<p>Ugh! Getting beat by Calipari is just … annoying.</p>
<p>Going for VCU, now. It’s the best story. I liked what I saw of their coach, though I was hoping for a Kansas/UNC rematch, I can get behind virginia commonwealth with no problem at all.</p>
<p>From Twitter- “How long will Coach Cal get to keep the Final Four banner up? I guess about 3 years.” (as in…the wins will be vacated when whatever cheating violation has occurred this year is uncovered)</p>
<p>I’m from Virginia so I’m thrilled about VCU. Hate that UNC lost - especially to Kentucky.</p>
<p>yea VCU! still fighting!</p>
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<p>from espn</p>
<p>Go VCU…one of the team’s stars is from our town and played h.s. bball here.
Yay for the underdogs.</p>
<p>I am in a sad spot. Son was leading in his pool at school and he needed either Kansas OR Kentucky to win yesterday to make it mathematically impossible for anyone to beat him. And he REALLY needs the $200 he would win. So when Kansas lost I had to root for KENTUCKY. I hate Kentucky. I almost called him and told him that I would give he $300 if Kentucky lost.</p>
<p>I’m wondering where Shaka Smart will land after all the dust settles.</p>
<p>^^^ Larranaga stayed at George Mason after the Fianal Four season, but he was a little more settled into the landscape of Fairfax. So yeah Shaka might get more $$ to stay at VCU or look for a more traditional b-ball power. Liked his pre-game pep talk!</p>
<p>I’m rooting for VCU to go all the way. What a story - they are this year’s George Mason and they play in the same league - George Mason lost to VCU in the Colonial championship.</p>
<p>Re: scary mascots y’all mentioned Kentucky. That Wisconsin Badger is right up there and reminds me of the rat that used to scare my kids at Chucky Cheese…</p>
<p>This is what could be sad for VCU-their coach may end up leaving.Shaka Smart seems to be a great motivator. The kids said they were just not going to back down.They kept fighting. At the captain’s meeting before the game, the Kansas guy’s parting words were “The run ends here.” VCU’s captain shot back, “We’ll see.”</p>
<p>It’s funny what you can do with a team’s performance history in the regular season. I went to William and Mary and D at JMU so I tell my friends that JMU beat VCU and W&M beat JMU twice so W&M and JMU are both Final Four material. Those results are just more proof of what a Cinderella team they are. They obviously play up to the level of the competition.</p>
<p>I wonder if these underdogs win because they have lost before and are not afraid to lose, whereas some of the top teams had very few losses and perhaps were afraid to lose. </p>
<p>On another note. I think the pool all comes down to the Kentucky vs UConn game. If Kentucky wins Peabodie wins (and Peabs2 gets second) and Henry gets third. But if U Conn wins, Henry wins.</p>
<p>Kentucky had plenty of losses. Vanderbilt beat them once and almost a 2nd time and KY lost a number of other road games. They don’t lose at home due to the Rupperees.</p>
<p>I like UK and Butler. Would have been okay with UNC winning. Was starting to root for Arizona a bit. I like the underdogs.</p>
<p>I want VCU to go all the way, but if not, I’ll go “ABK” - anybody but Kentucky.</p>
<p>Goodness. So much dislike for Kentucky. But you guys can’t spoil my dream trip to Houston.</p>
<p>Actually last year was supposed to be my dream trip–I managed to get two tickets in the lottery and made my 88-year-old dad, who was worn out caring for my mom who had advanced Alzheimers, promise to go with me to the Final Four. At the time, we had little hope since it had been so long since KY had been in contention. We talked after every game and got more and more excited as the victories added up. It was such a fantastic distraction for him. West Virginia crushed our dream daddy-daughter trip but we still had a great time in Indianapolis. My mom died this past fall and my dad said he wasn’t up for a trip this year. We still kept up our tradition of talking at halftime and the end of every game. We were both in tears at the end of Sunday’s game.</p>
<p>So hate the Wildcats, if you will, but they have given this father/daughter the two best years of our relationship and I will love them forever for that.</p>
<p>Peabodie–I was hoping for a KU - UK matchup. Didn’t work for me either.</p>
<p>Shaka Smart’s stock is up, no doubt. But I’m sure he will be able to get a nice raise to stay at VCU if he wants. He’s making $325,000 (base) right now I think. Obviously it is not what a big time program can offer. However, remember the last 2 previous VCU coaches moved on to a “big time” program. The first one already got fired by Oklahoma. Grass isn’t always greener.</p>
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<p>I don’t hate the wildcats, I hate their coach, with good reason. Both of his trips to the final four have been voided because of his recruiting violations, and he left the kids at those programs to pay the price for his violations, while he moved on to Kentucky, where he promptly stripped scholarship players of their scholarship in order to put “his” players in their place.</p>
<p>I’m glad you and your daughter are enjoying yourselves. But this man has destroyed lives.</p>
<p>So, knowing his history, it’s a drag to lose to him since everybody already knows the victory will be nullified when the find the recruiting violations and you essentially lost to a team that doesn’t even exist.</p>
<p>When the media says this is Calipari’s third trip to the final four, what they shoudl say is, “This is the third time Calipari has kept another team out of the final four.” Because that’s ALL he’s done.</p>