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Illinois

Maybe KenPom wasn't wrong after all. Many thought Loyola Chicago was an aberration in his algorithm; the thought was a small sample size of games coupled with elite defensive metrics against weaker competition contributed to their top 10 ranking. Yet, if Loyola had been seeded based on KenPom, the Illinois/Loyola game actually would have been a 1 vs. 3 in the regional final. Loyola is not a typical 8 seed. Not at all.

Extremely tough loss for Illinois. I really feel like they're a top 5 team. The same way I felt about Wichita State in 2014. Or Kansas in 2010. Unfortunately for them, it's the results in March that will be scrutinized forever.
 
Extremely tough loss for Illinois.

I agreed with entire post but that. I mean all losses are tough in NCAA I guess, but in context of being a 1 seed, getting handled 1st weekend if I'm an Illinois fan I just move on. If the game was nails I'd take it worse, but they just got owned and that is easier to move on from than controversy or injury or buzzer beater ish.
 
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More wins, More appearances and better winning percentage than the Hawkeyes. Historically. But Loyola put it to us today
 
I agreed with entire post but that. I mean all losses are tough in NCAA I guess, but in context of being a 1 seed, getting handled 1st weekend if I'm an Illinois fan I just move on. If the game was nails I'd take it worse, but they just got owned and that is easier to move on from than controversy or injury or buzzer beater ish.

This is true. Was more thinking it was a tough loss because it's tough when the season ends abruptly - after you've had so much success during the season. Obviously it's tough for anyone to lose in the tournament, was mostly thinking it was disappointing because Illinois had a legitimate Final Four-caliber team. But yes, they got handled pretty convincingly.
 
This is true. Was more thinking it was a tough loss because it's tough when the season ends abruptly - after you've had so much success during the season. Obviously it's tough for anyone to lose in the tournament, was mostly thinking it was disappointing because Illinois had a legitimate Final Four-caliber team. But yes, they got handled pretty convincingly.

I do agree overall yeah, plus it's their best team in a long time. Sure seems like Underwood is a good coach.
 
I'm here to take my lumps. I had to take my last grad school final exam ever yesterday, right after our loss, and it was hard enough to focus on studying, lol ... last thing I needed was to also be abused online! Anyway, wow - what a disappointing loss. It was really frustrating and saddening to see our game plan effectively be "to be more talented than Loyola." Time after time, we would go back to the same stuff that they had scouted excellently, and they made us look like the very inferior TEAM.

Good luck to the Ramblers going forward. Obviously, at least as far as it translates to being a team built for March, Illinois was overrated. And that's really sad after such a great regular season, but it is what it is. :/
 
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Maybe KenPom wasn't wrong after all.
Didn’t he have the B1G as one of the greatest conferences of all time this year? Like half his top 12 were B1G teams before the tournament began. Of course, somehow he’s pulled off the ability to rerank at the end of season and pat himself on the back. Or so it seems.
 
Didn’t he have the B1G as one of the greatest conferences of all time this year? Like half his top 12 were B1G teams before the tournament began. Of course, somehow he’s pulled off the ability to rerank at the end of season and pat himself on the back. Or so it seems.

Yes. Except I was specifically talking about Loyola Chicago. We see aberrations all the time in the NET rankings (i.e. Colgate at #9). Most everyone had skepticism about Loyola's top 10 ranking. Even Pomeroy himself said he wondered how they would actually perform against a team with length or athleticism. A relatively small OOC schedule is what led many to doubt how good Loyola actually was.

Overall though, yes, his rankings weren't as accurate as they usually are. Fewer OOC games led to a larger than normal sampling error. Just looks like Loyola wasn't an anomaly like many suspected.
 
Yes. Except I was specifically talking about Loyola Chicago. We see aberrations all the time in the NET rankings (i.e. Colgate at #9). Most everyone had skepticism about Loyola's top 10 ranking. Even Pomeroy himself said he wondered how they would actually perform against a team with length or athleticism. A relatively small OOC schedule is what led many to doubt how good Loyola actually was.

Overall though, yes, his rankings weren't as accurate as they usually are. Fewer OOC games led to a larger than normal sampling error. Just looks like Loyola wasn't an anomaly like many suspected.


I wish I could find the thread where I said Loyola was criminally underseeded and people were like blah blah blah no they suck. I love a good told you so.
 
Yes. Except I was specifically talking about Loyola Chicago. We see aberrations all the time in the NET rankings (i.e. Colgate at #9). Most everyone had skepticism about Loyola's top 10 ranking. Even Pomeroy himself said he wondered how they would actually perform against a team with length or athleticism. A relatively small OOC schedule is what led many to doubt how good Loyola actually was.

Overall though, yes, his rankings weren't as accurate as they usually are. Fewer OOC games led to a larger than normal sampling error. Just looks like Loyola wasn't an anomaly like many suspected.

It's funny because Loyola was the talking point for everyone who wanted to criticize the rankings. And while the ratings weren't as accurate as they normally are, he appears to be right about Loyola.
 
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Making too much out of it.

Like I said before the game. It is too much like Kansas vs Wichita State.

A motivated team with Final 4 experience vs the home state school.
That game was about respect.

Loyola probably will go out in the next game or in the E8.
The bracket could possibly break their way again. Who knows.
 
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Making too much out of it.

Like I said before the game. It is too much like Kansas vs Wichita State.

A motivated team with Final 4 experience vs the home state school.
That game was about respect.

Loyola probably will go out in the next game or in the E8.
The bracket could possibly break their way again. Who knows.

So what you're saying is Loyola could lose their next game, lose in the elite 8 or win both matchups. I come to rivals for this kind of analysis
 
So what you're saying is Loyola could lose their next game, lose in the elite 8 or win both matchups. I come to rivals for this kind of analysis

No...

Saying that motivation was probably more of a factor than Loyola being a Top 10 caliber team.

We will see.
If they lose to Oregon State it will be based on motivation.

Disrespecting them. Acting like they had no shot.
Messed up thing is that some of that team could feel like they accomplished their goal
 
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Okay....
I told you to wait and see with Juwan. I have seen some questionable decisions already.

He inherited a great program. Let's see if he can maintain it before we start banging our chest.

Just like it takes awhile to build a program it takes awhile to destroy it.

Were you right or wrong about Michigan being a bubble/NIT team this year?
 
Were you right or wrong about Michigan being a bubble/NIT team this year?
Starting to act like Illinois fans...

Guess what...
They weren't anywhere close to being a Final 4 team.

Give it some. Check back with me in 3 years.

Either you can thank me and I will tell you how I knew or I will admit I was wrong.
He still has Beilein's players for the most part right now
 
Starting to act like Illinois fans...

Guess what...
They weren't anywhere close to being a Final 4 team.

Give it some. Check back with me in 3 years.

Either you can thank me and I will tell you how I knew or I will admit I was wrong.
He still has Beilein's players for the most part right now
Since you said it twice, who are the Beilein players still on the team?
 
P-O-T-A-T-O

Decent reaction there....

I know you want to believe as a fan. I get it
But I am not a fan of Michigan so I am completely unbias.
So act like a big boy and handle post you may not agree with or put me on ignore.

Like I said my opinion of Howard has doubts because of things I have seen.

So many examples of coaches who inherited great programs who have won early.

But maintaining it is difficult.
 
Decent reaction there....

I know you want to believe as a fan. I get it
But I am not a fan of Michigan so I am completely unbias.
So act like a big boy and handle post you may not agree with or put me on ignore.

Like I said my opinion of Howard has doubts because of things I have seen.

So many examples of coaches who inherited great programs who have won early.

But maintaining it is difficult.
Laughing Ignore you? Not a chance. You're the dumbest poster on here. Cheap entertainment.
 
Decent reaction there....

I know you want to believe as a fan. I get it
But I am not a fan of Michigan so I am completely unbias.
So act like a big boy and handle post you may not agree with or put me on ignore.

Like I said my opinion of Howard has doubts because of things I have seen.

So many examples of coaches who inherited great programs who have won early.

But maintaining it is difficult.

Come on now. I am not saying Howard is bound for glory, but how can anyone fault him up to now? He has put together a great coaching staff, he has been selective and extremely successful in plugging holes with transfers, and he has the number one recruiting class coming in next season. Michigan was only borderline top 25 preseason. And in his first full season, Howard is in consideration for coach of the year. The talk out of Spartyland now is that he will bolt for the NBA in two years. If that isn't 100% capitulation, I don't know what is.
 
Come on now. I am not saying Howard is bound for glory, but how can anyone fault him up to now? He has put together a great coaching staff, he has been selective and extremely successful in plugging holes with transfers, and he has the number one recruiting class coming in next season. Michigan was only borderline top 25 preseason. And in his first full season, Howard is in consideration for coach of the year. The talk out of Spartyland now is that he will bolt for the NBA in two years. If that isn't 100% capitulation, I don't know what is.

Would be smart of him.
If he did leave for the NBA he would be riding the high.
 
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