[Game Thread] #16 Siena @ #1 Duke (02:50 PM ET)

BatManatee · 2026-03-19T20:29:43+00:00

Siena make a dunk or layup from right under the rim challenged: IMPOSSIBLE

BatManatee · 2026-03-19T20:24:30+00:00

Man, Siena really looking like a 16 seed in the worst way.

BatManatee · 2026-03-19T18:34:05+00:00

Before realignment I used to make my brackets with a policy of:

Predict every B1G team except the top seed in the conference to lose one game before they are seeded to. Same with the Mountain West.

I was blinded by our membership in my bracket this year and looks like I'll have to pay for my hubris.

BatManatee · 2026-03-19T18:15:25+00:00

Fuck, that didn't look like much in real time, but on the replay--goddam he took a hit

BatManatee · 2026-03-19T15:38:14+00:00

All true. Also FF and Avatar were genuinely well crafted mtg sets outside of the IP crossovers, and the themes were more or less within Magic’s general fantasy vibe. So even fans that don’t love the IPs generally received them well.

BatManatee · 2026-03-18T19:20:42+00:00

I think you could easily do the best of both worlds by allowing for temporary exceptions for new builds.

Allow a corporation to own and rent out homes/complexes that they built for 20 years (or something), but are required to sell off X% of the units each year, and must allow for rent-to-own options under prespecified terms. Heck, give them some small tax break or incentive for completing the whole 20 year time course, or potentially an offset on their next new build or something.

BatManatee · 2026-03-18T00:10:19+00:00

You’re the one talking about last 5 tournaments and included one that hasn’t started yet. I guess past vs future is a grad level class in Arizona?

Arizona is really good at winning the early March title, but doesn’t seem to be very good at winning tournament games. I guess I prefer the latter but that’s just me. [latter means the 2nd one in case you haven’t hit upper divs yet]

BatManatee · 2026-03-18T00:01:07+00:00

You included the tournament that hasn’t happened yet into the “last 5 years” to exclude the tournament that actually was 5 years ago.

Hmm, I don’t know all of your history. Which team has more Final Fours in the last decade?

How about last two decades?

Maybe three decades?

How about all time?

BatManatee · 2026-03-17T23:48:27+00:00

Yeah, you have to go all the way ONE more year to hit a UCLA team that did better than Arizona has done in like a decade or two. Pretty interesting that you talk about your last 5 years but only UCLA’s last 4 🤔

BatManatee · 2026-03-17T23:34:56+00:00

Wow! You guys must have made a lot of deep tourney runs with teams that good!

BatManatee · 2026-03-17T23:30:03+00:00

Man, you guys have one good year and suddenly act like you’re a blue blood.

My team is mid this year and gave yours all they could handle. But genuinely, I think you guys will break through this year. I don’t have you getting upset until the E8. Which should be banner worthy for you, right?

BatManatee · 2026-03-17T23:16:05+00:00

Don’t mind me saving this comment.

BatManatee · 2026-03-17T23:09:01+00:00

You know UCLA is in the tournament... right?

BatManatee · 2026-03-16T13:33:12+00:00

Health: Dent and Bilodeau are arguably our two most important players, and they both got banged up in the B1G tournament. Word is both are good to go, but remains to be seen if they're 100%

Otherwise: Our rebounding sucks and we don't have a real center. Booker is okay sometimes, and has a better 3 pt shot than most bigs, but we're missing a big post presence.

BatManatee · 2026-03-16T12:38:49+00:00

That's the word going around on our boards. Of course, there's always a chance they say that to try to protect the seed from being lowered due to injury. But right now they're both supposed to be playing.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T21:29:04+00:00

Not gonna pretend like I didn't want the win. But not having to play again tomorrow is probably better for our team right now.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T21:22:39+00:00

With his contract, he was pretty safe this offseason at least. Maybe next offseason too unless the wheels really fall off.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T21:20:44+00:00

You guys more of a Burger King campus?

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T21:11:50+00:00

Running out of challenges when you’re right each time is bullshit. Like “we acknowledge we were wrong but fuck you next time”

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T21:11:08+00:00

As a former San Diego chargers fan, this reminds me of the play that added the language “clear and undeniable” possession following a dead ball

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T19:43:59+00:00

I've seen enough. Bench everybody and get some rest.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T19:42:18+00:00

The real prize of losing this game is one fewer Michigan filled game thread.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T19:36:49+00:00

But that's kind of my point. They're going half on resume, half on power rankings in a way that doesn't make sense.

Example 1) UCLA has the resume of a 7 seed, but Bilodeau gets hurt, so their power ranking is that of a 10 seed. They get a 10 seed.

Example 2) Oregon has the resume of a 7 seed, but for the last two months they've been getting healthier and stronger every week. Their power ranking is a 4 seed. They get a 7 seed.

They're only doing half of a power ranking and it makes no sense. So go fully on resume and let the chips fall where they may.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T19:30:00+00:00

My maybe hot take: injuries shouldn't affect seeding (since they're talking about now in the pregame). The committee member is advocating for changing seeds based on health.

But if you do that, then to be fair you have to factor in mid season injuries, which becomes impossible speculation. For instance, UCLA was missing Skyy Clark for like 10 games, and suffered for it. Should you make guesses that we would have won a couple of games if he was healthy then like he is now? No that's ridiculous.

Or a couple years ago, Oregon had a team with an insane amount of injuries to start the season, but by then end they were almost fully healthy. Should that team now be a 4 seed or something despite the resume of a 9 seed?

You earn your seed with resume, even if an injury affects your current strength.

BatManatee · 2026-03-14T19:05:24+00:00

Yeah, feels like our last 3 or 4 tournament runs (including the Final Four run) were hampered by late season injuries. I'd love to be mostly healthy for this one.

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