Author Topic: Feb. 23 Bracketology (Read 4097 times)

Norm · « **on:** February 23, 2009, 12:00:53 PM »

Lunardi now has Marquette as a #3 seed, playing Vermont in Minneapolis. Other game in that bracket is #6 Texas and #11 Wisconsin.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

legacy · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:04:33 PM »

There is some mistake in it. They have 9 Big East teams in the bracket (including Notre Dame and Georgetown), but on the side bar it says only 7 Big East teams, and it has Notre Dame listed along with Cincinnati under "First Four Out"

Norm · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:05:56 PM »

I think Lunardi has just put in the teams in the brackets and not changed the side notes yet.

dwaderoy2004 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:06:08 PM »

no mistake. read the right side. the bracket shown was done by a mock panel set-up by espn and the ncaa over teh weekend. the rundown shows how lunardi himself actually has it.

legacy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:11:03 PM »

Thanks. Amazing. I guess today was different that the usual bracketology. For a second, I thought it had always been that way, and I had just never read the fine print.

dwaderoy2004 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:12:56 PM »

no i think he's just taking the day off. he updates every monday and friday now. the one on friday should be his again.

drewm88 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:17:03 PM »

Texas and Wisconsin already played this year. Wouldn't the committee not match them in the first round?

Update: Andy Katz addressed it:

The one additional principle that may have to go is trying to avoid regular-season rematches. There are so many rules and regulations dealing with teams from the same conferences that regular-season rematches may be unavoidable in a few instances. With so many teams from super conferences like the ACC and Big East, it's hard to find slots. So, in our bracket, no one noticed until it was too late that Wisconsin's only spot was as an 11-seed, opposite No. 6 Texas, which is a rematch from a game earlier this season (won by the Longhorns in Madison). If the Badgers were to win this game in our fictional bracket, they would possibly have a second rematch against No. 3 Marquette in Minneapolis.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3928104&name=katz_andy

Norm · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:21:43 PM »

If this scenario were to play out, #11 Wisconsin would basically have a home game against #6 Texas. There are tons of Wisconsin grads in the Twin Cities.

bma725 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:31:11 PM »

Here's another one with MU in the same spot, #3 in Minneapolis. Difference this time is the opponent is ND State. The winner would play the winner of Cal-BYU.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/andy_glockner/02/23/bracket/index.html

ChicosBailBonds · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:39:36 PM »

Quote from: Norm on February 23, 2009, 12:21:43 PM

If this scenario were to play out, #11 Wisconsin would basically have a home game against #6 Texas. There are tons of Wisconsin grads in the Twin Cities.

That didn't help them against Pitt a few years ago in the Bradley Center.

MR.HAYWARD · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:43:00 PM »

The whole Memphis seed has me more than perturbed. 1 that is correct 1 win against a top 50 rpi team, in a struggling Gonzaga and they are a2 seed!! Boy that one is complete BS...i would love to play that team....we aint no UTEP!!

ZiggysFryBoy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:43:50 PM »

Quote from: dwaderoy2004 on February 23, 2009, 12:12:56 PM

no i think he's just taking the day off. he updates every monday and friday now. the one on friday should be his again.

WFT is he talking a day off for? You're the damn bracket guy, rest in freaking april.

(half teal)

ErickJD08 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2009, 01:03:35 PM »

Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on February 23, 2009, 12:43:00 PM

The whole Memphis seed has me more than perturbed. 1 that is correct 1 win against a top 50 rpi team, in a struggling Gonzaga and they are a2 seed!! Boy that one is complete BS...i would love to play that team....we aint no UTEP!!

There is no way anyone can explain this. It is frustrating. Especially since the country thinks we still play in CUSA. Rankings and seeds are based on a body of work and they are earned.

When teams have a weak schedule, they must win the hard games on their schedule. Memphis has won only one game of any significance. To get the luxury of a top seeds (1 or 2), you need to beat top teams and performed all season. Sadly, absent a major upset, Memphis will get a top spot in the tourney. I know this is a game, but our boys deserve a better ranking than Memphis. And it saddens me to see that they are not getting more respect.

The Man in Gold · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2009, 01:07:13 PM »

Quote from: bma725 on February 23, 2009, 12:31:11 PM

Here's another one with MU in the same spot, #3 in Minneapolis. Difference this time is the opponent is ND State. The winner would play the winner of Cal-BYU.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/andy_glockner/02/23/bracket/index.html

A rematch against ND State??? Too many bad Blue and Gold memories to like this matchup.

Mayor McCheese · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2009, 01:08:02 PM »

Quote from: Erin Andrews' Thong on February 23, 2009, 12:43:50 PM

WFT is he talking a day off for? You're the damn bracket guy, rest in freaking april.

(half teal)

Its partly true... the man works 4 months of the year... 2 days a week... I think he can handle it. Also, it is purely made up by him... I wonder if he will switch jobs with me, since his deserves a day off.

MUsoxfan · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2009, 01:08:29 PM »

I just can't understand how Bucky is firmly in at this point. It boggles the mind

Big Papi · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:08:39 PM »

Quote from: ErickJD08 on February 23, 2009, 01:03:35 PM

There is no way anyone can explain this. It is frustrating. Especially since the country thinks we still play in CUSA. Rankings and seeds are based on a body of work and they are earned.

When teams have a weak schedule, they must win the hard games on their schedule. Memphis has won only one game of any significance. To get the luxury of a top seeds (1 or 2), you need to beat top teams and performed all season. Sadly, absent a major upset, Memphis will get a top spot in the tourney. I know this is a game, but our boys deserve a better ranking than Memphis. And it saddens me to see that they are not getting more respect.

I can't justify them getting a 1 seed, maybe the last 2 seed but if you are comparing their resume to ours, there are a few things that stands out for Memphis over us.

18 game winning streak.
No bad losses. MU loses to an 8-18 team.
Of 3 losses, 2 on the road.
Beat Tennessee a team MU lost too.
Smoked the Zags on the road
Good RPI
Strength of Non-conference schedule smokes MU's by a lot. (45 v 272 per Kenpom)

augoman · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:17:13 PM »

Quote from: MUsoxfan on February 23, 2009, 01:08:29 PM

I just can't understand how Bucky is firmly in at this point. It boggles the mind

agreed. I thought they'd be warming up the NIT banners.

CTWarrior · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:32:47 PM »

Lunardi's explanation of the Feb 23 bracket:

People often ask how the actual NCAA selection process differs from Bracketology. I usually joke that it's a whole lot easier to get one person (me!) to agree on something than it is to get 10 people to agree.

Yesterday, with a mix of real and demonstration game results presented by the NCAA staff, a group of ESPN types played the role of the Division I men's basketball committee and produced the mock bracket displayed here. Before folks start driving off bridges in certain areas of the country, a few clarifications are in order:

• In the exercise, Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference tournament. Saint Mary's lost in the championship game without star guard Patty Mills, who never returned from his injury. The Gaels still received some at-large consideration but did not make the final at-large ballot.

• Butler won the Horizon League automatic qualifier. Without that, the Bulldogs clearly had enough support in the room to have been selected at-large if needed.

• Florida and Georgetown made lengthy runs to win the SEC and Big East tournaments, respectively. The Hoyas became the first team ever to win five games in five days to secure their automatic bid.

• Minnesota defeated Illinois for the Big Ten championship. The Gophers likely would have missed the field otherwise.

• Niagara defeated Siena for the MAAC championship. This led to the most lengthy and passionate discussion of the day; namely, whether to vote the Saints into the field as an at-large. In a very close vote, Notre Dame became the final at-large team and Siena just missed the field (for the record, with the Irish reaching only the quarterfinals of the fictitious Big East tournament, I voted for Siena).

• Creighton received some at-large consideration after losing to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley championship game -- but not enough.

• Davidson (Southern Conference) and Utah State (WAC) failed to secure automatic bids in their leagues and received little to no at-large consideration.

On Friday, we will return to your regularly scheduled programming. In the meantime, don't shoot the messenger!

Ball2003 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:33:50 PM »

Quote from: MUsoxfan on February 23, 2009, 01:08:29 PM

I just can't understand how Bucky is firmly in at this point. It boggles the mind

Wisconsin does have an RPI of 27, and a lot of their defenders point to their schedule, which is the 4th toughest in the country.

However, they are 1-6 against top 25 teams (their one win coming at home against Illinois) and 1-2 against teams ranked 25-50. How do you reward a team for a tough schedule when they can't beat any of the good teams they play?

Also, any team that has a six-game losing streak should be automatically disqualified. At least Notre Dame's skid didn't include losses to teams like Northwestern and Iowa.

dwaderoy2004 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 23, 2009, 02:39:27 PM »

i think part of it is that the at-large pool is so weak this year. what has other teams done to trump wiscy? NO mid major conferences, except the WAC and the A-10 are expected to get more than 1 school in.

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Author Topic: Feb. 23 Bracketology (Read 4097 times)