Latest Bracketology: We Need to Get Off the 7 Line

[Tenspro2002]

After last night's escape, we tread water on the 7-line, this time with the pleasure of dealing with Duke in Raleigh.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Whether vs. Wisconsin in Milwaukee or vs. Duke in Raleigh, this really highlights how important it is to finish strong and move up to a 5 seed or better, where we can't be screwed with effective road games in the second round. Being a 7 seed, or even a 6, leaves us vulnerable to a severe home-court disadvantage.

 

[champs99and04]

This is basically what I've been saying for a while now. My goal for this team is just to get to the sweet 16 - if we can do that with the limitations up front, I would consider it a successful season. After that, anything can happen, and there's certainly no team out there I wouldn't take my chances with on a neutral floor. We're probably going to have to crawl up to the six or five line to give ourselves the best shot of surviving the first weekend, though.

 

[Jerry1714]

Palm has us as a 6, beat cincy well be in the low 6-high 5 range

 

[OkaForPrez]

Beat Cinci and win at least 1 in the AAC tourney. Should be enough to give us a reasonable path to the sweet 16.

 

[zls44]

I did a bracket of my own on Tuesday. Had UConn in a 7-10 versus St. John's then facing Duke in Raleigh. Dislike.

 

[SubbaBub]

If we are a 7, it will be StJ, Nova, Wisconsin (random 3 seed), Syracuse, Duke, Kansas.

Not that the committee sets these things up or anything. (Wink)

 

[metsfan2323]

I did a bracket of my own on Tuesday. Had UConn in a 7-10 versus St. John's then facing Duke in Raleigh. Dislike.

Why do you dislike that? That would create some anxiety driven fun. There will be no easy games in this tournament, we aren't good enough to look past anyone and we are unlikely to be higher than a 4 seed.

 

[Marat]

Why do you dislike that? That would create some anxiety driven fun. There will be no easy games in this tournament, we aren't good enough to look past anyone and we are unlikely to be higher than a 4 seed.

I think we would like to stay away from playing "away" games in the tournament. That's what could happen when playing a #1 or #2 seed.

 

[Danzz]

After last night's escape, we tread water on the 7-line, this time with the pleasure of dealing with Duke in Raleigh.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Whether vs. Wisconsin in Milwaukee or vs. Duke in Raleigh, this really highlights how important it is to finish strong and move up to a 5 seed or better, where we can't be screwed with effective road games in the second round. Being a 7 seed, or even a 6, leaves us vulnerable to a severe home-court disadvantage.

We will likely face a good team regardless whether we are a 6 or 7 seed. Duke in Raleigh would not be optimal.

 

[Onions]

After last night's escape, we tread water on the 7-line, this time with the pleasure of dealing with Duke in Raleigh.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Whether vs. Wisconsin in Milwaukee or vs. Duke in Raleigh, this really highlights how important it is to finish strong and move up to a 5 seed or better, where we can't be screwed with effective road games in the second round. Being a 7 seed, or even a 6, leaves us vulnerable to a severe home-court disadvantage.

The only place a 6 is at a disadvantage is in the Mid-West where you would have to play Michigan in Milwaukee. I'd love to be a 6 in either the East or West, but even the South would be OK as a 6. Of course if we play like we just did against USF it won't matter where we're seeded.

 

[Inyatkin]

Ever since our "home" game in Worcester in '05 did nothing for us I've stopped caring too much about these. Carolina in '98 hurt us, Texas in Texas was bad in '03, but we nearly won that game. And we won two virtual road games in '11.

 

[freescooter]

we will be hard pressed to get much higher than a 6. Best case maybe a 5 if we win out. A 4 is possible only if we win the AAC. Both are pretty doubtful with this team. Sweet 16 will be a pretty big accomplishment. Anything past that is pure gravy. The thing is that this team just isn't much better than a 6-7 seed.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Ever since our "home" game in Worcester in '05 did nothing for us I've stopped caring too much about these. Carolina in '98 hurt us, Texas in Texas was bad in '03, but we nearly won that game. And we won two virtual road games in '11.

Florida in Miami
MSU in Detroit

 

[champs99and04]

Ever since our "home" game in Worcester in '05 did nothing for us I've stopped caring too much about these. Carolina in '98 hurt us, Texas in Texas was bad in '03, but we nearly won that game. And we won two virtual road games in '11.

I would argue that we played four virtual road games in '11. I think that's the aspect of that run people overlook the most, to be honest. Winning four straight elimination fans when you're outnumbered four to one or worse is damn hard. Kind of like when a Super Bowl champ wins the whole thing from the wild card slot.

 

[Marat]

The thing is that this team just isn't much better than a 6-7 seed.

That's better than last year when the team wasn't allowed to play at all in the tournament.

 

[Inyatkin]

Florida in Miami
MSU in Detroit

I'll give you Detroit. Florida, no. That's like being mad we had to play UCLA in Oakland in '95. We can't plausibly argue that UCLA and Florida have to be kept out of their own giant states in the NCAA tournament.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I'll give you Detroit. Florida, no. That's like being mad we had to play UCLA in Oakland in '95. We can't plausibly argue that UCLA and Florida have to be kept out of their own giant states in the NCAA tournament.

Deal.

 

[Inyatkin]

Deal.

How bout Calhoun making a stink about having to play a certain unnamed team in DC in 2006? I love me some Calhoun, but I'm pretty sure the bracket creators did not see it breaking down exactly the way it did.

 

[OkaForPrez]

How bout Calhoun making a stink about having to play a certain unnamed team in DC in 2006? I love me some Calhoun, but I'm pretty sure the bracket creators did not see it breaking down exactly the way it did.

06, 06, 06... Doesn't ring a bell. Did Uconn field a basketball team that year?

 

[ASweet3781]

Not sure playing Duke in Raleigh is that big a deal. Don't the UNC fans root against them? The crowd in Greensboro a couple years ago was definitely pro Lehigh.

Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Texas in San Antonio, UCLA in San Diego would be a problem.

That's why so many of us were so pissed about that SMU performance. Huge consequences for seeding. Only way to approach the 4-5 range now is sweep the last 3 with wins over Cincy and Louisville or make it to the conference tourney final. Or go 2-1 and win the tournament.

 

[Jerry1714]

Not sure playing Duke in Raleigh is that big a deal. Don't the UNC fans root against them? The crowd in Greensboro a couple years ago was definitely pro Lehigh.

Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Texas in San Antonio, UCLA in San Diego would be a problem.

That's why so many of us were so pissed about that SMU performance. Huge consequences for seeding. Only way to approach the 4-5 range now is sweep the last 3 with wins over Cincy and Louisville or make it to the conference tourney final. Or go 2-1 and win the tournament.

If you look at either Palm's or Lunardi's S-curves that SMU lost cost us 2-3 spots, not seeds, spots. All and more would be erased beating Cincy.

I will give you it had big consequences for AAC seeding, but not NCAAT seeding.

 

[Scoe]

No complaint from me were where we deserve to be, losing to Houston and SMU twice doesn't help our case.

 

[freescooter]

No complaint from me were where we deserve to be, losing to Houston and SMU twice doesn't help our case.

As a general rule, in the NCAA tournament you earn your place. Based on our performance to date we've seeded about where we deserve to be seeded. This team is has some real weaknesses. It is what it is. At least it isn't going to be home watching the toruney on tv this year.

 

[Scoe]

As a general rule, in the NCAA tournament you earn your place. Based on our performance to date we've seeded about where we deserve to be seeded. This team is has some real weaknesses. It is what it is. At least it isn't going to be home watching the toruney on tv this year.

True we can beat or lose to anyone in the tournament, I guess thats why they call it march madness. We can still help our case, if we can beat Cincy it may not help our AAC tourney seed but can sure help our NCAA seed.

 

[Excalibur]

I'll give you Detroit. Florida, no. That's like being mad we had to play UCLA in Oakland in '95. We can't plausibly argue that UCLA and Florida have to be kept out of their own giant states in the NCAA tournament.

UCLA was fine. It was a regional final against the top seed.

Florida was the lower seed, but Miami is about the same distance from Gainsville as Washington DC is from Storrs.