[Cracked Sidewalks] We Have a Bracket!

[brewcity77]

We know where Marquette is going and we know who's in. Today Cracked Sidewalks looks at the bracket to see how we did compared to the rest of the Bracket Matrix contributors. We also dig in to where we think the Selection Committee got it right and where they got it wrong. Generally, we approve of the seeding, disapprove of the bubble selection (two teams in particular), and then take a quick look at the regions in terms of balance and expectations.

https://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2022/03/we-have-bracket.html

[Dr. Blackheart]

I would add the selection committee composition to your criteria. Bubba Cunningham of UNC/ACC is a ND alum and worked in their AD. Bernadette McGlade is the A10 Commissioner.

This answers to me why ND got in and why Dayton was the first one out (after A10 Richmond stole their spot). Coyle must have done a great sell job to get Rutgers in for the B1G.

In the end, conference representation, balance and familiarity may mean more for these last close choices at the end than the spreadsheets.

[brewcity77]

I would add the selection committee composition to your criteria. Bubba Cunningham of UNC/ACC is a ND alum and worked in their AD. Bernadette McGlade is the A10 Commissioner.

This answers to me why ND got in and why Dayton was the first one out (after A10 Richmond stole their spot). Coyle must have done a great sell job to get Rutgers in for the B1G.

In the end, conference representation, balance and familiarity may mean more for these last close choices at the end than the spreadsheets.

I definitely think there's something to this, though I'm hesitant because I nosedived in 2019 when they changed the makeup of the Committee. Prior to 2014, there had been 5 high-major and 5 mid-major, but that changed to 6/4 because Bruce Rasmussen of Creighton was already on the Committee when Creighton moved to the Big East.

Once his term was done in 2019, I expected to see a shift back to mid-majors getting better at-large representation like they had before 2014. Because of that, I had UNC-Greensboro and Furman both in as at-larges and Lipscomb as my next team up instead of Ohio State and Arizona State.

[Shooter McGavin]

I would add the selection committee composition to your criteria. Bubba Cunningham of UNC/ACC is a ND alum and worked in their AD. Bernadette McGlade is the A10 Commissioner.

This answers to me why ND got in and why Dayton was the first one out (after A10 Richmond stole their spot). Coyle must have done a great sell job to get Rutgers in for the B1G.

In the end, conference representation, balance and familiarity may mean more for these last close choices at the end than the spreadsheets.

I agree Dr. B this probably played a role.  ND tying for second in the ACC with that representation on the committee definitely helped.  No matter how much the metrics influence the committee these days I'm sure some of the members couldn't get over the thought of leaving a second place ACC team out of the field.

Great job Brew and once again thank you for your hard work.