Bracketology - week of Feb 20

[BRS24]

Welcome Syracuse, welcome back Gonzaga, adieu to Indiana & Louisville.

It took less than 24 hours and some wild endings in the Pac-12 to shake up the NCAA tournament selection committee's top 16, which it revealed Thursday. Sunday brought even more change as Louisville fell out of the top 16. Monday brought yet another shift: Illinois upset Indiana, which had previously lost only to teams slated as No. 1 seeds (Stanford, Ohio State, Iowa), and the loss cost the Hoosiers their right to host. With the Hawkeyes visiting Bloomington on Thursday, Indiana's chances at a Big Ten title and a spot in the top 16 could be gone in a four-day span. For now, the Orange take the Hoosiers' spot at No. 16, and Syracuse, NC State and Oregon State -- teams nowhere near the top 16 in November -- would be hosting NCAA tournament games if the season ended today.​

Now that we're in the homestretch, I've hidden a bunch of rows so that the table is a bit smaller -

 

[HuskyNan]

I’ll take that bracket. Sold!

 

[Blakeon18]

Me too...in an Albany New York minute!

Non South Carolina pod! Can we beat our opposition in Albany....yes we can!

Nan/Everyone: do we have any legit info on whether the NCAA semis games
would pit the 2 Albany winners together....or would those winners match up against
the western regional winners?

 

[HuskyNan]

Me too...in an Albany New York minute!

Non South Carolina pod! Can we beat our opposition in Albany....yes we can!

Nan/Everyone: do we have any legit info on whether the NCAA semis games
would pit the 2 Albany winners together....or would those winners match up against
the western regional winners?

I dunno, but here’s last year’s bracket where Greenville 1 and Greenville 2 were on opposite sides of the bracket

 

[Plebe]

Nan/Everyone: do we have any legit info on whether the NCAA semis games
would pit the 2 Albany winners together....or would those winners match up against
the western regional winners?

There's no correlation between the regional site locations and the national semifinal pairings. #1 overall seed would play #4 if both advance, regardless of whether none, one or both go through Albany.

 

[MSGRET]

Me too...in an Albany New York minute!

Non South Carolina pod! Can we beat our opposition in Albany....yes we can!

Nan/Everyone: do we have any legit info on whether the NCAA semis games
would pit the 2 Albany winners together....or would those winners match up against
the western regional winners?

If UConn won the Albany 3 region they would be playing the Portland 2 region winners in the Final Four.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

If UConn won the Albany 3 region they would be playing the Portland 2 region winners in the Final Four.

That is also how it is shown in Creme's bracketology happiness as well. Both pods in each location play on opposite sides of the bracket in the Final Four, as they are numbered by the overall seeding of the #1 seed for each (+/- for geographic concerns for fans travelling in the case of Ohio State vs. Stanford).

We will see if that is true should South Carolina fall out of the #1 overall seed (not expecting that this year...).

However, as Geno says, "We have to show up, and defeat whomever the NCAA puts in front of us."

Here's to winning each play in front of the Huskies!!! Win one play at a time, one game at a time....

...still on the newest 13 game winning streak that (hopefully/prayfully) extends well beyond 13 (and) into next season!!!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[Martinj481]

Yes! Would take Baylor/Southern Cal and Ohio st to get back to Final Four! Baylor won't be much of a challenge and if stop JuJu the Trojans won't be able to top UConn they are to young this year! Then the revenge game in the elite 8!

 

[Lorcan]

I personally don't agree with Colorado dropping from the 1 seed line in the last reveal all the way to the 3rd seed line due to a loss at the buzzer to the NET #6 Team, but I think the Pac-12 is tough as nails right now.

 

[SLY63]

This would be my ideal situation and IMO the best we can hope for. A 3 seed in Albany, but not in SC's bracket.

 

[BRS24]

Well, clearly I messed up HHS bracketology headers at some point, but not sure how to get past brackets back. Here's a look at the latest NCAA reveal (2/15), CC's ESPN (2/20), and HerHoopStats (2/22). Green shading shows the same picks for each position. S Carolina, Stanford, Texas, and Ohio State all in agreement.

 

[Rowdy831]

I’ll take that bracket. Sold!

I agree Nan, that is the perfect match up for UConn. They are still the best team with limited length in the nation and this group would be perfect for a deep run.

 

[BRS24]

TGIF y'all! Here is Charlie's update. Indiana takes Syracuse's place in the top 16. Texas and Iowa flip flop spots. UConn still bouncing around.

A new team holds down the final No. 1 seed for the fourth time in two weeks. Texas is the latest to rise to the top line, replacing Iowa, which lost Thursday at Indiana. When the NCAA selection committee revealed its top 16 seeds just eight days ago, Texas was No. 8 overall. Since then, every team in front of them except the other 1-seeds -- South Carolina, Stanford and Ohio State -- lost, while Texas has won seven consecutive games. The Longhorns as a No. 1 seed didn't seem possible when Rori Harmon was lost for the season. But Texas is one of the best 2-point shooting and offensive rebounding teams in the country. Ranking No. 4 in the NET, with nine top-50 NET wins, the Longhorns might be a Big 12 tournament title away from also being on the top line come Selection Sunday.​

​

No change in conference entries, so here's a look at the various bubbles:

 

[HuskyNan]

No bueno. My consolation is that conference championships will shake everything up. We have zero idea what the actual will look like

Rooting hard for Vandy to make noise in the SEC championship

 

[Blakeon18]

These slots change a lot...week to week.
Latest [February 23] has the following group in,,,Portland!

#1 Texas
#2 USC
#3 UConn
#4 LSU

I just believe that the NCAA will move heaven and earth to put
UConn in Albany....and have valid reasons for doing so.

BTW: When Rori Harmon...ace stud for Texas... went down for the season soon
after our game with them I think many people [including Longhorn fans] thought
it would shove Texas well back in the rankings....still good but still well back.

Well...they are now a serious contender for a one seed...super job by Vic
Schaefer and the players. Vic maybe gets COY nationally?

 

[Huskee11]

Creme has Colorado ahead of us - by two slots if I understand how these things work - but they have away games at USC and UCLA this weekend.

Hard to know who to root for or against from a UConn perspective, lots of road to go, but for those two games I am going with “root root root for the home team”. Two losses would give Colorado seven for the season.

 

[MSGRET]

I believe that if UConn wins out they will be at least a #2 seed. They have only lost to teams that are NET top 20 teams. While NC State has lost to #27 North Carolina and #49 Miami, Iowa has lost to #30 Nebraska and USC has lost to #52 Washington.

 

[Bone Dog]

Stanford lost to Arizona last night, which puts them at 23-4 with 2 losses to unranked opponents and 4 wins over ranked opponents. UConn is 23-5 with zero losses to unranked opponents and 5 wins over ranked opponents. The NET has UConn #2 and Stanford #3, and for SOS, they are generally ranked as #1 and #2. They are that close. Sure, the Pac12 is a tougher conference, but it has plenty of stinkers too, and Stanford's schedule is light this year, with only one game against the strength of the conference -- UCLA USC and Colorado. Only Ore St shows up twice for them.

Yes, they are that close, and this is the time of year when all the statistical rankings begin to have enough data to reveal who's who. Stanford, playing virtually unscathed all season, is neck and neck with UConn, who has what would probably be the core of a ranked team sitting on their bench injured. Oh, and if anyone wants to plead the "Brink was out" excuse for last night, I can only say Boo Hoo.

So what seeding does UConn deserve? how much lower than Stanford should they be? I'm not saying UConn deserves a 1-seed. But does Stanford deserve a 1-seed? Really?

 

[Plebe]

Stanford lost to Arizona last night, which puts them at 23-4 with 2 losses to unranked opponents and 4 wins over ranked opponents. UConn is 23-5 with zero losses to unranked opponents and 5 wins over ranked opponents.

If you're counting wins over Maryland and Marquette as “ranked wins,” you shouldn't.

And if you're counting Gonzaga as an “unranked opponent,” you shouldn't either. Ranking at the time of the game is meaningless. The committee won't care about that.

The committee can also give consideration to Brink's absence in both the Gonzaga and Arizona games, provided she returns in time for the tournament.

The loss to Arizona may or may not cost Stanford a 1 seed in the end, but their resume is still a lot better than UConn's. Three wins over the committee's top 16 per the reveal, plus another over Utah who is on the hosting bubble.

 

[triaddukefan]

Stanford lost to Arizona last night, which puts them at 23-4 with 2 losses to unranked opponents and 4 wins over ranked opponents. UConn is 23-5 with zero losses to unranked opponents and 5 wins over ranked opponents. The NET has UConn #2 and Stanford #3, and for SOS, they are generally ranked as #1 and #2. They are that close. Sure, the Pac12 is a tougher conference, but it has plenty of stinkers too, and Stanford's schedule is light this year, with only one game against the strength of the conference -- UCLA USC and Colorado. Only Ore St shows up twice for them.

Yes, they are that close, and this is the time of year when all the statistical rankings begin to have enough data to reveal who's who. Stanford, playing virtually unscathed all season, is neck and neck with UConn, who has what would probably be the core of a ranked team sitting on their bench injured. Oh, and if anyone wants to plead the "Brink was out" excuse for last night, I can only say Boo Hoo.

So what seeding does UConn deserve? how much lower than Stanford should they be? I'm not saying UConn deserves a 1-seed. But does Stanford deserve a 1-seed? Really?

Come on Dog.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Yes! Would take Baylor/Southern Cal and Ohio st to get back to Final Four! Baylor won't be much of a challenge and if stop JuJu the Trojans won't be able to top UConn they are to young this year! Then the revenge game in the elite 8!

Not revenge [vs. THE Ohio State], just erasing previous blemishes.

Would not mind "erasing" the blemish vs. UCLA either....

Anger & revenge are negative emotions that drain one of stength/endurance [particularly in the 4th quarter (or 3rd period/OT of a wrestling match)]. Positive emotions of love of teammates, knowing that they have come back from worse situations, refusing to submit to defeat goes a long way to "erasing previous blemishes" and advancing in the tournament to continue the FUN is priceless!

Go Huskies!!!!!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I believe that if UConn wins out they will be at least a #2 seed. They have only lost to teams that are NET top 20 teams. While NC State has lost to #27 North Carolina and #49 Miami, Iowa has lost to #30 Nebraska and USC has lost to #52 Washington.

With Stanford's loss last night, UConn is up to #2 in the NET rankings from NCAA:

DI Women's Basketball Rankings - NCAA Women's Basketball NET Rankings | NCAA.com

Get NCAA women's college basketball rankings from the Associated Press, USA Today/WBCA and NCAA committee.

www.ncaa.com

Tara also has the same # of wins this year as Geno as of today. She had been leading all year it seemed.

Also rooting for Geno & Co. for a clean sweep through the NC Championship, with a Pac-12 tourney loss in the semis for Stanford by whomever is the 4/5 seed (should Stanford retain the #1 seed, but they could fall to #3).

Stanford is still a game up on Oregon State who is T-#2 in PAC-12 and they meet in the second to last game of the regular season (2/29 - leap year!) and #7 Southern Cal [I reserve USC for Dawn & Co.] whose toughest match up remaining in the regular season is vs. #18 Utah tomorrow.

I concur that UConn will be a #2 seed, and I am praying that it is in the opposite bracket as USC, so UConn can meet them in the NC game, and "erase" another blemish as the Huskies play their perfect game as Sarah Strong commits to UConn after the Huskies earn a spot in the Final Four to start a string with the "first one in a row!"

That is my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Go Huskies!!!

 

[Bone Dog]

The committee won't care about that.

I don't recall indicating any interest in the committee.

 

[HuskyNan]

Carla pushes Shea off the bubble

 

[Plebe]

I don't recall indicating any interest in the committee.

You asked what seeding Stanford and UConn “deserve”, a question whose province, by definition, is the committee's.

You imply that that a win over Maryland should be treated as a win over the #20 team, since that was their AP ranking at the time of the game. But then you'd also have to treat UConn's loss to NC State as a loss to an unranked team, right?