BuzzerBeater Forums

I'm pulling for Houston since that's where I'm from
& they have such a solid program these days.
Their defense is A++.
Also pulling for Texas, but only one of them can advance since they're in the same region.

But Gonzaga is always a threat and I could see Tennessee or UCLA winning it all too.

I think whoever wins the right side of the bracket will win it all since those two regions are so stacked right now up and down the list. The left side is where the underdogs keep sneaking through.

Last edited by ascent at 3/20/2023 4:37:48 AM

I actually did a couple of brackets - I don't pay much attention to college ball just because I don't have a strong affinity with any particular school, though my alma matter was actually in (lost to Kansas St in round one). My final four for my best bracket (I filled out three) is:
Houston
UCLA

Alabama
Tennessee

I'd picked Arizona for my first bracket and UCLA in my 2nd. I've got Houston winning in my third bracket. I actually did a women's bracket too and it's going pretty well so far, but losing both Stanford and Iowa State hurt. I had LSU, Iowa State, South Carolina and Iowa in the final four with Caitlin Clark winning the 'ship for Iowa.

Day 11 (Saturday 18 March 2023) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)

Night results
209’s MostWanted 76 - Żubr Białystok 104
Flamin' Flamingos 73 - Miami Cleo 90
Lion Rebels 58 - The White Walkers 84
Carolina Rebels 132 - Cincinnati Slammers 38
Philly Dribble 121 - The Beer Bellys 100
San Dominica Warriors 106 - Tasty Tardsicles 94
Linndale 101 - Hustlas 86
Fondy Cardinals 118 - STG on MCU 104

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 132 : Carolina Rebels
Rebounds : 75 : Carolina Rebels
Assists : 28 : Carolina Rebels, Fondy Cardinals
Steals : 13 : The White Walkers
Block Shots : 13 : Carolina Rebels

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 35 : N. Williams (Hustlas)
Rebounds : 22 : G. Locus (Miami Cleo)
Assists : 7 : T. Tovar (Linndale), Y. Georgoulis (The Beer Bellys), M. Anwander (Fondy Cardinals), J. Muñoz (Fondy Cardinals)
Steals : 4 : L. Arevalo (Carolina Rebels), J. Muñoz (Fondy Cardinals)
Block Shots : 4 : P. Cheatle (Miami Cleo), D. Allen (Carolina Rebels)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : J. Muñoz (Fondy Cardinals) (22 Points, 4 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 4 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 28
Shooting Guard : B. Buijtels (Carolina Rebels) (31 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 31
Small Forward : L. Arevalo (Carolina Rebels) (30 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 4 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 41
Power Forward : M. Anwander (Fondy Cardinals) (24 Points, 16 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 39
Center : G. Locus (Miami Cleo) (18 Points, 22 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 0 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 34

MVP of the evening
L. Arevalo (Carolina Rebels) (30 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 4 Steals, 2 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 41

The bad performance of the evening
U. Barbarossa (Cincinnati Slammers) (0 Points, 10 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : -13

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : A. San Miguel (STG on MCU), T. Kuykendall (Lion Rebels), M. Stott (Lion Rebels) : 6 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : B. George (Carolina Rebels), L. Baião (San Dominica Warriors), C. Wui Kwong (Tasty Tardsicles), D. Conaghan (Tasty Tardsicles), A. San Miguel (STG on MCU), A. Fornos (The White Walkers), R. Dargels (The White Walkers), G. Kostezer (Fondy Cardinals), Z. Carr (Cincinnati Slammers), D. Christopher (Cincinnati Slammers), U. Barbarossa (Cincinnati Slammers) : 5 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : G. Locus (Miami Cleo), K. Brown (Lion Rebels), S. Hatch (Żubr Białystok), R. Ainsworth (Cincinnati Slammers), B. Rivas (Cincinnati Slammers), Z. Carr (Cincinnati Slammers), D. Christopher (Cincinnati Slammers), U. Barbarossa (Cincinnati Slammers) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : P. Fasselli (Philly Dribble), L. Baião (San Dominica Warriors), À. Casadevall (STG on MCU) : 5 Three points

The best performer : V. Papageorgiou (The White Walkers) : Rating : 18.5

The worst performer : Z. Carr (Cincinnati Slammers) : Rating : 2.0

“Happy Ourer with Marshall Richards here with your Linndale Basketball Pre Game show, and I have to say, our colleague Air Allnite made quite the controversial statement in his state of the team report!”

“Happy, I gotta tell you, there was some truth to it, a lot of controversy to it, and a lot of pissed off people associated with the team. The problem is that some folks are ill-equipped to handle the truth when they hear it, but what he said can’t be substantiated in a public ready and public facing manner. As a former player, I can tell you that you never truly know how a team feels about you until it’s contract time. At the end of the day it’s a business and us players are mere commodities.”

“Marshall, we’ll discuss that later in the show. Right now, let’s talk about some on the court basketball action. Air Allnite’s scathing view of the team came after a Linndale 101-86 victory on the road where Linndale was up by 30 at the end of 3. Daniil Kamp led the way for the good guys with 20 points, but the story of the game was the debut of Floyd Hearn. Playing 28 minutes, at power forward, he produced 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.”

“It was a solid debut for Hearn, but Happy, I think the bigger deal is that it was easily the most balanced game we’ve seen this season. Was it a perfect game? No, but what stood out to me was the way the team said ‘we’re coming inside; stop us if you can’. The top 5 scorers for Linndale were all front court players, and no guard scored double figures. Kyle Knowles scored 8 points and they won; did you think you‘d be able to say that at any time this season? That’s both impressive and scary; what does this team look like when both Hearn and Knowles have their A games going?”

“It’s going to be interesting to find out, Marshall. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a glimpse of that tonight. For more on tonight’s game let’s go court side to Air Allnite.”

“Thanks, Happy! It is indeed going to be an interesting night. First, though, some notes. Rookie Rolland Reynolds appears to have undergone a position change and is now listed as a small forward. There are rumors that there are lineup changes coming for tonight’s game, but I have not been able to confirm anything yet. I think most people were quite surprised by Ramon Sanz Garcaa’s lack of production Saturday night. I don’t think anyone expected 10 points out of him, but the 6 boards were disappointing even in his limited time. If there’s a change, I’d expect it there. Harrison Mann and Nick Guevara both bring a different element to the lineup, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Guevara starts. I think their games will mesh well together. Look for Sanz Garcaa to anchor the second unit with Mann next to him. I expect that situation to be fluid, due to Mann’s inconsistency and Balthasar Gebhardt Datler’s sheer relentlessness. Datler has consistently played well whenever he’s on the court.”

“Air, Marshall here. Have you heard anything about the guards? I can’t believe they expect to win another game without a guard scoring double digits.”

“Marshall, I spoke with an assistant about that and I was told that while Petriukstis hasn’t been scoring, they will continue to run him out there because his defense has been what they thought it would be and say his internal metrics show he’s playing better each week. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but they like what’s he’s bringing right now. They’re not worried about Kyle Knowles or Trenton Tovar at all, Nguyen needs time to develop, and they think the three guard rotation they have playing the majority of minutes there puts less pressure on him and makes it easier to learn and develop. I was also told that they think Petriukstis is close to breaking out of his offensive rut.”

“Thanks, Air. We’ll be back with more pregame show after a word from our sponsors.”

Day 12 (Tuesday 21 March 2023) : Performances by (https://www.buzzer-manager.com)
I'm sure we're all gonna have to hear about Tovar's brilliant performance last night...

Night results
Miami Cleo 77 - 209’s MostWanted 85
The White Walkers 83 - Flamin' Flamingos 70
Cincinnati Slammers 68 - Lion Rebels 109
The Beer Bellys 85 - Carolina Rebels 97
Tasty Tardsicles 89 - Philly Dribble 109
Hustlas 38 - San Dominica Warriors 107
STG on MCU 89 - Linndale 130
Żubr Białystok 113 - Fondy Cardinals 87

Best collective performance of the evening
Points : 130 : Linndale
Rebounds : 71 : San Dominica Warriors
Assists : 33 : San Dominica Warriors
Steals : 12 : Lion Rebels
Block Shots : 9 : San Dominica Warriors

Personal best performances of the evening
Points : 30 : T. Tovar (Linndale)
Rebounds : 23 : A. Gallucci (Miami Cleo)
Assists : 9 : T. Begley (Carolina Rebels)
Steals : 4 : M. Maurin (Miami Cleo), D. Wagner (Cincinnati Slammers)
Block Shots : 5 : N. Peretz (Żubr Białystok)

Top 5 of the evening
Point Guard : M. Velasco (Philly Dribble) (13 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots), H. Quindós (Żubr Białystok) (19 Points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 2 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 17
Shooting Guard : T. Tovar (Linndale) (30 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 0 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 32
Small Forward : D. Kamp (Linndale) (28 Points, 5 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 32
Power Forward : I. Homs (The Beer Bellys) (18 Points, 17 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 1 Steals, 3 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 30
Center : A. Gallucci (Miami Cleo) (19 Points, 23 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots), B. Pimentel (Philly Dribble) (20 Points, 14 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 33

MVP of the evening
A. Gallucci (Miami Cleo) (19 Points, 23 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 0 Steals, 1 Block Shots), B. Pimentel (Philly Dribble) (20 Points, 14 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steals, 0 Block Shots) : Efficiency : 33

The bad performance of the evening
F. González (Cincinnati Slammers) (6 Points, 0 Rebounds, 0 Assists, 1 Steals, 0 Block Shots), : Efficiency : -6

All kinds of statistics
The player who forgot to remove his mittens : A. San Miguel (STG on MCU) : 6 Turnovers

Player targeted by the referees : B. Öc (STG on MCU) : 6 Personnal Fouls

The iron-man : A. Gallucci (Miami Cleo), T. Plummer (Carolina Rebels), S. Hollins (Lion Rebels), H. Quindós (Żubr Białystok), P. Stevens (Cincinnati Slammers) : 48 Minutes

The shooter : T. Tovar (Linndale) : 5 Three points

The best performer : T. Armstead (Lion Rebels) : Rating : 18.5

The worst performer : T. Lang (Fondy Cardinals) : Rating : 4.0

*Baine, you know this!!! Now, to the post game report!*

Happy Ourer: “Saturday night,, not a single guard scored 10 points or more in a win over Hustlas. Last night, the lone guard who didn’t only played 10 minutes. What a difference playing style makes. Saturday night, the team said “we’re going inside, stop us if you can”. Last night, it was “make it rain”, and they did to the tune of 18 for 35 from the three point line ina 130 to 89 win over STG on MCU. Led by Trenton Tovar and his 30 points off the bench, Linndale got off to a slow start, but would turn it on in the 2nd quarter to lead by 25 at the half. Daniil Kamp would score in double figures with 28, with, with Art Reese (16), Kyle Knowles (15), and Mantas Petriukstis (13) rounding out those in double figures.”

Marshall Richads: “Well, it looks like the team saw an opportunity to run and took it. This is not likely to be the norm, as they are still trying to get accustomed to playing with Floyd Hearn, who only had 5 points but collected 10 rebounds, Garcaa had 13, Guevara had 9, surprisingly Trenton Tovar had 8, and Datler grabbed 5 in just 3 minutes of court time. I think it safe to say rebounding, a huge weakness, has been addressed.”

HO: “I know it’s a very small sample size, but it appears that Daniil Kamp has really responded to playing with Floyd Hearn. He’s followed up his 20 point game Saturday night with a season high 28 point performance tonight. Let’s see if he can keep this up. Meanwhie, it’s time for a new segment called Pros and Cons. Give us the pros, Marshall!””

MR: “The pros tonight were Trenton Tovar, Daniil Kamp, Art Reese, Mantas Petriukstis, Floyd Hearn, Ramon Sanz Garcaa, and I’m gonna put Balthasar Gebhardt Datler in there as well. Gotta give him some love just because he’s kept his head down, worked his butt off, and he’s seeing some results. That’s always encouraging. The board work was solid but if you said Trenton Tovar would grab 8, you’re not a very good liar. His game high 30 points off the bench included a perfect 5 of 5 from deep. I guess that’s why they call him Shooter! Kamp was 4 of 6 from deep, and to prove they had it working, both Art Reese and Mantas Petriukstis, had it going with 3 of 6 each from deep. Air, what do you have for cons?”

AA: “The cons tonight were Nick Guevara, Harrison Mann, and I’m gonna throw Kyle Knowles in there for his putrid 7 of 21 from the field. Floyd Hearn has to be there also; how does he only get 7 shot attempts? 5 points for 100+ k salary? That’s on Pio Reina, so I’m definitely putting the coach with the cons. You know what else gets a con? The lack of aggressiveness with only 10 free throws the entire game, and only 22 assists. Where’s the ball movement? 5 assists from Kamp is nice, but that should never lead the team for a game if no one else has more than 3, and it’s embarrassing that a big had 3 and no one else aside from Kamp. The fans might be happy with this game, but the fans are nothing more than idiots at this point. They’re too dumb to know they deserve better. Listen, they don’t play well on tv, they’ve had a garbage run in cup play, their rival consistently beats them like a drum, and nobody knows these guys. I am not a believer in this team and you shouldn’t be either. You’re foolish if you do. This entire organization is a con!”

HO: “That’s it for Pros and Cons. We’ll be back after the commercial break, when Air Allnite will tell us how he really feels about this basketball team...”

Last edited by Speedtraps at 3/22/2023 1:23:33 PM

Bobby Sparks was in the office, fuming. He picks up the phone. "John Walton, Luke Kerry, in my office, NOW!" He slams the phone down. He takes a deep breath then picks the phone up again, "Mark York, in my office, now." In 5 minutes, Bobby Sparks had all three men in his office.

"What the hell am I seeing out on the court? We are 2-10. Some of the game shape of our players is inept. They can't perform on inept game shape!" Shouted Bobby.

"Mark, we had money, you went after players, we struck out, about 8 to 9 players. We got no one. You have one more chance coming up this Saturday and Sunday. If we get no one, then pack your bags. As General Manager, I expect results. And right now you've given me nothing. If I get nothing this weekend, you're done. Now, leave me with these two." He leaves and Bobby is left with John and Luke.

"Luke, we gave you control of the offense, you selecting what offense we will run. You selected Low Post in the last game, the worse possible decision. We scored only 38 points and had our worst loss in seasons. You're fired. Leave, or I will have security escort you out." Luke tried to say something but Bobby put up his hand, silencing him. Luke stood, turned, and left the office.

"John, we go back a ways, but if this team does not improve, I will have to let you go. Get me some wins, get me something respectable. Or else your job will be done as well. I don't want to do that John. But that last game was horrible. We are bottom feeding. Do something. Or else, when we demote, you will not be with us."

John Walton nods his head. "I'll do my best," he says.

"Do better, John. Do better."

“Happy Ourer here on WINO Radio and your Linndale Radio Basketball Network with one of my television broadcast partners, Air Allnite. Air, thanks for joining us.”

“It’s my pleasure, Happy.”

“Air, let’s get right to it. You’ve been highly critical of every facet of the organization, from the owner to the water boys and everything in between. Even the fans haven’t been spared. Why?”

“Your GM is in over his head, and the owner facilitates it. You had 2 good point guards in Bobby Coenen nnd Paul Lutz, and got rid of them without even a candidate on roster to replace them. You’re hoping that Trenton Tovar, who’s vastly overrated by the way, and Mantas Petriukstis, who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with if he were standing next to it, turn into point guards. He then goes out and gets a kid in Christophe Nguyen who shouldn’t be anywhere near a playoff roster. We haven’t even mentioned Kyle Knowles, who’s just as likely to go for 40 as he is for 14. That’s just your guards. Don’t get me started on the dumpster fire you call forwards.”

“Air, it’s one thing to criticize the organization, and there are things to criticize, but you still haven’t answered the question of why.”

“I’ll tell you why. Because I’m right, and everyone listening at home or watching on television needs the reality check. You are all comfortable, and support the team, but you don’t expect anything. What is that all about? You guys are probably Cleveland Browns fans in that NFL thing, aren’t you? How stupid is everyone around here? Is it in the water, or what? I don’t care; I only drink bottled anyway, so I’ll be fine.”

“Harsh statements, indeed. Begs the question, why did you come here if things are that bad?”

“For the paycheck, and the opportunity to smarten up this rinky-dink two bit town. Plus, any chance I can get to get under the skin of Pio Reina, I’m here for.”

“What’s your beef with Pio Reina?”

“He exists. That’s enough for me. He didn’t earn the job, he was groomed and given the job. His mentor was beloved, but for what? For doing things the so called right way? He ever been to D2? Win a cup? He’s revered for a D5 title 34 years ago. What else did he win? 4 D4 titles? You know what that means? He kept getting relegated from a D3 league. In a 34 year career? What a joke! You people think being the tallest person on a room full of little people means something. It doesn’t. You people have embraced mediocrity and think that means you’re elite. That’s insane!”

“Folks, we’re here with Air Allnite on the Linndale Radio Basketball Network and WINO radio, and we’ll be back with more after these messages.”

You guys are on a roll - I love it!

Week Six Power Rankings
With the league in full interconference play, we're starting to see some separation in the Big 8 with a grouping of three 7-5 teams in the middle while the Great 8 has decided to muddle up their hierarchy with three 8-4 teams at the 2-4 spots in the seeding. Heading in to the all-star week, we're officially more than half way through the season. As a way of a sneak preview, this week's rankings will have the number of all-stars I'm predicting they have (though I'll save my commentary for my all-star predictions post).

1. San Dominica Warriors (0!)
San Dominica maintain their hold on first in these rankings having a nice 10 point improvement in both EFFG and OPP EFFG. A big win over Tasty Tardsicles with 42 points in the fourth quarter in which they were down by 12 heading into that final frame. But in addition to their offensive explosion, they held Tasty to just 18 points in that period to ensure the come-from-behind win on the road. They turned around and destroyed Hustlas at home on TV, not giving up more than 10 points in any quarter until giving up 13 in the fourth quarter. Their lone game before the all-star match is on the road against STG on MCU in which I foretell them to carry an 11-2 record into the 2nd half of the season.

2. The White Walkers (2)
Minor dips in both efficiency categories, and while EFFG is much closer at the top of the rankings (they dropped 3 ranks to 6th) on the OPP EFFG side, they're pretty well cemented at the top and remain there despite a four-point dip. Since losing to the Warriors in their lone loss this season, they've reeled off four straight wins (while remaining in the Cup), with a defiant win against the Lion Rebels at home, shuttering them to only 13 first half points for a 26-point victory despite being outrebounded. Then they took to the road and defeated the Flamingos in a closer than comfortable win, though they never really trailed. An interesting matchup coming up as they host 209's MostWanted on TV - will they continue to hold off almost all the competition?

3. Lion Rebels (1)
Falling four spots in EFFG from 1st this week but maintaining at 3rd in OPP EFFG - a bit of a rough turn for the Cowardly Lion Rebels as they blew the load in attempting to stay in the Cup last week leaving themselves vulnerable heading into their road matchup against The White Walkers. As I mentioned the Rebels outrebounded the Dead (Frozen?) they shot pitifully from the field, hitting only 25% of their shots including 0-11 from three. Kurt Brown has done a tremendous job of Not Showing Up when it matters. Following that was a thankfully easy game with Cincinnati Slammers. Next comes their favorite travel destination, with a trip to the Keg. Will they be able to overcome the recently geriatric-fied Beer Bellys?

4. Tasty Tardsicles (2)
Sure, they're currently 4th in the Great 8, and sure they've lost two games in a row, first to San Dominica where they utterly melted down and blew the game, and then going on the road to Philly and getting out-matched in the first half before saving face and keeping pace, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Dribble shooting nearly 50% from the field despite making only 3 of 19 threes. But Tasty has to feel kind of good, despite losing by 20 because of the effort difference in the match. Their next test comes as they host Carolina before the big game.

5. Miami Cleo (4)
Miami basically held steady this week in both categories and find themselves still at 5th in these rankings. They split this week's games with a 17-point victory at home against Flamingos and then took their show on the road and lost to 209's by 8 where they struggled out of the gate, then regained their form to close out the first half and then just couldn't quite keep up to settle for their fourth loss (2nd in their last four games). I should point out Marko Maurin's beautiful game last Saturday, in which he scored 25 points on 11-12 shots - just a masterful performance at the small forward position. Their pre-all-star game matchup comes in the form of recent upstart (don't call it a comeback?) Fondy Cardinals at home.

6. Philly Dribble (1)
Honestly, I'm quite surprised we're seeing a 7-5 Philly team. But after their three game losing streak, they've kicked it back over and are now on a three game winning streak, with a 21-point victory over The Beer Bellys and then a 20-point victory over Tasty boosting both of their EFF scores, but still find themselves a bit down the chart here. But I will have you note, I have them ahead of two 8-4 teams! I'm sure they'll continue their win streak this week as they take Hustlas on for their next road trip.

7. 209's MostWanted (4)
Sitting at 8-4 thanks to the fact they've won 5 of their last 6 games since losing two in a row back in week three, 209's ramped up and ready for anything it seems, but this week I feel like they lost a game they shouldn't in order to win a game they shouldn't. (Shrug) - I've done the same thing, so I can't judge. But a 28-point loss to Żubr Białystok on the other side on the road led way to a home victory over a tough Miami team at home. Yes, Ariel Ziółkowski has cooled off, but he came through on Tuesday, scoring 27% of his team's points enroute to victory. And now they turn their attention to the team beyond the wall and march into the frozen tundra.

8. Żubr Białystok (1)
Whitestok is holding steady at the halfway mark in these rankings at the halfway point of the season! They find themselves on a four-game winning streak working their way up from .500 two weeks ago. That aforementioned win at home over 109's felt good and they got to follow it up with a trip to the Birds Nest to face the Cardinals in a game they relatively easily won. Next up comes an interesting challenge as they play host to Linndale. But they're in a good spot so far and looks like they should easily make the playoffs - the only question is what seed will they qualify for?

9. Linndale (1)
Linndale's another very middle of the road team this season. While they're 6th in the Big 8 and have a 7-5 record, the competition has been stiff on that side of the board. But they've only lost one game thus far against Great 8 teams and this week they got to show off their new acquisition Floyd Hearn who had an immediate impact in their first game against Hustlas in a 15 point victory and then wasn't needed that much when they hosted STG in a 41-point blowout where he only played 27 minutes but still had 10 rebounds. But I think we'll get to see how he's truly going to impact this squad in what is somewhat of a vital game this weekend against Żubr.

10. Carolina Rebels (2)
Carolina is the last of the above .500 teams on this list, but they also are only one of two teams left in the Cup in our league (Congrats!). That means they've sacrificed some league games they probably could have won to get where they are, which is a shot at three games during the all-star break. They were also fortunate to matchup with two easier teams after their brutal 1, 2 face off last week. First a road TV game against Cincinnati where they embarrassed the Slammers by 94 points, with two players scoring 30+. And then, they staved off the Beer Bellys for a 12-point victory. Next comes Tasty on the road.