2025-26 College Hoops Thread

[The Sultan]

But they did beat UCONN 2/3 and won 19 of their last 20. 

I think they are way better than a typical 5 seed and that Kansas and Duke should be worried.

But that doesn't mean they don't deserve the seed they received. Teams aren't seeded based on how they have done over the last 20.

[willie warrior]

I wish I loved anything as much as Dayton, supposed Big East deserving team, loves not winning their mid conference championship

Dayton owns Shakas ass.

[Billy Hoyle]

But they did beat UCONN 2/3 and won 19 of their last 20. 

Apparently performance in the last 10 games no longer matters.

[The Sultan]

Apparently performance in the last 10 games no longer matters.

And hasn't for years.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

The consensus seems to be that St.J got hosed.  There is also no explanation why they and UCONN are in the same region. 

Consensus amongst whom?  Bracket Matrix had St. John's as a 5 seed.  A dreadful BE and a lack of marquee non-conference wins left St. John's with a thin resumé.  The 5 seed was deserved.

As for your second point, it's very easy to see why the bracket placement has UConn and SJU in the same region.  It's simple geography, as both were placed in their closest regional site.

Since UConn is a 2 and SJU is a 5, there is no rule against placing them in the same site. Let's look at the bracketing principles to explain.

1) The top 4 teams from a conference should be placed in separate regions, but only if those teams are a 4 seed or better.

If SJU was a 4 seed instead of a 5, they would have been placed in a different region than UConn.  But since they're a 5 seed, there is no problem.

2) Two teams that play each other 3 times during the should avoid each other until the Regional Final.

Here are two examples which would have placed UConn and SJU in separate regions. 

If UConn was a 1 seed, then 5 seed SJU would have to be placed in a different region to avoid a potential Sweet 16 matchup.

With UConn earning a 2 seed, if SJU would have been a 6 seed they would have been placed in a different region.  Again, the reason being to prevent a potential Sweet 16 matchup.

But with UConn as a 2 seed and SJU as a 5, they are on separate sides of the bracket and cannot meet before the Regional Final.  (If UConn was a 1 seed and SJU was a 6 seed, they could also be placed in the same region.)

When you understand the bracketing rules, it's very easy to understand how they ended up in the same region given their seeding.

[MuggsyB]

Apparently performance in the last 10 games no longer matters.

That's not true when you look at some of these teams.  If it was UCONN would be a 1 seed. 

[The Sultan]

That's not true when you look at some of these teams.  If it was UCONN would be a 1 seed. 

<sigh> No. That's not true at all.

You are misunderstanding the point. Performance in the last ten games used to be weighted more heavily than other games throughout the season. Now the last ten games are treated no differently than the first ten...the middle ten...or ten random games throughout the season. What matters is the entire resume.

[MuggsyB]

<sigh> No. That's not true at all.

You are misunderstanding the point. Performance in the last ten games used to be weighted more heavily than other games throughout the season. Now the last ten games are treated no differently than the first ten...the middle ten...or ten random games throughout the season. What matters is the entire resume.

Ya...I dunno.  If you look at Virginia as a #3? 

[The Sultan]

Ya...I dunno.  If you look at Virginia as a #3? 

UConn was picked as a #2 on Bracket Matrix.
Virginia was picked as a #3 as well.

In fact the NCAA only had two glaring inaccuracies seeding wise compared to Bracket Matrix. Vanderbilt should have been a 4 and Utah State a 8. There are a couple other quibbles here and there, but nothing major

Those aside, I think the committee actually did a very good job following its guidelines. Nothing like last year's ridiculous inclusion of North Carolina.

[Tarragona]

This was Vandy vs the 4 seeds:

https://x.com/totally_t_bomb/status/2033389230181806236?s=46

[JWags85]

I don't think UK fans were wrong for growing restless/tired with Cal.  5 years without a second weekend, almost 10 without a FF appearance despite stacked rosters and classes.  It was clearly a time for a change for both.

But man, Cal has acquitted himself well as a coach in a hurry.  S16 in year 1 as a 10 seed, OT and a bounce or two away from an E8.  Now in year 2, finishes 2nd in the best conference in the country with the a freshman PG who is the best PG in the American, wins Arkansas' first SEC tournament in 26 years, and has a nice draw for a back to back S16 again.  Granted Arkansas was in a good place with Mussleman before he arrived and he's well set up as a coaching philosophy and NIL bag behind him for the current era, but still.  Meanwhile, UK finished middle of the conference again and is a 7 seed.

[Zog from Margo]

Your tax dollars at work: https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2026/03/13/without-nil-bill-wisconsin-badgers-ad-chris-mcintosh-everything-is-on-the-table-cutting-sports/89108078007/

State Senate passes bill to use tax dollars to fund UW athletics and to exempt player deals from public records disclosures. Fiscal responsibility?

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I don't think UK fans were wrong for growing restless/tired with Cal.  5 years without a second weekend, almost 10 without a FF appearance despite stacked rosters and classes.  It was clearly a time for a change for both.

But man, Cal has acquitted himself well as a coach in a hurry.  S16 in year 1 as a 10 seed, OT and a bounce or two away from an E8.  Now in year 2, finishes 2nd in the best conference in the country with the a freshman PG who is the best PG in the American, wins Arkansas' first SEC tournament in 26 years, and has a nice draw for a back to back S16 again.  Granted Arkansas was in a good place with Mussleman before he arrived and he's well set up as a coaching philosophy and NIL bag behind him for the current era, but still.  Meanwhile, UK finished middle of the conference again and is a 7 seed.

Makes you wonder....Self isn't a wonder anymore either.  It's almost like they were playing a different game and it got shuffled. 

[Jay Bee]

State Senate passes bill to use tax dollars to fund UW athletics and to exempt player deals from public records disclosures. Fiscal responsibility?

Meh. In the grand scheme of things, state tax dollars allocated to uw-madison extension are already waaay higher than this additional ~$15M. Drop in tha bucket.

The exempting player deals from public records disclosures isn't anything wild - I don't see other schools releasing this info. Par for the course (unfortunately).

The only issue I see is the language re: the public disclosures. Appears it may go way beyond player deals and allow uw-madison extension to keep things from the public that it previously has not been able to, but it's not clear if that will be the path.

eff becky

[Zog from Margo]

Meh. In the grand scheme of things, state tax dollars allocated to uw-madison extension are already waaay higher than this additional ~$15M. Drop in tha bucket.

The exempting player deals from public records disclosures isn't anything wild - I don't see other schools releasing this info. Par for the course (unfortunately).

The only issue I see is the language re: the public disclosures. Appears it may go way beyond player deals and allow uw-madison extension to keep things from the public that it previously has not been able to, but it's not clear if that will be the path.

eff becky

IMO, we shouldn't be using tax dollars of any kind to help UW stay competitive in sports. We must live in an incredibly affluent society to think that tax dollars are not needed for other purposes or we have questionable priorities.

[Jay Bee]

IMO, we shouldn't be using tax dollars of any kind to help UW stay competitive in sports. We must live in an incredibly affluent society to think that tax dollars are not needed for other purposes or we have questionable priorities.

lol, there are far more crazy things tax dollars are spent on than indirectly helping a university be stronger overall. I'm all for reducing government spending, but this is waaaay down on the list.

[wadesworld]

lol, there are far more crazy things tax dollars are spent on than indirectly helping a university be stronger overall. I'm all for reducing government spending, but this is waaaay down on the list.

Need DOGE at a state level.  Has Elon figured out cloning yet?

[Zog from Margo]

lol, there are far more crazy things tax dollars are spent on than indirectly helping a university be stronger overall. I'm all for reducing government spending, but this is waaaay down on the list.

How does this make the university stronger overall? How much they can free up so they pay athletes has nothing to do with the quality of education offered.

[cheebs09]

This is what caused the Boston Tea Party.....

[Jay Bee]

How does this make the university stronger overall?

Does MU basketball do nothing for the university overall? c'mon, bud

[Zog from Margo]

Does MU basketball do nothing for the university overall? c'mon, bud

It's not about whether they have sports. It's about whether they can pay players top dollar and then not disclose it. UW has plenty of well-heeled alumns who could pick up the tab if they want to engage in dick swinging and pay players top dollar. They shouldn't be using tax dollars to pay them directly or indirectly (as is the case here).

[Jay Bee]

It's not about whether they have sports. It's about whether they can pay players top dollar and then not disclose it. UW has plenty of well-heeled alumns who could pick up the tab if they want to engage in dick swinging and pay players top dollar. They shouldn't be using tax dollars to pay them directly or indirectly (as is the case here).

They're not using tax dollars to pay them.

[Zog from Margo]

They're not using tax dollars to pay them.

They're using tax dollars to assume the athletic department's facility liability so the athletic department has more resources to pay players.

[Badgerhater]

lol, there are far more crazy things tax dollars are spent on than indirectly helping a university be stronger overall. I'm all for reducing government spending, but this is waaaay down on the list.

Bucky can use its eleventy billion dollars in Big 10 TV money to run its athletic department and pay athletes.

There are far less crazy things state tax dollars could fund instead of UW sports.

[Tarragona]

https://x.com/iragorawara/status/2034369972634636306?s=46