College Basketball Thread 2014-15

[fondybrewfan]

I think the #1 seeds are correct as of today. UW's best wins are Georgetown, Oklahoma, and Michigan State. That's not exactly a great resume. They are rightfully on the #2 line right now. I think Duke or Virginia would need to lose 2 games to drop off of #1 line and it is certainly possible for Virginia. They play at Louisville and at Syracuse followed by the ACC tourney. Duke has to play at UNC and the ACC tourney yet. If Duke didn't have the head to head advantage over UW I would say UW could leap them if they lose one game; but I am just not sure.

 

If UW wins out they probably do end up with a #1 seed; I think they are probably the #5 team as we speak although Arizona might have an argument. Regardless I think they need some losses from Duke, Virginia, or Villanova to have a chance.

[DHonks]

This is a fun year in that there's about 12 clear contenders. Last year was more of a crapshoot with clear top teams followed by weakness. To show this year's depth, there will be top 25 teams in the tournament with 10+ losses. The question is...is there a Kentucky or UCONN this year (teams that barely made the tourney last year, but made the dance)?

[fondybrewfan]

Badgers almost got a gift last night from Creighton; they had Villanova on the ropes but couldn't quite pull it out in the end.

 

At this point I think the best way to a #1 seed is to have Duke lose at UNC and also lose prior the ACC Championship game while UW wins out through at least the Big 10 semis. I don't think the committee really considers the B10 championship into seeding since it gets done so late.

 

Villanova is entirely unimpressive but I am not sure there is someone in the Big East Tourney to knock them off. Virginia would probably need to lose 3 times for the Badgers to jump them and that isn't happening. I do have some concern that Arizona is ahead of the Badgers right now coming off a big win at Utah.

[homer]

This is a fun year in that there's about 12 clear contenders. Last year was more of a crapshoot with clear top teams followed by weakness. To show this year's depth, there will be top 25 teams in the tournament with 10+ losses. The question is...is there a Kentucky or UCONN this year (teams that barely made the tourney last year, but made the dance)?

 

 

I think that was an aberration.

[homer]

Wisconsin is good.

[owbc]

Not too concerned with the seeding as much as the matchups. Right now Lunardi has Wisconsin in Kentucky's bracket. While I would love to see that matchup, it needs to be in Indy. Same goes for Duke.

[fondybrewfan]

When they are hitting their shots like they were last night they can beat anyone; including Kentucky. Kentucky isn't some unstoppable force; they have almost lost games to entirely mediocre teams. Yes the Badgers would have to play a hell of a game to beat them but it isn't impossible.

 

CBS and NBC also have UW in Kentucky's bracket. At least playing Kentucky would probably lead to a pretty neutral crowd I imagine and it would be pretty awesome to keep the All American team from making the Final 4. Kentucky would probably be favored by 5-6 points I would guess.

 

I still think there is a pretty good opportunity for UW to jump Duke or Villanova. Duke is a legitimately talented and good team; Villanova just screams mediocrity to me though; they are absolutely not making a Final 4.

[LouisEly]

If you've watched Marquette play Villanova, you will know that Villanova is a very good team, especially defensively. They are like UW in that they have six guys averaging 9 ppg or more - almost anyone on the floor can score. And they are 41st in steals and generate a lot of turnovers with their defense.

 

They've had two ESPN 100 recruits in each of their last four recruiting classes. They have talent.

[nate82]

I just hope the Badgers don't get in the same region as NC State. That team is going to be scary come tourney time and will probably knock off one of the higher seeds.

[DuWayne Steurer]

UVA with a loss...... Badgers absolutely curb-stomped Ohio State on the road. There's still hope for a 1-seed.

[fondybrewfan]

I think Virginia is still a lock even if they lose another game. Only hope for UW is a Villanova loss. There is a chance they could leapfrog Villanova if they both won out I think though. Badgers could also avoid Kentucky if someone like Notre Dame sneaks on to the 2 line. A Kansas or Gonzaga loss could do that. I guess if they play Kentucky in the Elite 8 so be it. Its not like they can't be them and they shouldn't be ashamed if do lose to a team that has like 38 All Americans on the team.

[homer]

I guess if they play Kentucky in the Elite 8 so be it. Its not like they can't be them and they shouldn't be ashamed if do lose to a team that has like 38 All Americans on the team.

 

 

I agree. I really don't care when they play UK. I'm not interested in a Final Four appearance. I want UW to win the whole damn thing. If that means beating UK in the Elite 8 instead of the last game so be it.

[Outlander]

Disagree, obviously Duke and or Virginia will be losing so a Big ten tournament win should secure a 1 seed for the Badgers.

[LouisEly]

An early conference tourney loss by Villanova or Virginia and a sweep through by UW and I think they move up to a #1. Notre Dame could move up to a #2 as well; Wichita State will drop, and if Kansas or Gonzaga loses early in their conference tourneys ND could move up. Notre Dame has a weak non-conference schedule, but they beat Purdue handily and also beat Michigan State. If Notre Dame can beat Duke (already did that once this year) or Virginia (close loss at home) in their tourney they have a shot at a #2.

[fondybrewfan]

I think Duke winning the head to head over UW keeps them ahead of UW even if they lose in the ACC tourney. If Virginia loses they would equal the 3 losses of Wisconsin but probably have the slightly better resume.

 

This week is also a really fun week to be a basketball fan. I really love watching the smaller conference tourneys and how amazing it must feel to win the championship and get to go to the big dance. I wish somehow Murray State would make the tourney. Go undefeated in your regular season and lose in the final seconds of your championship game is a hard way to go out.

[Funketown]

I think at this point both Duke and UVA get one seeds as long as they don't drop their first-round games in the ACCT. I doubt UVA can lose their one seed regardless of what happens on Wednesday. Virginia may be without Justin Anderson for a while due to an appendectomy, and if that's the case then it seems there about a half-dozen teams after Kentucky which are similarly strong.

 

The conference tourneys are a lot of fun, but I have two complaints. First, smaller conference tourneys ought to be held on campus, I'm sure there's a financial reason why these conferences sometimes choose to host the tourneys at one venue, but it's a lot more fun to watch these games in a team's home gym. Second, I wish there was some way to keep the intrigue of these tournaments while giving a larger advantage to the regular-season conference winner. Murray State won their conference by SIX games, and lost by a point in a back-and-forth final, which makes the regular season seem like a pretty pointless exercise in these third-tier conferences. They shouldn't get an at-large bid (BPI around 70, 1-2 against top-100 teams with two blowout losses), but they deserve to be there more than any other team in that conference.

[fondybrewfan]

I would rather have Murray State there than an entirely mediocre team like Indiana, Illinois, Texas A&M, or Miami. None of those teams have a chance in heck of advancing past the first weekend; let the team who steamrolled through their league get in with a chance to be a Cinderella. It adds a lot more intrigue.

[LouisEly]

Amen to that. I don't care what the RPI, BPI, SOS, CYA, SOB, or any other acronym says, I'd much rather watch an undefeated team in regular conference play from a smaller/weaker conference than a .500 team from a power conference, unless that .500 team was missing a couple of star players because of injury for several games or was composed almost entirely of freshmen who took a while to figure out the college game. In fact, I think that a team should have to have a winning regular season conference record in order to be eligible for an at-large bid.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Amen to that. I don't care what the RPI, BPI, SOS, CYA, SOB, or any other acronym says, I'd much rather watch an undefeated team in regular conference play from a smaller/weaker conference than a .500 team from a power conference, unless that .500 team was missing a couple of star players because of injury for several games or was composed almost entirely of freshmen who took a while to figure out the college game. In fact, I think that a team should have to have a winning regular season conference record in order to be eligible for an at-large bid.

 

 

I realize that the 2010/11 Uconn Huskies made it to the dance because they won their conference tourney, but they were 9 -9 in the Big East, and won the entire shebang. Setting an artificial qualifier (you must be over .500 to get an invite) doesn't solve problems. Do you believe a one loss team from the Sun Belt is better than a 9 - 9 team from the Big East or the ACC?

[jhart05]

Second, I wish there was some way to keep the intrigue of these tournaments while giving a larger advantage to the regular-season conference winner.

 

The Horizon League gives their top two teams a double bye into the Semi-Finals, and the top team hosts those final three games.

 

The Mid-Major and lower conferences should all adopt this method. As it's in their best interest to get their best team in the big tourney.

 

If you can't get it done for two games, with the extra days off and home court advantage, while other teams would have to win at least three games, usually four, with the final two on the road, you don't deserve it. Don't care if you did win the regular season by 10 games.

 

Wait, check that, the top team also hosts the quarterfinals, even thou they aren't playing in either game. So any other team would have to win three possibly four road games to win the conference tourney. While the top team gets to sleep in their own bed the entire time.

 

Aside from not having a conference tourney and sending your regular season champ to the dance, like the Ivy League does, don't know how anyone could come up with a better system than the Horizon League.

[jhart05]

I would rather have Murray State there than an entirely mediocre team like Indiana, Illinois, Texas A&M, or Miami. None of those teams have a chance in heck of advancing past the first weekend; let the team who steamrolled through their league get in with a chance to be a Cinderella. It adds a lot more intrigue.

 

 

I agree with you, but sadly the NCAA is all about the money.

 

Those other "big school" teams will draw more "fans" in the stadium and ratings on TV, just based on their name alone.

 

Those of us who like to see the "little guy" in there, don't matter to the $$$N$C$A$A$$$.

[fondybrewfan]

I mean what fan in America didn't love Florida Gulf Coast, Butler, or George Mason when they went on those runs. I would argue the NCAA is more likely to pull in the casual fans when those types of things happen than when some mediocre ACC or B10 team gets squashed in the first round. These arenas seem to fill up no matter who is playing.

[jhart05]

Well, it does sound reasonable to most of us, doesn't it. But sure doesn't seem the NCAA thinks the same way.

 

Also, watch how the brackets unfold. I think they also try to put those Mid-Major's up against each other. Don't have any old brackets in front of me, but every year I have 3 or 4 "little guys" I want to root for, but they end up potentially playing each other in the opening weekend, if not right away on Thursday/Friday.

[Funketown]

That Horizon league tournament makes a lot of sense; I really only care about watching the finals as a viewer with no vested cheering interest in the conference, and that would usually lead to a raucous environment. I think most NCAA basketball fans can list their fondest memories of the tournament as coming from the likes of Vermont (Taylor Coppenrath!), Lehigh (CJ McCollum), FGCU, Mercer, Norfolk State, etc. Davidson could be a really scary team this year (they have tons of great outside shooters), but they aren't exactly flying under the radar anymore.

 

I'll be favoring Wofford and Iona tonight as those are good teams which could give us some fun in a week (top-100 by kenpom).

[Funketown]

Double posts are weak.

 

Also, let me briefly rant about my distaste for the 'play-in' among the 16-seeds. If you win your conference, you should get to go to the tourney (Dayton does not count). Let the mediocre bubble teams have play-in games if need be.