New Bracketology (1/24)

[JoePgh]

ESPN has Charlie Creme's latest Bracketology up:

Bracketology with Charlie Creme

Several interesting items:

1. He has four entries from the AAC: UConn (1), USF (7), Temple (8), and Tulane (9).
2. UConn's bracket includes both of the teams that they faced in last season's Final Four: Oregon State (2) and Syracuse (8). That's quite a drop for Syracuse from the final game to an 8 seed, although I believe that they were a 7 seed last year.
3. Other teams in UConn's bracket that hold some interest: Duke (3), DePaul (5), Kansas State (6) and LSU (9). I'm a little surprised that LSU and Tulane weren't made 8 and 9 in the same bracket to sort out dominance in the land of the exiled Acadians.
4. Baylor has Notre Dame as its 2-seed, setting up another Elite 8 match which Baylor lost a few years ago in South Bend. But this one, if it occurs, will be in Oklahoma City.
5. Maryland is a 3-seed in South Carolina's bracket, behind Washington (Plum / Osahor). I would think that they should beat Washington, but Maryland lost early last year.

Not that any of this is actually going to happen ...

 

[Plebe]

ESPN has Charlie Creme's latest Bracketology up:

Bracketology with Charlie Creme

1. He has four entries from the AAC: UConn (1), USF (7), Temple (8), and Tulane (9).

Small sidetone on Tulane: Charlie has their true seeding as a #10 (one of the "last four in"), but he gave them a "procedural bump" to #9 in order to preserve bracketing principles.

And given that Maryland was dropped to a 3-seed due to weak scheduling, I highly doubt that USF would earn a 7-seed with its weak schedule and only one top-50 win (over Tulane, a bubble team).

 

[Vowelguy]

I'm a little surprised that LSU and Tulane weren't made 8 and 9 in the same bracket to sort out dominance in the land of the exiled Acadians...

Since conference opponents cant meet in the first 2 rounds, you can't have LSU/Tulane in UConn, So Carolina, or Miss St's bracket. That leaves Baylor's. But they have Kentucky as a #4 seed, which would mean a possible semifinal matchup with LSU. The committee tries to avoid conference opponents meeting before the regional finals.

 

[Plebe]

Since conference opponents cant meet in the first 2 rounds, you can't have LSU/Tulane in UConn, So Carolina, or Miss St's bracket. That leaves Baylor's. But they have Kentucky as a #4 seed, which would mean a possible semifinal matchup with LSU. The committee tries to avoid conference opponents meeting before the regional finals.

Yet another one of the constraints of bracketing is that the committee is supposed to avoid rematches of regular-season games in the first or second rounds. Tulane and LSU already played.

 

[CocoHusky]

UCONN's bracket has 3 of the FF teams from last year.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Washington beat Maryland last year. I just hate seeing LSU/KState/DePaul in the same side as UCONN. I like seeing matchups that haven't happened already during the season. I know there are reasons but it annoys me.

 

[Fightin Choke]

Baylor has Notre Dame as its 2-seed, setting up another Elite 8 match which Baylor lost a few years ago in South Bend. But this one, if it occurs, will be in Oklahoma City.

In 2014, Notre Dame beat Baylor in South Bend in a game in which Natalie Achonwa was injured. Notre Dame won its next game against Maryland in the FF, but was beat decisively by UConn in the finals for its only defeat of that season.

In 2015, Notre Dame beat Baylor in Oklahoma City. The Irish then beat South Carolina in the FF before again falling to UConn in the finals. Notre Dame finished with 3 losses that year: 2 to UConn and 1 to Miami.