North Carolina Central
- Thread starter Dingus
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Where would North Carolina Central have finished this year had it played in the Big XII? I understand they beat a tournament-bound NC State team. TCU also beat Tulsa (twice!), another tournament team.
After looking at their schedule and investigating their opponents, they really do look like a good team. I think they would finish between TCU and Texas Tech if they were playing the Big XII. TCU lost to some bad teams even before conference play started. Tech beat five teams that are now in the tournament (Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma, Okie State and Mount St. Mary's). I'm not so sure NCCU could be quite that good, but they might be close.
Their 20-game winning streak is impressive, and the margin of victory is, too. During a seven-game stretch in February (which included four road games in a row), the Eagles outscored their opponents by an average of 22 points. Yes, I know it was against weak competition, but that is still pretty impressive.
They haven't played many good teams, as others have already mentioned. Most people are bringing up the win against NC State, but to me the most intriguing game was the close loss to Wichita State on Dec. 22, 77-66. They started their season with a road loss to Cincinnati, which they played pretty tough, ultimately losing 74-61. How would Iowa State have fared in those road games? Probably not much better, if ISU's road record is a guide.
That said, the Eagles have one bad and one very bad loss on their record. Their bad loss came against conference-foe Florida A&M on Jan. 11. FAMU finished 8-8 in the conference, so I would consider a tourney team losing to them a bad loss.
The exceptionally bad loss came Dec. 7 against IUPUI. IUPUI is very bad even by mid-major standards. They finished the year 6-26 and 1-13 in the Summit League.
After looking at their schedule and investigating their opponents, they really do look like a good team. I think they would finish between TCU and Texas Tech if they were playing the Big XII. TCU lost to some bad teams even before conference play started. Tech beat five teams that are now in the tournament (Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma, Okie State and Mount St. Mary's). I'm not so sure NCCU could be quite that good, but they might be close.
Their 20-game winning streak is impressive, and the margin of victory is, too. During a seven-game stretch in February (which included four road games in a row), the Eagles outscored their opponents by an average of 22 points. Yes, I know it was against weak competition, but that is still pretty impressive.
They haven't played many good teams, as others have already mentioned. Most people are bringing up the win against NC State, but to me the most intriguing game was the close loss to Wichita State on Dec. 22, 77-66. They started their season with a road loss to Cincinnati, which they played pretty tough, ultimately losing 74-61. How would Iowa State have fared in those road games? Probably not much better, if ISU's road record is a guide.
That said, the Eagles have one bad and one very bad loss on their record. Their bad loss came against conference-foe Florida A&M on Jan. 11. FAMU finished 8-8 in the conference, so I would consider a tourney team losing to them a bad loss.
The exceptionally bad loss came Dec. 7 against IUPUI. IUPUI is very bad even by mid-major standards. They finished the year 6-26 and 1-13 in the Summit League.
NCCU C. Moton quoted:
The Eagles sure won’t be on vacation, Moton said.
“We’re playing a really good team that will probably make it to the Final Four,” Moton said.
That’s if Iowa State (26-7) first beats NCCU.
NCAA TOURNEY: Iowa State looms as next hurdle for NCCU | The Herald-Sun
The Eagles sure won’t be on vacation, Moton said.
“We’re playing a really good team that will probably make it to the Final Four,” Moton said.
That’s if Iowa State (26-7) first beats NCCU.
NCAA TOURNEY: Iowa State looms as next hurdle for NCCU | The Herald-Sun
I know that we are of different minds on this, and that's fine; as I've said in another thread I think it's okay and desirable to be able to disagree without being disagreeable, but I am curious to know why you seem so insistent that this game will be a walkover.
Because we're a better team. We're superior in talent, we're superior in coaching, we're superior in the amount we've been tested, we're superior in number of quality wins, we're superior across the board in pretty much every category. Assuming we don't have a collapse of epic proportions, which I don't think will happen, this shouldn't be much of a challenge. It's just how it is. I understand wanting to respect the opponent, but let's call a spade a spade already.
Fair enough, and you're right in us being superior in every category, although their coach sounds like he knows exactly what he's doing as well, but as we've seen many times before in March the superior teams doesn't always win.
I hope you're right about it not being much of a challenge. Nothing would make me happier than a 20+ victory Friday night.
I agree, and especially about big upsets in March being too common to take anybody for granted. If NCCU can upset NC State and play Wichita State close they certainly can give us a scare or upset us if we're not sharp and they are. Or maybe we'll find out they just have better players than some are expecting. There's a lot of talent spread out all over the country and a lot of parity. We may win easy, but expecting it only sets us up to get down on the coaches and players if it happens, and if we lose there will be those that do. It happened after Hampton. Maybe it's just me but I'm going into the game expecting a good battle, and if we blow them out, fantastic.
If we come out with the effort that that 2001 team had we will lose. This is not that team. Not at all.
You're right, superior teams never get upset in the NCAA tourney...
No disrespect to your opinion, but I sure hope the team is respecting NCC a lot more than you are...
I would wear this sweatshirt. Actually pretty nice.
Ya, know, for a bum.
It honestly looks like an American Eagle shirt with a fake team name on it.
I've got to say, I'm annoyed with the Selection Committee for putting these guys in our path. I really like everything I've read this week about Levelle Moton and the work he's done for his program and community. I want to see NCCU go on to great success and think they'd be a beautiful Cinderella story for the 2014 Tournament. But not while they're in our way. I've been able to come up with a reason to hate every other team on our path to the Final Four. UNC, those arrogant bastards with their blue blood snobbery and kidnapping of HB. Michigan State and the Championship they stole from us in 2000. 'Nova, getting a ******** win over KU while we have to grind out every try on the Jayhawks. But damned NCCU. I can't dislike them. They're like a cute puppy. But they're a cute puppy in my driveway and it's time to go to work.
This is not the 2001 team. This team finished the season totally opposite of the 2001 team. The 2001 team ran everything through one player. This team runs every thing through 3 players. This team is more like the 2000 team than the 2001 team. The 2001 team had players there were tired of playing for their coach, this team loves playing for their coach. If this program is where we think it is there should be no question who wins this game. After all the wins and everything else this season how can you doubt this team in this game?
I agree with a lot of what you said although I think the 2001 team may have been just plain tired instead of tired of playing for LE. After losing Fizer what that team did was amazing, and imo they just ran out of gas physically and mentally by the end of the season winning the conference title. But I'm not doubting our team and I expect us to win, just not ignoring the reality that on a given day the best team doesn't always win.
Other contrasts to the 2001 team: (In retrospect) That team ended the season not playing their best ball (QFinal loss in BigXIIs); Also, Tinsley missed several games while he was in NY for family reasons. Shirley never really had a lot of good things to say/write about Eustachey - who may have already been headed down the "Natty Lite" path.