My nightmare scenario....the West

[ChicosBailBonds]

The West is a layup it is so soft.  Wisconsin can cause teams problems.  I was praying that MU would get in with Gonzaga's bracket....worse, Wisconsin did.  Pretty much all the experts agree the West is soft soft soft. Maybe that's because the committee wants Zaga to get to the Final Four, but Wisconsin worries me.  K-State is not going to beat Wisconsin so I'm hopeful Ole Miss can get them in the first round.  Wisconsin against Zaga is going to be scary for Zaga.

[Doris Burkes Thong]

I agree with this....I think UW makes the FF....really freakin hope they don't!

[hairy worthen]

I agree with this....I think UW makes the FF....really freakin hope they don't!

I just threw up in my mouth a little

[Tugg Speedman]

I just threw up in my mouth a little

Hopefully UW craps the bed on national TV

[AirPunches]

Wisconsin is not consistent enough to go to the final four, in my opinion. They will have their hands full with Henderson and Ole Miss. Also, it's going to be a tough game in Kansas City against KState if they get by Ole Miss. I just don't see it this year for them and hopefully I'm right.

[wardle2wade]

I like Pittsburgh over Gonzaga personally.  I think Pitt will be favored.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I like Pittsburgh over Gonzaga personally.  I think Pitt will be favored.

Wouldn't surprise me....I'd see Wisconsin beating Pitt, however.

[wadesworld]

That bracket is a joooooooke.  Ohio State has a cakewalk to the Final Four, and they are not even that good (not that they are awful, I just don't think they're even close to a Final Four team, but in this bracket, unfortunately...).  I see Wisconsin losing to Ole Miss, K State losing to Pitt.  I honestly think Arizona and Ohio State are the 2 best teams in this bracket.  Sad.

[hairy worthen]

Hopefully UW craps the bed on national TV

That's better, get those bad thoughts our of my head before bed

[GGGG]

Wisconsin's not losing to Ole Miss...they'll beat them by 15. 

[314warrior]

As happy as I am to get a three seed in Lexington, I was excited after the East 4 seed wasn't Marquette because it looked like we were heading for a weak West regional.  My mind was thinking of the short drive up to LA for the Regional when they put MU on the 3 line. 

I hope K State takes care of Wisco.  That region looks like cake.  I'd be disappointed if I was a Louisville fan.  The Midwest is stacked compared to Gonzaga's West.

[JakeBarnes]

Wisconsin's not losing to Ole Miss...they'll beat them by 15. 

Didn't you know?  Ole Miss beat Florida by 3 and Florida is 30 points better than Wisconsin.

[GGGG]

Didn't you know?  Ole Miss beat Florida by 3 and Florida is 30 points better than Wisconsin.

They will shut down Henderson, grind the pace slow, and choke the life out of them.  If you can't score from multiple positions, it is tough to beat UW.

[Otule's Glass Eye]

I have Ole Miss upsetting them.

[wardle2wade]

Wouldn't surprise me....I'd see Wisconsin beating Pitt, however.

Wisconsin Pitt would definitely be a coin-flip and come down to the final couple possessions.  I could see Wiscy valuing the ball more in the last few minutes and getting the W.

[MU B2002]

I have Ole Miss upsetting them.

+1

[buckchuckler]

K-State is not going to beat Wisconsin so I'm hopeful Ole Miss can get them in the first round.  Wisconsin against Zaga is going to be scary for Zaga.

I don't know about that.  Weber does a great job coaching other people's players.  KState is a pretty good team and beat some really good teams.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them make a run.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That bracket is a joooooooke.  Ohio State has a cakewalk to the Final Four, and they are not even that good (not that they are awful, I just don't think they're even close to a Final Four team, but in this bracket, unfortunately...).  I see Wisconsin losing to Ole Miss, K State losing to Pitt.  I honestly think Arizona and Ohio State are the 2 best teams in this bracket.  Sad.

Ohio State is good.  They could easily get to the Final Four regardless of bracket.  In this year's world, what exactly is a Final Four team?

Their losses are to Duke, Kansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State.

They have won 8 in a row. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't know about that.  Weber does a great job coaching other people's players.  KState is a pretty good team and beat some really good teams.  I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them make a run.

Maybe it's because my Jayhawks pounded them three times...I have a built in bias against the kittens.  They're not bad, but I could see Becky beating them.

[buckchuckler]

Maybe it's because my Jayhawks pounded them three times...I have a built in bias against the kittens.  They're not bad, but I could see Becky beating them.

Oh, yeah for sure, but I could see Kstate winning too, I'd almost say it's a tossup game.

[wadesworld]

Ohio State is good.  They could easily get to the Final Four regardless of bracket.  In this year's world, what exactly is a Final Four team?

Their losses are to Duke, Kansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State.

They have won 8 in a row. 

Good points. OSU is good and the only team that seems like they should be a lock as a FF team is Louisville...but they get the only other FF lock I thought before they lost to Maryland in Duke...if Duke gets past Michigan State and Tom Izzo's March magic. Man, that bracket would suck to be in.

[TJ]

I'm giving the Selection Committee some slack this year on some of the weirdness because Ole' Miss really threw them a curveball by winning on Sunday.  They basically had to rewrite the bracket in a short amount of time because they had to take Ole' Miss out of a play in game.  At least I don't think there's much to complain about for teams that were left out this year, so they put the right teams in.

[Groin_pull]

If MU was in the West, all we'd be hearing here is " Ole Miss is red hot...they beat Florida, who destroyed us, uh oh...they're so long and athletic...Kansas State in KC? That's a home game for them, we're doomed."

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm giving the Selection Committee some slack this year on some of the weirdness because Ole' Miss really threw them a curveball by winning on Sunday.  They basically had to rewrite the bracket in a short amount of time because they had to take Ole' Miss out of a play in game.  At least I don't think there's much to complain about for teams that were left out this year, so they put the right teams in.

Because they aren't using the S-Curve any longer, they are opening themselves up to unbalanced regions, like the West.  If Gonzaga is the 4th number 1 seed, as they indicated, then the best number 2 seed (Duke) should be there, instead they put Duke with the best #1 seed and Louisville.  I'm sure Rick P. is thrilled about that. 

I have a problem with Middle Tenneessee and a few others getting in as well. One top 100 win....Virginia had 6.  It's almost as if this year they are saying it's not who you beat, it's who you lost to.  So if you play in a cupcake conference with almost no chance to lose, you are rewarded.  Bad message in my view.

[TJ]

Because they aren't using the S-Curve any longer, they are opening themselves up to unbalanced regions, like the West.  If Gonzaga is the 4th number 1 seed, as they indicated, then the best number 2 seed (Duke) should be there, instead they put Duke with the best #1 seed and Louisville.  I'm sure Rick P. is thrilled about that. 

I have a problem with Middle Tenneessee and a few others getting in as well. One top 100 win....Virginia had 6.  It's almost as if this year they are saying it's not who you beat, it's who you lost to.  So if you play in a cupcake conference with almost no chance to lose, you are rewarded.  Bad message in my view.

I'll let ESPN argue with you.  http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/80011/the-case-for-and-against-the-ncaa-snubs

Virginia

What their fans would say: We have a good team! Pretty much every advanced metric smart people use to discern teams' relative qualities says that Virginia is at least one of the best 40 teams in the country, if not better (KenPom.com's efficiency system ranks the Cavaliers No. 27). You say you want teams to perform on the road in the nonconference? We won at Wisconsin. We also beat Duke, UNC and NC State. Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell are two of the best players in the ACC.

What the committee would say: Most of what you just said is ... well, it isn't irrelevant, exactly, but it's only tangentially related to what we look for when we're selecting and seeding the field. We are impressed by the top-50 wins, especially at Wisconsin, but are we impressed enough to overlook the (count 'em) seven losses to teams ranked below the RPI top 100? Or that 3-10 road-neutral record, where you lost to Georgia Tech, Boston College, Wake Forest, George Mason, Old Dominion and Clemson? Were you so good that we could pretend we haven't spent the last half-decade telling everyone how important we think it is that teams schedule tough in the nonconference, and pretend your nonconference strength of schedule wasn't ranked No. 299 in the country? No, no, no and no.

Tennessee was the better resume of the two, and I have no problem with their exclusion either.  I still contend the selection committee got the 68 teams in right, and having to change everything last minute for Ole' Miss caused some issues with seedings that are somewhat excusable.