Official '14 NCAA Tournament Thread

[elcheato]

Those coaches don't want to leave those small schools because they still get paid millions, the spot light isn't nearly as bright and they have literally a 0% chance of losing their job. Almost no pressure on them. VCU hasn't made it to the sweet 16 since their great run in 2011. This is not an indictment on Smart or me saying he's a bad coach, but you haven't heard anything about VCU not being able to make it out of the first weekend in the last 3 years. If this happened at a big school, you better believe people would be calling for that coaches head. As I said, there is no pressure on him anymore to have tourney success. All it takes is one great run and your job is secure for life at these small schools.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

How fun has this Kentucky/Wichita St game been? Early is playing great.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Everybody who is a Kentucky fan is happy but everybody else who is a college basketball fan has to be upset

 

[Teagz]

Those of us who had Kentucky over Wichita State in our brackets are pretty happy too 

 

[Giantmetfan07]

If this dude gets the rest of his picks right he should just go ahead and kill himself. 
 
https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/quickenloansbracket/5253702

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Kentucky vs Louisville? Yes please.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

What a shitty ending.

 

[Delirium]

If this dude gets the rest of his picks right he should just go ahead and kill himself. 
 
https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/quickenloansbracket/5253702

Uh...why???

 

[bosoxlover12]

Who other than Damian Lillard has developed and become a star as an upperclassman in college recently?

More people's stock dropped when they stayed (McAdoo of UNC is a great example)

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Uh...why???

 
well because it would kind of suck if you blew a billion dollar bracket on those incorrect picks and not being wrong about teams like Mercer or SFA. 
 
You gotta realize when I say stupid shit like that I don't actually mean he should kill himself, it's just my idiotic way of saying "that fucking sucks for him". 

 

[The Young One]

Wiggins needs to be wayyyyyyy more assertive.

Pretty disappointed in him. Just too passive.

Team sucked without Joel. I'm done with college ball.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

https://twitter.com/DanWoikeSports/status/447811174352969729
 
Also, this is what I ALWAYS preach, in every sport. You're not going to develop better in college than you would in the NBA. College coaches don't care about your progression. Who other than Damian Lillard has developed and become a star as an upperclassman in college recently?

 

Oladipo looks to be on the way from this draft alone, I can go back further if you want.
 
There's plenty of evidence that supports both arguments. For every Anthony Davis, there's 5 Austin Rivers/Brandan Wright/whoever's who should have stayed in school.

 

[elcheato]

 
Oladipo looks to be on the way from this draft alone, I can go back further if you want.
 
There's plenty of evidence that supports both arguments. For every Anthony Davis, there's 5 Austin Rivers/Brandan Wright/whoever's who should have stayed in school.

Except the argument for them staying is flawed and just based on fairy tale logic. If Austin Rivers and Brandan Wright couldn't become successes with the help of NBA coaches, they weren't going to magically have a better chance at success playing against inferior opponents with mostly inferior coaching.
 
If staying in college was such a great tool for development, you'd be seeing players developed from smaller schools who become studs in the pros, but it almost never happens.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Depends on the spot then. I'd argue that Mike Krzyzewski is a better coach than almost every coach in the NBA, so yes I think Austin could have developed better if he stayed. That was never an option for him though.

 

[elcheato]

Better in game coach? Sure, but Coach K doesn't have the time that an NBA coach or an assistant would have to develop and work on the weaknesses of a player who already contributes in a massive way. He has limited practice time, legally can't work with any of his players outside of that allowed practice time, and has to spend mass amounts of time recruiting. Needless to say, his priorities are not developing the weaknesses of an Austin Rivers.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Better in game coach? Sure, but Coach K doesn't have the time that an NBA coach or an assistant would have to develop and work on the weaknesses of a player who already contributes in a massive way. He has limited practice time, legally can't work with any of his players outside of that allowed practice time, and has to spend mass amounts of time recruiting. Needless to say, his priorities are not developing the weaknesses of an Austin Rivers.

 
Touche. I can point you to plenty of examples of players who could've came out earlier in their careers, stayed around and it was for the better. Mason Plumlee is a great one. Could have been a lottery pick early on but wouldn't have been nearly ready.
 
Marcus Smart's decision looks good too. He might have been the #2 overall pick last year but he's more ready now.
 
I think the feeling going around nowadays is a lot of  players aren't worried about their first contract as much as their second one.

 

[footballplaya52]

I don't like the way the NCAA is run at all. Basically the reason I don't watch it much. Always focused on the recruiting more than what they already have.

 

[elcheato]

 
Touche. I can point you to plenty of examples of players who could've came out earlier in their careers, stayed around and it was for the better. Mason Plumlee is a great one. Could have been a lottery pick early on but wouldn't have been nearly ready.
 
Marcus Smart's decision looks good too. He might have been the #2 overall pick last year but he's more ready now.
 
I think the feeling going around nowadays is a lot of  players aren't worried about their first contract as much as their second one.

Does it really matter if you're more ready though? I'm strictly talking about players having meaningful progression, and how it's much more likely to happen at the professional level.
 
And to take it to another level as Rawky briefly mentioned, the NCAA as a whole, is a terrible corporation. I would try to spend as little time as I could in it as an athlete with professional prospects.

 

[footballplaya52]

Its not just the better nba teaching either, money factors in too. Why not go to the NBA where you will get paid to get better? rather than play for nothing and probably not improve all that much.

 

[elcheato]

Think, in 10 years we're going to be watching a bunch of cats named LeBron light up the NCAA tourney