Poll For NCAA Championship Game Tonight

[ramster]

Tell us the team you want to win and the team you think will win

I would love to see a non P5 team win the National Championship but I cannot root for a Big East team

[ramfan85]

I don't want either to win. But, i do want Villanova to lose.

[rhodyrudder]

I watched Sly's team when I was a kid, so I knew the name Jack Kraft, but not much history other than he was the coach. Looking up Villanova's history yesterday, I learned he was one of their greatest coaches. He also played at St Joe. Question for those who were around back then, how did we get him away from Nova? Did they fire him? Somewhat noteworthy is the fact that wikipedia puts his records from Rhody at the end of the bio, but his time here is otherwise not mentioned, nor is any personal info given, i.e. children's names, etc.

[rodfromcranston]

Kraft was 242-96 a Final game, two Elite 8, Sweet 16
and six NCAAs in 13 years. Six NITs when the NIT
meant something.
One losing season, his last one.
He'd kind of outlived his shelf life at Villanova.
When he came here, speculation was, he came here to retire.
The job he did at URI proved otherwise.
URI was one of the best programs in the East, when
Kraft had his heart attack and retired.

[Rhody74]

Kraft was a classy guy. I got to know him a bit when worked for a brief time in the development office and after he retired as coach.

[NYGFan_Section208]

Looking forward to the game...don't care who wins. Dislike UNC, meh on Nova....

[TruePoint]

I hate both teams but it is nice to see a mid-major in the final, I guess.

Why is there no option for "I hope the building catches on fire and every has to evacuate (safely), and no champion will be crowned"?

I won't be watching. Baseball and Better Call Saul for me.

[rambone 78]

So far 15-5 in favor of NC.

Thought it would be closer than that, but I guess the anti-BE sentiment is a factor.

[ramster]

Only 3 out of 20 wanted AND thought Villanova would win.
2 out of 20 wanted Villanova but thought UNC would win so those two are both surprised and happy.

[ramfan85]

I wanted (I guess) UNC but expected Villanova to win.
The good thing about not rooting for either team is that you don't care if the last second shot goes in or not.

[Rhody15]

I hate both teams but it is nice to see a mid-major in the final, I guess.

Why is there no option for "I hope the building catches on fire and every has to evacuate (safely), and no champion will be crowned"?

I won't be watching. Baseball and Better Call Saul for me.

The fact you call Villanova a "mid major" is ignorant and just plain wrong.

So in your ridiculous and wrong logic, UCONN is a mid major too? Gimme a break.

[rodfromcranston]

Also, what real basketball fan missed the final game
to watch something that's "On Demand" anyway?
That was an exciting game with many talented players.

[TruePoint]

I watched the game, I just wasn't happy about doing it. Can't think of two programs I find less interesting.

You and Rhody15 were not picking up the quasi-trolling I was throwing down, huh?

[Rhody15]

I watched the game, I just wasn't happy about doing it. Can't think of two programs I find less interesting.

I'd like to know (as I'm sure others would too) your reasoning behind calling Villanova a mid major...

[TruePoint]

Because I don't like them and I was talking shit...? I'm not really sure what you mean. They're a non-P5 program, is I guess the factual basis for what I said but I'm certainly not seriously comparing them to Belmont.

[woodennickel1]

Because I don't like them and I was talking shit...? I'm not really sure what you mean. They're a non-P5 program, is I guess the factual basis for what I said but I'm certainly not seriously comparing them to Belmont.

The P5 is and should be a football only term. The Big east is a power conference in basketball constantly in the top 3 or 4 conferences in the RPI. Here is a fun fact in only it's third year the NBE has a national championship where as the big 10 has one since 1990.

[TruePoint]

Not sure that I agree. First of all, there is the money - the NBE has a nice TV package but it is not in the same universe as the money that the P5 conferences get from their football deals, so anyone not in a P5 conference is fighting uphill financially. Second, from a prestige factor, with Villanova's win last night the NBE has now won 4 championships. The ACC teams have won 16, the SEC - 11, B1G - 11, the Pac 12 - 16. The Big 12 has only won five, the American has actually won 6. The A10 has won one. You need to know what neighborhood you live in in this life.

[rjsuperfly66]

While factually accurate that the P5 TV contracts are in a different dimension than what the non-P5 schools are earning, what % of that is going towards the basketball program versus the football program? If a P5 school earning $20 million a year is dumping most of that into it's football facilities and program, it's not helping the basketball team unless a recruit sees it as a "big school" feel when they visit on a football weekend. Maybe the teams share a training facility that is "state-of-the-art." But the basketball programs can still hold their own. Teams flying charter on most trips, practice facilities, eventually the rat-race will be on for team dorms like they have in Kentucky. The true blue-bloods may be at a competitive advantage because most of the them have lousy football programs (UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, etc.) and probably invest higher percentages of money back into basketball than other P5 schools, but just because Rutgers or Boston College have huge TV contracts have shown that it doesn't matter if you don't invest in the right coaches and facility upgrades.

[ramster]

Agree. The money thing gets a ton of discussion but lots of teams with lots of money are not in the NCA/tournament.
Money was talked about in a huge way with the big east contract and the A10 is still solidly ranked as the 7th best conference while the big east has dropped to 4th.

[woodennickel1]

Not sure that I agree. First of all, there is the money - the NBE has a nice TV package but it is not in the same universe as the money that the P5 conferences get from their football deals, so anyone not in a P5 conference is fighting uphill financially. Second, from a prestige factor, with Villanova's win last night the NBE has now won 4 championships. The ACC teams have won 16, the SEC - 11, B1G - 11, the Pac 12 - 16. The Big 12 has only won five, the American has actually won 6. The A10 has won one. You need to know what neighborhood you live in in this life.

i am talking about the product on the floor I really don't care about how much money the football conferences are making. Although I do think the Big East will continue to be right there with the football conference despite the money differences they will just need to be more creative. Look at how much the yankees spend every year compared to teams like the royals and rays for instance.

[TruePoint]

I think we can all agree that not all non-P5 programs take a back seat to all P5 programs. Most years the same can be said of the conferences as a whole. But let's not pretend like, all things being equal, there aren't huge advantages for the schools in the P5 conferences. If anything, that undersells the accomplishments of good non-P5 programs and conferences.

[Ramblinrose]

Rod. You're right about Kraft. Excellent coach on the verge of more great things at URI. Had to retire before his time.
Linc ides with the Zarchen mess ...one of the biggest drawbacks to URI hoops. In came Claude and Chuckran. It's in the program ... bad days until Penders. Kraft win ig at Nova and had to endure the Howard Porter mess, not his fault. But a stain on the program.