I thought that they would at least make it out to the elite eights, but I was wrong with that. Doesn't really have me messed up to much because a lot of people had them farther than that.

The difference in the two is, Carmelo had Jim Boeheim as a head coach. Durant has Rick Barnes. That alone should keep you from picking them to go too far.

 

What's this??? Barnes isn't a good coach??? Who would have thought that?

Call it the Carmelo effect.

 

 

Big time!!! I watched Carmelo once in the big east tournament and then picked Syacuse as my sleeper pick in my second bracket that year. I thought about doing the same this year with Texas, but could not see them beating UNC.

What a lot of people IMO dont realize is just how good a zone defense team that Syracuse team was! They were so long. And then another big thing with a zone is they were able to rebound really well out of it.

We all thought that Durant could carry them. But evidently he can only carry them so far.

The Barnes of March deprives us of Durant much too soon

http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/10071626

I still think Carmelo was an aberration (and most certainly not a rule) and I won't "predict" a team led by a FROSH (let alone 2) to go deep into March. Gametime will vouch that this isn't a "hindsight 20/20" situation -- I said this long before the Tourney. While I did think they'd beat USC, I thought that would be the end of the road. They got a very favorable draw in my opinion, and still couldn't get it done.

What a lot of people IMO dont realize is just how good a zone defense team that Syracuse team was! They were so long. And then another big thing with a zone is they were able to rebound really well out of it.

The biggest key to the zone in the tournament was being able to hide and rest Melo a bit while the more experienced players did the dirty work. When looking at Texas early in the season I really thought Mason and James would develop in to better role players and bigger factors in the zone and it just never seemed to click. In turn they had to move Durant out top to force pressure and he was never able to hide and get a blow in game. In the end they played like a bunch of freshman at the worst possible juncture...

The biggest key to the zone in the tournament was being able to hide and rest Melo a bit while the more experienced players did the dirty work. When looking at Texas early in the season I really thought Mason and James would develop in to better role players and bigger factors in the zone and it just never seemed to click. In turn they had to move Durant out top to force pressure and he was never able to hide and get a blow in game. In the end they played like a bunch of freshman at the worst possible juncture...

 

Cuse also had senior role players that understood how good Melo was and took a backseat to him and did the little things. Guys like Dwane. Also, McNamara and the Cuse PF (I forget his name) played out of their minds.

I still think Carmelo was an aberration (and most certainly not a rule) and I won't "predict" a team led by a FROSH (let alone 2) to go deep into March. Gametime will vouch that this isn't a "hindsight 20/20" situation -- I said this long before the Tourney. While I did think they'd beat USC, I thought that would be the end of the road. They got a very favorable draw in my opinion, and still couldn't get it done.

 

Right, but the Carmelo situation was not totally unique. Danny Manning leading KU to the title and Syracuse making a deep run with Jon Wallace were also the starry-eyed images in my head when I took Texas out to the national championship game. IMO, Durant fit the profile of "that type" player -- one who could carry a team all the way with a run of hot play.

Right, but the Carmelo situation was not totally unique. Danny Manning leading KU to the title and Syracuse making a deep run with Jon Wallace were also the starry-eyed images in my head when I took Texas out to the national championship game. IMO, Durant fit the profile of "that type" player -- one who could carry a team all the way with a run of hot play.

 

Right, but you named two seniors leading their teams. Texas was very short on experience.

I had them losing to Florida in the final. I'm dead in the water.