***Official 2026 NCAA Tournament Thread***

There's a direct correlation to Kansas sliding and everyone getting to pay players. LOL I'll let you do the math.... I hate admitting it but I'm a bit of a Self fan and the dude can flat out coach X's and O's but he's absolutely lost his edge and has really struggled with building the right rosters in this new ear of hoops. Last year he constructed a very incomplete roster and this year the handed a pile of cash to Peterson and he was a dumpster fire. Life was a lot easier when it was just Kansas and a few other schools working with a different set of instructions...
More of a correlation with Self’s heart attack. KU did win a natty with NIL enacted in the 2021-2022 season.
 
Duke Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 35
Sweet Sixteen Record: 25-9
  • Record before seeding: 5-0
  • Record as higher seed: 18-6
  • Record as lower seed: 2-3
Jon Scheyer
  • 3rd Sweet Sixteen
  • 2-0 with Duke

St. John’s Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 10
Sweet Sixteen Record: 6-3
  • Record before seeding: 2-2
  • Record as higher seed: 1-1
  • Record as lower seed: 3-0
Rick Pitino
  • 14th Sweet Sixteen
  • 1-0 with Providence
  • 5-0 with Kentucky
  • 6-1 with Louisville

Michigan Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 20
Sweet Sixteen Record: 14-5
  • Record before seeding: 6-0
  • Record as higher seed: 5-1
  • Record as lower seed: 3-4
Dusty May
  • 3rd Sweet Sixteen
  • 1-0 with Florida Atlantic
  • 0-1 with Michigan

Alabama Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 13
Sweet Sixteen Record: 3-9
  • Record before seeding: 0-1
  • Record as higher seed: 1-4
  • Record as lower seed: 2-4
Nate Oats
  • 5th Sweet Sixteen
  • 2-2 with Alabama
 
Not all fans.. most here thought a S16 appearance was possible before the season started. We didn’t know how the newcomers would perform though.

But by December we could see this ISU team had the potential to be top 10 in the country. Lo and behold, they were

That’s fair, but about the time they smoked PU my uncle and I were talking and we were both convinced they were the real deal… And I think he believed that TJ was a good enough coach that he could be counted on to have a good team… That’s what fans do they try to believe in their coach and that’s commendable that’s what they should do.
Doesn’t make a lot of sense to tear them down for it.

As I’ve said, he has a daughter that went to Michigan, who they were waxing poetic about how good they were and at that time we both thought Iowa State was better. It’s more of a tossup now.
But those 3 games might also lose them a solid coach who might have built a solid program otherwise. Maybe that doesn’t matter in the NIL though?

I’d trade an Elite 8 and 3 NIT appearances for 4 seasons with #6-7 seed (or higher). I think.

I want to make sure I understand this correctly. You would trade the men’s team going to an elite eight and then 3 NITs for 2 women’s trips to the NC game. Or are you saying you would take 4, 6–7 seeds for the men’s team instead of two straight trips to the NC for the women.

I’m assuming this is all predicated on the hope that because McCollum took Iowa to the elite eight your hope is he’ll be gone now… Never mind the fact I’m pretty certain there are a couple fans on here mad as hell because an Iowa fan suggested TJ might go elsewhere… But I’m really confused by your first statement.

I mean, I guess I understand it if you like men’s basketball that much more than women’s. Then sure that would make sense but otherwise I’m super confused
 
Duke Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 35
Sweet Sixteen Record: 25-9
  • Record before seeding: 5-0
  • Record as higher seed: 18-6
  • Record as lower seed: 2-3
Jon Scheyer
  • 3rd Sweet Sixteen
  • 2-0 with Duke

St. John’s Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 10
Sweet Sixteen Record: 6-3
  • Record before seeding: 2-2
  • Record as higher seed: 1-1
  • Record as lower seed: 3-0
Rick Pitino
  • 14th Sweet Sixteen
  • 1-0 with Providence
  • 5-0 with Kentucky
  • 6-1 with Louisville

Michigan Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 20
Sweet Sixteen Record: 14-5
  • Record before seeding: 6-0
  • Record as higher seed: 5-1
  • Record as lower seed: 3-4
Dusty May
  • 3rd Sweet Sixteen
  • 1-0 with Florida Atlantic
  • 0-1 with Michigan

Alabama Sweet Sixteen Facts
Appearances: 13
Sweet Sixteen Record: 3-9
  • Record before seeding: 0-1
  • Record as higher seed: 1-4
  • Record as lower seed: 2-4
Nate Oats
  • 5th Sweet Sixteen
  • 2-2 with Alabama

Absolutely WOW!!!! on Pitino.
 
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I was, purely informational. He's definitely midwest. He's got strong ties to Ames, ISU, and the general area of central Iowa.

He grew up in Milwaukee though, went to HS there, and college at UW-Whitewater if memory serves me.

His wife Allison Lacey is obviously Iowa State WBB royalty and both consider it home now. I wouldn't say either are from Iowa originally as she was born in Australia, but she did go to HS (Ballard?) and coach here in IA. And I think her bro played at DMACC?

Wow, that’s all interesting information. Thank you for that.
 
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I thought Purdue's guards didn't have the speed to sustain things and were a bit lacking on defense.

That said they're proof that a rough ending to the regular season only matters for seeding and the month after can be totally different.

Exactly what I thought… And listen I’m going to say this out loud only because of the built-in biases and prejudice that every single human being has and if they say they don’t, they are liars… I think I look at them and see that they are kind of gompy looking white dudes with hillbilly beards and just assume they’re not real basketball players… I’m sure that’s some form of racism or reverse racism or whatever and I acknowledge that. It’s not who I am, but clearly I must think that because I swear I look at their team every year and go what in the holy hell ?!
 
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There's a direct correlation to Kansas sliding and everyone getting to pay players. LOL I'll let you do the math.... I hate admitting it but I'm a bit of a Self fan and the dude can flat out coach X's and O's but he's absolutely lost his edge and has really struggled with building the right rosters in this new ear of hoops. Last year he constructed a very incomplete roster and this year the handed a pile of cash to Peterson and he was a dumpster fire. Life was a lot easier when it was just Kansas and a few other schools working with a different set of instructions...

I don’t dislike BILL Self…I wouldn’t call myself a fan, but I also agree is a hell of a coach. And I’ve read some positive stuff about him off the basketball court. In fact, I’ll tell you a funny story. I was telling my uncle some feel good story about him several years back. My memory is shot right now. I’m vaguely remembering it might’ve had something to do with Iowa State and maybe Fred Hoiberg and I may be smoking crack hell who knows..

Anywhooo… he stops me and tells me don’t do that, don’t tell me something nice about Self. I want to hate the guy. That’s one thing I love about my uncle. He’s pretty real about himself… He’s only six years older than me, but that’s another lesson, I’ve learned that has made me reevaluate my own ********.
 
I want to make sure I understand this correctly. You would trade the men’s team going to an elite eight and then 3 NITs for 2 women’s trips to the NC game. Or are you saying you would take 4, 6–7 seeds for the men’s team instead of two straight trips to the NC for the women.

I’m assuming this is all predicated on the hope that because McCollum took Iowa to the elite eight your hope is he’ll be gone now… Never mind the fact I’m pretty certain there are a couple fans on here mad as hell because an Iowa fan suggested TJ might go elsewhere… But I’m really confused by your first statement.

I mean, I guess I understand it if you like men’s basketball that much more than women’s. Then sure that would make sense but otherwise I’m super confused
Uhh, I wasn’t involved in the WBB comparisons.

I was contemplating for MBB whether I’d prefer a single Elite 8 followed by missing the tournament altogether 3 straight seasons (often referred to as “the Tang”) or 4 straight seasons good enough to earn #6-#7 seeds (presumably with a few tournament wins).

It is actually a tough call. The Elite 8 is, uhh, elite.

I don’t know about Cyclone fans getting mad here, but two things:

1. This is a Cyclone board.

2. Though an avowed progressive and equality absolutist I am a genus chauvinist. Other than a handful of truly exceptional cases Hawkeye fans lack the requisite cognitive and emotional aptitudes to be considered human.

Any such asymmetry is to be expected.
 
I was contemplating for MBB whether I’d prefer a single Elite 8 followed by missing the tournament altogether 3 straight seasons (often referred to as “the Tang”) or 4 straight seasons good enough to earn #6-#7 seeds (presumably with a few tournament wins).

It is actually a tough call. The Elite 8 is, uhh, elite.
This almost made me spit up some beer, lol.

Is it weird I miss him already?
 
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