The One and Only March Madness thread

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

LOL!

 

That's the thanks I get for saying I'd have put your crappy team in?

 

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Thoughts.

 

Alabama shouldn't of made it.

 

The West is awesome

 

Kansas should of gotten #1. Seed

 

The selection commitee gave Texas the easiest path to the Final Four

 

Arizona and Kentucky should only meet in the Championship game.

[Guest Flyboy]

LOL!

 

That's the thanks I get for saying I'd have put your crappy team in?

 

You know I love you, Vester.

[Guest Flyboy]

Too slow again.

I prefer to be better than quicker.

Was that a....

 

 

TAG?!

[Guest bob_barron]

How is Memphis #7 and Cincy #8??

 

Fuck the Bearcats

[Guest Choken One]

I am SOOOO not happy about Cincy and Zaga having to kill each other just to get slughtered by Zona....

 

BAMA? Screw Job. Tech or B.C ought to be there....

 

The rest...I haven't really looked yet but The Natl. Title game shouldn't be played as the semi final. South is WAYYY to weak and West is Loaded...

 

Early Final Four

 

South: tEXas

East: Syracuse

Mwest: UK

West: KAnasas..

 

Early Big name fallout...fLORIDA in 1st round....

 

Cinderella...

 

Wisc-Mil. or San Diego

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Cry me a river. If you should bitch about anybody getting in unfairly, it should be Auburn. Bama did what the committee said and had a tougher out of conference schedule while Auburn played cupcakes til the SEC conference games started.

[Guest Choken One]

Huh?

 

:::Looks at Bracket::: WTF? 10 IN THE east! WHAT?

 

i NEVER saw that...Fuck that...Yer right APO Auburn is the real "FUCK U" team.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

My early picks for the tournament

 

(1)Kentucky over (16)IUPUI

(9)Utah over (8)Oregon

(12)Weber St over (5)Wisconsin

(4)Dayton over (13)Tulsa

(6)Missouri over (11)S Illinois

(3)Marquette over (14)Holy Cross

(7)Indiana over (10)Alabama

(2)Pittsburgh over (15)Wagner

 

UK over Utah

Dayton over Weber State

Missouri over Marquette

Pitt over Indiana

 

UK over Dayton

Pitt over Mizzou

 

UK over Pitt

 

(1)Arizona over (16)Vermont

(9)Gonzaga over (8)Cincy

(5)N Dame over (12)Wis-Mil

(4)Illinois over (13)W Kentucky

(6)Creighton over (11)C Michigan

(3)Duke over (14)Colo St

(7)Memphis over (10)Arizona St

(2)Kansas over (15)Utah St

 

Arizona over Gonzaga

N Dame over Illinois

Duke over Creighton

KU over Memphis

 

Arizona over N Dame

Duke over KU

 

Duke over Arizona

 

(1)Texas over (16)Texas Southern

(8)LSU over (9)Purdue

(12)BYU over (5)UConn

(4)Stanford over (13)San Diego

(11)UNC-Wil over (6)Maryland

(3)Xavier over (14)Troy St

(10)Colorado over (7)Mich St

(2)Florida over (15)Sam Houston

 

Texas over LSU

BYU over Stanford

Xavier over UNCW

Florida over Colorado

 

Texas over BYU

Florida over Xavier

 

Florida over Texas

 

(1)Oklahoma over (16)SC St

(9)NC State over (8)California

(12)Butler over (5)Miss St

(4)Louisville over (13)Austin Peay

(11)Penn over (6)Oklahoma St

(3)Syracuse over (14)Manhattan

(7)St Joes over (10)Auburn

(2)W Forest over (15)E Tenn St

 

OU over NCSU

Louisville over Butler

Syracuse over Penn

Wake over St. Joes

 

OU over Louisville

Wake over Syracuse

 

OU over Wake

 

theeeeeen...

 

UK over Duke

OU over Florida

 

Kentucky beats Oklahoma

[Guest CanadianChris]

I'm torn as to whether the committee did a really good job this year. They made two major mistakes:

 

1) Creating the unbalanced bracket from hell. The West region is just LOUSY with good quality teams, whereas a region like the South is pretty much just Texas and Florida. And don't even get me started on a UK/Arizona SEMIfinal.

 

2) Letting in the wrong mediocre major-conference teams. There is no way Alabama or ESPECIALLY Auburn should be in, not with how they finished in their conferences. Alabama got in, it looks like, based on the fact they were #1 earlier in the year. Boston College, which WON THEIR DIVISION in the number 3 conference, doesn't get in? That's absurd, especially when a team they finished ahead of in the Big East standings gets a FIVE seed (UConn). Tennessee got jobbed as well.

 

On the other hand, the committee sent a clear message to the mid-majors that a good season will get you in ahead of those same mediocre mid-majors. Of the three biggest mid-majors on the bubble (Butler, Gonzaga, SIU), I thought at least one of them would miss the tournament, but they all made it, which is great. Doesn't make up for last year's Butler/Gonzaga fiasco, but it's a good start.

 

I think, though, that the negatives outweigh the positives. Chalk it up to a learning experience for Livengood, the Arizona AD (I hope).

[Guest bob_barron]

They did an awful job.

 

Memphis is #7 and Cincy is #8????

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

[Guest Choken One]

Cincy has the RPI to back it according to Committe Standards...Memphis was kinda of an forgotten team...I would'e fliped Memphis with OSU.

 

However...As an U.C fan...Im pissed....I wanted U.C in the MWest after seeing UK, Dayton, Indiana, Marquette all in there...Why couldn't they had flipped U.C and Oregon or even utah...

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Bama's RPI and non-conference schedule got them in, so that's pretty much much why the Committee picked them.

 

Auburn probably got in because Cliff Ellis gave somebody good head.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I think that there is defiantely some questionable selections... Alabama completely crashed and burned from the number 1 ranking... I don't see them getting past the second, I think Indiana will beat them in the first round.

 

I am skeptical about the Dayton being seeded fourth. Are they really that good? I mean I didn't hear one thing about this team all year, and then bam I see them seeded fourth. I won't be surprised if Tulsa pulls off a first round upset of them.

 

What is up with Oregon being seeded eigth? I know they didn't have the best regular season, but they played tough to win the Pac 10 tourney, against ASU, and then against UCLA and USC, both who were playing like they had nothing to lose. Oh well, i think they will lose in against Kentucky.

 

 

This year I see Notre Dame and Wisconsin being potential 12 vs 5 victim (This almost always guarantees at least one five seed being upset by the 12th seed).

 

I think that Oklahoma has a very favorable bracket, so I think they will be in the Final Four. I am still not sold on Texas, but looking at their bracket, they do have a very favorable path, but I think that LSU will give them fits in the second round and if they get past them, then I think that they could very well play Maryland to go to the Finals. Kentucky is the hottest team in America, so I think that they will go to the Final Four, but will be very tested by Pitt. Zona has the hardest bracket of all, with them potentially playing Zoga (who you can never count out in the NCAA), Illinois (Big Ten tourney Champ), and Kansas... talk about over kill... but Zona has a bunch of Seniors on the team who have been to the Finals, and the last few years, the teams who had agood core of Seniors on it, went on to cut the nets down. So I am taking Zona here.

[Guest JHawk]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Cincy considered a bubble team going into the Conference USA tournament?

 

Didn't they get bounced early?

 

And they got an 8th seed?

 

In the tournament, sure, but #8 is pretty high, IMO.

 

Everybody else has hit Texas on the head.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

Also, Cinci has been known to choke in the early rounds over the last few years. I think that #8 seed was being very generous.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

Possible First Round Upsets:

Midwest

11 Southern Illinois over 6 Missouri

10 Alabama over 7 Indiana

West

9 Gonzaga over 8 Cincy

East

9 NC State over 8 Cal

10 Auburn over 7 St. Joseph's

South

10 Colorado over 7 Michigan St.

 

Also, the Terps can easilly handle UNC Wilmington and Xavier. After that, I can only hope that Florida trips up. If that happens, the South Region comes down to Maryland and UConn, as I don't see Texas being able to beat UConn.

 

BRACKET BUSTING BREAKING NEWS:

 

BYU and Weber St. are supposedly going to switch regions because BYU won't play on Sunday and if they were to happen to beat UConn in the first round they'd have to play on Sunday. Not a big chance of that happening, but there is a chance so that will probably change tomorrow.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Sorry but if you have a losing record in conference play you shouldn't make it.The SEC has Florida, Kentucky, and maybe Georgia but Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, and Miss St. are all pretty even. If you can't finish at least 8-8 you don't belong in the tourney.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I just signed up for the TSM Tourney Pickem thing. Sounds like a good deal of fun..

[Guest Crazy Dan]

Well BYU, I really wouldn't worry about not playing on Sunday... because more than likely you won't get past UCONN anyways.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I have seen the future and I can accurately predict the eventual National Champion with 99.99% certainty.

 

So...for those who like to gamble...

 

the official bps21 selection for National Champions of 2003 is...

 

Oh look...a scone.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I have a feeling, that if Maryland doesn't win the Tourney, Pittsburgh will win it. But that is just me...

[Guest Choken One]

Scone??? Is that some type of Alien speak you sick freak...TELL ME DAMNITT! I NEED TO WIN!

 

Scone..Scone...Scone....Scone.....Scone.......

Scone...

 

Syracuse-Creighton-Oregon-Norte Dame-E. Tennessee State....

 

3+6+8+5+16=38

 

64-38=26.

 

26=Z

 

Z=ZAGS!

 

Gonzaga! Gongaza wins the CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

 

WHOOO!!!!

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I'll tell you this. It will NOT be a #1

[Guest fazzle]

I'll go one step further and say it won't be a #16 either.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I'll take it a couple steps further and say that no seed lower than 8 will win.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Here's my final 4 ripe with upsets:

 

Pittsburgh

Duke

Texas

Syracuse

 

Pittsburgh will beat Kentucky

Duke because even while bad they always make it this far

Texas makes it in a weak bracket

Syracuse just gets there I guess

[Guest ant_7000]

My Final 4 thoughts:

 

Cuse will get to the Final 4 because they'll be playing near home.

 

Texas will make it because the south is weak and get to play at

home.

 

Kentucky will make it and win it all because they're hot.

 

The West region is tough so I don't know who will make it out, but im biased I will go with the Illinois.

 

Bama should be in

Auburn shouldn't be in

Cincy should got a lower seed than 8th maybe 10th seed

BC should be in

Not sold on Kansas or Duke

Cinderella teams Southern ILL, Penn, and Mil Wisc

[Guest CanadianChris]

Now HERE'S a pickle...

 

Committee betting against BYU

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Andy Katz

ESPN.com

 

 

It was looking like one of the NCAA Tournament selection committee's better days on Sunday. Then somebody noticed where BYU had been slotted in the field of 65.

 

The folks in Indianapolis had committed a major BYU snafu, seeding the Cougars 12th in the South Region, which plays its Sweet 16 games on Friday and regional final on Sunday. The Mormon Church-run school doesn't play on Sundays. Everyone in the NCAA knows this to be true in all sports.

 

And, no matter what excuses it uses, or how the NCAA spins its decision to not rework the first two rounds of the tournament, the BYU problem can't be dismissed. The committee should have had someone looking at the entire bracket for a procedural error such has noticing BYU can't feed into a Friday-Sunday regional. This is Bracketology 101.

 

If BYU advances to the Sweet 16 -- and the committee better hope the Cougars lose to either Connecticut in the first round or the Stanford/San Diego winner in the second round -- then the committee will have have solved any issues it has with gambling on the NCAA Tournament.

 

Why?

 

Everyone's bracket in America would be wrong.

 

There would be no office pool winners.

 

By not switching BYU with Weber State before any games are played, the committee has put a scenario in place that requires changing the bracket a week into the tournament.

 

There is no way BYU is going to San Antonio -- win or lose this week in Spokane. But two wins by BYU -- which has 23 victories and beat NCAA teams Utah, Arizona State and (gasp!) San Diego during the regular season -- and suddenly the Cougars must be moved out of the South Region. BYU's institutional beliefs would force the committee to move BYU to a Thursday/Saturday Sweet 16 region.

 

And, rather than switch BYU to Midwest pod in Spokane now -- where Dayton, Tulsa, Wisconsin or No. 12 Weber State feeds into Thursday's Midwest Sweet 16 in Minneapolis, the committee is basically gambling that BYU will lose long before then.

 

If BYU proves the committee wrong, the winner of the Midwest pod (no matter what seed) would then switch and potentially play No. 1 seed Texas instead of No. 1 seed Kentucky. The Wildcats would get No. 12 BYU in the Sweet 16, instead of possibly No. 4 Dayton.

 

Got that? That's the committee's solution.

 

No, they couldn't switch the dates of the South Regional to Thursday/Saturday because of logistical nightmare. The Alamodome is already booked on Thursday-Saturday, so are hotels, airplane tickets, game tickets and everything else associated with running a major event on specific dates. But aren't they bringing in worse possibilities by leaving BYU where it mistakenly placed the Cougars in the bracket?

 

Someone's going to be locked in a broom closet with Dick Vitale over this, mark my words.

[Guest hardyz1]

I filled out my brackets last night.

 

Kentucky over Syracuse 87-84 in the final.