NCAA Tournament Thread (Non-Auburn Games)

[Win4AU 4,055]

 Im thankful for what Bruce has done but it’s time for him to feel some pressure.  There’s nothing Nate Oates has that Bruce doesn’t.  This makes the Yale game that much more embarrassing.  We like to beat our chest about a final four 5 years ago now but Bama is on pace to be the better program since then.  

[AuCivilEng1 11,026]

Just now, NoALtiger said:

Let’s just go back to bragging about our SEC tournament title and how much more important that is than the NCAA’s 😂

Right. They’ll just point and laugh at us all the way to the final 4. God I hate college sports now. 

[e808 3,028]

5 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

Makes me sick. They outperform us at everything. They’ll route Clemson and go to the final 4. And then we won’t even have that on them. 

Maybe or Maybe not. Clemson beat them at Bama earlier in the year. They are playing really good ball

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,762]

2 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

One thing is for damn sure. They aren’t going anywhere as long as Oats is there. And I don’t see us ever making it past the second round under Bruce again. 

I know you may be a bit sour atm, but I wouldn't go that far. Bruce has pretty much constructed the best regular season SEC team over the last half decade or so. As long as you have that floor, you can ALWAYS make a run. Not going to bother hypothesizing how they can make that run, but we've seen teams make runs after long droughts (Tennessee is doing it right now). 

[SLAG-91 1,483]

The pill we're swallowing just gets more bitter by the day.

I think I'll be doing some yardwork Saturday.

[cole256 17,084]

3 minutes ago, NoALtiger said:

Let’s just go back to bragging about our SEC tournament title and how much more important that is than the NCAA’s 😂

When I read dude arguing that and then the other guy came in arguing guard play is just something people say but is a myth...... These are the guys that call me stupid when I post 😂

[AuCivilEng1 11,026]

Just now, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I know you may be a bit sour atm, but I wouldn't go that far. Bruce has pretty much constructed the best regular season SEC team over the last half decade or so. As long as you have that floor, you can ALWAYS make a run. Not going to bother hypothesizing how they can make that run, but we've seen teams make runs after long droughts (Tennessee is doing it right now). 

There is just something about his team makeup since the Okeke team. That team was very well rounded and the guard play way elite. It cost us Jabari’s year and it cost us this year. 

[e808 3,028]

Should be some great discussion within the next 24 hours. People brought up concerns of where they think the program should be and caught some heat. 

[cole256 17,084]

Some guys step up some guys fold.....I never in a million years would think Nelson would play like that in a big time game in crunch time. Gotta love sports

[AuCivilEng1 11,026]

3 minutes ago, e808 said:

Should be some great discussion within the next 24 hours. People brought up concerns of where they think the program should be and caught some heat. 

Anyone who is just ok with this roster shi**ing the bed in the first round against Yale, a week after running through the SEC Tournament with ease, is part of the problem. This basketball program has struggled with rising to the moment when it’s time to put up since that final four run. And it’s getting old. 

[aubaseball 2,660]

6 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Some guys step up some guys fold.....I never in a million years would think Nelson would play like that in a big time game in crunch time. Gotta love sports

If I’m not mistaken, Nelson was a pre-season all SeC player.   He was the talk of team.   Don’t know why it’s that big of a surprise.   He was mentioned in the preseason more than Knecht.   6-10 guy that can shoot the three.   I think he’s biggest problem was defense and getting in foul trouble 

[e808 3,028]

32 minutes ago, SuperAUsome09 said:

Nates Oates is a fantastic coach. Say what you will about him, but he is an absolute threat to control the state in basketball for his duration there. Sucks..oh and they have Nike.

To date he is 6-3 against CBP. Hard to argue that CBP is the better coach. Oh well. All one can do is hope for the best. I

[cole256 17,084]

4 minutes ago, aubaseball said:

If I’m not mistaken, Nelson was a pre-season all SeC player.   He was the talk of team.   Don’t know why it’s that big of a surprise.   He was mentioned in the preseason more than Knecht.   6-10 guy that can shoot the three.   I think he’s biggest problem was defense and getting in foul trouble 

I think he's fine on defense and he's very athletic but he hasn't ever been a isolate find the mismatch guy. And when he shoots the three it's kick out but he dribbled into the big one. He's been an energy guy, he hasn't showed the skill set he showed today. 

And nobody felt that he could shoot the 3 coming in really because he doesn't shoot it well. He didn't shoot it well this year either

[keesler 5,928]

36 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Some guys step up some guys fold.....I never in a million years would think Nelson would play like that in a big time game in crunch time. Gotta love sports

That kid took the led role tonight and put the team on his back.  His coaches were smart and had him with a good matchup man and he produced.  I hate to say it but Bama found some grit and some defense these last two games. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,762]

1 hour ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

There is just something about his team makeup since the Okeke team. That team was very well rounded and the guard play way elite. It cost us Jabari’s year and it cost us this year. 

Yeah I mean there were just eras really. Stretches where we got some things right, and some where we got it wrong. If Pearl is a 15-20 year coach like Auburn would probably want, those are going to happen. I look at Syracuse's tenure during Boeheim, and there's primarily peaks until the last decade, but there's some valleys. 

Not saying this about you in particular, but a lot of fans clown the players for seeking instant gratification and taking short cuts, but fans are the ones who really do this more than anyone. I'm not disputing that the tournament appearances have been underwhelming, or the stretch of disappointing PG play, but I just don't know if people are truly willing to sit back and just enjoy the highs and survive the lows. 

That being said, I certainly don't think you've made any egregious posts, and I'm perfectly fine with anyone expressing disappointment after recent events. I can't personally relate to the sentiment of comparing our performance to Alabama, but I understand where it comes from.

[PigskinPat 2,579]

7 hours ago, NoALtiger said:

Let’s just go back to bragging about our SEC tournament title and how much more important that is than the NCAA’s 😂

 

[DAG 34,027]

That was a fun game to watch. Clemson is pretty athletic but I think Bama can get them.

[SuperAUsome09 738]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

That was a fun game to watch. Clemson is pretty athletic but I think Bama can get them.

A likely play an outstanding but overconfident UCONN team ripe for the upset.

[AuCivilEng1 11,026]

7 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Yeah I mean there were just eras really. Stretches where we got some things right, and some where we got it wrong. If Pearl is a 15-20 year coach like Auburn would probably want, those are going to happen. I look at Syracuse's tenure during Boeheim, and there's primarily peaks until the last decade, but there's some valleys. 

Not saying this about you in particular, but a lot of fans clown the players for seeking instant gratification and taking short cuts, but fans are the ones who really do this more than anyone. I'm not disputing that the tournament appearances have been underwhelming, or the stretch of disappointing PG play, but I just don't know if people are truly willing to sit back and just enjoy the highs and survive the lows. 

That being said, I certainly don't think you've made any egregious posts, and I'm perfectly fine with anyone expressing disappointment after recent events. I can't personally relate to the sentiment of comparing our performance to Alabama, but I understand where it comes from.

I don’t think Auburn basketball fans are being unreasonable when they expect more than Yale and Miami two years ago.  He just coached his 10th season at Auburn. And we’ve been close as hell to the mountain top, so he’s proven that it can be done at Auburn.  I personally don’t ever expect us to win a natty. That’s a very tall task. But for gods sake, can we at least get to a sweet sixteen? He’s had this program for too long for us to be getting booted in the first and second rounds year after year.

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

9 hours ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

There is just something about his team makeup since the Okeke team. That team was very well rounded and the guard play way elite. It cost us Jabari’s year and it cost us this year. 

Be careful,  Bruce will "call you out". Just be satisfied with the SEC Tourney Champ.

[TigerOne 1,153]

9 hours ago, Win4AU said:

 Im thankful for what Bruce has done but it’s time for him to feel some pressure.  There’s nothing Nate Oates has that Bruce doesn’t.  This makes the Yale game that much more embarrassing.  We like to beat our chest about a final four 5 years ago now but Bama is on pace to be the better program since then.  

Yep, sadly AU basketball has been out recruited, out coached and besides 2-3 head to head games ..out played.

No one to blame but Auburn, we should all be used to it by now.

[AuCivilEng1 11,026]

12 minutes ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Be careful,  Bruce will "call you out". Just be satisfied with the SEC Tourney Champ.

He just wants everyone to leave him alone so he can collect his paycheck and whine about how everyone hates Israel on twitter😂

[PigskinPat 2,579]

I really thought the Final Four had marked the moment that Bruce had fully implemented his system and had his players to run it. I wasn’t expecting national championships, but consistent sweet 16’s, maybe an elite 8, and if the stars aligned another trip to the Final Four. It has been a frustrating five years since then and seeing bama making a deep run only magnifies the frustration. 

Edited March 29 by PigskinPat

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

31 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

He just wants everyone to leave him alone so he can collect his paycheck and whine about how everyone hates Israel on twitter😂

I've got blasted on here for questioning BP. But, like u said 1 sweet 16 in 10 yrs for a cat that we give a lifetime contract to is kinda underwhelming to me. I'm not asking for Nattys. But , get past the 2nd week end every once in a while. I'm not interested in firing him. Just gimme more production in Ncaa tourney 

[SLAG-91 1,483]

In the last 45-50 years, the coaches that have taken us to NCAA tournaments have, to this point, had fairly similar tenures in terms of length. Strictly looking at time at Auburn:

Sonny Smith--11 seasons, five NCAAs, one Sweet 16 and one Elite 8

Cliff Ellis--10 seasons, three NCAAs, two Sweet 16s

Bruce Pearl--10 seasons, six* NCAAs, one Final Four (asterisk is giving credit for the 2019-20 team that would have been in the NCAAs had there been a tournament)

Our limited NCAA tournament history has largely been one of at least performing to the level our seed line (did so in 4 of 5 tournament appearances under Sonny and 2 of 3 under Ellis...have done so in 2 of 5 appearances under Pearl (2019, 2023)), and in a few cases performing at least two rounds beyond our seed line (1985, 1986, 2003, 2019).

Two of our last three tournament appearances have ended with losses to teams that were at least 8 seed lines below us, which is where the frustration sets in.  The 2022 team going out early wasn't quite as much of a surprise, honestly, because that team started taking on water toward the end of the season and ran into a Miami team that was significantly better than us re: guard play.  This year's loss is the first time we've been the victim of one of those "Cinderella"-type upsets.  We've watched it happen to other name programs (Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Purdue, Virginia, Arizona, UNC have all lost first-round games as a 1,2 or 3 seed, and some of them have done it multiple times) that have a lot more skins on the wall in basketball than we do, but it's different when it's your school.

Time will tell if our 2019 Final Four was a nice anomaly or not.

Getting this back on topic, Iowa State joins Texas A&M in lamenting their poor FT shooting in a close loss. Clemson basketball is an easy bunch to want to see do well, so hopefully they can beat Alabama again.

 

Edited March 29 by SLAG-91