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March 17, 2013
NIT #1 Seed, Tuesday vs. Norfolk State
Embrace it, Hoofans. We'll put our 17-game home winning streak on the line. That streak will either be broken, or we'll be advancing to Madison Square Garden. GO HOOS!
NIT
Boise State, Middle Tennessee, Saint Mary's, La Salle... SUPER FUCKING LAME.
But, we only have ourselves to blame for not receiving a bid. We scheduled a crappy OOC slate, and then lost to the worst teams on our schedule. We couldn't win away from home, and we faded down the stretch. We had some great wins this season, but they weren't enough to cover up the blemishes.
The NIT Selection Show (yes, it exists) is on ESPNU at 9:00. Again, I encourage all Virginia fans to embrace it. It's our one and only chance to prove that we belonged in the Big Dance over the shitbag Broncos, Blue Raiders, Gaels, and Explorers.
But, we only have ourselves to blame for not receiving a bid. We scheduled a crappy OOC slate, and then lost to the worst teams on our schedule. We couldn't win away from home, and we faded down the stretch. We had some great wins this season, but they weren't enough to cover up the blemishes.
The NIT Selection Show (yes, it exists) is on ESPNU at 9:00. Again, I encourage all Virginia fans to embrace it. It's our one and only chance to prove that we belonged in the Big Dance over the shitbag Broncos, Blue Raiders, Gaels, and Explorers.
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| Embrace it. |
Selection Show...
...starts in about 5 minutes. Sadly, we were a tournament team through February, but once the calendar turned to March the wheels fell off. As of March 17th, I'd say we have approximately a 10-15% chance at an NCAA Tournament bid.
I'm ready for the NIT, but prepared to be pleasantly surprised if we're invited to the Big Dance.
Either way:
I'm ready for the NIT, but prepared to be pleasantly surprised if we're invited to the Big Dance.
Either way:
GO HOOS!
March 16, 2013
Learning to Embrace the NIT
Okay, yes, yesterday sucked.
And with Ole Miss coming back to beat Mizzou coupled with Maryland's stunning upset over Duke, we probably slid out of "last four in" territory and into the "first four out" or "next four out." (Screw you, Lunardi.) In any case, I'd be shocked to see Virginia in the NCAA Tournament bracket when it is unveiled tomorrow evening.
Yes, I'll be butthurt to see teams like Middle Tennessee State, La Salle, and mother-loving Boise State sneaking into the Big Dance while we are left out, but whatevs. That's March Madness, right? I just hope some of these shitbag mid-majors can give us good basketball games once the tourney action begins.
Meanwhile, we've had a good season. Losses against George Mason, Delaware, the worst Old Dominion team in quarter century, Wake Forest, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Florida State kept it from being a great season. But anytime you win 20 games, including victories at Wisconsin, at Maryland, and home against tourney-bound Tennessee, UNC, NC State, Florida State, Maryland, and Duke, it was a pretty good season.
I think it's important to remember what our expectations were earlier this season. This is what I predicted on December 30th: We get - and stay - on the NCAA Tournament bubble during ACC play. We end up either barely in the tournament or barely out of it. If we're in, we give our first-round opponent a scare, and if we're out, we advance deep into the NIT. Hoofans everywhere deem the season a success. The first part of that pretty much happened, right? Now it's time for the NIT run.
So as we slink off toward that destiny, I think it's important to note that there are really three types of NIT teams:
1) Regular season champions of mid-major conferences who lost in their conference tournaments (they get auto bids to the re-vamped NIT now, FYI), and hit the NIT with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. These teams are usually pretty good, if a little under-talented. They are usually upperclassmen-laden, and play with a dangerous sort of desperation. Think Stony Brook, Long Beach State, Niagara, and Robert Morris.
2) Power conference teams who realistically knew they wouldn't make it to the NCAAT but played hard to stay above .500 and earn a crack at the postseason. These teams are usually flawed, even damningly flawed, but are proud to be playing in the NIT in a rebuilding season. They are usually talented enough in enough key spots to be dangerous in a tournament setting. If one of their studs gets hot, they can beat anyone. (Kinda like us with Joe Harris beating Duke.) Think Arkansas, Stanford, LSU, and Florida State.
3) Teams whose bubbles popped. These are usually the best NIT teams, but finding proper motivation can be an issue. It's hard to get so deflated on Selection Sunday, and then try to bounce back to play an NIT game two or three days later. But if these bubble-burst teams can survive that first game, they have a tendency to rise to the occasion. Most of the time, a bubble-burst team wins the whole shebang in Madison Square Garden. This year's crop of bubble-burst NIT contenders could include: Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Baylor, Iowa, and Arizona State.
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| Click on the pic to enlarge it and take a look at the 2012 NIT Bracket. |
The NIT was re-vamped in 2006. It's no longer the sprawling, all-inclusive 48-team garbage tournament it once was. Now chiseled down to a lean, mean 32 teams, and with the auto-bids I mentioned above coupled with the dawn of parity in college basketball, there is quality in the NIT. There is... not prestige... but a certain level of respect to be earned by performing well in this setting.
I have some questions about Tony Bennett's roster management and ability to properly motivate his team late in the season, in March. I am not alone in leveling those questions at our coach. Playing in the NIT will give him the perfect chance to answer those criticisms. If we do well in the NIT, it's a springboard to next season's inevitable success.
If you're a UVA fan, I encourage you to not look down your nose at the NIT. Remember, we failed to make the postseason - any postseason - in 7 of the last 11 seasons. Take what you get and embrace it, I urge you. Know that brighter days are ahead in 2013-14, but this NIT appearance can be an important part of that narrative.
I'll be watching the Selection Show tomorrow. I'm not expecting us to get in, but I'll be watching. And if we miss out on the Big Dance, I'll be churning the internet for the midnight release of the NIT bracket. Because I think it's an exciting tournament, and a fine place to be playing after a good season that fell short of greatness.
Yep, that's right, NIT Bracketology. It exists.
March 15, 2013
DOA
Welp, that fucking sucked. Happy fucking birthday to me.
Tony Bennett's Offseason To-Do List:
1) Make Joe Harris shoot free throws. No reason he should be missing so many. 90% or bust.
2) Develop at least one vocal on-court leader.
3) Fall out of love with Paul Jesperson.
4) Find a way to build an out-of-conference schedule that is tougher than the OOC schedule version of a wet queef. (A "queef" is a vaginal fart, in case you didn't know.)
5) Petition UVA management to allow Jontel Evans into grad school so he can walk on to the football team and play the sport he should have been playing all along. I don't know how the eligibility issues get resolved or whatever, but MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
6) Do whatever it takes to get the 2013-14 team (which will be absolutely loaded) ready to win in March. Only March matters.
7) Do whatever it takes to get the 2013-14 team (which will be absolutely loaded) ready to win in the ACC Tournament. I'm tired of this shit.
8) 2014 Sweet Sixteen or BUST. (I'm not sure what "BUST" means, but I'm still saying it.)
Okay, I feel a little better. Got some f-bombs out, potshots at Jontel and Jespy, used the word queef. Yep, I feel better.
So now we hang on to our flickering NCAA Tournament dreams by pulling for nothing but chalk in all of the conference tournaments. If you can bear to watch more basketball today (not sure if I can or not), we specifically need:
Tony Bennett's Offseason To-Do List:
1) Make Joe Harris shoot free throws. No reason he should be missing so many. 90% or bust.
2) Develop at least one vocal on-court leader.
3) Fall out of love with Paul Jesperson.
4) Find a way to build an out-of-conference schedule that is tougher than the OOC schedule version of a wet queef. (A "queef" is a vaginal fart, in case you didn't know.)
5) Petition UVA management to allow Jontel Evans into grad school so he can walk on to the football team and play the sport he should have been playing all along. I don't know how the eligibility issues get resolved or whatever, but MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
6) Do whatever it takes to get the 2013-14 team (which will be absolutely loaded) ready to win in March. Only March matters.
7) Do whatever it takes to get the 2013-14 team (which will be absolutely loaded) ready to win in the ACC Tournament. I'm tired of this shit.
8) 2014 Sweet Sixteen or BUST. (I'm not sure what "BUST" means, but I'm still saying it.)
Okay, I feel a little better. Got some f-bombs out, potshots at Jontel and Jespy, used the word queef. Yep, I feel better.
So now we hang on to our flickering NCAA Tournament dreams by pulling for nothing but chalk in all of the conference tournaments. If you can bear to watch more basketball today (not sure if I can or not), we specifically need:
- UTEP over Southern Miss
- Duke over Maryland
- Kansas over Iowa State
- Vanderbilt over Kentucky
- Michigan State over Iowa
- New Mexico over San Diego State
- Mizzou over Ole Miss
- Anything else that is chalk in the conference tourneys
If I don't go seppuku on myself tonight, I'll give you a Bubble Update in the morning. For now, I'm pacing around with the katana in my hand, trying to clear my thoughts while seriously considering hara-kiri.
March 14, 2013
Just noticed my ass...
Oh man, you guys have to check THIS out.
Good lord, man. There's trying too hard, there's really trying too hard, and then there's this.
Good lord, man. There's trying too hard, there's really trying too hard, and then there's this.
Poor Wake
Wake Forest is a basketball school. The ACC is a basketball conference. So it's hard to not feel sorry for Wake's small-yet-rabid fanbase. Hate the stupid tie-dyes as much as you want, but pity the fans of the Demon Deacons for having to endure the disastrous Jeff Bzdelik coaching tenure and Athletic Director Ron Wellman's ultimate hubris in hiring his buddy and then closing out all criticism.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Learn all about it, HERE and HERE. And also HERE.
Look, I don't really give a crap about Wake Forest Basketball. But I do give a crap about the ACC, as a strong ACC is by far the best home for UVA athletics. So I want to use my voice - however small - to support Wake's uprising in the "Fire Bzdelik" and "Fire Wellman" movements.
Wake is a basketball school, and deserves a competent basketball coach to lead its program back to solid footing.
The ACC is a basketball conference, and needs a healthy and potent Wake Forest team in order to be the best it can be, and to put the best product possible on television [and computer] screens.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Learn all about it, HERE and HERE. And also HERE.
Look, I don't really give a crap about Wake Forest Basketball. But I do give a crap about the ACC, as a strong ACC is by far the best home for UVA athletics. So I want to use my voice - however small - to support Wake's uprising in the "Fire Bzdelik" and "Fire Wellman" movements.
Wake is a basketball school, and deserves a competent basketball coach to lead its program back to solid footing.
The ACC is a basketball conference, and needs a healthy and potent Wake Forest team in order to be the best it can be, and to put the best product possible on television [and computer] screens.
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