Cornell NCAA Basketball

[srg1]

ESPN bracketologist calling Ryan Wittman "Randy Wittman" in predicting our loss to Temple.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5000089

[Al DeFlorio]

Earlier today on Seth Davis's blog: "Cornell's performance was Sharpie-riffic. They have been unguardable these first two games. Will be fun game in Sweet 16 vs UK."

[Rita]

Something else working in Cornell's favor is that they have played in the Carrier Dome thus should be familiar with the lighting and the baskets.

One thing that you often see in the NC$$ tournament games at neutral site venues and venues that usually do not host basketball games is poor shooting, at least in the first half. It often takes the teams the better part of the first half to feel comfortable with the lighting and the bounce off the rims etc.

LGR!

[ugarte]

ESPN noted that the home court advantage may not be as good as we were hoping: Kentucky travels insanely well and they had a day to buy tickets before the Wisconsin game. Booooooooooooo!

[Jacob '06]

ESPN noted that the home court advantage may not be as good as we were hoping: Kentucky travels insanely well and they had a day to buy tickets before the Wisconsin game. Booooooooooooo!

I was watching the tickets on stubhub for about an hour after our game ended. The cheapest went from 68 bucks to 99 bucks in that time. This could have also been influenced by the WVU game ending around the same time though.

[YankeeLobo]

n/m

[nr53]

My housemate is a Wisconsin Alum. He refers to '06 as "a very good hockey year". We have a 6-pack bet on tomorrow's outcome. So much riding on this game! ::drunk::

Mmm... free beer :-D

[Redscore]

They'll need some bigtime luck if they're going to beat Kentucky.  I think Temple and Wisconsin were ideal matchups from the standpoint of team athleticism.  Kentucky has 4 NBA lottery picks on their team and they have great guards which hurt Cornell in their losses to Cuse and Seton Hall.

I guess it's remotely possible, but it would undoubtedly be the biggest upset in NCAA history.

I disagree with none of this except the sad-sack demeanor and "biggest upset." It won't even be the biggest upset in the tournament - that would be Ohio over Georgetown - much less the biggest upset in history. (Richmond over Syracuse? Hampton over Iowa State?)

I call it the biggest upset because 1)  Kentucky was the #1 team or around the top 3 in the NCAA for the entire year, 2) they have a team of at least 4 NBA lottery picks, Cornell has none, 3) Cornell is a 12 seed, Kentucky is a 1 seed, 4) it's a Sweet 16 game, so it carries more weight than your average 2/15, 1/16 meeting in the first round.  I could keep going, but I won't.  If Cornell wins, it will go down as one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history, maybe not the biggest, but one of them.  They might have to make a movie about it.

Considering they already played with Kansas earlier in the year, and Kansas was a higher seed than Kentucky, I don't think it is remotely out of line to think Cornell can also play with Kentucky.  With the right bounces and some good shooting, I think it is very reasonable to think the Big Red can beat the Big Blue.  

For some reason, you insist on being completely negative in every one of your posts.  You gave them no chance against either of the teams they just dominated, so I don't expect you to give them a chance now.

Even you might think Cornell would do well against your Lobos now.  Maybe this is why you are exhibiting such an insecurity complex.

Awesome to just bask in this team's success.  Can't be spoiled by anything now.  Not even this guy Yankee Lobo who keeps showing he that knows less than nothing about this year's basketball field.  Remember these beauties, among a lot of others.  It must be hard to post with both your feet in your mouth.

When Cornell got Temple
"Terrible Matchup"
Yup - that's just what it was, a terrible matchup.

And then this one
"Temple's not going to overlook us, so we're going to get one of their better games. It'll be close but I don't think Cornell should be considered one of those more dangerous 12 seeds. Temple has the talent to dominate this game. Bilas is talking up Cornell, but he's also talking up Northern Iowa who I've seen play multiple times and really isn't that good."
Yup - Northern Iowa really is not that good.

Ands what's with with the "us" and "we".  We get it - you haven't liked Cornell (and Northern Iowa) to do anything in this tournament.  We get it.

[Al DeFlorio]

Here's the complete transcript of the post-game press conference from Sunday: http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/032110CornellWiscoQuotes

It's really worth going to the end and reading the Wisconsin coach's comments about the Cornell team, about Donahue, and about Donahue's comments regarding Noel.

[redGrinch]

It'd be nice if the NCAA's transcription service didn't invert our C logo....

[scoop85]

So, how are they going to work this magical run into an episode of The Office?

[Weingarm]

You guys should read some of the Kentucky online forum comments at CatsPause.com  There are some respectful comments on there, but there's also quite a few of self confidence over-indulgence (which is putting it politely).

Here's just a sample:

"Cornell owns a recent win over Wisconsin, and I give them full credit for that. And I also give them credit for getting better over the course of the season.

I am not worried at all about winning this game. Our speed will dazzle Cornell, and they won't know what hit them. I look for a 20-30 point blowout in this game."

AND

"I'll put it to you this way...I refuse to be worried about freaking Cornell!!! All I know is our season is not ending to them! Come on guys we're better than this. No way in hell we are losing this game. Worry about WVU or Duke beating us, but Cornell?! Come on! We are Kentucky and we're playing like Kentucky. They don't have a prayer!"

AND

"If UK was playing Cornell in Chess I would give the edge to them, but in baskeball I say the Cats roll."

AND

"Cornell, a team full of slow, unathletic white guys are giddy over beating a team(Wisconsin) that plays the slowest form of basketball known to man kind, even slower than Tubby Ball. That matchup fit into their hands PERFECTLY. Can't wait to see the slow stiffs try to run with our Thoroughbreds."

[phillysportsfan]

The Kentucky fans on their scout.com forum said that catspause is a bad pretty bad representation of their fan group, that is where all the jackasses go, although I think of all Kentucky fans as jackasses

[Weingarm]

I almost forgot to include these pearls (from CatsPause.com)

"This game will be a beat down. Cal has these guys really focused and
playing great.Our defense will smother them and their missed 3 pointers
will lead to dunks. Thanks for coming Cornell, just keep the bus running
and enjoy the ride home. GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!"

AND

"Cornell can have all the bulletin board material they want; they don't have a chance in hell of winning."

AND

"Guys how can this Kentucky team lose?"

[Jordan 04]

I don't think it's overconfidence to believe that Kentucky will handle Cornell easily. Kentucky has an unbelievable amount of talent on their roster.