2024-25 NCAA Basketball Thread

[Billy Hoyle]

Tennessee down 29 with 3:54 left in the second half.  Georgia beating Kentucky by 9 with 6:55 left

through the first 35 minutes of the game, Tennessee had made 7 field goals. They were 1 for 24 from three.

[Uncle Rico]

through the first 35 minutes of the game, Tennessee had made 7 field goals. They were 1 for 24 from three.

They had good looks early and then Florida put the clamps down.  If anyone wanted a game to show momentum is real, good and bad, that was a prime example

[GoldenEagles03]

We like to analyze, criticize, and everything in between...but with 6 days until our next contest just thought I'd say... let's take a step back and enjoy it.

We are 14-2, 5-0.

Shaka and the Senior class are  89-32 (HAHAHAHAHA).

It is beautiful isn't it!?

[tower912]

We like to analyze, criticize, and everything in between...but with 6 days until our next contest just thought I'd say... let's take a step back and enjoy it.

We are 14-2, 5-0.

Shaka and the Senior class are  89-32 (HAHAHAHAHA).

It is beautiful isn't it!?

8 starters over the last 3 seasons.  Don't miss the forest for the trees.

[StillAWarrior]

Holy crap, Cronin.

https://x.com/TheFieldOf68/status/1876893081175253197

[HowardsWorld]

I have never played college sports or coached at a high level but I can truly understand his frustration. This is a direct result of the NIL where players are all about themselves now because they are paid. This is more or less what Tony Bennett said when he left before the season started.

[MUfan12]

Boy if Mick could figure out who recruited those guys I'm sure he'd give them a piece of his mind!

[StillAWarrior]

I have never played college sports or coached at a high level but I can truly understand his frustration. This is a direct result of the NIL where players are all about themselves now because they are paid. This is more or less what Tony Bennett said when he left before the season started.

Whether I understand his frustration or not, I question his tactic. If this is a prelude to leaving, I guess I get it. But if he intends to remain at UCLA, I can't help but wonder how his players and his assistant coaches will respond to this.

Culture starts at the top. Mick's comment about his 500 wins is a great example of the "me first" attitude that he's railing against...and also modeling.

[tower912]

Is it any different than what Tony Bennett, Larranaga, Pitino said.

Appreciate what we have while we have it.

[The Sultan]

I have never played college sports or coached at a high level but I can truly understand his frustration. This is a direct result of the NIL where players are all about themselves now because they are paid. This is more or less what Tony Bennett said when he left before the season started.

Maybe Mick needs to modify how he approaches his job, or find a different profession entirely. Nobody cares that a coach making $5 million a year is frustrated with his job.

[Uncle Rico]

I have never played college sports or coached at a high level but I can truly understand his frustration. This is a direct result of the NIL where players are all about themselves now because they are paid. This is more or less what Tony Bennett said when he left before the season started.

He should retire then.

To be fair, he's always thrown his players and team under the bus dating back to his Cincinnati days.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

This is just Mick being Mick. Shouldn't surprise his players,  he's been this way long before he recruited them

[WhiteTrash]

Boy if Mick could figure out who recruited those guys I'm sure he'd give them a piece of his mind!

Your giving me horrid flashbacks to the ProJo's defense of Wojo. 

[MarquetteMike1977]

ESPN Today Borzello And Metcalf Reranked 76 Teams according to their NCAA potential.
Marquette is behind a small Tier 1 of 3 Teams in Tier 2 listed as Final Four Potential.

For some of these teams, the sheer star power on their rosters could be the difference. Marquette's Kam Jones (20.3 PPG, 6.5 APG) is playing like a first-team All-American on a team that has connected on 39% of its 3-point attempts.

[RJax55]

He should retire then.

To be fair, he's always thrown his players and team under the bus dating back to his Cincinnati days.

He's a troll.

That said, I couldn't believe that he is at almost 500 wins.

[wadesworld]

ESPN Today Borzello And Metcalf Reranked 76 Teams according to their NCAA potential.
Marquette is behind a small Tier 1 of 3 Teams in Tier 2 listed as Final Four Potential.

For some of these teams, the sheer star power on their rosters could be the difference. Marquette's Kam Jones (20.3 PPG, 6.5 APG) is playing like a first-team All-American on a team that has connected on 39% of its 3-point attempts.

Neither Kam himself nor Marquette as a team are connecting on 39% of its 3 point attempts.  I wish.

[MU82]

This is just Mick being Mick. Shouldn't surprise his players,  he's been this way long before he recruited them

Yep. Has nothing to do with NIL.

Every high major player makes $$ now. Most are highly motivated, as they always have been.

This sounds more like a Mick Cronin problem than anything else.

[GoldenEagles03]

Dayton lost again...this time to UMass.

They may not be a tournament team.

[wadesworld]

Dayton lost again...this time to UMass.

They may not be a tournament team.

Might move MU to the bubble.

[brewcity77]

Dayton lost again...this time to UMass.

They may not be a tournament team.

Probably won't drop our loss there out of Q1, but it'll be close. They were 55 before losing as a double digit favorite. Looks like scheduling a mid-major road game was a bad idea after all.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Probably won't drop our loss there out of Q1, but it'll be close. They were 55 before losing as a double digit favorite. Looks like scheduling a mid-major road game was a bad idea after all.

What is the relevance of Dayton being in a mid-major conference? Did record against mid majors get added to the team sheets this year?

This replaced the attempted NC State home and home. Dayton is still better than them.  Until that changes,  there's nothing wrong with scheduling Dayton unless you also had a problem with scheduling NC State.

[Shooter McGavin]

Nope. Shoulda just won the game. Mid-major is irrelevant

There is some truth to what Brew is saying.  I was at the game.  Never had been to Dayton. That place was intense.  The atmosphere was incredible. That was their biggest game at home  in a long time and it showed. It was extremely loud and hot and an incredible atmosphere.  Their fans all want to be in the Big East.

We were the better team and should have won.  But that was one motivated team and fan base for that game.  It may have tipped them over the edge.  I, like you, think it shouldn't matter but it does.

From a pure scheduling standpoint it may not have been the most strategic game to schedule with an eye toward maximizing metrics.

From as pure basketball standpoint it was a fun game to be at despite the loss.  It also made a ton of Dayton fans day. 

[The Sultan]

What is the relevance of Dayton being in a mid-major conference? Did record against mid majors get added to the team sheets this year?

This replaced the attempted NC State home and home. Dayton is still better than them.  Until that changes,  there's nothing wrong with scheduling Dayton unless you also had a problem with scheduling NC State.

Amen. The constant complaining about the Dayton game is getting absurd. Especially since we lost, so it comes off as sour grapes. Maybe instead of complaining that the game was scheduled, complain that we were outscored by 18 in the second half.

We have one of the top 20 toughest schedules in the country. It's fine.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

There is some truth to what Brew is saying.  I was at the game.  Never had been to Dayton. That place was intense.  The atmosphere was incredible. That was their biggest game at home  in a long time and it showed. It was extremely loud and hot and an incredible atmosphere.  Their fans all want to be in the Big East.

We were the better team and should have won.  But that was one motivated team and fan base for that game.  It may have tipped them over the edge.  I, like you, think it shouldn't matter but it does.

From a pure scheduling standpoint it may not have been the most strategic game to schedule with an eye toward maximizing metrics.

From as pure basketball standpoint it was a fun game to be at despite the loss.  It also made a ton of Dayton fans day. 

Other than the last sentence, those all sound like good reasons for scheduling the game. We want to play in tough road environments,  preps us for every non DePaul road game in conference.

Our teams mantra is win anyway. We're not going to avoid scheduling a team because they have a good home court advantage. Shoulda won, didn't.

[Shooter McGavin]

Other than the last sentence, those all sound like good reasons for scheduling the game. We want to play in tough road environments,  preps us for every non DePaul road game in conference.

Our teams mantra is win anyway. We're not going to avoid scheduling a team because they have a good home court advantage. Shoulda won, didn't.

In the end it was a good game and experience for the team.  From a mental perspective there is no down side.  We will be better prepared potentially for the tournament and other road environments.  Hopefully that preparation will help us win a road game we aren't supposed to and the metrics will benefit.  If Dayton keeps losing it will hurt, mildly. I get both perspectives.