Worst "Bubble" of all time?

[Lennys Tap]

Jay Bilas thinks so.

[GGGG]

Dan Gavitt mentioned how difficult the seeding process is from the 3 line down to the 10 line is this year.  I think there is a lot of indistinguishable teams this year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Last couple times the "experts" said the bubble sucked, a few of those bubble teams went to very deep.  Crap Shoot.

Anything can happen if you get in.  Ask Butler, George Mason, VCU, etc.

[GGGG]

Last couple times the "experts" said the bubble sucked, a few of those bubble teams went to very deep.

Really?  So when VCU, George Mason, etc. went to the Final Four, those were also years that people said the bubble sucked? 

Or are you using this opportunity to simply trot out one of your favorite talking points?

[PGsHeroes32]

This is a really bad year.

The teams on the top 2 seed lines are nice. But everyone else is average in respect to other years.

Jae and DJO would have demolished the Big East this year. Probably forced a few kids to legit quite basketball.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Really?  So when VCU, George Mason, etc. went to the Final Four, those were also years that people said the bubble sucked?  

Or are you using this opportunity to simply trot out one of your favorite talking points?

VCU in particular, how much crap did they take from folks saying they shouldn't have received an invite and that it was proof how poor the field was.  Two weeks later they were in the Final Four.

It's a crap shoot.  

[ChicosBailBonds]

This is a really bad year.

The teams on the top 2 seed lines are nice. But everyone else is average in respect to other years.

Jae and DJO would have demolished the Big East this year. Probably forced a few kids to legit quite basketball.

The bubble has been soft for at least a decade if not longer....college basketball teams pale to what they used to be.  Early departures, transfers, etc.  It has taken a big hit on quality teams up and down the list, and the bubble will remain soft each and every year until those things are addressed.

[mattyv1908]

The bubble has been soft for at least a decade if not longer....college basketball teams pale to what they used to be.  Early departures, transfers, etc.  It has taken a big hit on quality teams up and down the list, and the bubble will remain soft each and every year until those things are addressed.

In some ways it makes for a better tournament with far less truly good teams.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Jay Bilas thinks so.

But what does Jerry Palm think?

[ChicosBailBonds]

In some ways it makes for a better tournament with far less truly good teams.

In my view it is more about separation.  A lot of good teams, very few very good or great teams any more.  Hard to distinguish between a number of them, but any are capable of going on a run....thus crap shoot.

[MuMark]

I don't know if the bubble is really bad every year but I do know that the talking heads say it is really bad every year......

[forgetful]

I don't think the bubble is any worse than ever, there is just more parity.  That leads to a less obvious line dividing in and out.

[GGGG]

VCU in particular, how much crap did they take from folks saying they shouldn't have received an invite and that it was proof how poor the field was.  

No.  That is not what they said.  They said they shouldn't have been in the field because there were better candidates.

You are making stuff up.

[brewcity77]

The bubble seems to get progressively worse, but I think that going to 68 teams has simply led to a weak bubble every year. It's amazing that at 64 it always seem there were 1-2 really good teams that got left out, but at 68, there's 1-2 really bad teams that get it. I think 64 is the magic number, but they'll never shrink the field.

It might be worth giving more automatic bids, or giving the last 4 at-large bids to the best non-qualifying regular season conference champions, which would allow teams like Murray State, Louisiana Tech, and Iona another way in without letting teams like this year's ghastly Tulsa team anywhere near the bubble.

[ChicosBailBonds]

No.  That is not what they said.  They said they shouldn't have been in the field because there were better candidates.

You are making stuff up.

Wait....they shouldn't be in the field because there are better candidates doesn't mean they shouldn't be in the field?  Here I thought the point is to take the best at-large teams which means the most deserving of being in the field.  If the talking heads said there were better teams ahead of them for those final spots, then that means they didn't deserve to be in the field according to those talking heads.

It's the same thing.  I'm not making anything up.  Do I believe they should have been in....probably not, but that's the point.  It's a crap shoot, anything can happen if you get the chance.  What one does in the tournament is a different thing completely.

A little refresher

"THEY HAD NO CHANCE TO GET IN"  "indefensible!"

"no shot, none whatsoever"

"these were bad decisions...we talk about the eye test, this one fails the laugh test"

"All of them had a better resume"  "not deserving of a bid"   "should not be in tournament"

etc, etc


https://www.youtube.com/v/Ace6MPGIY2w

https://www.youtube.com/v/7Tcb9TJ7sOo

https://www.youtube.com/v/Wqw0ChfpDZY


More   https://twitter.com/realskipbayless/status/52108093118611456

[GGGG]

No Chicos.  That doesn't mean there is a weak bubble.  It's a different thing entirely.

[brewcity77]

Completely different thing, but that VCU team should NOT have been in the tournament. I know, they went to the Final Four, blah blah blah. Their resume prior to that did not warrant their inclusion. Tourney bids are not justified by what you do in the tournament, they are earned by what you do from November to March.

Anyone that thinks the tourney is a crapshoot should know that bids are not earned once you get there. After all, it's a crapshoot, right?

[bradley center bat]

Jay Bilas thinks so.

They say that every year.

[ChicosBailBonds]

No Chicos.  That doesn't mean there is a weak bubble.  It's a different thing entirely.

Except 2011 the same talking heads and others were saying exactly that, a weak bubble 2011


Jay Bilas in 2011 :  Last season's "bubble" was soft and loaded with average teams. This year's bubble is softer than ever, and loaded with mediocre teams.
https://twitter.com/jaybilas/status/38000449143447552


http://www.si.com/more-sports/2011/02/14/bubble-watch

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/26053/the-top-five-tourney-snubs-of-2011

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the68/2011/02/ncaa_tournament_2011_a_look_at_2.html

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/2/17/1995974/ncaa-basketball-tournament-soft-bubble-march-madness

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2011-02-16-2987066911_x.htm

[ChicosBailBonds]

Completely different thing, but that VCU team should NOT have been in the tournament. I know, they went to the Final Four, blah blah blah. Their resume prior to that did not warrant their inclusion. Tourney bids are not justified by what you do in the tournament, they are earned by what you do from November to March.

Anyone that thinks the tourney is a crapshoot should know that bids are not earned once you get there. After all, it's a crapshoot, right?

Exactly the point and what I have always said.  The crapshoot is what happens IN THE TOURNAMENT.  Anything can happen....ANYTHING.

I said then and say it again now, I don't think they should have gotten in...but they did.  It was a very soft bubble.  The bubble has been soft for well over a decade as college basketball has diluted itself.  It does make for an interesting tournament and quite frankly, even more opportunity for that crapshoot effect because so many teams are like the others.  Going from 65 to 68 certainly lets more of those good, not great teams in, but the bubble was softening long before expanding to 68.

[Groin_pull]

Jay Bilas thinks so.

Just a crappy year overall in college hoops. Lots of mediocre teams.

[GGGG]

Except 2011 the same talking heads and others were saying exactly that, a weak bubble 2011


Jay Bilas in 2011 :  Last season's "bubble" was soft and loaded with average teams. This year's bubble is softer than ever, and loaded with mediocre teams.
https://twitter.com/jaybilas/status/38000449143447552


http://www.si.com/more-sports/2011/02/14/bubble-watch

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/26053/the-top-five-tourney-snubs-of-2011

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the68/2011/02/ncaa_tournament_2011_a_look_at_2.html

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/2/17/1995974/ncaa-basketball-tournament-soft-bubble-march-madness

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2011-02-16-2987066911_x.htm

Now there ya go.  That's backing up what you say.