Bracketology Thread 2018-19

[NickelDimer]

Latest Bracketology would have us playing the Hillbilly in the Round of 32.

That could be in Guam and I'd go to see us take down the Hillbilly.

Vengeance. Not a good Christian trait. But in this case, I would not be an especially good Christian, what with the Hillbilly's behavior on the way out. I'll go to confession to deal with not turning the other cheek on this one!!!!!

"Vengeance is bad unless I can rationalize it". Neat. Personally I'll always appreciate Buzz for what he did for my beloved program

[Pakuni]

"Vengeance is bad unless I can rationalize it". Neat. Personally I'll always appreciate Buzz for what he did for my beloved program

I appreciate what he did for my beloved program while also being sour on him for the way he cr@pped on my beloved program on his way out the door.

[The Sultan]

I appreciate what Buzz did for Marquette, but he can go sit on a rusty, electrocuted pole.

[NickelDimer]

I appreciate what he did for my beloved program while also being sour on him for the way he cr@pped on my beloved program on his way out the door.

I don't think that's unfair. And I'm sure you don't run around feeling the need to call him names or feel vengeful

[willie warrior]

I appreciate what he did for my beloved program while also being sour on him for the way he cr@pped on my beloved program on his way out the door.

Dont see how he crapped on the program on his way out the door, because the door hit him firmly in the ass out the door. More likely he took a dump on the porch outside the door. And right after that, he saddled his donkey and rode into the sunset, singing "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry."

[Benny B]

I appreciate what Buzz did for Marquette, but he can go sit on a rusty, electrocuted pole.

What did the Polish ever do to you?

[brewcity77]

This is where I am at. I get that tournament seeding is not an objective process, but I think seeds should be based on what a team has earned not what the committee thinks the team will be capable of moving forward.

It's largely case by case. When a team loses a player in January or February & there's a noted dropoff, you can expect it to hurt their seed. Though if they lose said player in January, get them back in February & return to form, they will likely be more forgiving of what happened without him.

I don't think you'll see a seed drop unless there's significant evidence of a change in play quality. If there's concrete indicators of quality change, and the player isn't expected to return, it will hurt the seeding, and likely justifiably so because they lost without said player. If the player will be back, that quality dip will likely be forgiven. Seems fair to me.

[We R Final Four]

It's kind of a case-by-case thing, though and would depend on how Duke plays without Zion. If they roll through the rest of their schedule and win the ACC, they're still a 1 seed, even without him.
In Cincy's case, when Martin went down they proceeded to get thumped by a mediocre St. Louis team. And unlike Duke, that Cincy team wasn't loaded with future NBA first-round picks.

I understand, but that's not what Chico's said. He said they should drop based upon the injury alone...not how well the team responded after the injury in their games prior to the tourney.

[Cheeks]

I understand, but that's not what Chico's said. He said they should drop based upon the injury alone...not how well the team responded after the injury in their games prior to the tourney.

I did?  Maybe read again.  I said it depends, I also said the reasoning was sound in the case of Cincy

[MuMark]

It's largely case by case. When a team loses a player in January or February & there's a noted dropoff, you can expect it to hurt their seed. Though if they lose said player in January, get them back in February & return to form, they will likely be more forgiving of what happened without him.

I don't think you'll see a seed drop unless there's significant evidence of a change in play quality. If there's concrete indicators of quality change, and the player isn't expected to return, it will hurt the seeding, and likely justifiably so because they lost without said player. If the player will be back, that quality dip will likely be forgiven. Seems fair to me.

I pretty much agree with this but last season the committee said they thought long and hard about putting ND into,the field......even though their resume wasn't close to good enough. It was like they wanted to give them wins they didn't earn when Colson was hurt.

If a team is good enough to be in the tournament based on their body of work I have no trouble if they bump them up or down a bit because of an injury situation......but you can't act like the injury never happened and just say.....hey they would have beaten this team or that team if player x hadn't gotten hurt......

Those games happened.......they count.

[dgies9156]

It really amazes me how big of grudges people can hold sometimes...especially when Coaches leave.

Fair comment. I was disappointed when Tom Crean and Kevin O'Neill left. But I at least understood Crean's move at the time. O'Neill, I didn't but he had a good gig at UT until he realized men's basketball was not going to replace Big Orange football.

Buzz was different. I admit it probably is a character flaw but while I moved on and feel good about where we are now, I thought he was classless when he left and that we could do without the publicity that came from the basketball coach being called before the police.

That stuff does not appear to be happening since he left.

[We R Final Four]

Yes.  Happened to Cincinnati when they were going to be a 1 seed.  Happened to us with McNeal.  Reasoning is sound...if you played as a 1 seed all year and your best player breaks his leg in the conference tournament, then giving you a 1 seed means you are penalizing other NCAA teams in any of the other three brackets as they would be facing more difficult path to Final Four.  End of the day, brackets are supposed to be balanced as best they can, and if an injury as described makes the #2 team in the country really the number 17 team because of that player....need to adjust seeding.  Sucks, but makes sense from competitive fairness perspective.

[muguru]

Fair comment. I was disappointed when Tom Crean and Kevin O'Neill left. But I at least understood Crean's move at the time. O'Neill, I didn't but he had a good gig at UT until he realized men's basketball was not going to replace Big Orange football.

Buzz was different. I admit it probably is a character flaw but while I moved on and feel good about where we are now, I thought he was classless when he left and that we could do without the publicity that came from the basketball coach being called before the police.

That stuff does not appear to be happening since he left.

I guess I just look at it like i was grateful for where he took the program...they were knocking on the door of being elite..It's sad it ended the way it did, but I hope Wojo has the program at a level now where it is consistently good, no more worries about making the tourney every year and knocks on the door of the elite as well.

[BM1090]

I guess I just look at it like i was grateful for where he took the program...they were knocking on the door of being elite..It's sad it ended the way it did, but I hope Wojo has the program at a level now where it is consistently good, no more worries about making the tourney every year and knocks on the door of the elite as well.

For those who love Kenpom...this team is ranked 24th.

Buzz only finished better than 24th twice in his 6 years.  We ranked 19th in 2009 and 18th in 2012. Our best 3 Kenpom finishes were all under Crean. 11 (2002), 14 (2008) and 15 (2003).

[The Lens]

Buzz Williams last 4 seasons & what he did to our program. 

2011 - Sweet 16
2012 - Sweet 16
2013 - Elite 8
2014 - 9-9 in conf and said the conference wasn't stable and big time football was a better bet

Man, what a _________.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Buzz Williams last 4 seasons & what he did to our program. 

2011 - Sweet 16
2012 - Sweet 16
2013 - Elite 8
2014 - 9-9 in conf and said the conference wasn't stable and big time football was a better bet

Man, what a _________.

Publicly ripped the NBE, went on national TV during tourney time days after taking the new job sporting a VT pin and orange tie, used his cronies in the media to boost his public image prior to leaving, left the cupboard completely bare, kind of gave up towards the end of that 2014 season.

[MUDPT]

It's largely case by case. When a team loses a player in January or February & there's a noted dropoff, you can expect it to hurt their seed. Though if they lose said player in January, get them back in February & return to form, they will likely be more forgiving of what happened without him.

I don't think you'll see a seed drop unless there's significant evidence of a change in play quality. If there's concrete indicators of quality change, and the player isn't expected to return, it will hurt the seeding, and likely justifiably so because they lost without said player. If the player will be back, that quality dip will likely be forgiven. Seems fair to me.

I don't like it, cause the universities can easily lie and say guys are "day to day" even though they never have a chance to come back, ala Rick Jackson from Cuse in 2010 (I think that was the year).

[Cheeks]

Read it again Final Four, and the specific example I gave which was in the conf tournament where they have no chance to show what they can do without that player.  It's also why I said each situation is different an$ pointed out why Duke's case is different...I did not say injury alone should drop them.

[Cheeks]

I appreciate what he did for my beloved program while also being sour on him for the way he cr@pped on my beloved program on his way out the door.

I was more worried about how he got my beloved program on the front page of the Chicago Tribune so much of the Midwest could crap on us for our crappy behavior off the court.

[GoldenEagle323]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/bracketology/

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/bracketology/

I would happily take that draw.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I would happily take that draw.

Agreed. With that draw I'm pretty confident about a Sweet 16 and have hope for an Elite Eight. If the Zags trip up in the first three games we could be talking Final Four.

[GoldenEagle323]

Agreed. With that draw I'm pretty confident about a Sweet 16 and have hope for an Elite Eight. If the Zags trip up in the first three games we could be talking Final Four.

Would not want to play nova in the tournament

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Would not want to play nova in the tournament

Chances are we wouldn't. And if we did, I would love to beat them a 4th time 

That is a good point though, I don't think the committee would put the top two Big East teams in the same region with only 4 Big East teams total.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Would not want to play nova in the tournament

The committee will separate the top two BE teams.  The only way Marquette plays Nova in the tournament is if both make the Final Four.