Bracketology Sat Night

[RuffRuff]

Why should Xavier definitely be in?

Because they beat up on:

Depaul
Butler
Gtown
Seton Hall
Providence

& a stellar OOC win against Wake, while losing to Cinci & Michigan.

They have 3 home wins against 8/9 seeds in us, Creighton & Marquette.

Not a tourney resume. They could get in just because the back end of bubble so bad, but it would be out of default.

We are really lucky we had those two out of body performances by Solo and Liam, because without those road wins, we'd be closer to an 11 seed.

 

[NYC_HUSKY22]

Because they beat up on:

Depaul
Butler
Gtown
Seton Hall
Providence

& a stellar OOC win against Wake, while losing to Cinci & Michigan.

They have 3 home wins against 8/9 seeds in us, Creighton & Marquette.

Not a tourney resume. They could get in just because the back end of bubble so bad, but it would be out of default.

We are really lucky we had those two out of body performances by Solo and Liam, because without those road wins, we'd be closer to an 11 seed.

I was at the Xavier v Marquette game with my son (he's about to turn 3, it was his first basketball game). Being right on the floor and having an opportunity to see it up close and personal, Xavier plays really strong. If they do get in - I think they'll be a sleeper for an upset - pending a win in the round of 0 or whatever they call it now.

 

[RuffRuff]

I was at the Xavier v Marquette game with my son (he's about to turn 3, it was his first basketball game). Being right on the floor and having an opportunity to see it up close and personal, Xavier plays really strong. If they do get in - I think they'll be a sleeper for an upset - pending a win in the round of 0 or whatever they call it now.

I do think they are playing their best basketball at the right time and Freemantle is a plus 5 in the right matchup. They’re a little too guard heavy (like Marquette) and imbalanced but when those guards get going like they did against Marquette, they are fun to watch.

 

[UCLJ0211]

I think I’d rather Duke than Florida, but I don’t know. It’s close. I think Flagg will be back.

Yeah sounds like he will be

 

[Travelman6]

Yale will join UConn in the field. It's a pity ccsu and quinipiac had to s--- the bed two years in a row, otherwise so close to having at least 3 CT teams in, if not 4. Here's to hoping at least one of those two gets over the hump next year and Yale continues to dominate the Ivy.

 

[Scrutineer]

No chance - their OOC resume is so bad it has no opportunity to leap anyone currently in the top 4 - like not close. The BE has 3 8/9 seeds and 5 teams on the back side that are mid major quality. This isn't a year where dominating the BE is a massive achievement. They're a firm 2 seed.

I think he meant as the best (first) 3 seed.

 

[Scrutineer]

The New Big East is not respected because it is a one trick pony league. The bottom half of the league consists of a bunch of mid-majors, and please don't give me Georgetown. They won a championship in 1984. It’s 2025. People complain about the ACC but this year is the NBE every year.

Back in the day, the Big East Championship meant something. It was the last one decided and the lead in to the selection show on CBS. Later it wasESPN’s Saturday night prime time game in New York. Now it has been relegated to a dinner hour lead in to women’s gymnastics on the lowest rated network for college basketball.

Can't understand why anyone would laugh at your post.

The ACC gets the prime time spot Saturday night (as you said), even as a weak league because they have the Duke hype while UConn, with one more NC than Duke, gets overlooked so much the Big East gets the early slot Saturday evening.....the spot the A-10 once held.

Someone posted a great article a couple days ago about NIL and Revenue Sharing funds at all schools. Anyone who read that would not be laughing at your post. Instead, they'd be trying to guess how many more years UConn will have a shot at recruiting the best players. My guess is maybe 3 to 5, riding on the Hurley titles wave, before (as Pitino stated when talking about Repole's money) we begin to settle for second tier players because, as members of a revenue challenged league,
we won't have the money to buy the players needed for championships.

We are not in a good place financially and trying to operate as an independent with our level of revenue will make it impossible to keep up with the schools that have the max (20 million) revenue sharing plus unlimited NIL and increased roster limits.

The lifting or elimination of roster limits in football and basketball, in particular, must be another B1G/SEC idea that will allow their teams to keep promising kids on their rosters for the money they can offer. Many here have been thinking NIL will allow schools like UConn to get better (but not the best) players because otherwise they'll be trapped deep on a roster or unable to get on a roster due to sheer numbers. That's gone with increased roster numbers. Let the stockpiling begin...........

 

[Scrutineer]

If no bids are stolen today, I think it comes down to Boise St., Indiana and Xavier for the last 2 spots.

These 3 teams are about even with Indy having the worst record.

But do you reward the MW yet again with more teams than the Big East?

The MW flubs every year in the tournament. This is not a strong league, judging by tournament performance.

L

How can they be considered ahead of the BE when they never show it?

They must get a few good OOC wins early that make their rating appear better than the Big East.
Look at Xavier's record. 1-10 in Quad 1. Hard to tout them with that record, no matter how tough they've seemed lately.

 

[upstater]

Because they actually played well OOC. Purdue beat Bama, Oregon had a couple big wins. The BE had so few marquee wins. It was Marquette with their 3, Creighton beating Kansas at home and then nothing. We have two total wins as a conference against top 25 type teams.

I’m 100% out on Xavier - as much as I’d like them to be in as they are playing fun basketball, their resume is just not good. Ten wins against the bottom of the BE is throw away stuff. We desperately need the bottom of the league to pick up its game.

What recommends Boise St over them? Indiana and Xavier are all similar. All 3 teams didn't do much OOC.

 

[upstater]

L

They must get a few good OOC wins early that make their rating appear better than the Big East.
Look at Xavier's record. 1-10 in Quad 1. Hard to tout them with that record, no matter how tough they've seemed lately.

This is why I compared them to Boise St

 

[RuffRuff]

What recommends Boise St over them? Indiana and Xavier are all similar. All 3 teams didn't do much OOC.

Yeah I’d take them over Boise. I’m not giving the MW anything really bubbly. Indiana has wins at Mich St and vs Purdue, so they can dangle that. A road win against a top ten team trumps anything Xavier has done.

 

[Fan1978]

Not a bad take - Florida is REALLY good. And if you haven't listened to Golden, he is sharp and knows what he's doing. They're my favorite right now. I would take a partial Flagg/Duke coming out of the terrible ACC over Florida if I had my druthers right now.

Florida is best team in the country. We want any 1 but them. They have dominated head to against the best sec teams.

 

[ec33]

The Big East is not what it used to be. There are probably 10 teams or more in the SEC that could beat them.

People laughed, but St. John's (clearly the best team -- at least with how the league is officiated) lost to Georgia who ended up 11th (?) in the SEC because they went on a late hot streak (including a win over Florida).

 

[Travelman6]

Xavier is the type of team that just needs to get in. 50 percent of me could easily imagine them not getting a bid but 50 percent of me could imagine them as a dark horse sweet 16 team who could make a higher seed sweat in the s16.

 

[mussels]

Can't understand why anyone would laugh at your post.

The ACC gets the prime time spot Saturday night (as you said), even as a weak league because they have the Duke hype while UConn, with one more NC than Duke, gets overlooked so much the Big East gets the early slot Saturday evening.....the spot the A-10 once held.

Someone posted a great article a couple days ago about NIL and Revenue Sharing funds at all schools. Anyone who read that would not be laughing at your post. Instead, they'd be trying to guess how many more years UConn will have a shot at recruiting the best players. My guess is maybe 3 to 5, riding on the Hurley titles wave, before (as Pitino stated when talking about Repole's money) we begin to settle for second tier players because, as members of a revenue challenged league,
we won't have the money to buy the players needed for championships.

We are not in a good place financially and trying to operate as an independent with our level of revenue will make it impossible to keep up with the schools that have the max (20 million) revenue sharing plus unlimited NIL and increased roster limits.

The lifting or elimination of roster limits in football and basketball, in particular, must be another B1G/SEC idea that will allow their teams to keep promising kids on their rosters for the money they can offer. Many here have been thinking NIL will allow schools like UConn to get better (but not the best) players because otherwise they'll be trapped deep on a roster or unable to get on a roster due to sheer numbers. That's gone with increased roster numbers. Let the stockpiling begin...........

I think the ridicule is that instead of enjoying our resurgence, some people keep harping on what might happen in the future.

Oh. That, and the fact that no one has invited us to join a power 5. What’s the point of constantly belittling our conference, especially when we have no options?

Really, what’s the point?

 

[HooperScooper]

The New Big East is not respected because it is a one trick pony league.

Talk about a one trick pony.......

 

[Umami Zen]

FWIW-Recent Lunardi quote(mid-afternoon timeframe) when asked about UNC-in or out. "We're down to three teams . Indiana,Xavier,Boise St" . Only have room for two" .

 

[Hi-Low]

Florida's region looking like the one you want to avoid. All the 1's are very good but FL looks like best team right now.

 

[storrsroars]

FWIW-Recent Lunardi quote(mid-afternoon timeframe) when asked about UNC-in or out. "We're down to three teams . Indiana,Xavier,Boise St" . Only have room for two" .

Looking at only the 85 brackets updated so far today, it's really four teams after two spots. Lunardi has Texas out. But Texas is on 35 updated brackets vs only 25 for X and 23 for UNC. Indiana is firmly in with 74.

Looking bleak for the Sweating Millers of Cincy.

 

[Ewekon]

Auburn has stumbled a bit down the stretch, none the less they are 16-5 in Q1 games. St. Johns is 6-4 in Q1 games. Metrics wise, they really aren't close despite St. Johns having a better overall record.

I'll take their bracket out west.

 

[Hi-Low]

Looking at only the 85 brackets updated so far today, it's really four teams after two spots. Lunardi has Texas out. But Texas is on 35 updated brackets vs only 25 for X and 23 for UNC. Indiana is firmly in with 74.

Looking bleak for the Sweating Millers of Cincy.

If UAB beats Memphis then X is definitely out.

The 1 Quad 1 win is a killer for X. Freemantle did miss some games so maybe a factor in their favor if committee takes into account.

 

[storrsroars]

If anyone was desperate for some optimism regarding seeding, in ESPN's analytics tournament forecast model, UConn is the fourth 7 seed, basically tied with Oregon, but edging them out on forecasted results for tourney success. SJU is the fourth 2 seed, Marquette is the fourth 6 seed, Creighton is the third 8 seed, and Xavier the fourth 11th seed.

 

[CTBasketball]

Yale will join UConn in the field. It's a pity ccsu and quinipiac had to s--- the bed two years in a row, otherwise so close to having at least 3 CT teams in, if not 4. Here's to hoping at least one of those two gets over the hump next year and Yale continues to dominate the Ivy.

Fairfield needs to take basketball seriously, they have serious NIL lined up, but just keep hiring the wrong coaches.

Yale is a great little program under Jones.

 

[Hi-Low]

If anyone was desperate for some optimism regarding seeding, in ESPN's analytics tournament forecast model, UConn is the fourth 7 seed, basically tied with Oregon, but edging them out on forecasted results for tourney success. SJU is the fourth 2 seed, Marquette is the fourth 6 seed, Creighton is the third 8 seed, and Xavier the fourth 11th seed.

UConn has a shot at a 7 seed, committee are human and UConn is a brand that deserves the benefit if close between 7 & 8.

 

[JohnFSilver]

UConn has a shot at a 7 seed, committee are human and UConn is a brand that deserves the benefit if close between 7 & 8.

If you are a No. 1 seed, who would you choose to face? I like that oregon team, but who knows. I say UConn's an eight. UConn as an 8 against duke on Saturday or Sunday night is just too good tv to not take a shot at it happening.

 

[gtcam]

7, 8, 9. 10 - makes no difference
Not this team, not this year
I just hate to see another New Mexico State incident again
Would love to see the team to suddenly hit on all cylinders but everyone from Dan Hurley on down was snake bitten all season

 

[B1GEast]

7, 8, 9. 10 - makes no difference
Not this team, not this year
I just hate to see another New Mexico State incident again
Would love to see the team to suddenly hit on all cylinders but everyone from Dan Hurley on down was snake bitten all season

Maybe so, but an 8 or 9 seed would face the number 1 seed if they manage to win the first game.

For this team, it does matter cause anything can happen.

FWIW, I think we get a 9 seed and probably in the Midwest with a tough Houston number 1 seed waiting.

I won't even be surprised if they put St Johns in our bracket

 

[bdbdbdbd]

If you are a No. 1 seed, who would you choose to face? I like that oregon team, but who knows. I say UConn's an eight. UConn as an 8 against duke on Saturday or Sunday night is just too good tv to not take a shot at it happening.

That's what ESPN bracketology is predicting, with UConn vs. Mississippi State in first round.

 

[UConNick]

Just finished up my last personal bracketology - UConn lands as the final 8 (32 on the s-curve) for me. Just do not have the resume to be placed over teams also in that area like UCLA, Ole Miss, etc.

I have us in the West Regional with Florida as the one seed:

Raleigh, NC
1. Florida (4)
16. SIUE (64)

8. UConn (32)
9. Baylor (36)

Yes, it's a regular season rematch, but the stupid mega conferences forced my hand on placements.

For the record, I have Xavier out. Hope to be wrong.

 

[upstater]

Louisville an 8 and Creighton a 9?

Hopefully we're a 10

I'm a little surprised by both those seeds. Underseeded both of them