Cinderfella marches on...

[the rusty tromb]

George Mason just upset UConn to move on to the Final Four/

Is this not the greatest cinderella story in the history of the tourney? An 11 seed winning their region while knocking off such powerhouse programs as Michigan State, UNC and UConn.

I thought for sure they'd pack it in after Denham Brown tied it with no time left on the clock, but these guys hung tough and did the unthinkable.
__________________

 

[licka daclit]

I hope they go on to win it all now. After the game today i wouldnt bet against them.

 

[topcat]

Yeah; sure is refreshing when there is no Duke, North Carolina, U-Conn
there, Usual suspects in the final 4. I think the "unknown" in the 4 teams
remaining is how would you wager on this? ( If you gamble) Very tough
to Handicap. I think however that UCLA and Florida look like teams of Destiny though. Just battle tested and dominating. But who knows, that,s
what makes this Tourney so good...

 

[licka daclit]

Florida has been a team on the rise for a few years now, so im not surprised by them being in the final four.

 

[hak]

Florida has been a team on the rise for a few years now, so im not surprised by them being in the final four.

Really? So your saying that on October 15 (Midnight Madness) you had any clue that this Florida team would be good. They were all young and unproven. They were not expected to be good... a borderline NCAA team. Of course they showed alot this year and on March 1, it was reasonable to expect them to possibly be a final four team.


And Florida has existed for more then a few years. Christ they were a final four team in 1994 and a were runners up in 2000. They have been a 10-20 type program for the last decade.

That being said you are totally wrong about them being on the rise the last two years. They took A MAJOR STEP BACK in 2004 and 2005, when they should have been top 5 teams, after being a #2 seed in 2003 (at one point in early 04 they were #1 in the nation). Florida has been underachievers if anything the last few years - last years team with Lee, Roberson, Walsh and Drejer along with the returness from last year, were one of the most talented in America. Problem was they were mentally deficient as a team.

 

[hak]

George Mason just upset UConn to move on to the Final Four/

Is this not the greatest cinderella story in the history of the tourney? An 11 seed winning their region while knocking off such powerhouse programs as Michigan State, UNC and UConn.

I thought for sure they'd pack it in after Denham Brown tied it with no time left on the clock, but these guys hung tough and did the unthinkable.
__________________

Well Michigan St was not really good this year but still a good win, but other then the third round they did not get the easy way out. Where George Mason really benefitted was having perhaps the worst two seed in a long-long time in Tennessee being in there bracket.... it afforded them an opportunity to face one less really good team. Wichita St was OK, but if it would have been another #2 in there bracket like Texas, UCLA, Ohio St or Gonzaga they very well may not have been there today.

Probably the greatest victory in the history of the modern NCAA tourney (since 1985 when the field of 64 commenced). LSU did make it as an 11 seed in 1986, but there is just something more special about a team from the CAA making it then the SEC.

I also like there toughness. I like a player who punches opponents in the nuts like Tony Skinn and Chris Paul

 

[goodtime]

Where George Mason really benefitted was having perhaps the worst two seed in a long-long time in Tennessee being in there bracket.... it afforded them an opportunity to face one less really good team. Wichita St was OK, but if it would have been another #2 in there bracket like Texas, UCLA, Ohio St or Gonzaga they very well may not have been there today.

I miss Tennessee & Gonzaga.

 

[hak]

There is NO DOUBT that this is by far the biggest upset in sport let alone college basketball!

Easily, the biggest shocker in college basketball history, was Chaminade (a divsion 3 school from Hawaii) beating then #1 in the nation Virginia (Back in 1983 or 1984). You can't even compare the two.

Of course, in the context of the importance of the game, it is a huge upset.

But Marquette, Syracuse are no better teams then George Mason, and they also beat UConn this year. 8/9 seeds which are basically the same quality as an 11 seed, have on several occassions beaten a #1 seed in the round of 32. (There probably has been at least 10 over the past 15 years alone)

So perhaps it is a monumnetal upset. But it is only monumental because of the context - a mid-major going to the final four.

 

[Back Burner]

It's not the single biggest upset, but it's the biggest upset in terms of defeats and reaching the final four. If it had happen in the first round then you could start comparing the two. But to beat North Carolina, Michigan State, and Connecticut, to get to the final four?

Biggest run by any mid-major ever!

 

[licka daclit]

Really? So your saying that on October 15 (Midnight Madness) you had any clue that this Florida team would be good. They were all young and unproven. They were not expected to be good... a borderline NCAA team. Of course they showed alot this year and on March 1, it was reasonable to expect them to possibly be a final four team.


And Florida has existed for more then a few years. Christ they were a final four team in 1994 and a were runners up in 2000. They have been a 10-20 type program for the last decade.

That being said you are totally wrong about them being on the rise the last two years. They took A MAJOR STEP BACK in 2004 and 2005, when they should have been top 5 teams, after being a #2 seed in 2003 (at one point in early 04 they were #1 in the nation). Florida has been underachievers if anything the last few years - last years team with Lee, Roberson, Walsh and Drejer along with the returness from last year, were one of the most talented in America. Problem was they were mentally deficient as a team.

Yeah , thats what i meant.

 

[hak]

Yeah , thats what i meant.

I am a bit of a loser when it comes to talking about college basketball. Get way too into it.