South Florida got screwed

[tomcat]

Sorry if it seems repetitious, but I just had to get that off my chest.

There. I feel a little better.

But not much better. I know it's been mentioned a number of times, at least peripherally, in other posts, but honest to God, I cannot believe that USF, which to my way of thinking is THE sleeper team to fear in this tournament, has to go through UCONN to get anywhere in its bracket.

I would not have believed the selection committee capable of such deviousness before, but I sure believe it now. With the exception of the UCOnn game, I'll be rooting for USF every time.

Given what happened last year, when it would've been easy to argue that USF deserved a ticket to the dance, and this year, I would not blame diehard USF fans for thinking the committee has it in for them.

 

[UcMiami]

Sorry, but it is hard for me to see getting to host first and second round games on their home floor as a 6 seed as anything but a huge win for South Florida. If they win three games that is great for them, but I really do not see them as one of the last four teams standing in the FF so Elite eight was always their ceiling.

Green Bay and Princeton - now that I consider a double 'screwed' as both teams would have a great shot at advancing against pretty much any other 8,9,10, seeded teams.

 

[geneticrex]

Although nothing in athletics is in stone, UConn is all but a lock to get to a FF.

There is NO WAY the "club" (committee) wanted any part of another AAC team going deep and with the 2nd half showing SF produced in the AAC tournament, I believe that sent a little chill up the "clubs" collective spine.

What better way to make sure???

 

[reno tony]

Sorry if it seems repetitious, but I just had to get that off my chest.

There. I feel a little better.

But not much better. I know it's been mentioned a number of times, at least peripherally, in other posts, but honest to God, I cannot believe that USF, which to my way of thinking is THE sleeper team to fear in this tournament, has to go through UCONN to get anywhere in its bracket.

I would not have believed the selection committee capable of such deviousness before, but I sure believe it now. With the exception of the UCOnn game, I'll be rooting for USF every time.

Given what happened last year, when it would've been easy to argue that USF deserved a ticket to the dance, and this year, I would not blame diehard USF fans for thinking the committee has it in for them.

There is one consolation... they get to knock off one and possibly(a long shot) two SEC team before they go.

 

[tomcat]

Reno Tony, thanks for those consoling words. They help.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I don't agree with the OP at all.

Yes, I do think they drew a tough 11 seed - LSU. LSU had a bad OOC with their star suspended and actually played much better later in the season. OTH, USF gets to play them at home. No other 6 seed is home.

Yes, they have a higher seed at their home. Louisville is the only 1-4 seed not playing at home. Since USF clearly wasn't a 1-4 seed, well, they have an advantage that no other lower than #4 seed in that game.

And if they advance to the Sweet 16, lets say, they get Kentucky, which all the sources I read is supposedly the weakest #2. Would you prefer they face a tougher team.

And, as the learned UCMiami points out, their chances to make the final four is tiny regardless of the #1 seed they most likely face.

So no, I don't really think they got screwed at all.

 

[triaddukefan]

LSU could very well beat South Florida. Not sure if anyone here agrees with me.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I'm not sure what the big deal is here. There are 64 teams. It's never going to be "fair" for everyone, and even if you could come up with the perfect bracket, you will still be screwing someone in a way, for a reason, you haven't thought of, but rest assured someone else has. I also doubt that ESPN has any role in this nor are they out to torpedo their own investment in the AAC. You'd think the selection committee just sent us out west with the way some are acting. Didn't realize there were so many USF fans on this board.

 

[rvwsleep]

Sorry, but it is hard for me to see getting to host first and second round games on their home floor as a 6 seed as anything but a huge win for South Florida. If they win three games that is great for them, but I really do not see them as one of the last four teams standing in the FF so Elite eight was always their ceiling.

Green Bay and Princeton - now that I consider a double 'screwed' as both teams would have a great shot at advancing against pretty much any other 8,9,10, seeded teams.

Agreed. There might be a case not to put USF in with UConn because they've played 3 times already this season but that would be the extent of the argument. It's the best draw possible for USF if they want to get to get to the elite 8. If you think that they're a FF team, then it's not a good draw. But let's be realistic, is USF really a Final Four team ?

 

[DobbsRover2]

LSU could very well beat South Florida. Not sure if anyone here agrees with me.

Well sure the LSU and SEC fans totally agree with you, and it's always a possibility that temperatures will get into the 100s today here in NY. Anthing can happen. The 538 predictions give USF an 83% chance of winning, Massey puts it at 77% with a 69-61 predicted score. And what are the reasons for thinking LSU has a good chance to win when they have played mainly badly on the road this season, while USF is 10-1 in its last 11 home games, with the lone loss coming to you-know-who? I know they had some success in a game against UConn back in 2007, but that's a little far back and Sylvia doesn't play for them anymore.

We do get it that the P5 team fans all think and hope that the P5 teams will beat the mid majors, even if they are kind of more resigned about the chances against that outlier mid major.

And I'm sure there will be at least five more threads started on the BY about how USF got screwed, but sorry, that's just mindless. Jose is overjoyed about his team's placement (go check out his exuberant comments on the USF site before doing any more moaning about their situation), and the committee gave an AAC team a gift.

Anyone who thinks that a #6 seeded team had "a good chance" to get to the FF has no clues. We can argue every year about whether a team got a proper seeding, but the fact is that no team worse than a 5 seed has made it to the FF in the previous 10 years (Louisville was that lone 5-seed in 2013). The last team to make it to the FF with worse than a 5-seed was Minnesota in 2004, and that team was vastly under-seeded because the return from a long injury by Jane McCarville late in the season was not factored into the Gophers' seed. Maybe if USF had been placed in Duke, UNC, or Iowa's pod they could have knocked off the home team and gone on to win two more games in the S16 and E8 to advance, but the odds would have been against them. The other 6-seeds are given almost nonexistent chances for reaching the FF -- Texas A&M at 1% and GW and Washington at less than 1%. Maybe USF could have beaten those odds and turned a 1% into whatever "a good shot" is, maybe 40% or so? Kind of doubt it though.

 

[Oldbones]

Does this pattern bother anyone else but me?

Game one: 42-point difference (92-50) Second half UConn by 24. (Starter minutes: 133)
Game two: 23-point difference (88-65) Second half USF by 1 (Starter minutes 163)
Game three: 14 point difference(84-70) Second Half USF by 9 (Starter minutes 161)

 

[HoopsFan21]

Does this pattern bother anyone else but me?

Game one: 42-point difference (92-50) Second half UConn by 24. (Starter minutes: 133)
Game two: 23-point difference (88-65) Second half USF by 1 (Starter minutes 163)
Game three: 14 point difference(84-70) Second Half USF by 9 (Starter minutes 161)

The last game I think foul trouble contributed which is one way UConn does not bring home #10.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Well sure the LSU and SEC fans totally agree with you, and it's always a possibility that temperatures will get into the 100s today here in NY. Anthing can happen. The 538 predictions give USF an 83% chance of winning, Massey puts it at 77% with a 69-61 predicted score. And what are the reasons for thinking LSU has a good chance to win when they have played mainly badly on the road this season, while USF is 10-1 in its last 11 home games, with the lone loss coming to you-know-who? I know they had some success in a game against UConn back in 2007, but that's a little far back and Sylvia doesn't play for them anymore.

I don't think LSU will beat them, but I think LSU might be a tougher than average 11 seed. Probably more than negated by USF being home, as I noted above.

I saw a few LSU games on the SEC network and, while I didn't think they looked so good, I will say they had a few good wins and I thought mostly lost to the teams you would expect in-conference.

I don't think they were incorrectly seeded, either, only probably not the pushover that 11 seeds can be.

 

[meyers7]

Does this pattern bother anyone else but me?

Game one: 42-point difference (92-50) Second half UConn by 24. (Starter minutes: 133)
Game two: 23-point difference (88-65) Second half USF by 1 (Starter minutes 163)
Game three: 14 point difference(84-70) Second Half USF by 9 (Starter minutes 161)

Doesn't really matter now. Win and advance. Besides, I doubt we'll see them again this year.

 

[grumpert]

Sorry if it seems repetitious, but I just had to get that off my chest.

There. I feel a little better.

But not much better. I know it's been mentioned a number of times, at least peripherally, in other posts, but honest to God, I cannot believe that USF, which to my way of thinking is THE sleeper team to fear in this tournament, has to go through UCONN to get anywhere in its bracket.

I would not have believed the selection committee capable of such deviousness before, but I sure believe it now. With the exception of the UCOnn game, I'll be rooting for USF every time.

Given what happened last year, when it would've been easy to argue that USF deserved a ticket to the dance, and this year, I would not blame diehard USF fans for thinking the committee has it in for them.

You should not be too upset because South Floida played them very tough. Being a UConn fan I am a little leary of S.F.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Does this pattern bother anyone else but me?

Game one: 42-point difference (92-50) Second half UConn by 24. (Starter minutes: 133)
Game two: 23-point difference (88-65) Second half USF by 1 (Starter minutes 163)
Game three: 14 point difference(84-70) Second Half USF by 9 (Starter minutes 161)

It is possible to look at the second game and think that with the game firmly in hand (up by 24 at the half), UConn took its foot off the gas. But the starters logged significant minutes in that game. It is possible to look at the third game and think that it could be an anomaly, as it was the third game in three days and UConn led by 20+ points at the half. But taken collectively, I would be examining game tape of Games #2 and #3 if I were a Division I head coach.

Listen, a win by 14 points is still considered pretty significant. It is not a "blowout" per se, but it is not a close game. But as UConn continues to write records and change history, then we must adjust our expectations and definitions accordingly. A win by only 14 points in the State of Connecticut is a "moral victory" for USF and every other Division I team this year.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I don't think LSU will beat them, but I think LSU might be a tougher than average 11 seed. Probably more than negated by USF being home, as I noted above.

I saw a few LSU games on the SEC network and, while I didn't think they looked so good, I will say they had a few good wins and I thought mostly lost to the teams you would expect in-conference.

I don't think they were incorrectly seeded, either, only probably not the pushover that 11 seeds can be.

LSU may be better than the other #11 seeds, but they did lose to two of them, UALR, by 16 points to begin the season, and Miami. They are rated the third best #11 seed according to Sagarin: Miami (39), Arkansas-Little Rock (43), LSU (52), Gonzaga (58)

Best wins by the #11 teams according to Sagarin:

Miami: Notre Dame (2)
LSU: Mississippi State (16)
UALR: Oklahoma (29)
Gonzaga: Dayton (30)

Worst losses by #11 teams according to Sagarin:

Gonzaga: Pacific (94) at home
Miami: Wake Forest (120) away
UALR: Troy (164) away
LSU: Santa Clara (188) neutral

 

[Striper69]

LSU could very well beat South Florida. Not sure if anyone here agrees with me.

I'll go out on a limb and say that LSU will beat USF at home. Ballard is due for a big game.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I'll go out on a limb and say that LSU will beat USF at home. Ballard is due for a big game.

On the plus side, Ballard did shoot 8-16 two games ago when she played a team with a Courtney Williams on it, though it was the Texas A&M Williams. On the bad side, she went 2-10 in her last game. Whether that means she's due or not against USF, we'll just have to see.

 

[Striper69]

On the plus side, Ballard did shoot 8-16 two games ago when she played a team with a Courtney Williams on it, though it was the Texas A&M Williams. On the bad side, she went 2-10 in her last game. Whether that means she's due or not against USF, we'll just have to see.

The last game was against SC. Easy to see how she'd have a down game there. Two others on her team did well though so teams can't focus on Ballard. She was great last year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think USF got screwed by being in UConn's region, but getting the first 2 games at home is a help. I think they will beat LSU AND Louisville. They impress me.

 

[chrissaran]

South Florida is dangerous. They do not match up well when we're on offense, and we do not match up well when they're on offense. Geno will have to tweak the defensive strategy if we meet the Bulls for the fourth time. Familiarity helped ND to get used to our pace. It looks to be helping USF as well.

 

[uconnfan68]

Sorry, but it is hard for me to see getting to host first and second round games on their home floor as a 6 seed as anything but a huge win for South Florida. If they win three games that is great for them, but I really do not see them as one of the last four teams standing in the FF so Elite eight was always their ceiling.

Green Bay and Princeton - now that I consider a double 'screwed' as both teams would have a great shot at advancing against pretty much any other 8,9,10, seeded teams.

All 3 of them got screwed. USF, GB, and Princeton all deserved better. Geno's rant about the NCAA and the P5 is spot on.

 

[Oldbones]

Actually, the Jersey Three were the ultimate losers. Rutgers and Seton Hall playing each other for the honor to play UConn on their own court, and Princeton obliged to do battle with Green Bay for the privilege of playing #4 Maryland on their home court.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Actually, the Jersey Three were the ultimate losers. Rutgers and Seton Hall playing each other for the honor to play UConn on their own court, and Princeton obliged to do battle with Green Bay for the privilege of playing #4 Maryland on their home court.

Not necessarily the worst situation for Princeton though, because Maryland is the closest of the host spots, and the Terps are only 9th among the 16 hosts in home attendance. Six of the hosts with worse attendance are either the two in Florida or the four PAC teams, and though the Tigers might well have done better against the PAC teams, it's still a haul and eastern teams don't tend to do that well out there.