Live upset thread!

[Birds of B'more]

My bracket is going up in flames as I type. Michigan St can't miss and Louisville can't hit water from a boat.

[Birds of B'more]

Wow......3 minutes left and it looks like Louisville has quit.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Wow......3 minutes left and it looks like Louisville has quit.

Did you notice that Rick Pitino was on his phone with Kentucky during the last minute of the game...?

:laughlol:

[Birds of B'more]

Pitt and Nova are playing the game of the tournament right now.

Just fantastic play by both teams. By far the best game of the tournament so far.

All in all, I'd agree it was the best, but not by a huge margin. I saw two excellent early round games that were just as exciting and well-played but probably didn't get the attention because they were regionally broadcast. The Ohio St/Siena and Gonzaga/W Kentucky games were both back-and-forth games that came down to the final buzzer, with the OSU-Siena game going to Double OT.

[Birds of B'more]

If Oklahoma doesn't start hitting some perimeter shots soon, then they may as well pack up and head home. They're making it way too easy for Carolina to collapse all over Griffin. And despite that the guy is still getting just enough to keep it from being a blowout. No doubt he's the #1 pick in June.

As I type this OK players are passing up wide open shots from outside like they're gun shy. If they aren't going to shoot than at least try to penetrate the paint and score or then dish it to Griffin.

[YardBirds13]

All in all' date=' I'd agree it was the best, but not by a huge margin. I saw two excellent early round games that were just as exciting and well-played but probably didn't get the attention because they were regionally broadcast. The Ohio St/Siena and Gonzaga/W Kentucky games were both back-and-forth games that came down to the final buzzer, with the OSU-Siena game going to Double OT.[/quote']

Yeah, those games were close, but not even close to this game. The level at which this game was played was totally different than those games. There were really good players all over the court, the game was played at an incredibly high level, not to mention it was for a shot in the Final 4, which makes it that much more intense.

Those games were fun, and close, but they weren't played at all that high a level. There are 2 or 3 of those early round type games every year.

A game like this in the Elite 8 is a treat.

[Birds of B'more]

Yeah, those games were close, but not even close to this game. The level at which this game was played was totally different than those games. There were really good players all over the court, the game was played at an incredibly high level, not to mention it was for a shot in the Final 4, which makes it that much more intense.

Those games were fun, and close, but they weren't played at all that high a level. There are 2 or 3 of those early round type games every year.

A game like this in the Elite 8 is a treat.

I'll give you that the OSU/Siena game didn't feature the outstanding level of play, but that Gonzaga/WKU game was close. I watched it from start to finish and both teams deserved to win that one.

[Birds of B'more]

How pathetic is Oklahoma minus Blake Griffin? The guy has 21 points and 14 rebounds and they're still getting blown out. How did they even get this far?

[YardBirds13]

I'll give you that the OSU/Siena game didn't feature the outstanding level of play' date=' but that Gonzaga/WKU game was close. I watched it from start to finish and both teams deserved to win that one.[/quote']

It was a nice second round tournament game. Trying to compare those two teams to Pitt and Villanova is pretty silly. Then throw in how well Pitt and Nova played, and what was on the line? Not even in the same discussion.

Gonzaga/WKU is in the discussion for "Best Game from the First Weekend in 2009."

That Pitt/Villanova game is in the discussion for "One of the Best Regional Final Games Ever"

[Birds of B'more]

It was a nice second round tournament game. Trying to compare those two teams to Pitt and Villanova is pretty silly. Then throw in how well Pitt and Nova played, and what was on the line? Not even in the same discussion.

Gonzaga/WKU is in the discussion for "Best Game from the First Weekend in 2009."

That Pitt/Villanova game is in the discussion for "One of the Best Regional Final Games Ever"

The same thing was on the line in both games. Win and you play on. Lose and you go home.

[YardBirds13]

The same thing was on the line in both games. Win and you play on. Lose and you go home.

The same thing was on the line?? That's just false.

Gonzaga WKU was a second round game. The winner went to the Sweet 16.

Pitt Villanova was a regional final. The winner went to the Final 4.

Of course it is a bigger game the later you go into the tournament. So you think a first round game is for the same stakes as a Final 4 game? That's ridiculous.

[Birds of B'more]

The same thing was on the line?? That's just false.

Gonzaga WKU was a second round game. The winner went to the Sweet 16.

Pitt Villanova was a regional final. The winner went to the Final 4.

Of course it is a bigger game the later you go into the tournament. So you think a first round game is for the same stakes as a Final 4 game? That's ridiculous.

I guess that would depend on what your goal is upon entering the tournament. For Pitt, Villanova and Gonzaga, I'm certain it was to win the whole thing. Maybe not so much for W Kentucky. But in a single elimination tournament, if your goal is to go all the way then the same thing is on the line every time you take the court. The fact that you are a couple steps closer in a regional final than you are in the 2nd round doesn't mean there is more on the line all of a sudden than there was before, just that you're closer. Hypothetically, just to try and make my point, do you think Pitt would be less disappointed right now if yesterday's game had been in the 2nd round instead of the regional finals?

[YardBirds13]

I guess that would depend on what your goal is upon entering the tournament. For Pitt' date=' Villanova and Gonzaga, I'm certain it was to win the whole thing. Maybe not so much for W Kentucky. But in a single elimination tournament, if your goal is to go all the way then the same thing is on the line every time you take the court. The fact that you are a couple steps closer in a regional final than you are in the 2nd round doesn't mean there is [b']more[/b] on the line all of a sudden than there was before, just that you're closer. Hypothetically, just to try and make my point, do you think Pitt would be less disappointed right now if yesterday's game had been in the 2nd round instead of the regional finals?

It doesn't matter how disappointed the teams would be.

In terms of "How great was this game?", it absolutely matters what round the game was in.

This is like trying to compare Bryce Drew beating Ole Miss to Christian Laettner beating Kentucky. One was an early round game, played by teams that don't have a ton of great talent, but played a close, exciting game that went down to the buzzer.

The other was for a spot in the Final 4 (which makes it a bigger game, whether you'd like to admit that or not), between two big time programs, with tons of NBA type talent on the floor, played at the highest level you can get in college basketball, that also went down to the wire.

Of course the games get bigger as you move along. A classic championship game is bigger than a classic first round game. A classic Regional title game is bigger than a classic second round game. Just in general. Throw in all the other factors from the Pitt-Nova game, and it's not even a contest.

Pitt Nova is one of the great Regional Final games ever. Gonzaga WKU won't be talked about beyond next year.

[Birds of B'more]

It doesn't matter how disappointed the teams would be.

In terms of "How great was this game?", it absolutely matters what round the game was in.

This is like trying to compare Bryce Drew beating Ole Miss to Christian Laettner beating Kentucky. One was an early round game, played by teams that don't have a ton of great talent, but played a close, exciting game that went down to the buzzer.

The other was for a spot in the Final 4 (which makes it a bigger game, whether you'd like to admit that or not), between two big time programs, with tons of NBA type talent on the floor, played at the highest level you can get in college basketball, that also went down to the wire.

Of course the games get bigger as you move along. A classic championship game is bigger than a classic first round game. A classic Regional title game is bigger than a classic second round game. Just in general. Throw in all the other factors from the Pitt-Nova game, and it's not even a contest.

Pitt Nova is one of the great Regional Final games ever. Gonzaga WKU won't be talked about beyond next year.

Time will ultimately tell where those two games rank in March Madness history. The fact that to this day so many people still remember and talk about Bryce Drew should say something, though.

[YardBirds13]

Time will ultimately tell where those two games rank in March Madness history. The fact that to this day so many people still remember and talk about Bryce Drew should say something' date=' though.[/quote']

It was a great shot, and his dive onto the floor after it is almost more famous of an image than the shot itself. But nobody is talking about Valpo-Ole Miss in a "Best Tournament Games Ever" list. It was a fun first round upset, but nothing more than that.

Fact is, the further along in the tournament, the bigger the game. Thus, if there is a great game later on in the tourney, it's a bigger game.

I'm not sure how that's even debatable.

I would argue any game in the first weekend would have to be pretty epic to make a Top 20 Tournament games list. Maybe even Top 50.