CBS bracketology

[Lighthouse 84]

Unless I'm missing something, Seth Davis doesn't have us in. 

http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/global/swapper/201102/110221.10.jpg

[Chili]

Unless I'm missing something, Seth Davis doesn't have us in. 

http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/global/swapper/201102/110221.10.jpg

This was the media mock selection committee exercises bracket from this past weekend. Andy Glockler was on twitter through the whole thing. MU was last team out after Richmond won in OT to win the A-10...

[TallTitan34]

Xavier as a 5 seed !?!?

[Skatastrophy]

Xavier as a 5 seed !?!?

Xavier's the one that stole the last at-large bid from us after Richmond upset them in the A-10 tourney.

[TallTitan34]

How does the last at large bid get a 5 seed?

[jaybilaswho?]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/02/21/hoop.thoughts/index.html?eref=sihp

Seth Davis was in Indy last week for the NCAA's annual mock tournament selection seminar for members of the media. Mentions of Marquette:

- One of the principles in bracketing asserts that two teams from the same conference cannot meet before a regional final. An exception can be made if there are more than eight teams from a conference, but that has never happened before. It is definitely going to happen this year. The only question regarding the Big East is whether it will get 10 or 11 teams into the field. We had 10, but Marquette was our first team out.

The seminar selections were based on conference tournament result scenarios that were provided by the NCAA.

[robmufan]

I think if we finish the season 3-1 and just dominate Cincinnati, then it would make a good argument of putting us before them. 

If we get lucky and Cinci loses early in the tourny this year (first round) and we take care of business, then i think it is a no brainer.

[Benny B]

How does the last at large bid get a 5 seed?

It's actually not the "last at-large bid."  It's more like they took the bid away from the team who would have been the last at-large bid.

In other words, selection and seeding are two entirely different processes.  Until a conference tournament has concluded, all teams under consideration are at-large candidates.  At-large teams are placed in order, and as each conference tournament concludes, the champion - if an at-large candidate - is removed from the at-large pool and everyone else below them bumps up one slot.  In this case, Xavier was never removed from the at-large pool; had they been, MU would have been bumped up to the last-in bid position.