College Hoops 2/27/2006 - 03/12/2006

[jwpeer 0]

Oh, and I definitely like Syracuse's chances of making a deep run when the NCAAs start. It all depends on the brackets of course, but right now, my Final Four is Duke, UConn, Villanova, and Syracuse.

 

Replace Texas with Villanova and this is my ideal Final 4. (Dependant on Gray, of course.)

 

My Realistic Final 4 is.

 

UConn, Duke, Villanova and Memphis.

 

Other scenarios include

 

UNC

GW (Don't Laugh)

Memphis

Ohio State

LSU (They're the only SEC Team with any shot.)

Pitt

WVU

Georgetown

Illinois

Boston College should they beat Duke

Gonzaga

 

Gonzaga can't beat any team in the Big East, and they WILL have to play one to get to the Final Four.

 

They aren't big enough, they don't rebound well enough.

 

I can see GW though, and maybe Illinois but they've been very inconsistent lately.

[Guest Princess Leena]

UConn remains my favorite, UCLA my sleeper.

 

I may need to go over 10 pools each to make sure I win money this year. Blah. So many good teams, but so inconsistent, all with glaring weaknesses.

[KingPK 0]

BC seems to have come into the ACC Tourney with a purpose, so I wouldn't put it past them to get past Duke and lock up a #2 seed in the tournament. Of course, since this is BC we're talking about, I wouldn't be surprised to see them lose in the first round to a #15.

 

I'll probably just do the one pool this year because this whole thing is one big crapshoot. This is going to be one of those tournaments where a #12 seed makes the Elite Eight and all four #1s are gone after the Sweet 16.

[Richard 0]

Well the Aztecs are throwing this one away.

[CanadianChris 0]

Bubble teams can breathe a sigh of relief as both Nevada and (it looks like) San Jose State win their conference titles in OT.

[Richard 0]

We barely beat a team with a losing record. I pity whoever we're matched with.

[Hektik 0]

We barely beat a team with a losing record. I pity whoever we're matched with.

I wouldn't look to much into the close game. SDSU one three straight games at elevation with this last game being played at a supposed "neutral site."

[iggymcfly 0]

Oh, and I definitely like Syracuse's chances of making a deep run when the NCAAs start. It all depends on the brackets of course, but right now, my Final Four is Duke, UConn, Villanova, and Syracuse.

 

Replace Texas with Villanova and this is my ideal Final 4. (Dependant on Gray, of course.)

 

My Realistic Final 4 is.

 

UConn, Duke, Villanova and Memphis.

 

I really doubt that this will be the first year that four 1 seeds make the Final Four. The only really sure team is UConn. After that, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we end up with something like a 5 seed, a 6 seed, and an 8 seed.

[Guest]

These Big West games are always fun. I should have went this year like I did last year.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

Oh, and I definitely like Syracuse's chances of making a deep run when the NCAAs start. It all depends on the brackets of course, but right now, my Final Four is Duke, UConn, Villanova, and Syracuse.

 

Replace Texas with Villanova and this is my ideal Final 4. (Dependant on Gray, of course.)

 

My Realistic Final 4 is.

 

UConn, Duke, Villanova and Memphis.

 

I really doubt that this will be the first year that four 1 seeds make the Final Four. The only really sure team is UConn. After that, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we end up with something like a 5 seed, a 6 seed, and an 8 seed.

 

You're probably going to be right. But with so much uncertainity, it is almost as uncertain that this will happen, that it can happen.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Considering how inconsistent UCONN can be. I can't even say they're a lock to reach the final four.

[Gert T 0]

Who would you pick as a #1 seed, Memphis or Ohio State? I was pretty sold on OSU, but Memphis did play a very impressive non-conference schedule, which blows OSU's out of the water. But OSU's conference games coupled with the fact their four losses were by a combined 15 points makes me lean towards them. Of course this is all a moot point if they lose today.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Memphis, though Ohio State is probably the top #2. The Big Ten has lost some of its luster in the past two or three weeks, as a lot of its supposedly great teams have been playing decidely average ball.

 

Bubble predictions: George Mason makes it, Hofstra doesn't. Four from the MVC, with Creighton and Missouri State getting left out. I have the niggling feeling that FSU is going to sneak in. And it will be hilarious if South Carolina wins the SEC.

[2GOLD 0]

Memphis, though Ohio State is probably the top #2. The Big Ten has lost some of its luster in the past two or three weeks, as a lot of its supposedly great teams have been playing decidely average ball.

 

Bubble predictions: George Mason makes it, Hofstra doesn't. Four from the MVC, with Creighton and Missouri State getting left out. I have the niggling feeling that FSU is going to sneak in. And it will be hilarious if South Carolina wins the SEC.

 

Florida State more than likely sneaks in from beating Maryland, Miami and Duke, essentially tagging two bubble teams while none of the other bubble teams made a case. I still don't think they belong in, but I can see them grabbing a 12 or 13 seed just because they won 9 in the ACC.

 

Mizz St gets in, Creighton, Mason and Hofstra all get shown the door. If South Carolina wins, Mizz St will be shown the door.

 

Memphis gets the 1 seed for winning their conference and essentially doing what they had to do.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Who would you pick as a #1 seed, Memphis or Ohio State?

 

Texas, if they win today. I have a hard time putting Memphis ahead of them, since Texas won at Memphis. And Texas' non-conference was worlds harder than OSU's... which more than negates the Big 10 being the best conference, IMO.

 

But, not that it matters much. Not a big difference between who's the #1 and #2 seeds in Oakland.

[Hawk 34 0]

I do think we will see one major "screwed" team not make the tournament and everyone will bitch about out for three days and forget they ever existed once it tips off Thursday.

 

I still don't think 'Cuse's "miracle" streak can last much longer. I say they get the #5 seed and break through the first round but goes out the second round.

 

We will see aT least one #1 seed out of the tournament after the first weekend.

 

A cutesy mid-major reaches the elite and has the nation behind them but a major team that no one really cares for squashes them.

 

People will bitch about busted pools but secrectly love the chaos that comes with the tournament.

[Guest Rrrsh]

I am really looking foward to March Madness this year more than usual. Mainly, because the three top team considered by most all year have played their worst ball in the past 3 weeks. Redick is has be incosistant, Nova has had cold streaks from thier shooters and UConn look to be anything but invincable

 

Its a very odd dynamic that could make for some very interetsing Sweet 16 play.

[Bored 0]

George Mason is at #26 and Hofstra is stting at #30 in the RPI and as mentioned before a Top 30 RPI team has never been left out. Personally I think it'd be quite the upset if they are left out.

 

RPI fun fact: Mid-Eastern tournament champ Hampton has the lowest RPI of any team with a winning record in the country at #284. They are only two spots ahead of 6-24 TCU. Yay, conference tournaments.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

I was going to make a new thread, but fuck it. I'll save it for after the Selection Show.

 

It is now Sunday, March 12th, 2:24 PM, less than 4 Hours away from the selection show, which will single the true beginning of March Madness . Usually, by this time Sunday Afternoon the bubble is pretty much established, however, it is not the case this year. This year, we have a game that has many bubble implications in the SEC Championship Game, which could cause a bubble to burst on Sunday Afternoon. Even then, there's already more bubble drama than an Anime Convention Masquerade. To understand why here is brief synopsis.

 

- Conference Realignment has made the Big East a 16 Team, Potentially Bid Swallowing Juggernaut: The Big East became even bigger when the response to the ACC raid in 2003 had Louisville, Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette and South Florida defect from C-USA. This effectively bought the Big East membership to 16 strong, and adding 4 Powerful Basketball programs gave the Big East the strength to potentially be the premier Basketball Conference, and it has done so this year. In fact, the Big East has done so well that it has the potential to get 9 Bids, shattering the record completely.

 

- The year of the Mid-Major: While the New Big East is a new factor that selection committee has to deal with, it is not the biggest controversry. The biggest controversy are the Mid-Major schools that are threatening to take a record number of At-Large Bids as the Missouri Valley and Colonial are having Banner Years in their current forms with Conference Rankings of 6 and 10 Respectively, solidly in the first Tier, and have legitimate claims to At-Large Bids. Some are talking about as many as 9 Bids between the conferences, others as little as 4. Some have gone as far as to make it their mission to build up or bury these two conferences. Needless to say, as we come towards zero hour, the talk becomes more polarized.

 

With that said. From 6:00 - 6:30 will reveal ALOT about the selection committee, and almost every question we've wanted answered will be answered. Among them include.

 

- How powerful is the Big East, now?

- How will the Mid-Majors be dealt with?

- How important is the RPI?

- Is there a major Conference Bias?

- Will this spark true change in scheduling?

 

And quite a few more will be answered.

[AboveAverage484 0]

Things are gettin' heated with Duke/BC. Paulus acts like he just won the World Series after getting a turnover, and Hinnan overreacts to some accidental contact by Paulus and a huge brawl almost breaks out. Shits starts to settle once Craig Smith imposes his self in the middle of things, but man, that was almost ugly.

[Guest Smues]

JJ Redick is on fire at the moment and looking great. This is giving me more hope for the NCAA tourny.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

George Mason is at #26 and Hofstra is stting at #30 in the RPI and as mentioned before a Top 30 RPI team has never been left out. Personally I think it'd be quite the upset if they are left out.

 

RPI fun fact: Mid-Eastern tournament champ Hampton has the lowest RPI of any team with a winning record in the country at #284. They are only two spots ahead of 6-24 TCU. Yay, conference tournaments.

 

I go to Hofstra, so I can tell you my reaction. Hofstra may have a RPI of 30 (31 Per CBS), but we also have a really bad number and one really bad loss.

 

- Our OOC SOS is 285.

- We have a loss to Towson with a RPI of 219.

 

So there you have it, the committee's two excuses to leave us out. In all honesty, I would be upset to be left out, but I can see why.

[CanadianChris 0]

Wow, what a finish. This was almost a dream year for South Carolina against Florida in athletics.

[2GOLD 0]

That was a pretty bad decision though. He didn't even have a mildly good look. Well, SC is history and will head to the NIT.

And ESPN looking real stupid by airing the Digger-Jay thing talking about if SC wins the SEC when we now know SC lost the SEC.

[Guest Smues]

Maybe Redick's recent problems have been because he's been too close to the basket. He's been nailing NBA 3's today.

[naiwf 0]

I want Boston College to win this game just to show the Big East's supremacy in ACC country as well. That would have to sting to have a team come in from out of conference and win the tourney title in their first season by beating both UNC & Duke in No. Carolina.

[Guest Smues]

Damn Duke takes a 4 point lead with 11 seconds left but BC drills a 3 and now it's a 1 point game with 4.4 seconds.

[Guest Smues]

Duke wins. Take that Big East!

[naiwf 0]

That was a great game. I do however think BC and UNC will both outlast Duke in the NCAA tourney.

[Guest Smues]

And man oh man that last shot was far too close for comfort.