Final Four - Wichita State vs Louisville/Duke

[Mikovio]

Bradley has a great history and I think they're the sleeping giant in the Valley that's just waiting to wake up. I think Ford will wake them up. Everything is looking like it's going in the right direction for the Braves.

I think BU could become the replacement for CU as one of the top Valley teams. Then any team that's added only has to do what BU has done in their down years to maintain the Valley's overall level of play.

Stop this crap. Far as I know, Bradley's main claim to fame is Chet "The Jet" Walker. Phe-nomenal player.
80 years old.

Then you don't know much. Bradley is one of the 30 winningest programs in the country, and no that's not all the Jet's doing. BU was one of 6 teams invited to the first NIT in 1938, and
-Invited to both the NIT and first NCAA in 1939 (went to NIT, made F4 while an Oregon team they beat won the first NCAA),
-1947 NIT (the more prestigious tournament) Elite 8,
-1949 NIT semis (Final Four),
-1950 final #1 AP ranking and NCAA and NIT title games,
-1954 NCAA title game (lost to Tom Gola-led LaSalle),
-1955 NCAA Elite Eight,
-1957 NIT champions,
-1959 NIT title game,
-1960 NIT champions (#4 in final AP Poll),
-1962 NIT quarters,
-1964 NIT champions,
-1982 NIT champions,
-1986 last undefeated MVC season, NCAA second round (lost to eventual champ Louisville in 2nd round but won 32 games and cracked top 10)
-1988 upset first round by Auburn but Hersey Hawkins won national POY honors en route to #11 ranking
-2006 Sweet 16

That's all leaving aside ordinary conference title seasons with early exits. We have the facilities and we hired away the back to back MAC coach of the year to rebuild the program and are paying him appropriately. Bottom line, BU has more tradition than the non-WSU Valley programs put together and should turn the corner fairly soon.

[Khan4Cats]

Louisville would present a greater challenge in my opinion. However, the way they are playing, the Shockers can beat either team.

Shockers can and should beat Louisville. UNI and ISUr both took them to the wire and had chances to pull it out but didn't. Shocks are playing better than either UNI or ISUr was when they played the Ville. The Ville is very much like the Shockers except they don't shoot it as well. As long as the Shockers handle their pressure, the Shocks take this one.

Duke is a different story but the Shocks are playing well enough to make it a game. The Shocks are better/deeper inside if they can get Plumlee in foul trouble. However, Duke has the outside shooters to play "suburban horse" and cause the Shocks problems. And if the Shocks think UNI or UE or ISUb are teams that flop, wait til they go against the Blue Devils.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Louisville would present a greater challenge in my opinion. However, the way they are playing, the Shockers can beat either team.

Shockers can and should beat Louisville. UNI and ISUr both took them to the wire and had chances to pull it out but didn't. Shocks are playing better than either UNI or ISUr was when they played the Ville. The Ville is very much like the Shockers except they don't shoot it as well. As long as the Shockers handle their pressure, the Shocks take this one.

Duke is a different story but the Shocks are playing well enough to make it a game. The Shocks are better/deeper inside if they can get Plumlee in foul trouble. However, Duke has the outside shooters to play "suburban horse" and cause the Shocks problems. And if the Shocks think UNI or UE or ISUb are teams that flop, wait til they go against the Blue Devils.

The thing is that Louisville is playing so much better right now than they were earlier in the year. I still think WSU can do it, but Louisville is the tougher match up.

[uniftw]

Louisville would present a greater challenge in my opinion. However, the way they are playing, the Shockers can beat either team.

Shockers can and should beat Louisville. UNI and ISUr both took them to the wire and had chances to pull it out but didn't. Shocks are playing better than either UNI or ISUr was when they played the Ville. The Ville is very much like the Shockers except they don't shoot it as well. As long as the Shockers handle their pressure, the Shocks take this one.

Duke is a different story but the Shocks are playing well enough to make it a game. The Shocks are better/deeper inside if they can get Plumlee in foul trouble. However, Duke has the outside shooters to play "suburban horse" and cause the Shocks problems. And if the Shocks think UNI or UE or ISUb are teams that flop, wait til they go against the Blue Devils.

The thing is that Louisville is playing so much better right now than they were earlier in the year. I still think WSU can do it, but Louisville is the tougher match up.

SO much better.

They've now won 14 in a row and 17 of their last 18...only loss being a 5 OT loss to Notre Dame. Only 3 times have they scored less than 59 this year....51 vs UNI (lowest of the season) 51 in a 53-51 loss @ Georgetown and a 58-53 win over Syracuse. Other than that they are averaging a 75-57 score on the season in their favor....

Of their 5 losses this season 3 came in a row to @ Georgetown, @ Nova, and Syracuse


The Shockers are playing great ball right now...but...Louisville just seems like they are on a whole different playing field right now compared to EVERYONE else.

[Shockerfan13]

Yeah Louisville is probably this years champs. I don't see many weaknesses. But in a 40 min game you never know

[uniftw]

Yeah Louisville is probably this years champs. I don't see many weaknesses. But in a 40 min game you never know

Agreed.

I don't bet, but chances are I'd take Louisville and the line, without seeing it, when it opens with the way the are playing.

Anything can happen, and I think the style of defense WSU plays can cause fits for Louisville. The teams they've played that they've "struggled" on offense against (UNI, Georgetown, Cuse, Nova) all play a very stingy hard nose defense....granted the UNI game Louisville didn't have Gourgi. Likely would have made a huge difference.

[UNIFanSince1983]

Yeah Louisville is probably this years champs. I don't see many weaknesses. But in a 40 min game you never know

Agreed.

I don't bet, but chances are I'd take Louisville and the line, without seeing it, when it opens with the way the are playing.

Anything can happen, and I think the style of defense WSU plays can cause fits for Louisville. The teams they've played that they've "struggled" on offense against (UNI, Georgetown, Cuse, Nova) all play a very stingy hard nose defense....granted the UNI game Louisville didn't have Gourgi. Likely would have made a huge difference.

They actually did have Gourgi when they played us. He played 35 minutes actually. I think he got hurt in the next game in the Bahamas which is why he didn't play against Duke.

[uniftw]

I don't know why I don't remember him playing.

He had 6 points, 9 boards, and 3 blocks....but now that I really think back I remember Tuttle playing him pretty well.

I think if we played the Louisville team playing now it would have ended in about a 20-25 points loss.

[xsaluki]

CBS sports survey showed fan voting for next matchup.

Syracuse 54%
Michigan 46%

Louisville 99.8%
Wichita State .2%

Locker room material...

[valleychamp]

The thing is that Louisville is playing so much better right now than they were earlier in the year. I still think WSU can do it, but Louisville is the tougher match up.

Louisville is most certainly a much better team right now than they were in November. But it's also true that both UNI and Ill St were much better teams in March than they were in November as well. Both teams struggled a little bit in the non-conf season and into the first part of MVC play, before really turning it on mid-way through the season.

I think the comparison is still valid.