MentschTrachtGottLacht

Lose money on arena / staffing vs tickets. Clients are ticked you have to cover everything. Game is usually half-full. Not worth the effort to scramble and sell tickets, complete pain for ticket staff. Coaches like getting their teams away from distractions at home after missing out on Tourney. All are reasons that schools have pondered when passing on hosting. I will add, I thought UL's crowd was great tonight. Smaller, obviously, but got into it and were great.

Actually, it is quite common for schools to agree to play but pass on hosting.

Again, take the travel money and hit the road.

What I don't understand is why they'd agree to be a host. I sort of understand the AD checking the box that his team would accept an NIT bid (apparently, with little to no conversation with his coach / team administrator), but what I don't get is why they'd agree to host. Forgetting any financial implications that may or may not arise from a 1/3rd full building, I'm surprised UL would want the optics of their men's team playing in front of an empty building, or, even worse, the other team having as many fans in attendance. If you wanted to play, fine, but just tell the NCAA you can only be considered to hit the road.

This thread is high comedy. This game will be determined in two places: * Davidson's three-point line. They are one of the best perimeter shooting teams in America facing off with one of the best perimeter defending teams in America. If Davidson shoots 35%+ from the arc, they are in the game. * The glass. Can Davidson keep UK off the offensive glass and limit 2nd and 3rd chances for the Cats? UK gets 35% of their misses back, one of the best percentages in America; Davidson only let's their opponents get 23% of their misses back, also, one of the best percentages in the country. Two teams whose strengths match up with something their opponent does a nice of defending. Davidson actually has decent size for a non power conference team, but they have very little depth. I fully expect UK to win the game, but these running-clock / 30 / No chance / as many as they want predictions are over-the-top. This will be a game, and if Davidson can create and knock-down open looks from deep, it will keep all of you very interested late into the contest.

Deleted -- reading comprehension.

We were in Boise in 2009, it is a great place, very cool, awesome atmosphere around Taco Bell and the Blue Football Field, and a gorgeous cross atop a mountain overlooking the city. Enjoy the high desert.

Clock strikes midnight for Alabama tomorrow. A shame that UK doesn't get a chance for another really good win with Auburn going down.

Is that where Joe's Older Than Dirt used to be?

@theguru He is the man at ping pong, and for me, his word on this will be the definitive answer.

Ross Neltner, 2003, holding on line 2.

Really? M'kay.... [TABLE=class: inline-left, width: 630] [TR] [TH=align: center]SEED[/TH] [TH=align: center]FINAL FOUR[/TH] [TH=align: center]CHAMP. GAME[/TH] [TH=align: center]NATIONAL CHAMP.[/TH] [/TR] [TR] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]54[/TD] [TD]32[/TD] [TD]20[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]28[/TD] [TD]12[/TD] [TD]5[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]15[/TD] [TD]10[/TD] [TD]4[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]4[/TD] [TD]13[/TD] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]5[/TD] [TD]6[/TD] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]6[/TD] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]7[/TD] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]8[/TD] [TD]5[/TD] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]9[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]10[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]11[/TD] [TD]3[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]12[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]13[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]14[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]15[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [TR=bgcolor: #EDEDED] [TD]16[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Data since 1985.

*nods*

Co-sign.

What? Why would they change their game time?

This one, in my opinion, has the potential to get lopsided. John Hardin moves on.

Maybe my favorite first round game -- and I think the Camels finally get into the Elite 8! Tandy will certainly get his, but I expect Clos and Day to make him work for everyone one of them.

Another potential competitive first-round game -- and I think Warren Central ultimately wins a game by about 6-10. Southwestern certainly comes in playing very well, having just won a very solid 12th Region.

*eyeroll* Not buying it, my good friend.

Tops have a great chance to get to the Dance and play in a gym with only one floor -- just keeping taking things one game at a time.

I think the only thing that keeps Fern Creek from winning in one-way traffic in this game is allowing themselves to look ahead to a potential match-up with CovCath in the 2nd Round (and the same can be said for the Colonels if they are caught peeking ahead to Fern Creek). If they are focused for this one, I think it is a double digit margin the entire 2nd half.

I think this is one of the best 1st Round games -- and by extension, one of the hardest to figure. Oldham County was playing great basketball during the Holidays, and has the potential to really click. McCracken County survived the gauntlet this year in Region 1 and came out as the last team standing. I think if both teams played their level-best, Oldham would win a very close game, but as we know with 15-18 year olds on a stage like Rupp, getting the absolute best out of both teams is asking a ton. I think this will be a great game, close and hard-fought, and I'm going to take McCracken County in a close game (4-6).

@Letsgetit calling for the upset -- I love it. Should be fun. Apollo is certainly playing well, and as was said accurately, Rupp can do strange things to players and teams.

If it is close, I certainly will be (surprised).

I would rank UL over ND, and I'd have each in. Not sure everyone in the committee room will agree with me, but they'd both be in my field.