Typically the NCAA has open practices for all teams the day before. SO that would be noon to 6 pm wed.

Has anyone seen confirmation of this?

Thanks Tom

All,

I run a pool , it is $20 per pool , we usually get 100 or so entries , if anyone is interested it is through CBS Sportsline. If you send me your email to mbarth101@aol.com I can send you an invite

...is this the second time ever?...

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/ranking

in case you are interested:

renaissance hotel pittsburgh

I know I'm getting ahead of myself but I want to make sure I don't pull a 2009 and miss watching this team in the sweet 16 and elite 8.

Any recommendations? there are some cheap hotels 5 miles from the dome...question is, how is mass transit/cabs/etc. getting to and from the stadium? I've never been to Syracuse before and I'm not looking to spend $1000 for three nights to stay at the crowne plaza when there's a super8 or red roof inn that costs $145 for three nights. just wondering what the layout is around the "city" and if cabs are available for transportation after a night of celebrating.

thanks

Congratulations to Villanova Men's Basketball!
Villanova (32-2 overall) opens as the East Region's No. 1 seed against No. 16 Lafayette (20-12) on Thursday at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA at 6:50 p.m. EST on TBS

VILLANOVA EVENTS IN PITTSBURGH

Pregame Meet Up, Thursday, March 19, 4-6 p.m. at theTeam Hotel:
Renaissance Pittsburgh
107 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA Phone: (412) 562-1200
Arrive on time to cheer on the team as they leave for the game. Enjoy light snacks and cash bar with Villanova alumni and fans.

Don't have tickets? Join the Pittsburgh Alumni Chapter to watch the game at the Red Ring Bar and Grille, 1015 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA (around the corner from Consol Energy Center.) Watch the Villanova games and all the tournament action while enjoying beer specials and half-price wings. All games will be televised until 10 p.m.

TENTATIVE Villanova Fan Party, Friday, March 20,
3-5 p.m. at Olive or Twist, 140 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA (hotel walking distance). Gather with alumni and fans while you enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

To be determined events on Saturday, March 21, should Villanova advance:
Pregame Mass
Pregame Meet Up at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel. Additional information to follow.
CHAPTER GAME WATCH EVENTS

Get together with alumni and fans and cheer on the Cats at a Chapter Game Watch.

Saturday Game Watch dates are set providing the team advances. Game watch times listed as local time.

Boston: All tournament games
Warehouse, 40 Broad St., Boston MA

Baltimore: March 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Rowhouse Grille, 1400 Light St, Baltimore, MD
March 21 at Heavy Seas Alehouse, 1300 Bank St.
Baltimore, MD

Chicago: All tournament games
Sedgwick's, 1935 N. Sedgwick St., Chicago, IL

Dallas/Fort Worth: March 19 at 5:50 p.m.
Humperdink's, 2208 W. Northwest Hwy. Dallas, TX
March 21
- Humperdink's, 2208 W. Northwest Hwy. Dallas, TX
- Nodding Donkey, 5600 SMU Blvd. # 120, Dallas, TX

Fairfield/Westchester: All tournament games
Sports Page Pub, 200 Hamilton Ave., White Plains, NY

Greater DC: All tournament games
Parlay Gastropub & Lounge, 1827 M St. NW, Washington, DC

Greater Philadelphia: March 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Tavern on Broad, 200 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA

Greater Princeton: March 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Brickhouse Tavern, 3569 US Highway 1, Princeton, NJ
March 21 at Green Parrot, 240 N. Sycamore St., Newtown, PA

Hartford: March 19 at 6:30 p.m.
The Tavern Downtown, 201 Ann Uccello St., Hartford, CT

Houston: All night and weekend games
Bourbon on Bagby, 2708 Bagby St. Houston, TX

Lehigh Valley: March 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar, 327 Star Rd.
Allentown, PA

Los Angeles: March 19 and 21 at World Surfing HQ
147 Bay St., Santa Monica, CA

Manhattan: 2 Manhattan Locations for all tournament games
- Gramercy Ale House, 272 Third Ave., New York, NY
- Turnmill, 119 E. 27th St., New York, NY

Morris/Somerset: March 19 at 6:50 p.m.
Sona Thirteen, 13 South St., Morristown, NJ

Northern California: March 19 at 3:45 p.m.
Perry's Embarcadero, 155 Steuart St., San Francisco, CA

Tampa Bay: All tournament games
Sarasota Location: Harry's Sports Bar and Grill
6606 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL.
Tampa Location: Tate's Pizza, 3342
S. Westshore Blvd., Tampa, FL

Section 305 row O seats 15-16. $200 each ($400 total) for all three games. I work with the guy selling these but I will coordinate for anyone interested. Email me at jjlane25@yahoo.com.

I know there have been some threads on this in the past, but curious if anyone has any recommendations on online gambling sites. Not going to Vegas this weekend is killing me so I need to feed the beast somehow. Thanks in advance.

Per Jerardi and common sense.

philly.com

Not every Kentucky Wildcat can have a bad game in the same game . Plus, in this Year of Nobody Else, the parity favors the Wildcats. It's sexy to suggest tempo will beat them. Virginia or Wisconsin, maybe. Wisconsin can score. Can they ever. The Badgers lead the nation in offensive efficiency. If the Badgers can shove UK's big boys away from the basket and limit the # of possessions. . .

In March, teams that can score, win . Check out KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency ratings: Four of the top five teams in that category are the No. 1 seeds.

(Like that bit of analytics by me, Mobsters? I'm soooo new school.)

That puts Arizona in the UK picture. And Villanova. The Morning Man loves watching Villanova.They pass well, they find open shooters, they make shots. In this era of bump-and-bore, 54-53 basketball, the Wildcats are a salve for the eyes.

But good enough to beat Kentucky?

UK has shown it can win when it doesn't play well. Wisconsin had 'em on the ropes last year, but UK played without Cauley-Stein. Maybe this year, not even that would matter, they're so deep.

Calipari has, what, six NBA 1st-rounders on this team? Seven? You really think somebody's gonna beat that?

Xavier wins at least one game . The Musketeers can't beat Villanova. So? About four teams can. X has a few ingredients that play well in March: A senior point guard, and a team that can score in a few different ways.

Check out this funny vid from our friends at ESPN - first Jeff Goodman has #3 Oklahoma v. #4 Louisville coming out of the East and Wisky taking down Kentucky and then beating the Zags in champs game; then our buddy Eammon Brennan, who has been showing the love picks VU to win the East and beat the Zags in the FF and then . . . lose by 20-25 in the NC game to KY. The editorial comments re: that NC match-up were (1) Brennan - its one of those matchups you don't see coming but then don't want to see and (2) Goodman - chimes in loudly "that's not a NC game I want to see", then (3) Brennan chimes back in "if VU won that game it would be bigger than beating GT in 1985." So apparently these 2 chuckleheads think VU doesn't even belong in the building with Kentucky!

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12494463/kentucky-wildcats-go-wire-wire-no-1-ap-men-basketball-poll

Who is taking the Cats to go all the way ?

Who is not taking Cats to win it all?

Who is filling out two brackets....one with Nova going all the way; and one not taking the Cats?

After seeing all the big east teams multiple times, I am having a hard time picking any of them to advance.....I have providence winning their first round, but the rest are really hard to pick ( other then the Cats that is).....Not sold on X or Gtown, or butler, and with Obekpa out, johnnies are tough to pick.......thoughts???

Takes pressure off and allows the team to feel like an under dog even as a #1

Can't wait for these same guys to bring up our 30th anniversary as we continue to woll

Go cats

Did anyone else see Fr Peter without his collar?

Nm

Now.

Jay will perhaps get a lesson from the Sports Pope on how to run the table, and knock off almighty Kentucky.

This post was edited on 3/16 1:38 PM by ctnova99

Listen Live

Ace was on campus yesterday


follow link to article:

Cats Earn the #1 Seed

...great 30/30...learned a lot and respect him much more...didn't know he was from a blue-collar NY background and that it was his older brother's taunting that made him the hard-ass he was...also had no idea that he tortured Bobby Hurley...didn't realize that he was PERFECT in the Kentucky/Duke Elite 8 game when he made "the shot"...they said he was 10 for 10 from the field and 10 for 10 in free throws...great piece and insight into the man....perception is not always reality...

They've had a pretty successful model apparently and this year they show Nova as the second favorite to win it all at 11% and 70% to reach the Elite 8.

Predictions

Claimed Indy will be overrun with Wildcats. Kentucky and Zona that is. Didn't even mention us. Not even in a negative way. Amazing.

I know all of you on the board know the time of our game is 6:50 pm Thursday. However, the game is NOT on CBS. The game will be televized on the TBS network according to the link below.

This post was edited on 3/16 11:35 AM by Figs61

Time and Channel

Mushnick, a columnist with the New York Post, who is a serial hater, particularly when it comes to college sports, has some unusually positive things(for him) about Villanova in his column today. Sorry, can't link. Under weekend bests, he lists the interview with Josh Hart and then states if your rooting interests in the ncaa is based on " good, well-coached, two-way ball-movement team ball, other than Kentucky, Jay Wright's Villanova crew is good on the good senses." Mindboggeling praise from a guy who NEVER has anything good to say about anybody.

I am not wasting anymore time on him. Time to focus on my Wildcats as we set out to prove everyone wrong and advance to the final four! GO NOVA!!!

RobN