105 replies to this topic

[JT]

Mizzou is giving Baylor a lesson in basketball.

Mizzou has been consistently better than Baylor all year. Like I said, Baylor has shown itself to be awfully soft at times.

That said, they've got a star player and solid athletes. Not going to face too many teams as good as Missouri in the tournament.

[Fumbleweed]

My final 68 teams are updated in the original post.

West Virginia and Colorado State are my last two teams in. If St. Bonaventure were to beat Xavier today, I might put Xavier in over WVU...depends on what happens. Other than that, my 68 are set. This has been a lot of fun again this year.

[JT]

My final 68 teams are updated in the original post.

West Virginia and Colorado State are my last two teams in. If St. Bonaventure were to beat Xavier today, I might put Xavier in over WVU...depends on what happens. Other than that, my 68 are set. This has been a lot of fun again this year.

So are the #1s set?

I've got Kentucky, Syracuse and UNC as locks, regardless what happens today. Does Kansas hold the fourth, has Mizzou taken it, or can Michigan State steal it with a win today?

I don't see any way Ohio State moves to the #1 line.

[ZeroTolerance]

The Big Ten title game finishes too late in the day for the committee to take the result into account, so wherever MSU is now is where they will stay, and I think that is on the two line, in the midwest or south region.

I am at work until 4 or so, so I won't be posting my field until an hour or so before the selection show.

[JT]

The Big Ten title game finishes too late in the day for the committee to take the result into account, so wherever MSU is now is where they will stay, and I think that is on the two line, in the midwest or south region.

I am at work until 4 or so, so I won't be posting my field until an hour or so before the selection show.

So is it Kansas or Missouri?

[ZeroTolerance]

So is it Kansas or Missouri?

I believe it will stay Kansas. The Jayhawks won the regular season title outright and have much better computer numbers (Missouri has a non-conference SOS of 303).

[tikigods]

So are the #1s set?

I've got Kentucky, Syracuse and UNC as locks, regardless what happens today. Does Kansas hold the fourth, has Mizzou taken it, or can Michigan State steal it with a win today?

I don't see any way Ohio State moves to the #1 line.

Kentucky. Lock.
UNC. Lock.

Syracuse and Kansas are not locks.

I'd take Syracuse over Kansas...but I think Michigan St or Mizzou vultures a one seed here.

[JT]

Kentucky. Lock.
UNC. Lock.

Syracuse and Kansas are not locks.

I'd take Syracuse over Kansas...but I think Michigan St or Mizzou vultures a one seed here.

Given the way they've operated through the years, I don't see how they deny Syracuse. I don't love them, but they're one of two major conference teams with only one regular season loss, coming out of a 7-8 bid conference.

My preference would be Missouri over Kansas, but I think they get hurt by not beating them head-to-head in the tourney and, as someone noted earlier, their awful non-conferecne schedule. Kansas played some nice ooc competition.

[tikigods]

Given the way they've operated through the years, I don't see how they deny Syracuse. I don't love them, but they're one of two major conference teams with only one regular season loss, coming out of a 7-8 bid conference.

My preference would be Missouri over Kansas, but I think they get hurt by not beating them head-to-head in the tourney and, as someone noted earlier, their awful non-conferecne schedule. Kansas played some nice ooc competition.

Syracuse as a two seed is just me wishful thinking.

Anyone watching Xavier-St Bonnie's?

[JT]

Syracuse as a two seed is just me wishful thinking.

Are you my brother? He wants to send them to the NIT. Preferably a play-in game.

They're easy to hate.

[tikigods]

Are you my brother? He wants to send them to the NIT. Preferably a play-in game.

They're easy to hate.

Seriously. My GF is obsessed with them. I've tried to like them but I just can't. I have to grin and bear them as a one seed. Honestly, I'm hoping Boeheim gets busted with kiddie porn.

[Reality]

This thing is wide open, no favorites. Playing in a horrible conference will cost KY in the long run.

[ZeroTolerance]

Final 2012 tournament projection (auto bids in bold)

One bid conferences (20) - Vermont, Belmont, Montana, UNC Asheville, Long Beach St, Virginia Commonwealth, Detroit, Harvard, Loyola, Akron, Norfolk St, LIU Brooklyn, Murray St, Lehigh, Davidson, Lamar, South Dakota St, Western Kentucky, Mississippi Valley St, New Mexico St

ACC (5) - Duke, North Carolina, Florida St, Virginia, North Carolina St
A-10 (4) - Temple, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure, Xavier
Big East (9) - Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Connecticut, West Virginia, South Florida
Big Ten (6)- Michigan St, Ohio St, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue
Big 12 (6) - Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Iowa St, Kansas St, Texas
C-USA (2) - Memphis, Southern Miss
MVC (2) - Wichita St, Creighton
MWC (4) - San Diego St, UNLV, New Mexico, Colorado St
Pac-12 (3) - California, Washington, Colorado
SEC (4) - Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama
WCC (3) - Saint Mary's, Gonzaga, BYU

Last four in: BYU, North Carolina St, South Florida, Washington
First four out: Seton Hall, Drexel, Miami (FL), Mississippi St

#1 Seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Michigan St
#2 Seeds: Kansas, Missouri, Ohio St, Duke
#3 Seeds: Baylor, Florida St, Marquette, Michigan
#4 Seeds: Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Wisconsin


- I am not giving the committee much credit in predicting a Washington at-large bid. Based on resume, the Huskies would be behind several teams who are outside the field, but I will not buy the committee leaving out a big six conference champ until I see it.
- Michigan could easily be busted down to a 4 seed given their horrible performance vs Ohio St yesterday combined with their poor road record (6-6, only one top 50 road win, losses at Iowa and Arkansas) but Georgetown failed to make any noise in the Big East tournament.

- After thinking it over, the way the Big Ten scenario has played out, with Ohio St and Michigan St being so interchangeable, I am going to say that the committee will have set up the brackets this afternoon in a way that allows them to plug in the winner as the final #1 and the loser as a #2. In addition, the Spartans have not skipped a beat despite the loss of Dawson, so it is hard for the committee to punish their seed due to his injury. As such, I have moved Michigan St into the last #1 seed.

Here is my wild guess for the protected seeds by region:

East - Syracuse, Duke, Michigan, Georgetown
South - Kentucky, Missouri, Florida St, Wisconsin
Midwest - North Carolina, Ohio St, Baylor, Indiana
West - Michigan St, Kansas, Marquette, Vanderbilt


And another fun game come selection time...what will be the biggest 'WTF' moment? Contenders:

- Washington not only getting in, but getting a 9 or 10 seed
- Florida St jumping all the way up to a 2 seed (two wins over UNC and Duke)
- Mississippi St as this year's version of 2011 Georgia (aka, the team that went from doubtful for a bid to actually getting an 8 or a 9)

[ZeroTolerance]

Iona is the first major shocker of the bracket. Florida busted down to a 7 seed as well.

[cyclone24]

Sorry fellas....i would have responded sooner but im still vomitting over Iowa State having to play UCONN then Kentucky......IN Kentucky.


What? They didnt want to let Syracuse and Missouri form a superteam for Iowa State to play?



Yeesh.

[ZeroTolerance]

Damn, Iona keeps me from 68 for 68. Missed one guess on the 1-4 seeds (the Michigan/Georgetown I mentioned could happen) though my region predictions were way off.


ETA: And Michigan was the top 4/Georgetown the bottom 3. Take that Lunardi!

[cmh6476]

ku ends up in a better position than mu. While both will be playin their first two in Omaha, KU gets the trip to St. Louis should they win their first 2-game tournament

[crackattack]

ku ends up in a better position than mu. While both will be playin their first two in Omaha, KU gets the trip to St. Louis should they win their first 2-game tournament

Crap.... I see a purdue kansas match up. You like fitted hats....

[ZeroTolerance]

FIRST FOUR OUT!?!

Oral Roberts, Miami, Drexel, Nevada

Most mid-major friendly committee in history.


Oral Roberts bounced on Sunday by St. Bonaventure's win. Where is your 900-ft tall Jesus now?

[southcarolina]

Did South Carolina make it?

[Fumbleweed]

Damn, Iona keeps me from 68 for 68. Missed one guess on the 1-4 seeds (the Michigan/Georgetown I mentioned could happen) though my region predictions were way off.


ETA: And Michigan was the top 4/Georgetown the bottom 3. Take that Lunardi!

I had Iona in, but Drexel in as well...so, 67 of 68 for me as well. I had Xavier out.

Where do you get the first four out thing with Oral Roberts? I didn't know that they ever announced that...

[ZeroTolerance]

I had Iona in, but Drexel in as well...so, 67 of 68 for me as well. I had Xavier out.

Where do you get the first four out thing with Oral Roberts? I didn't know that they ever announced that...

For the first time this year they held a post show on TruTV where they revealed the entire S-curve, the last four in and first four out, and interviewed the committee chairs at length. The first four out were Oral Roberts, Miami, Drexel, and Nevada. They basically divulged that the biggest thing they looked at this year was strength of schedule, especially non-conference. Iona's was 43, Drexel's over 200. That also played into Michigan St getting the fourth 1 seed and Missouri being 8th in the S-curve (though never in consideration to drop to a 3 seed).

Additionally, the unveiling of the S-curve showed that geography was far more important than strength, as they put the lowest ranked 1, 2, 4, and 5 seeds all in the same region.



http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2012/story/_/id/7674666/2012-men-ncaa-tournament-st-bonaventure-bonnies-win-canceled-vote-final-spot

"A spot on the bracket was left open before the game. Six teams -- Drexel, Miami (Fla.), Oral Roberts, Seton Hall, Mississippi State and Nevada -- would have been put up for a vote if Xavier had won the game."

[Fumbleweed]

Pretty interesting stuff. It means that Washington wasn't even in the top six to miss out. And, Cal is in a play-in game. Man, the Pac-12 sucked...

[DanXIII]

That show on TruTV was awesome, will definitely watch again next year. Barkley went Barkley on the committee dopes.

Also, is there a bracket contest for the Geek Bored that does not involve hats, preferably on Yahoo?

[DanXIII]

I also noticed that Mark Gottfried and NC State have the potential to face either North Carolina again or Gottfried's ex team Alabama (not likely obv) on the way to the national semis.

[DanXIII]

Pretty interesting stuff. It means that Washington wasn't even in the top six to miss out. And, Cal is in a play-in game. Man, the Pac-12 sucked...

I cannot wrap my head around the committee's logic vis a vis Washington. Maybe I'm just a noob but they're always throwing out phrases like "body of work" on the one hand while on the other a team like Washington, who wins its regular season conference title, gets left out while teams that somehow manage to luckbox their way to a Three Day Tourney At The End Of The Season title get an automatic bid.