Final Four

[Auburnfan91 1,408]

You realize that Florida getting hammered just makes the whole SEC look bad, which Auburn just happens to be in right? Anybody that wants Bruce Pearl to succeed should be pulling for the SEC to look as good as possible. I hope you have ties to UConn because pulling for Uconn over the SEC is just asinine.

I just can't pull for Kentucky in basketball. I'm pulling for Wisconsin to beat them.

I was pulling for Florida because I like Billy Donovan. I don't like John Calipari.

[AUdmd07 2]

Don't be so sure on that, these 1 and done dudes go to schools based on the coach not school. Well maybe some go based on the school. I've don't recall Pearl ever signing 1 and done guys before so I don't expect him to now all the sudden. But if coach Cal was named the AU bball coach tomorrow then I would expect to see some 1 and done guys signed for the next class. And them signing would have nothing to do with AU or the bball program and history.

I don't think Pearl had any 1 and done's at Tennessee. Only a handful of coaches get those 1 and done players. I don't think it's a problem that Auburn's going to face.

Not sure I heard any Auburn people complaining when 1 and done Cam Newton led us to a championship.

If Pearl has a shot at one and thinks they will help us win a championship, then I am all for it. However, I doubt we will ever have a team full of one and dones like UK.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

Go UCONN! Guard play is #1 in the tourney. Each time UCONN has won the tourney or had deep runs it's been about guard play. Rip Hamilton, Kevin Freeman, Marcus Williams, Khalid El-Amin, A.J. Price, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, and Kemba Walker. Now you can add Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright.

You realize that Florida getting hammered just makes the whole SEC look bad, which Auburn just happens to be in right? Anybody that wants Bruce Pearl to succeed should be pulling for the SEC to look as good as possible. I hope you have ties to UConn because pulling for Uconn over the SEC is just asinine.

I really don't care. I've been a UCONN fan since 88' Men's and Women's team so i could care less about the SEC in CBB. Unless it was Auburn in the tourney i don't care. UCONN has always been my team. I don't cheer for a team just b/c they are in the SEC.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

Go UCONN! Guard play is #1 in the tourney. Each time UCONN has won the tourney or had deep runs it's been about guard play. Rip Hamilton, Kevin Freeman, Marcus Williams, Khalid El-Amin, A.J. Price, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, and Kemba Walker. Now you can add Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright.

You realize that Florida getting hammered just makes the whole SEC look bad, which Auburn just happens to be in right? Anybody that wants Bruce Pearl to succeed should be pulling for the SEC to look as good as possible. I hope you have ties to UConn because pulling for Uconn over the SEC is just asinine.

I hope Auburn looks good...could care less about any other team. I don't believe in all that SEC loyalty crap.

[Guest jojo1515]

Go UCONN! Guard play is #1 in the tourney. Each time UCONN has won the tourney or had deep runs it's been about guard play. Rip Hamilton, Kevin Freeman, Marcus Williams, Khalid El-Amin, A.J. Price, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, and Kemba Walker. Now you can add Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright.

You realize that Florida getting hammered just makes the whole SEC look bad, which Auburn just happens to be in right? Anybody that wants Bruce Pearl to succeed should be pulling for the SEC to look as good as possible. I hope you have ties to UConn because pulling for Uconn over the SEC is just asinine.

I really don't care. I've been a UCONN fan since 88' Men's and Women's team so i could care less about the SEC in CBB. Unless it was Auburn in the tourney i don't care. UCONN has always been my team. I don't cheer for a team just b/c they are in the SEC.

Like I said, I hope you have ties to UConn....and you do so congrats on the win. If they play like that in the finals, they will win it all.

[SumterAubie 3,033]

Barbee had several one and dones. A few zero and dones also.

[Mikey 16,779]

2010 isn't all that long ago. Our SEC "brothers" voted Spurrier Coach of the year when Chizik's Tigers beat him twice. Then they picked some Tennessee tennis player Male Athlete of the Year over Cam Newton, making Cam the only SEC Heisman winner ever not to win that award.

Now Auburn people are supposed to pull for the SEC? To hell with the rest of the SEC. A&M and Mizzou get a pass, they weren't there to vote against us. I'LL NEVER AGAIN PULL FOR A TEAM BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE SEC. I HOPE THEY LOSE 'EM ALL!

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

Go UCONN! Guard play is #1 in the tourney. Each time UCONN has won the tourney or had deep runs it's been about guard play. Rip Hamilton, Kevin Freeman, Marcus Williams, Khalid El-Amin, A.J. Price, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, and Kemba Walker. Now you can add Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright.

You realize that Florida getting hammered just makes the whole SEC look bad, which Auburn just happens to be in right? Anybody that wants Bruce Pearl to succeed should be pulling for the SEC to look as good as possible. I hope you have ties to UConn because pulling for Uconn over the SEC is just asinine.

I really don't care. I've been a UCONN fan since 88' Men's and Women's team so i could care less about the SEC in CBB. Unless it was Auburn in the tourney i don't care. UCONN has always been my team. I don't cheer for a team just b/c they are in the SEC.

Like I said, I hope you have ties to UConn....and you do so congrats on the win. If they play like that in the finals, they will win it all.

I think Wisconsin is going to win their game. If they do...that's going to be a really tough match up for UCONN. I picked Wisconsin in the Championship game in two pools. I picked them b/c Wisconsin has offensive weapons all over the floor. They can beat you inside, outside or with their guard penetrating the lane. They do a great job of moving the ball around on offense to get good shots. Just too many holes to plug. Kaminsky is a beast and i don't see much of an answer for him b/c he is one of the guys that can go inside or out. He's a mini Dirk.

[Guest jojo1515]

2010 isn't all that long ago. Our SEC "brothers" voted Spurrier Coach of the year when Chizik's Tigers beat him twice. Then they picked some Tennessee tennis player Male Athlete of the Year over Cam Newton, making Cam the only SEC Heisman winner ever not to win that award.

Now Auburn people are supposed to pull for the SEC? To hell with the rest of the SEC. A&M and Mizzou get a pass, they weren't there to vote against us. I'LL NEVER AGAIN PULL FOR A TEAM BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE SEC. I HOPE THEY LOSE 'EM ALL!

While I understand you point, if the SEC teams all suck, then a 1 loss AU never goes to the championship game against FSU. If the SEC suvks in bball, the better the record has to be for AU to make it to the tourney. Pulling for the SEC to lose in effect makes it that much harder for AU to get any national respect. I pull for the SEC (outside of bama) not because I like the teams, but because it helps AU.

[WarTiger 3,942]

Go UCONN! Guard play is #1 in the tourney. Each time UCONN has won the tourney or had deep runs it's been about guard play. Rip Hamilton, Kevin Freeman, Marcus Williams, Khalid El-Amin, A.J. Price, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, and Kemba Walker. Now you can add Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright.

You realize that Florida getting hammered just makes the whole SEC look bad, which Auburn just happens to be in right? Anybody that wants Bruce Pearl to succeed should be pulling for the SEC to look as good as possible. I hope you have ties to UConn because pulling for Uconn over the SEC is just asinine.

Well, you have your opinion as does everybody in this thread. Florida winning does nothing to help Auburn. NOTHING. You can put me in the category that thrilled that Florida lost and I hope Wisconsin wins tonight too. I will never cheer for an SEC team to win a national title in any sport after what we went through in 2010 with no league support at all.

2010 aside, I've never liked Florida (I live in florida) and I've never liked Kentucky basketball either, so nothing would change with me wanting those two to lose every game anyway. I'm not at all one of those SEC fan boys and just don't buy into the SEC winning their post season games or bowl games does one fraction of anything to help Auburn.

Now, as far as the game goes, I'm actually surprised florida made it as far as they did. All they did all season was win games in an inferior basketball conference. IMO, they weren't nearly as good as they were being billed up to be. Tonight it showed.

You are welcome to cheer for all SEC teams if you wish, but we are equally welcome and don't have to ask for permission to want all SEC teams to lose.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

2010 isn't all that long ago. Our SEC "brothers" voted Spurrier Coach of the year when Chizik's Tigers beat him twice. Then they picked some Tennessee tennis player Male Athlete of the Year over Cam Newton, making Cam the only SEC Heisman winner ever not to win that award.

Now Auburn people are supposed to pull for the SEC? To hell with the rest of the SEC. A&M and Mizzou get a pass, they weren't there to vote against us. I'LL NEVER AGAIN PULL FOR A TEAM BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE SEC. I HOPE THEY LOSE 'EM ALL!

While I understand you point, if the SEC teams all suck, then a 1 loss AU never goes to the championship game against FSU. If the SEC suvks in bball, the better the record has to be for AU to make it to the tourney. Pulling for the SEC to lose in effect makes it that much harder for AU to get any national respect. I pull for the SEC (outside of bama) not because I like the teams, but because it helps AU.

I understand where you both are coming from. I use to be like you jojo in that i cheered for other SEC teams if Auburn wasn't in the hunt when it came to many sports (baseball, softball, gymnastics and a few football teams...not Bama). However, i gradually got away from doing that b/c everytime Auburn saw some success the rest of the SEC teams/fanbases didn't band together (the majority of them) to support Auburn. They support Bama...they supported Florida in their runs but when it comes down to Auburn it's a different story.

It's been widely known that the Auburn fanbase ranks at the top, having one of the most loyal fanbases in college football and in general. I just don't have that same loyalty to the rest of the SEC seeing how if it was any other SEC team that would've went against FSU many would've supported them. I don't care if SEC becomes a power in CBB...only if Auburn becomes a force. Kentucky and FL have done just fine making the tourney with the SEC being horrible so i don't see it being an issue if Auburn plays and wins a good amount of games...they'll get in the CBB tourney. I don't think CBB has to be like CFB in that the conferences play a large role b/c you have the tourney. It could be a factor if you're on the bubble and your conference is decent but it seems like that's not even a given anymore with some of the decisions the committee has made in recent years with certain teams.

It's win or you're out in CBB. You have teams that you've never heard of getting a shot at the CBB title. That doesn't happen in CFB so you do need your conference to be really strong. I just view it a lot different for CBB.

[NoALtiger 3,873]

Barbee had several one and dones. A few zero and dones also.

And that's stating it mildly.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

WOW. What a game!

[Wareagletd 0]

WOW. What a game!

Aaron Harrison is super clutch! Connecticut and Kentucky will be an interesting game.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

WOW. What a game!

Aaron Harrison is super clutch! Connecticut and Kentucky will be an interesting game.

Yes he is. Def. going to be interesting. I'm biased so Go UCONN! lol.

[AUDub 11,255]

I was in 2nd on my bracket at work earlier today. I'm now in third. The new leader has Kentucky winning the title.

[douggwilliams 61]

I was in 2nd on my bracket at work earlier today. I'm now in third. The new leader has Kentucky winning the title.

Your screwed, but he deserves it. All I needed was UF to win one game and I would have won my bracket. Im in second for good. What happened there?

[cooltigger21 0]

Something had stood out to me about this final four. All the promos refer to it being in north Texas instead of Dallas or Arlington. Wonder why?

As a resident of Fort Worth, I'm not sure exactly why, but it is most likely political. The stadium is in Arlington, and they have long had a bit of an inferiority complex about being left out of what is normally called the DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) Metroplex. Dallas has the big name, and many events held in surrounding cities use Dallas for name (and geographical) recognition. The Dallas Cowboys are actually based in Valley Ranch, and had their stadium in Irving before they moved to the new one in Arlington. I suspect "North Texas" -- which is usually used for the broader area stretching for about 100 miles or so from the Metroplex -- was a compromise since Arlington didn't want them calling it Dallas and Dallas didn't want them calling it Arlington. There may be more to it (and why CBS cared), but that's my take based on living here the last 25 years.

Thanks for the insight. Wonder if this will come up again with the football championship game next year?

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I'll go with UConn.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,324]

Cam Newton wasn't one and done. Totally different argument.

[AUdmd07 2]

Cam Newton wasn't one and done. Totally different argument.

At best he would have been a two and done and was brought in specifically because the coaches thought he could win the job and help us win now. Not that much different than coaches recruiting high school basketball players that they think will stay only 1-2 years but help their team win now.

[cptau 169]

Cam Newton wasn't one and done. Totally different argument.

At best he would have been a two and done and was brought in specifically because the coaches thought he could win the job and help us win now. Not that much different than coaches recruiting high school basketball players that they think will stay only 1-2 years but help their team win now.

People are fooling themselves if they think that more star football players would not leave early if the NFL dropped to taking players completing their sophomore season.

Star running backs only have so many years in their prime. Another year running, but for NFL pay is hard to turn down. Michael Dyer would have gone pro at the end of his sophomore season if he could have.

Many players go early when their star is brightest and the money the highest. They also don't want to risk a career ending injury with nothing more than a chance to finish out a college degree.

Calipari may recruit 5 stars and then see them go pro after one year, but I do not think he is pushing these guys out the door to take NBA money. Calipari teams have actually suffered the last two years jelling due to the lack of upperclassmen players, Then they finally did when it mattered this year in the SEC tournament.

Even if they do not start, upperclassmen are there to provide leadership and guidance to the freshman superstars.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

UCONN! Yeepe! Hoping i can be cheering for Auburn to win it all in the future.

[Guest jojo1515]

Congrats 83. UConn is one heck of a shooting team. Still cant for the life of me figure out why Calapari elected to just let UConn burn 2 of the last 3 minutes with a 4-6 point lead and never foul or even attempt to press. Worst coaching job of a championship caliber team I can ever remember. It was if they were down by 6 with 3 minutes and said..."oh well, we tried. Maybe next year." Baffling to say the least. Uconn was playing for a championship while KY was just playing another game.

[WarEagle1983 2,185]

Congrats 83. UConn is one heck of a shooting team. Still cant for the life of me figure out why Calapari elected to just let UConn burn 2 of the last 3 minutes with a 4-6 point lead and never foul or even attempt to press. Worst coaching job of a championship caliber team I can ever remember. It was if they were down by 6 with 3 minutes and said..."oh well, we tried. Maybe next year." Baffling to say the least. Uconn was playing for a championship while KY was just playing another game.

Thanks jojo! Yea...that was baffling. He stated in his press conference that he did that b/c he knew UCONN was going to make their FTs. I still would've fouled b/c although UCONN was perfect from the FT....they could've def. buckled under the pressure and at least split FTs. Idk...he may have a point but i think it would've been best to at least try to extend the game. It was a good game though. Kentucky was killing UCONN down low but UCONN was able to come up with some late key rebounds.

I wonder how many of those Freshman are going to come back. Kentucky will def. be good again next year.