New ESPN & CBS Bracketologies for March 5

[TallTitan34]

ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

CBS:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

Both have us as a three see in Columbus vs Belmont.  ESPN has us in the Phoenix region, however, and CBS has us in the St. Louis region.

[TallTitan34]

Also both have the top 10 Big East teams as being in.

[brewcity77]

ESPN Bracket: I love it. Didn't think so at first, but then I saw some of the smaller details. First, potentially Rick Majerus in the second round. Love the idea of that match-up. Second, Missouri plays Montana in the second round. Call me crazy, but I'd pick the Grizzlies to win that. They are one of those teams that shoot the lights out, play great defense, and have a legit seven-foot shot-blocker and rebounder inside. They would be a match-up nightmare for Missouri. I think they'd make history by joining the elite club of 15 seeds to upset 2s.

UNC scares me, but I love that they'd have to most likely go through Indiana to get to us. IU has really turned it up in big games this year, and if they played UNC in Phoenix, I think that they would turn it into Assembly Hall West. UNC is used to getting to the Sweet 16, but the massive Indiana fanbase is starved for a moment like that. Then we'd have the fun of MUScoop seeing Buzz vs Crean. That'd make for entertaining reading regardless. Then we hopefully get either a beatable Ohio State team, and a rematch with Syracuse to give us not only Big East tourney bragging rights, but national bragging rights when we beat the Orange in the title game.

CBS' bracket I like less. We already saw Vandy is a match-up nightmare, and I could see them beating tOSU. And if we win that, we've got to most likely go through Kansas to get to the Final Four. That's downright scary.

[Henry Sugar]

Belmont would be the worst #14 seed to play.

Here are the Pomeroy Rankings for each of the 14 seeds

Belmont #23
Akron #78
Nevada #103
Valpo #134

[TallTitan34]

Belmont would be the worst #14 seed to play.

Here are the Pomeroy Rankings for each of the 14 seeds

Belmont #23
Akron #78
Nevada #103
Valpo #134

That's quite the range for 14 seeds.

[copious1218]

Does Lunardi have us behind Georgetown in the S-Curve?  Is that why they would be in St. Louis and we would be in Phoenix?  Or am I missing something?

[wyzgy]

would love to come out of espn's west and meet indiana, but that won't happen as indiana will not meet us at the elite 8.  but coming out of the west, we go final four for sure!!

[Avenue Commons]

Xavier gets to play in Columbus as a low seed? Yikes. Don't like the sound of that. They'll want payback.

[🏀]

Xavier gets to play in Columbus as a low seed? Yikes. Don't like the sound of that. They'll want payback.

Xaiver is not good.

[wyzgy]

Xaiver is not good.

"a bunch of gangstas out there"

[wadesworld]

"a bunch of gangstas out there"

But not thugs.

[MU82]

I don't want to play Belmont. Davidson, either, if they get in with a win tonight. They gave very good teams -- quite arguably better teams than us (Duke, Kansas) fits.

[Benny B]

Xavier gets to play in Columbus as a low seed? Yikes. Don't like the sound of that. They'll want payback.

The committee would nix this.  Section III, Paragraph 8 of the Selection Principles:

"...the committee shall not place teams seeded on the first five lines [i.e. a 1-5 seed] at a potential "home-crowd disadvantage" in the second round."

Xavier in Columbus qualifies as a potential "home-crowd disadvantage" and therefore, would never happen.

[Benny B]

Benny B (Chicago)
Since you have Marquette in Phoenix as a 3-seed, I'm going to assume you have both Georgetown and Baylor with a higher natural seed. If so, why? (MU just beat G-Town and Baylor lost to Iowa St on Saturday)

Joe Lunardi  (4:15 PM)
Incorrect, Benny. The top of the current West bracket has the weakest No. 1 seed (Carolina, No. 4 overall) and weakest No. 2 seed (Mizzou, No. 12 overall). Marquette is No. 9 overall and is needed West in this scenario to affect balance across all four regions. You'll see Marquette got the closest possible first-weekend destination as a "consolation" prize.
[\quote]


Awesome, Joe.  The #12 overall gets a 2-seed and the #9 overall gets a 3-seed in the same region.  I bet Lunardi thinks Marquette is in Michigan, too.