New bracketing principles adopted for 2021 NCAA tournament

[huskymedic]

->While the participating schools’ geographic proximity to the sites hosting preliminary rounds largely drives the committee’s bracketing decisions in a typical year, this year’s bracket will be mostly determined by the overall seed list, which is the committee’s ranking of the 68 teams participating in the event.

The method, commonly referred to as the S-curve, involves the same first step the committee would normally use, which entails putting the top four teams on the seed list in the four separate regions. From there, however, things will be different in 2021. The overall No. 5 seed will be placed in the same region as the overall No. 4. The overall No. 6 will be placed with the overall No. 3. The overall No. 7 seed will be paired with the overall No. 2, and the overall No. 8 will be in the same region as the top-seeded team. The next step would be to place the third-seeded teams, with the overall No. 9 seed joining the Nos. 1 and 8 seeds in one region, the No. 10 seed being placed with the Nos. 2 and 7 seeds, the No. 11 seed going to the same region as the Nos. 3 and 6 seeds, and the No. 12 seed joining the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds. The first quadrant of tournament teams is completed by placing the fourth-seeded teams in each region as follows: the overall No. 13 with Nos. 4, 5 and 12; No. 14 with Nos. 3, 6 and 11; No. 15 with Nos. 2, 7 and 10; and No. 16 with Nos. 1, 8 and 9. The process repeats itself for teams seeded 5-16, using the overall seed list to place teams in their respective regions.<-

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[huskymedic]

->The committee’s intent will be to stay true to the S-curve for placing teams on the bracket, though the following existing principles will still be applied accordingly:

• Each of the top four teams selected from a conference shall be placed in different regions if they are seeded on the first four lines.
• Teams from the same conference shall not meet before the regional final if they played each other three or more times during the regular season, to include the conference tournament.
• Teams from the same conference shall not meet before the regional semifinals if they played each other twice during the regular season, to include the conference tournament.
• Teams from the same conference may play each other as early as the second round if they played no more than once during the regular season, to include the conference tournament.
• If possible, rematches of nonconference regular-season games should be avoided in the First Four and first round.<-

 

[pepband99]

What a bag of nothing.

A more honest headline would be "Committee dropping geographical piece of bracketing process," which is essentially what's happening.

 

[CTBasketball]

I wonder if Duke will participate if they have to leave North Carolina for their first weekend games.

 

[Hurleyman216]

I wonder if Duke will participate if they have to leave North Carolina for their first weekend games.

At the rate they’re going they may not make the tournament. They’re a bubble team as of right now.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

->While the participating schools’ geographic proximity to the sites hosting preliminary rounds largely drives the committee’s bracketing decisions in a typical year, this year’s bracket will be mostly determined by the overall seed list, which is the committee’s ranking of the 68 teams participating in the event.

The method, commonly referred to as the S-curve, involves the same first step the committee would normally use, which entails putting the top four teams on the seed list in the four separate regions. From there, however, things will be different in 2021. The overall No. 5 seed will be placed in the same region as the overall No. 4. The overall No. 6 will be placed with the overall No. 3. The overall No. 7 seed will be paired with the overall No. 2, and the overall No. 8 will be in the same region as the top-seeded team. The next step would be to place the third-seeded teams, with the overall No. 9 seed joining the Nos. 1 and 8 seeds in one region, the No. 10 seed being placed with the Nos. 2 and 7 seeds, the No. 11 seed going to the same region as the Nos. 3 and 6 seeds, and the No. 12 seed joining the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds. The first quadrant of tournament teams is completed by placing the fourth-seeded teams in each region as follows: the overall No. 13 with Nos. 4, 5 and 12; No. 14 with Nos. 3, 6 and 11; No. 15 with Nos. 2, 7 and 10; and No. 16 with Nos. 1, 8 and 9. The process repeats itself for teams seeded 5-16, using the overall seed list to place teams in their respective regions.<-

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And the NCAA is, of course, flawless in seeding the teams.

Yeah, right

 

[thatguyed]

With all of the conference defined exceptions, I doubt the new process would be very different than if it were done last year

 

[CL82]

I wonder if Duke will participate if they have to leave North Carolina for their first weekend games.

I believe there is some thought to allowing them to play first and second round games via Zoom call.

 

[slepers]

Isn’t the entire tournament in indiana

 

[RichZ]

They might as well draw straws.

 

[LBird33]

Games will be 1/2 court. 3 on 3. Due to COVID. Zone defense at least 6 feet apart

 

[Greathusky]

My IQ level is not high enough to understand this.

Can I just wait to see who UConn plays in the tournament?

 

[StllH8L8ner]

At the rate they’re going they may not make the tournament. They’re a bubble team as of right now.

Nah their win over Bellarmine will carry a lot of weight with the committee. They'll be locked in as a 3 seed with first and second round games at Cameron. 🤢