In support of the committee

[UcMiami]

In defense of the committee I think this was a particularly difficult year to sort out seedings. With covid issues and various injuries team records were tough to sort out. Add in an unusually inconsistent level of play by all teams (except for NC State and Stanford - USF was ranked when they lost to them - every other top ten team lost to at least one unranked opponent) it was pretty hard to sort out good wins from bad wins and good losses from bad losses.

As happens consistently, the committee over seeds the lesser at large power 5 teams and under seeds non-p5 teams and I agree that FGCU and Princeton were obvious errors - the AP and coaches poll members saw much clear than the committee on them, but then those same folks were wrong about Baylor and Iowa, BYU and Kentucky.

Upsets happen in March - even perfect seeding can't prevent it and I don't think Creighton or SD or Villanova or Belmont were under seeded by more than a line or two, nor did any team make a strong case to replace Iowa or Baylor on the two line.

People talk about Parity and I think there is a broadening of the talent available in the womens game, but I think the real difference is there is both more institutional support for WCBB across all schools and a much better pool of coaches in the game. Not long ago ADs had no pressure to replace under performing WCBB coaches and there were a whole lot of really poor coaches getting paychecks.

 

[SECbbfan24]

WBB is slowly trending towards like it is in the mens side and this will become the new normal.

 

[Txhoopsalot]

WBB is slowly trending towards like it is in the mens side and this will become the new normal.

First year that the women are officially part of "March Madness." Fitting that there are more big early upsets? Look at the upsets on the men's side. Two #1 seeds (Baylor/Arizona) don't make it out of the first weekend?

 

[LETTERL]

First year that the women are officially part of "March Madness." Fitting that there are more big early upsets? Look at the upsets on the men's side. Two #1 seeds (Baylor/Arizona) don't make it out of the first weekend?

I'm watching Arizona play right now. 8:22 left, and they're up by 6. They are still very much alive. The only top seed eliminated so far has been Baylor.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

On the women's side, I would continue to argue that there is a fair talent gap between the top few teams, and the rest of the pack. Now, anyone can lose. But the gap between NC State, Stanford, Louisville, UConn, and South Carolina and the rest seems real to me.

Lower down, and given the vagaries of this season as the OP noted, yes, there is a bit more parity or ability to pull an upset than there has been in the past. For the reasons given, I agree.

The trick is to be one of that very exclusive club at the top. It is, of course, an ever-changing club, since players come and go. But actually those teams have been consistent for a number of years, Baylor until Kim left probably needed to be considered in the group.

 

[Txhoopsalot]

I'm watching Arizona play right now. 8:22 left, and they're up by 6. They are still very much alive. The only top seed eliminated so far has been Baylor.

Hmm. Me looking at a bracket on a tiny screen. Obviously, I don’t follow the men’s game as closely.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Hmm. Me looking at a bracket on a tiny screen. Obviously, I don’t follow the men’s game as closely.

You almost gave me a heart attack. We don't follow the men's game closely - actually, pretty much at all. But we do monitor the tourney and root for Rutgers and Arizona as our "teams". So we were watching the Arizona men's game on tape after watching all the women's games, and it obviously wasn't going well and then saw your post and didn't have a good connection with the actual "time".

Thank you @LETTERL for calming me down.

Heck of a game. Watch so little men's basketball but always know you are never out of it till the end, in some ways it is so much "faster" than the women's game. Won't watch in person, having gone to see Rutgers in the NIT semis some years back. Way too much testosterone in the building.