The Official 2025 March Madness Discussion Thread

[VolCalls]

There’s no way we outnumber KY fans in that game.

If that place seats 35,000 for the regional Kentucky will have 20,000 of them. Purdue will have a ton, as well. The silver lining is anyone not clad in blue will likely be rooting for us. Extremely tough ticket.

 

[Voltopia]

They just said UK is shooting 66% in the second half. Just bombing it from everywhere right now.

Good grief. If it ends up being Kentucky who knocks Tennessee out of this thing I don't even.

 

[tev.sm]

ZZ and Gainey needs to drive on Butler and Brea at least 20x. That’s the weak point in their defense. Get them in foul trouble.

 

[cncchris33]

Yeah I mean, we don’t match up well with KY and when they’re on, they’re a tough out, but I would be shocked if they dominate us. This team will pull out all the stops to get it done. Watch and see.

Supposedly, whoever is responsible for that scout (Justin Gainey, IIRC) has been working on UK as the opponent for a week, now. With another 5 days and more film, preparation better not be an issue. They've beat us twice the exact same way. We have to figure out a way to utilize our #1 3-pt shooting defense to neutralize their perimeter shooting. No reason for them to be shooting 24-48 from 3 against us in two meetings. That has to get fixed.

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

If that place seats 35,000 for the regional Kentucky will have 20,000 of them. Purdue will have a ton, as well. The silver lining is anyone not clad in blue will likely be rooting for us. Extremely tough ticket.

Yeah, but KY fans were most likely waiting to see if they won this game to buy tickets.
Any remaining at this point, they will gobble all up.

 

[HeuperDrive]

Barnes has had sh*t luck in the tournament when it comes to match ups.

Can’t catch a damn break.

He truly has. And it’s why I think the whole “March Rick” narrative is one of the most unfair attacks in sports.

I’d like to see how the “better” coaches our negas yammer for fare against the draws Rick has gotten. I am skeptical they’d do any better. 3 final four Cinderella’s, the two best Purdue teams in the Painter era, and now Kentucky. It’s insanely bad luck.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Looks like you’re going to get your wish. I’d love to get revenge, but having our season end with a 3rd loss to UK would be brutal though.

It would also be our 4th loss in a row to them and 6 out of the last 7 if we lost to them.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Supposedly, whoever is responsible for that scout (Justin Gainey, IIRC) has been working on UK as the opponent for a week, now. With another 5 days and more film, preparation better not be an issue. They've beat us twice the exact same way. We have to figure out a way to utilize our #1 3-pt shooting defense to neutralize their perimeter shooting. No reason for them to be shooting 24-48 from 3 against us in two meetings. That has to get fixed.

To be fair, a lot of those threes were pretty well contested.

Sometimes even the best defenses struggle against a hot shooting team.

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

To be fair, a lot of those threes were pretty well contested.

Sometimes even the best defenses struggle against a hot shooting team.

A lot of wide open ones, too.
Just like this game. There were a lot of them.

 

[cncchris33]

To be fair, a lot of those threes were pretty well contested.

Sometimes even the best defenses struggle against a hot shooting team.

All 24 of them weren't

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

Illinois doesn't need a 3 here. Just keep getting stops and points. Take it to the hole and get fouled if nothing else will help extend the game.

 

[orangejuice]

This tournament has been a pretty boring first weekend (good for us though I guess). It’s not the lack of upsets but more so the amount of blowouts.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

All 24 of them weren't

Plus if it happens a 3rd time, yeah....I'm not buying we're just unlucky.

No excuses.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

What an awful FT attempt Illinois. You barely drew rim.

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

Oof....that pocket pick from Butler was huge.
That's officially game.

 

[Switch 625]

UK is allowed to just throw other players around

 

[HeuperDrive]

This tournament has been a pretty boring first weekend (good for us though I guess). It’s not the lack of upsets but more so the amount of blowouts.

It’s been way more top heavy than usual. Very rare to see a tournament where even most of the 3 seeds have a reasonable chance of winning it all.

I fear that this may become the new normal for March, with the portal and NIL. Part of what made the Cinderella’s these past few years so good was their Covid players, and that’s no longer a thing. Really feels like we’re seeing a consolidation of power at the top that’ll likely be permanent.

 

[Jonboy]

Illinois has had so many chances to make this a game and they just refuse to do so

 

[VolCalls]

Yeah, but KY fans were most likely waiting to see if they won this game to buy tickets.
Any remaining at this point, they will gobble all up.

Doesn’t matter. They’ll forego mortgage payments and starve their children if that’s what it takes. They’ll have more fans than the other three schools combined next weekend.

 

[SGMVols]

If that place seats 35,000 for the regional Kentucky will have 20,000 of them. Purdue will have a ton, as well. The silver lining is anyone not clad in blue will likely be rooting for us. Extremely tough ticket.

It will be Rupp North. They’ll send 4 to 5 times as many fans up there than we will.

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

Better bring our A+ game Friday. We’re going to need it.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

On the bright side, UK fans have nothing to look forward too after basketball season is over with.

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

Gonna need Felix and Igor to both give us some points along with Lanier, Z and Gainey being in top form.

 

[Anti-shunshinepumper]

Plus if it happens a 3rd time, yeah....I'm not buying we're just unlucky.

No excuses.

Not if they did happen to shoot 50% from 3 and 50% from the floor again. Them doing that again is highly unlikely. If they do, then we might just be some unlucky SOB's

 

[cncchris33]

This tournament has been a pretty boring first weekend (good for us though I guess). It’s not the lack of upsets but more so the amount of blowouts.

Yeah, lots of chalk. St. John's the only real upset. Excluding 8-9 matchups, there's only been 5 lower seeded wins, so far, and 2 of those were 10s over 7s, which isn't even really much of an upset. Colorado St., McNeese St., and Arky over St. John's...pretty meh in terms of entertainment value.