ncaa bracket idiocy

[bugstud]

Maryland at a 4. What a disgrace. I'm pretty annoyed with all of it, all the Big Ten teams getting the shaft was also ridiculous. Utah State not getting in bothered me...etc, etc.

[Clarkmeister]

I'd have been annoyed if Richmond hadn't gotten in. They went on the road and beat both Kansas and Colorado. They deserved the slot. Utah State scheduled NOBODY. When you do that, time and time again the selection committee has screwed you if you blew your conference tourney. They got what they deserved.

The Big Ten got screwed, particularly Wisconsin. They would demolish Florida, Maryland etc.

Illinois got hosed but I love our draw. Murray State is one of the few mid-major teams that don't scare me, Cinci and all of the CUSA teams are highly overrated.

That gets us to the sweet 16 game vs Duke. The same Duke team that has lost 4 of its last 7, including to Maryland and a spanking at home to Tech. They don't have the inside game to exploit our one glaring weakness, which is inside presense. We matchup well against them and I'm thrilled that we got them instead of Stanford or Kentucky.

[JTG51]

Pitt and Wisconsin both got hosed. Neither should have to play a team as good as the other in the second round. Pitt is very, very tough. Having to play Wisconsin in Wisconsin in the second round is a joke.

[banditbdl]

If I were a Badger I'd be thrilled about being dropped to a 6 given that it puts them in Milwaukee. Yeah, Pitt is a dang good team, but I don't think that psuedo-homecourt advantage can be overestimated. Pitt I think is the team that really got hosed there. If they win last night they're potentially a 1 seed, instead they now probably face that tough matchup with Wisconsin. The 3 Big 10 teams got punished for the absolute crap that was the rest of the conference this year, tough luck, but that's how it goes.

[Oski]

I am glad Utah State is not in: I had them riding 8 in an eight-team parlay (live). I had them on the money line against Northridge. That game should have been a gimme (I guarantee it would have been had they known they would have to win to get in.

[Ragnar]

Don't automatically assume that you would play Duke. Arizona has been playing poorly, but has excellent talent. If they get it together they can beat anyone. They've been getting in foul trouble and aren't very deep, but in a tournament style of officiating that probably won't happen.

Ragnar

[Porcupine]

[ QUOTE ]
The Big Ten got screwed, particularly Wisconsin. They would demolish Florida, Maryland etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. Wisconsin really deserved better than a 6. Maryland doesn't deserve a 4.

From what I hear, Wisconsin got screwed in part because the selection committee claimed the championship game ended too late in the day, so Wisc. didn't get credit for winning the tourney.

I wonder how much the fact that Maryland beat Wisconsin head-up (it was at Maryland) early in the season factored into this?

I also think Ok. State got screwed out of a number 1 seed. Sounds like they were also hurt by their conference tourney "ending too late".

[Clarkmeister]

Mar 16 667 FLORIDA A&M +4-110 +165
05:24 PM 668 LEHIGH -4-110 -185

Mar 18 507 NC CHARLOTTE +1-110 +100
06:00 AM 508 TEXAS TECH -1-110 -120
Mar 18 509 LIBERTY +23½-110
06:00 AM 510 ST. JOSEPH'S -23½-110
Mar 18 511 DAYTON +2½-110 +125
06:00 AM 512 DEPAUL -2½-110 -145
Mar 18 513 VERMONT +20-110
06:00 AM 514 CONNECTICUT -20-110

Mar 18 515 ARIZONA -4-110 -185
06:00 AM 516 SETON HALL +4-110 +165
Mar 18 517 ALABAMA STATE +33-110
06:00 AM 518 DUKE -33-110
Mar 18 519 MANHATTAN +7-110 +250
06:00 AM 520 FLORIDA -7-110 -300
Mar 18 521 VA COMMNWEALTH +12½-110
06:00 AM 522 WAKE FOREST -12½-110

Mar 18 523 AIR FORCE +8-110 +305
06:00 AM 524 NORTH CAROLINA -8-110 -365
Mar 18 525 PRINCETON +12½-110
06:00 AM 526 TEXAS -12½-110
Mar 18 527 BYU +2-110 +115
06:00 AM 528 SYRACUSE -2-110 -135
Mar 18 529 UTEP +7-110 +250
06:00 AM 530 MARYLAND -7-110 -300

Mar 18 531 SO ILLINOIS +3-110 +140
06:00 AM 532 ALABAMA -3-110 -160
Mar 18 533 TEX SAN ANTONIO +26-110
06:00 AM 534 STANFORD -26-110
Mar 18 535 NEVADA +2-110 +120
06:00 AM 536 MICHIGAN ST -2-110 -140
Mar 18 537 VALPARAISO +20½-110
06:00 AM 538 GONZAGA -20½-110

Mar 19 823 UAB +1½-110 +105
06:00 AM 824 WASHINGTON U -1½-110 -125
Mar 19 825 BLANK
06:00 AM 826 KENTUCKY
Mar 19 827 MURRAY STATE +8½-110 +315
06:00 AM 828 ILLINOIS -8½-110 -375
Mar 19 829 E TENNESSEE ST +10½-110
06:00 AM 830 CINCINNATI -10½-110

Mar 19 831 LOUISVILLE -2½-110 -145
06:00 AM 832 XAVIER +2½-110 +125
Mar 19 833 MONMOUTH +20½-110
06:00 AM 834 MISSISSIPI ST -20½-110
Mar 19 835 WESTERN MICHIGAN +1½-110 +105
06:00 AM 836 VANDERBILT -1½-110 -125
Mar 19 837 UL LAFAYETTE +9-110 +330
06:00 AM 838 NC STATE -9-110 -400

Mar 19 839 UTAH U +1½-110 +105
06:00 AM 840 BOSTON COLLEGE -1½-110 -125
Mar 19 841 NORTHERN IOWA +12½-110
06:00 AM 842 GEORGIA TECH -12½-110
Mar 19 843 RICHMOND +8-110 +300
06:00 AM 844 WISCONSIN -8-110 -360
Mar 19 845 CENTRAL FLORIDA +14½-110
06:00 AM 846 PITTSBURGH -14½-110

Mar 19 847 SOUTH CAROLINA +2½-110 +125
06:00 AM 848 MEMPHIS U -2½-110 -145
Mar 19 849 E WASHINGTON +16½-110
06:00 AM 850 OKLAHOMA STATE -16½-110
Mar 19 851 PACIFIC +7½-110 +275
06:00 AM 852 PROVIDENCE -7½-110 -325
Mar 19 853 ILLINOIS CHICAGO +10-110 +450
06:00 AM 854 KANSAS -10-110 -550

[banditbdl]

Wisconsin came out just fine in the bracket as far as the late championship game goes. There was no way they were gonna vault into a 3-seed because of it and given that they're much better off as a 6-seed playing in Milwaukee (even against a strong Pitt team) then they would be as a 4 or 5 seed playing anywhere else. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wisconsin was actually dropped to a 6 seed by the committee in order to get them in Milwaukee.

[Porcupine]

I agree that Wisconsin probably won't complain much (Although I'm sure they feel disrepected as a 6), as they get to play in Milwaukee, but it doesn't make the seeding correct. If the comittee moved them down to a 6 to put them in Milwaukee, then Pitt really has a gripe - mostly likely the highest #3 seed, but now they face a potential pseudo home game vs. the 6 seed.

[Homer]

The biggest disgrace of all is putting Lehigh in the play in game. They should have been a solid 16 seed. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Sincere]

[ QUOTE ]
Agreed. Wisconsin really deserved better than a 6. Maryland doesn't deserve a 4.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Maryland beat Wisconsin head-up

[/ QUOTE ]

Let me try to get this straight. The big 10 was crap this year. The ACC was the deepest and toughest conference this year. Maryland beat Wisconsin head-up, and Maryland won the ACC title, in the toughest conference.

What are you guys talking about?

Not a Maryland fan either. Just don't understand the big 10 infatuation?

[bugstud]

Maryland wasn't even .500 in the ACC. I just don't think Maryland deserves a 4 and the best teams in the Big Ten are 5/6. If Maryland was a 5/6 area, I'd be fine with it. As an example, they're ahead of UNC. UNC had a better conference record, they split the season series. Maryland wins the conf tourney, they should be roughly on par with one another, not a 4 vs 6. Wake goes 9-7, beats maryland both times during conference, loses by a point in conf tourney, and is also a 4. It's just baffling to me I guess.

*shrug*

[Clarkmeister]

ACC #1 seed Duke lost to lowly Purdue and ACC#2 seed NC State lost to lowly Michigan. The BT was down this year for sure, but it wasn't *that* bad.

[DonWaade]

I agree with Clarkmeister. The Big Ten did not have a good showing this year beacuse a majority of its teams were above average and all had to play against each other more than once, which resulted in numerous losses for quality teams. Wisconson got screwed. Illinois got screwed. But I am still with the Zag's!! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Sincere]

Teams are going to have upsets every year, but you have to look at how deep the conference's are overall. The ACC had about 7 really good teams. They might put 6 teams into the sweet 16 this year. To say a team like Maryland, that won that conference title doesn't deserve a 4 seed is sick.

[Sincere]

All the ACC teams had to play against each other more than once and they are all way above average and they had a good showing. So thinking like that is just wrong.

[RcrdBoy]

Arizona has no shot.

Their lack of depth makes it too difficult on this team. If one guy is off or they have any foul problems, especially Frye, they are cooked.

I don't like this team at all. Their defense is poor and their best player, Stoudamire, gets really down on himself if his shot isn't on.

I haven't seen Seton Hall enough to know about that match up, but I don't think they have much of a shot against Duke if they get by the first round.

-Mike

[CrackerZack]

Pitt/UConn... What a game... what a game...

I had to root for UConn because we were surrounded by Pitt fans. I was on the fence until the time they were showing Syracuse celebrating after winning last year on the jumbotron and I stood to applaud, and one of the guys behind me screamed, "Yeah! Where are they now?". That was the last straw. It was a great feeling looking at each one of them start to leave after Gordon threw the ball into the crowd. Tremendous.

[CrackerZack]

I agree. American should've been there if they pulled off the upset, but Lehigh should be the solid 16 playing Stanford. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[theBruiser500]

Is it possible to organize some sort of a 2+2 touranment where we all fill in our own brackets? It would be very cool if we could do it for money, but I don't see how that could be arranged. Just doing it for fun would be nice though.

[JTG51]

I knew you and JoeU would eventually come around and if not root for UConn, at least root against Pitt.

I was lucky, my section was mostly UConn fans. The few Pitt fans in the area were able to escape gracefully at the end while we were celebrating.

[Joe Tall]

[ QUOTE ]
That gets us to the sweet 16 game vs Duke. The same Duke team that has lost 4 of its last 7, including to Maryland and a spanking at home to Tech. They don't have the inside game to exploit our one glaring weakness, which is inside presense. We matchup well against them and I'm thrilled that we got them instead of Stanford or Kentucky.

[/ QUOTE ]

I could not agree more. Duke looks somewhat spent and the yesterday's loss was a tell tale sign.

I still feel Illinois is one of the most underrated teams in the country. Along with Wisconsin and Louisville and if Wisc didn't have to play Pitt, I'd put all 3 in the Sweet Sixteen, I still might.

Peace,
Joe Tall

[Joe Tall]

There is a 2+2 bracket contest check out this post. clash's post NCAA bracket (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=smallholdem&Number=577099& Forum=All_Forums&Words=3376&Match=Username&Searchp age=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=577099&Search=tru e#Post577099)

Peace,
Joe Tall

[theBruiser500]

Why is he hiding that in the small stakes forum!?

[Ragnar]

RcrdBoy,

Arizona has as much of a shot this year as they had in 1997--when they won it all. In fact the similarities are eerie. Freshman point guards (Bibby--Shakur), a bad finish to the season both years, undersized centers who can run the floor, but got in foul trouble in the conference (Bramlett--Frye) off-guards who are talented and were suspended (Simon--Stoudamire). I watched both teams closely as I am an Arizona season ticket holder (but I moved to NY two weeks ago).

Neither team was deep although the '97 version went 8 not 7 deep. This team is actually more talented. They haven't played defense well because of foul trouble, but that was true in the conference season in '97. Their style of defense is better suited to the tournament and not well suited to Pac-10 officiating. I agree with you that Frye can't get in foul trouble.

Stoudamire can't pout, but he isn't the best player, at the most he is the third best player on the team. But when he pouts it hurts the rest of the team. This is exactly like Simon in '97.

Will they win it all--unlikely but possible. Can they beat Duke--sure. Will they beat Seton Hall--who knows it is probably a toss-up--but the article in the New York Times today sure makes them sound like a team that is just thrilled to be there.

Ragnar