Not sure what is worse...

[TedFlintKansas]

Not sure which of these is worse. Not making the tourney or having one of these kicks to the balls happen again.

http://thetailgatesociety.com/2017/03/march-sadness-heartbreak-in-the-heartland/

 

[arobb]

Not making the tourney is worse.

 

[acgclone]

Not making the tourney is worse.

I would say those seasons overall are way more fun obviously, but the big opening round upsets like Hampton in 2001 and UAB a few years back, are more devastating than not making it at all.

Those two losses were unexpected gut punches that really affected me for a few weeks.

At least with a season like this, you see it coming.

As far as some of the other losses like MSU in 2000 and tOSU under Fred, I can live with losing after the first round. It still makes tournament time a blast.

 

[Go2Guy]

Hard to believe Drake was in the Final4 and almost beat UCLA. Most importantly, Iowa State hired the Drake coach, Maury John, two years later and seemed poised to get the program going - with a new Hilton Coliseum, until he unexpectedly died of cancer at age 54.

"..
If you’re like me, you didn’t know that Drake had ever played in a Final Four, let alone a game like this. In 1969, Drake won the Midwest Region and was paired with UCLA, the #1 team in the country, in the Final Four. UCLA was led by Hall of Fame coach John Wooden, future NBA guard Lucius Allen, and all-time great Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Drake hung close with UCLA and trailed by just 2 points at halftime. With 0:55 remaining in the game and UCLA holding onto a 9-point lead, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to get the lead down to 1, but couldn’t get over the hump. Drake finally lost by 3.

This was by far the toughest test that UCLA faced throughout the 1969 tournament..."

 

[FinalFourCy]

Not making it is worse, but the Georges injury and the close losses in later rounds hurt more.

 

[knowlesjam]

Sorry, the MSU loss still eats at me to this day. The only game that I've ever left the house prior to the game being over...

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I'm not sure what the "right" answer is but the UAB loss a few years ago really put a damper on what was a really fun and exciting season. That was one of the first games to tip off on Thursday and that game completely ruined the rest of the tournament for me, which sucks because I love college hoops. Yeah it sucks Iowa State isn't in the field this year but I will still watch a lot of games.

 

[CloneFan4]

Watching the Iowa - Northwestern St and UNI - TAMU meltdowns live:

 

[Lexclone]

Sorry, the MSU loss still eats at me to this day. The only game that I've ever left the house prior to the game being over...

Yeah, just about everything about this game still bothers me. Irrationally, I still detest MSU to this day.

 

[Rural]

Hard to believe Drake was in the Final4 and almost beat UCLA. Most importantly, Iowa State hired the Drake coach, Maury John, two years later and seemed poised to get the program going - with a new Hilton Coliseum, until he unexpectedly died of cancer at age 54.

"..
If you’re like me, you didn’t know that Drake had ever played in a Final Four, let alone a game like this. In 1969, Drake won the Midwest Region and was paired with UCLA, the #1 team in the country, in the Final Four. UCLA was led by Hall of Fame coach John Wooden, future NBA guard Lucius Allen, and all-time great Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Drake hung close with UCLA and trailed by just 2 points at halftime. With 0:55 remaining in the game and UCLA holding onto a 9-point lead, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to get the lead down to 1, but couldn’t get over the hump. Drake finally lost by 3.

This was by far the toughest test that UCLA faced throughout the 1969 tournament..."

That was one of the great games ever played especially considering the local flavor.

 

[AuH2O]

I would always prefer to have a disappointing defeat vs miss the tourney. At the time the MSU defeat sucked considering it would've meant 8 seed Wisconsin and a Florida team that MSU outclassed standing in the way Ida Natty. It didn't bother me a lot at the time because it felt like ISU hoops was in a long term upswing and with Tinsley and co. back there was reason for excitement the following year.
Same goes for UConn. Felt like we were in the middle of a golden era of ISU hoops. Hampton sucked because you knew a rebuild was coming. UAB sucked because HoibergWatch ensued. Last year vs Purdue sucked just because a rebuild was also on the way.

Still, the days leading up to the tournament, all the talk of ISU after a win is what it's all about. Even with a disappointing end, making the tourney is great.

 

[RonBurgundy]

I'm not sure what the "right" answer is but the UAB loss a few years ago really put a damper on what was a really fun and exciting season. That was one of the first games to tip off on Thursday and that game completely ruined the rest of the tournament for me, which sucks because I love college hoops. Yeah it sucks Iowa State isn't in the field this year but I will still watch a lot of games.

They all hurt, but that UAB loss totally sucked for me. I was at the airport waiting for a flight to Vegas to party on opening round weekend, and had to watch that **** show happen at an airport bar. Just sucked the air out of what was supposed to be a great weekend. Sat there steaming the entire 3 hour flight.

 

[madguy30]

I would say those seasons overall are way more fun obviously, but the big opening round upsets like Hampton in 2001 and UAB a few years back, are more devastating than not making it at all.

Those two losses were unexpected gut punches that really affected me for a few weeks.

At least with a season like this, you see it coming.

As far as some of the other losses like MSU in 2000 and tOSU under Fred, I can live with losing after the first round. It still makes tournament time a blast.

Funny thing is those were both situations where it was shocking that it actually happened, but in some ways not surprising.

The '01 team had looked like garbage in the Big 12 tourney and peaked in February, and the '15 team, even though they had won the Big 12 Tournament, it wasn't like they had dominated it, and they struggled all year with teams mucking up the game/pace. Both were trainwrecks though and left me numb for a few days.

The '00 team losing in the first round (which actually got close) would have been a disaster because they were ascending into the tournament.

 

[Chizit]

I badly missed having worthwhile games in the past couple of months, but I am also somewhat looking forward to fully enjoying the tournament stress free this year. NCAA Tourney is easily my favorite event of the year, but it is pretty much impossible to enjoy after losing in heartbreaking fashion. Didn't watch another game after the OSU and UAB losses.

 

[cayin]

The MSU loss was the worst. I literally cried myself to sleep. I was a 32 year old man at the time, but yeah, I cried. That game was an absolute hose job down the stretch. Had the beat us straight up, I may have been okay with it, but the officials took in over and pretty much took it from us. I hope that is not our only chance at a final 4 in my lifetime. I'm convinced had Niang not injured his foot, we would have made it in 2014.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Didn't sleep for 3 days after the A&M loss. Was just numb.

Two things. 1) A&M had to do everything perfect for it to happen, if they miss a jumpshot or make an extra or wrong pass, they run out of time. 2) The foul on Jesperson might be the worst call in the history of basketball. He's backing away, arms straight up, lets the guy go around him and the guy brushes into him and they call the foul on Jesperson. The math doesn't work for A&M to win without that foul either.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Not sure which of these is worse. Not making the tourney or having one of these kicks to the balls happen again.

http://thetailgatesociety.com/2017/03/march-sadness-heartbreak-in-the-heartland/

You deserve three lifetime bans, served consecutively, for making me click that link.

 

[CycloneErik]

You deserve three lifetime bans, served consecutively, for making me click that link.

To be fair, you made you click that link.

 

[Cyclonepride]

To be fair, you made you click that link.

I believe in personal responsibility for everyone but me.

 

[TedFlintKansas]

They all hurt, but that UAB loss totally sucked for me. I was at the airport waiting for a flight to Vegas to party on opening round weekend, and had to watch that **** show happen at an airport bar. Just sucked the air out of what was supposed to be a great weekend. Sat there steaming the entire 3 hour flight.

I was throwing my best friend a bachelor party where the whole thing was built around renting a cabin and watching basketball, drinking and doing other stuff for three days. I was the only ISU fan there with 13 other Iowa fans. I had to leave for the party five minutes after the UAB game ended. I blacked out most of the weekend.