Bracketology Thread 2023

[source?]

Joe Lunardi ESPN tweet from earlier today

https://twitter.com/espnlunardi/status/1624417142564179969?s=46&t=TuPvEuRh9nZXkagdDjAmQA

Pac 12 with only 3 teams in and two of them are UCLA and USC who are both bolting for the B10.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

Pac 12 with only 3 teams in and two of them are UCLA and USC who are both bolting for the B10.

That league is in big trouble. I think it's going to quickly become the big 4 plus the Big East in basketball.

[MU82]

The Athletic's Brian Bennett has Marquette as a #4 seed, playing Southern Miss in Albany. Miami is the 5 in that bracket, and Purdue is the 1.

https://theathletic.com/4172215/2023/02/10/ncaa-tournament-bracket-mock-predictions-houston-north-carolina-kentucky/?source=pulsenewsletter&campaign=6077520

He also has North Carolina and Kentucky meeting in the first 4, and has Madison as the last team in (meeting New Mexico in Dayton).

[GoldenEagles03]

Halftime of MSU/OSU...CBS crew showed their 1 seeds and 2 seeds.

Had Tennessee and Indiana as 2s. L.O.L.

[WhiteTrash]

Halftime of MSU/OSU...CBS crew showed their 1 seeds and 2 seeds.

Had Tennessee and Indiana as 2s. L.O.L.

Women's basketball? I hope.

[tower912]

Halftime of MSU/OSU...CBS crew showed their 1 seeds and 2 seeds.

Had Tennessee and Indiana as 2s. L.O.L.

(A)  Debate and discussion sparked
(B) Sleep on IU at your peril.

[Mu8891]

The guy at the Athletic is wrong

After the debacle at Nebraska, no WAY the Rodents are in the dance

And ... ain't no way NC plays UK in first 4

( yes ... obviously a ways to go )

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

(A)  Debate and discussion sparked
(B) Sleep on IU at your peril.

They should have lost to Michigan last night, they're average.

[Uncle Rico]

They should have lost to Michigan last night, they're average.

Different team when healthy

[WhiteTrash]

(A)  Debate and discussion sparked
(B) Sleep on IU at your peril.

I could see IU and/or Creighton in the Final Four. Neither are #2 seeds as of today.

[avid1010]

(A)  Debate and discussion sparked
(B) Sleep on IU at your peril.

It's possible to not sleep on IU...while also recognizing they are not currently a 2 seed.

It's also possible to spark debate without saying ridiculous things.

[brewcity77]

(A)  Debate and discussion sparked
(B) Sleep on IU at your peril.

I think IU has Final Four upside, but they are not in the conversation for a 2. 4-6 right now, but trending up.

[The Thing]

I've watched a few IU games because my son is a freshman there. Interesting team. Offense is essentially the dashed last name guys. No bench. No outside game at all. I truly believe on a neutral court Marquette could hold their own against them.

[avid1010]

I've watched a few IU games because my son is a freshman there. Interesting team. Offense is essentially the dashed last name guys. No bench. No outside game at all. I truly believe on a neutral court Marquette could hold their own against them.

I believe MU woulde be a slight favorite.

[tower912]

They should have lost to Michigan last night, they're average.

Winning a conference road game with two starters out and a replacement starter limited due to injury.   OK.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The guy at the Athletic is wrong

After the debacle at Nebraska, no WAY the Rodents are in the dance

And ... ain't no way NC plays UK in first 4

( yes ... obviously a ways to go )

The Pine Club line would be a mile long

[NolongerWarriors]

I believe MU woulde be a slight favorite.

IU beats Marquette by 7-10 pts on a neutral court.

[lawdog77]

IU beats Marquette by 7-10 pts on a neutral court.

In football, just maybe. Not in basketball

[Judge Smails]

I've watched a few IU games because my son is a freshman there. Interesting team. Offense is essentially the dashed last name guys. No bench. No outside game at all. I truly believe on a neutral court Marquette could hold their own against them.

My daughter is a freshman at IU so I've adopted them as my second team. Going to IU vs Illinois next weekend in Bloomington. I've watched a decent amount of their games this year. Jackson-Davis can flat out play - a super star college player. Great rebounder. A game between MU and IU would be really good.

[tower912]

TJD and Hood-Schifino combined for 49 of IU's points in their win at Michigan.    A 6'7 point guard.    TJD is averaging 20 and 11 for the season, 28 and 16 in the last few weeks.    The rest are role players who can get hot occasionally.  Almost all in the switchable category, size wise.  They switch 4, usually leaving TJD to guard the post.       If Thompson and Johnson are healthy by tourney time, IU is a final 4 candidate.     The last odds I saw had them at 40-1, just like MU.   

[WhiteTrash]

IU beats Marquette by 7-10 pts on a neutral court.

Thank you!

I said a week ago that Big Ten fans think the Bucks would finish in the middle of the Big 10.

I rest my case.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

My perception is that there is a pretty decent size gap on the S-Curve between the 4 seeds and the 5 seeds. Maybe others would disagree, but I think there is a pretty clear top 16 at the moment and a bit of mess behind them. I think it would take a pretty bad finish for us to fall into 5-seed territory.

When I wrote this, I didn't count Indiana in my top 16. I still think they are on the outside, but they are bridging that gap between the 4 and 5 seeds IMHO. 17 teams competing for 16 protected seeds.

[Tha Hound]

IU beats Marquette by 7-10 pts on a neutral court.

The man behind this account definitely lives in Rhinelander and dropped out of UW-Platteville, but you'd never know it with his undying support for badgers sports

[statnik]

IU beats Marquette by 7-10 pts on a neutral court.

I agree with the idea that IU is underrated, many of their losses was during a difficult stretch of B10 play where they had multiple rotation players out, they're probably the second best team in the league.  Probably about a 3-4 fave on a neutral court against MU.

[tower912]

Without Thompson or Johnson, I think MU wins on a neutral floor.   With Thompson and Johnson both playing at their best, I think IU is favored.