is this Saturday and I cannot wait to get to the Loveliest Village on the Plains and again step foot in JHS to see my football Tigers once again.

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

And the refs stole it from us correct? So, yes ultimately it was in the ref's hands to make the right call. But ALAS, after a good night sleep, I am over it. UVA won and I am just ready to see a great game.

Just sucks. We should be pumped to see our boys in the natty tomorrow. I was at the Dome for the Saints v Rams playoff game. I am re-living the agony, only this time it happened to Auburn. 

[Christopher Bozeman 12]

[Grumps 3,704]

39 minutes ago, NolaAuTiger said:

Just sucks. We should be pumped to see our boys in the natty tomorrow. I was at the Dome for the Saints v Rams playoff game. I am re-living the agony, only this time it happened to Auburn. 

My condolences. To be a Saints fan and an Auburn fan right now would be unimaginably painful.

[AU64 10,122]

4 hours ago, DAG said:

Very. Always remember one tag line as a team..never put the game in the official's hands!

You think it is in your own hands...right up until some ref takes it away.   

The refs are always a factor.. they make calls.....or no-calls over which you have no control.... .and they shape the style of play.  For example by only calling four fouls on UVa during 18 minutes in the second half, their defenders could pretty much do what every they wanted.   No doubt they were more physical than AU and did not pay any price for it.  

Will be interesting to see if ref's "let em play" on Monday night......if so they better have some kids ready to mop up the blood from the floor.   TT will be more physical around the basket than AU was and hammer UVa right back.  

[AUBwins 10,075]

1 hour ago, Grumps said:

My condolences. To be a Saints fan and an Auburn fan right now would be unimaginably painful.

Yes.  It is a bit tough. Mainly because in both cases I felt the Saints and Auburn were the better teams that day. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

4 hours ago, Sully to Beasley said:

May sound like sour grapes, but I hope Texas Tech beats UVA like a drum. UVA knows in their hearts that they did not win last night's game without help from the so called "refs" and I hope that stays in their minds Monday night. Even if UVA wins, their natty should have an * by it.

On a positive note, A-Day is this Saturday and I cannot wait to get to the Loveliest Village on the Plains and again step foot in JHS to see my football Tigers once again.

For our sanity, TTU needs to wipe the floor with UVA. If UVA wins, it means we probably would have had a NC if not for the ref negligence. If TTU dominates, we can at least have some solace in knowing that we probably would have lost in the championship.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

UVA needed slight help to get by GW and Purdue, unless refs call touch fouls on TT’s smothering defense, I’m not sure if UVA has a chance. Owens could multiply the rim protecting display Wiley had last night times 100, Culver is a two way beast, and as a team, you just can’t score on them. UVA was fruitless in their best efforts when Jerome was taken out the formula and Auburn could stay pressed on the ball. I think Tech is also way smarter than us with working around screens. McLemore seeing Guy come his way, seeing the screen, and not switching is...dumb. Samir did eventually make it over and didn’t contest that shot, but you gotta switch, they only could come back via 3s after all. 

They’re not the same offensive threat as us but maybe that’ll help them be more comfortable playing at UVA’s pace

[tigerchris 243]

I want an official or someone higher up to make a statement and admit they messed it up.  

[Bottomfeeder 244]

1 minute ago, tigerchris said:

I want an official or someone higher up to make a statement and admit they messed it up.  

Don't hold your breath, turn purple in the face and pass out on us now. 

[Tiger 8,818]

Ok after some time to think about it these things stick out to me about the end

Bryce Brown gave his all to get us back in the game and even though he had one nasty miss after he got hot his performance down the stretch put us in position to win the game. He is a damn warrior.

Maclemore was CONFIDENT AS HELL at the line. Repeating "do it for Chuma" to himself and then pointing to his ring finger and saying "I got this" to our bench. This team was a special group and played for one another. Not all teams are like this. Shoot, not even all good teams are like this.

Harper. You gotta hit both FTs and not leave the door open. Tooouughhh miss there  by our cold blooded killer there.

Double dribble...don't need to say much here. Absolute incompetence. Anyone ever seen someone lose a dribble, pick it up with two hands and continue dribbling? This is elementary stuff here. 

Now the foul on the 3. Did Samir foul him? Yes. By the book he fouled him and you have to let him land. Guy also flopped a bit to sell the call -- which is well within his right and a heady play by him. Just like the UT/Purdue game there was contact and refs have been calling that more over the last few years. However, they didn't need to call it just like they didn't need to call it in the UT/Purdue game. Let them play in the big moments. Unless it's egregious contact that affects the shot, it's my personal belief that they should let them play. I mean they let the kids play for 39 minutes and 59 seconds.

It sure would've been nice if Bryce Brown got the same treatment from the refs that Guy got on Saturday back when we played LSU over in Baton Rouge when he took the 3 at the buzzer. 

To me, this loss really effing sucks. This is worse than 2013 BCS title game for me. Basketball is the heart of my sports fandom -- particularly AU hoops -- so it stings a little more. I couldn't be prouder of this team, this program, these kids for picking AU basketball up from the hellhole it was in years ago and working their asses off to take AU to a Final Four. And honestly it's not about my personal satisfaction -- I feel absolutely terrible for our players and staff for busting their butts, getting this far for it to be taken away from them in this fashion. I feel awful for our seniors right now even though I know in due time I will shift back to celebrating the incredible accomplishments of the squad, not only for this year but how far they've brought the program under Bruce's leadership. It just sucks that this was the culmination of Bruce's first true recruiting class. It sucks that he actually built this thing to be national champions and the opportunity for that to happen was ripped away. But I am feeling good that AU basketball is here to stay. Next year will most likely be full of youth but guess what? This team right here doesn't make this run if they didn't play themselves through the fire 2016 and 2017. I'm going to enjoy that ride and game-by-game progress by the players just like I did with this group.

 

[cole256 17,043]

I've stayed off the board but I'm still angry.....I'm pissed at the refs, I'm aggravated at samir......sigh

[AUBwins 10,075]

50 minutes ago, cole256 said:

I've stayed off the board but I'm still angry.....I'm pissed at the refs, I'm aggravated at samir......sigh

Right there with ya