UCLA, Oregon State, and... to the Elite 8

[Absolute Zero]

PAC12

 

[Russ Smith]

Yeah I've been on house money since the Mich State win but last night was amazing.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I've been in a March Madness pool with the same group of people for many years and my heart has always influenced my picks. My friends love to mock me because I almost always select a Pac 12 team to win it all and the conference in general to do really well. This year, having paid absolutely no attention to college ball for the first time since I was a little kid, I decided to offset my ignorance by ignoring the Pac 12. It just figures.

Anyway, although it's destroyed my brackets, I'm having a lot of fun watching the Pac schools represent so well.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Yeah I've been on house money since the Mich State win but last night was amazing.

What's fun is listening to the talking heads on sports radio back east trying to explain how they "may have" underestimated the PaC12.... while other conferences have fallen by the wayside.

Sure hope this continues.

I am amazed Oegon State us still in but loving it.

 

[Russ Smith]

What's fun is listening to the talking heads on sports radio back east trying to explain how they "may have" underestimated the PaC12.... while other conferences have fallen by the wayside.

Sure hope this continues.

I am amazed Oegon State us still in but loving it.

Dick Vitale on ESPN literally said he thinks Alabama "beat each other up in practice during the week and had no legs last night."

Oregon State is the story of the tourney, they would not have gotten in without winning the conf tourney, they only won that because UCLA missed a clutch FT and then lost in OT and now they're in the elite 8. The amazing thing with them is every game they have someone who barely played in the regular season come in and play, Callou had 15 in a game, last game a backup guard I'd never heard of played well and another Cameroonian big did too. Just classic example of peaking at the right time.

INteresting note, David Singleton of UCLA and Ethan Thompson of OSU were HS teammates at Bishop Montgomery. They beat a Chino Hills squad that had Melo Ball, Gelo Ball and Okongwu, but not Lonzo ball, on their way to a state title that year.

Love Cronin right after the game he said the kids bailed me out. During the timeout he told Tyger to foul but he thought Oats had "overheard me. I was afraid we were going to get called for a foul on a halfcourt shot." So they didn't foul the guy makes it. And according to Campbell when they huddled before the OT Cronin said that was my fault but forget it, we're going to win this game don't let my mistake cost us.

 

[Dback Jon]

Only one team from east of the Mississippi left

 

[Absolute Zero]

UCLA the sole survivor

Gonzaga will be tough to beat

 

[Russ Smith]

The last part of that game was agonizing. The missed FT by Juzang then Tyger is so worried about not fouling he gives up an open 3 that misses. Then on the rebound Dickinson literally hits Jaylen Clark in the head, clark knocks the ball out of bounds no foul. Then half second left takes an eternity and the shot hits glass and rim.

There's an earlier play where Wagner airballs a 3, Brooks gets the rebound but he had come from out of bounds and wasn't all the way back in, they didn't call that either. Watching that I was like it's just looking bad for us.

What a win, I thought Alabama was the best team we would play all year until we played them. Then I thought Michigan was. Right now I don't think either are any better than USC or Oregon were. Gonzaga is on a whole other level of course. You won't beat Gonzaga shooting 39% and 3-13 from 3. We're going to need great shooting to win.

Juzang's ankle and Bernards injury are going be problematic but at this point house money for me, I didn't expect to get this far so why not win again

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm so pleased for the PAC-12 Conference. UCLA in the Final Four after win over Michigan.

 

[GatorAZ]

The last time UCLA played Gonzaga in the tourney:

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[Russ Smith]

The last time UCLA played Gonzaga in the tourney:

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They actually beat us a few years ago with Sabonis

All the great stuff at the end of that game the one that nobody seems to notice is after Farmar hits Luc for the go ahead layup, Ravio is dribbling upcourt and Luc literally dives headfirst and slides to take the ball away from him setting up the Ft's for Afflalo. It's an absolutely amazing play.

in the win over Michigan there's a play where Jaquez dives and then literally crawls on his stomach to get the ball, every UCLA fan that saw that immediately flashed to the Luc play against the Zags.

 

[GatorAZ]

 

[Lefty]

That was an unbelievable game. What a gut-wrenching loss for UCLA. I would be so sick if the UofA lost a Final Four game like that, especially how well the Bruins played.

 

[Cheesebeef]

WOW

 

[Absolute Zero]

Unbelievable ending. UCLA was impressive

 

[Russ Smith]

yeah tough way to lose but so proud of this team they played their hearts out.

 

[GatorAZ]

yeah tough way to lose but so proud of this team they played their hearts out.

It will be interesting to see who comes back. UK fans must be on suicide watch after watching Juzang this year.

 

[Russ Smith]

It will be interesting to see who comes back. UK fans must be on suicide watch after watching Juzang this year.

Early but the current thinking is Juzang and Jaquez test the draft, Jaime probably stays at UCLA, Johnny really depends on first round or not. There's talk Riley is considering coming back but nobody knows.

So the best case scenario is everyone comes back but Hill and probably Smith, they bring in Watson and McClendon and a grad transfer, Myles Johnson from Rutgers name comes up often. I think that team is definitely preseason top 5.

Second best case scenario is Johnny goes pro but is replaced by Jaden Hardy, again preseason top 5.

Next base Johnny gone, Hardy G League and they get another transfer, unknown still really good team top 5 likely.

"worst" case scenario seems to be both Johnny and Jaime go but seems very unlikely they both go.