College Basketball Thread 2014-15

[PeaveyFury]

DKM4Boston, interesting thoughts. I can definitely justify Wisconsin as a #1 with their past performance, star players, and blowouts. Duke had a harder strength of schedule, with Virginia slightly behind Wisconsin. I can't help but wonder if the committee will punish Wisconsin because of the Big Ten's down year.

 

Interestingly enough, though, is that Wisconsin's RPI is now ahead of both Duke's and Virginia's at this point. As I said yesterday, I think it may have forced the committee to choose one or the other, but not both. And with both losing and Wisconsin/Arizona rolling, I don't know if either ACC team ends up on the one line.

 

It's also worth pointing out that while the Big Ten might be Wisconsin and basically everyone else, the same goes for Arizona in the Pac-12 as well. If they want to punish us for a weak conference, AZ should be punished too.

[LouisEly]

I think Notre Dame's win helps get UW out of Cleveland. ND has a non-conference SOS that is ranked #325 (seems odd because they beat Michigan State in OT, lost to Providence by one, and crushed Purdue), so I can see the tourney punishing that SOS by matching them up against Kentucky.

 

The tourney will sometimes give lower seeds in exchange for playing close to home so my guess is they give UW the #1 in the West and Arizona gets the #2 in exchange for playing in LA (Gonzaga the #3). Kansas had the #2 non-conference SOS so the tourney will reward them by keeping them out of Cleveland, but I agree, they have not been impressive down the stretch.

 

West:

1 - UW

2 - Arizona

3 - Gonzaga

4 - Oklahoma or Baylor

5 - UNC

6 - SMU/Arkansas

7 - San Diego State

 

South (Houston)

1 - Duke

2 - Kansas

3 - Wichita State

4 - Oklahoma or Baylor

5 - Utah

6 - Arkansas/SMU

7 - Providence

 

Midwest (Cleveland)

1 - Kentucky

2 - Notre Dame

3 - Iowa State

4 - UNI

5 - Michigan State

6 - Butler

7 - Oregon

 

East (Syracuse)

1 - Villanova

2 - Virginia

3 - Maryland

4 - Louisville

5 - West Virginia

6 - Davidson

7 - Georgetown

[FVBrewerFan]

I think it's very simple at this point. Beat Mich St, and they're a #1, lose and they're a #2. I just can't see the committee not rewarding a team that won the Big Ten regular season and tournament. Especially since every year they say how important it is to win the conf tournament, and the seeding has proven that over the last few years. When it's close, a team that wins their conf tourney gets the nod.

 

By the way, nice to see Dekker really step up his game just in time for the tourney. He will be the key in how far the Badgers can go.

[DuWayne Steurer]

What a game. Bad time for Dekker to disappear on offense.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Badgers owning overtime. HOpe it's enough to lock up a one.

[young guns]

What complete overtime dominance. If this doesnt get us a 1, nothing ever will.

[brwrsfan]

Looking at the numbers...were ahead of Villanova in almost every regard. They should really be the ones getting shipped out west but I'll take a one seed anywhere.

 

As already said...if this doesn't get us a one seed I don't know what will.

[DuWayne Steurer]

we're not the 2 in the Midwest. At this point I really don't care.

[DHonks]

Congrats to Bucky fans. Amazing how they always seem to benefit from other teams making mistakes. All Valentine needed to do was hold it, and MSU wins. But I've gotten used to seeing Wisconsin win games that nobody else could win due to half-court shots and brainfarts.

 

Now on a more serious note...I would think rankings matter, but apparently not. Wichita St should be a 3/4, but they're a 7? Maryland should be a 2/3, but they're a 4? Northern Iowa should be a 2/3, but they're a 5? Utah should be a 2/3, but they're a 5? Dayton winning the conference and coming up just short in the Tourney, but being given a play-in game?? The A-10 deserved 4 or 5 teams, yet their best team wound up with a play-in game? Some of this reminds me of that one year ('97 or 98) when College of Charleston was like #18 in the country but landed something like a 14-seed.

[trwi7]

The committee always makes some baffling decisions. Go back to 2004. Wisconsin was "rewarded" after going 24-6, winning the conference tournament and being a top 10 team by getting to play in Milwaukee and getting a second round matchup with top 6 ranked Pittsburgh.

 

It was one of the dumbest decisions I've ever seen. Two top 10 teams meeting in the round of 32.

[pitchleague]

I can't complain. It's another event to cross off my Sports Bucket List--Wisconsin Badgers as a #1 seed.

[fondybrewfan]

Not a huge fan of possibly playing AZ again, especially out West. Possibly playing Oregon again in the 2nd round is kind of lame too. Not a bad draw at all though. It might have a very similar feel to last year. I would count on playing North Carolina in the Sweet 16. Match up with Wisconsin kid Tokoto would be interesting

[brwrsfan]

Even if Valentine hangs into the ball, the game isn't necessarily over. Badgers foul a few times and MSU goes to the line with a one and one and 15 seconds left. Would have been tough but he certainly could have missed a ft.

 

I think the possible unc or Arkansas matchup could be trouble. Both play very up tempo which could test our depth big time and unc is highly athletic and gets into the paint. Not a good thing for our defense.

 

And facing arizona out west seems like a penalty for a one seed. But at least we avoided KY.

[fondybrewfan]

Barring upsets; once you get to that 2nd weekend you are always playing good teams that could beat you. UNC is incredibly athletic but they also aren't a good shooting or defensive team. It would be a tough game for sure though.

 

An Arizona matchup again obviously would be really tough; but I have a feeling someone is going to knock them off before the Elite 8.

[DuWayne Steurer]

And facing arizona out west seems like a penalty for a one seed. But at least we avoided KY.

 

At some point one of the one-seeds would have to play Arizona. We were likely the lowest one seed. Going out west as a one (and playing AZ in the elite 8) is still better than playing KY in the elite 8 in Cleveland.

[owbc]

Oregon-UNC-Arizona is a much better path than Wichita State-Notre Dame-Kentucky.

[MrTPlush]

Seed placement is all about making good TV ratings and getting certain teams farther. These are made to get upsets or push certain teams farther. WSU being a #7 seed and having Kansas in the round of 32...hello TV ratings.

 

Though I can't blame NCAA...quite the clever plan.

[brwrsfan]

And facing arizona out west seems like a penalty for a one seed. But at least we avoided KY.

 

At some point one of the one-seeds would have to play Arizona. We were likely the lowest one seed. Going out west as a one (and playing AZ in the elite 8) is still better than playing KY in the elite 8 in Cleveland.

 

It's not so much facing arizona that is bad. Just the location. Playing them in CA gives them a bit of a home court advantage over the one seed in the region.

 

Also just read that the committee said WI earned a one seed after the game on SATURDAY. Making today's game moot - I don't agree with it and don't like the fact that they admit that too. We couldn't have been THAT far ahead of Arizona or Virginia IMO.

[davego]

Since I grew up hoping and celebrating an NIT bid, all this feels very much like an out-of-body experience.

[jjfanec]

Delete

[jjfanec]

Congrats to Bucky fans. Amazing how they always seem to benefit from other teams making mistakes. All Valentine needed to do was hold it, and MSU wins. But I've gotten used to seeing Wisconsin win games that nobody else could win due to half-court shots and brainfarts.

 

I am guessing you are a marquette fan. Do you remember what Davidson had to do so Marquette had a chance to win. I honestly don't think the Badgers are that lucky. Harrison draining a 3 last year didn't feel lucky. I love posts that start with congrats to seem nice but then turn out to be something totally different.

 

The Badgers seemed to get a nice draw outside of Arizona as the two seed. I woul have taken any other 2 seed or Villanova over Arizona in the bracket. But you should expect a tough team if you make the Elite Eight

[fondybrewfan]

My first opinion on the bracket is Kentucky has an absolute cake walk to the Final 4. Notre Dame might be the only team to have any chance. Purdue/Kentucky in the 2nd round would be mildly interesting since Purdue has such great size down low. There appears to be upset potential galore in the East and South brackets. There will be some popular 1st round upset picks in those regions and I think it is pretty likely neither #1 seed makes the Final 4.

 

In the West, Baylor is more than capable of knocking or Arizona, but I don't know if I can pick them yet. Georgia State is a tough draw for Baylor in Round #1; they have some good talent on that team. North Carolina is the only team on the Top half of that bracket that I think can give Wisconsin a hard time. Even then I think UW would be a decent favorite. Wofford might give Arkansas a good run and BYU/Ole Miss can certainly beat an extremely mediocre Xavier who probably has no business being a #6.

[FVBrewerFan]

Would much rather be the #2 Seed in the East, a much easier path to the championship game. Oh well, that's what you get for earning the #1 seed- virtually the same path as last year.

[fondybrewfan]

If it ultimately came down to either UW in the West as a #1 or Midwest as a #2 I am glad how it turned out. If UW was going to be a #2 it almost surely would have been in the Midwest Region given the geography of the other 2 seeds. Maybe UW could have gone south with Gonzaga going Midwest and Kansas going west.

[CheezWizHed]

Is the regional placement based on the highest ranking team of that position?

 

So, Kentucky stays in the Midwest because they are the top ranked #1 and this is the closest to their home? Similarly with AZ as a #2 and placed in the West?