Our No. 2 seed

[businesslawyer]

I agree they shouldn't take geography into consideration below the 1 seed line, but they do. If Carolina is a 2, they're very likely to be with us.
It was a long time ago, but in 1998 we were no worse than 5 or 6 on the s-curve, yet we got stuck with UNC, the No. 1 overall seed, in our bracket, and the committee said geography was the reason. Killed any chance at our first Final Four.
As for Michigan State, they are a classic dangerous 8-9 seed, but in reality they should be first four out or last four in.

Talking about how the Committee dealt with placement 26 years ago is interesting historically, and hats off for remembering, but as a predictive measure is just not relevant. Tourney placement is not like Supreme Court precedent (not that Supreme Court precedent is worth much these days).

 

[FfldCntyFan]

An article was posted a couple months ago that claimed if teams from the same conference faced off twice during the regular season, they couldn't meet until the regional finals (where St Mary's would have met Gonzaga). If they faced off only once, they could meet any time after the first round and if (for future expansion as it hasn't happened yet) they didn't meet in the regular season they could meet at any point in the tournament.

It sounds reasonable.

 

[navery12]

Last year we played St Mary’s and Gonzaga before the final four. Those two teams were clearly in the top three of the same conference but appeared in the same bracket. I think the rule is they can’t play each other in the first two rounds but I am not certain. Just know we played both of those WCC schools in the tournament b4 we got to final four.

That was different because St Mary's was a 5 seed, teams from the same conference have to be placed in different regions for the top 4 seeds only

 

[Hunt for 7]

That was different because St Mary's was a 5 seed, teams from the same conference have to be placed in different regions for the top 4 seeds only

Reply: The post said top three teams from a specific conference. Not top three seeds in the tournament. But like @business lawyer you were itching. I get it. I was just replying to the post from memory. I can go look but I am fairly certain St Mary’s was top three in the WCC. So it was the post I was responding to not the rules you note.

 

[Kitaman]

I'm ready to take on anyone they put in our path.

Perhaps. With all respect you are not who fans are concerned with.

 

[navery12]

Reply: The post said top three teams from a specific conference. Not top three seeds in the tournament. But like @business lawyer you were itching. I get it. I was just replying to the post from memory. I can go look but I am fairly certain St Mary’s was top three in the WCC. So it was the post I was responding to not the rules you note.

Why do you ask questions if you're just gonna complain when someone gives you the answer? This is why it matters for UConn/Marquette/Creighton and not for Gonzaga/St Mary's last year

 

[Hunt for 7]

Why do you ask questions if you're just gonna complain when someone gives you the answer? This is why it matters for UConn/Marquette/Creighton and not for Gonzaga/St Mary's last year

View attachment 97552

Again I did not doubt your accuracy I was just responding to the post about top three teams from a conference. Thank you for clarifying the question the OP I guess was going for when he said top three teams from each conference.

 

[Inyatkin]

Talking about how the Committee dealt with placement 26 years ago is interesting historically, and hats off for remembering, but as a predictive measure is just not relevant. Tourney placement is not like Supreme Court precedent (not that Supreme Court precedent is worth much these days).

Regardless, they still do it. We can hope they wouldn't take geography into consideration, but they will

 

[August_West]

What you’re saying about MSU is exactly what I said about us in 2012, when I happened to be in Vegas and put my money where my brain was. That didn’t work out too well for a team that, with individual talent, hadn’t accomplished a damn thing against good teams all year.

Good example. You werent the only one. All the pundits had us penciled in to a 2nd round matchup against the Anthony Davis Kentucky team. Iowa State had plenty of bulletin board material going into that one. Royce White stole our manhood that day like few others in our history.

Even still, I don't like flirting with that.

 

[auror]

Last year we played St Mary’s and Gonzaga before the final four. Those two teams were clearly in the top three of the same conference but appeared in the same bracket. I think the rule is they can’t play each other in the first two rounds but I am not certain. Just know we played both of those WCC schools in the tournament b4 we got to final four.

Again I did not doubt your accuracy I was just responding to the post about top three teams from a conference. Thank you for clarifying the question the OP I guess was going for when he said top three teams from each conference.

Yeah I was talking about UConn, Marquette, and Creighton specifically, so I omitted the part of the rule that mentioned it was only top 4 seedlines. Apologies for lack of clarity. The rule will come into play this year a good amount because the SEC and B12 have 4 teams each likely in the top 4 seeds (and B12 could possibly get a 5th in) and Big East has 3.

There's another rule after the top 4 seedlines that is closer to what you remember Secure Dog. Depending on how many times conference members played during the regular season (and how many teams from each conference are in the field) dictates how early they can play. We played Cincinnati in 2011 in the 2nd round because the Big East had a million teams in the field. Whereas St Mary's and Gonzaga last year could be in the same regional, but not play before Elite 8.

 

[uconn_jack]

Looking through the scenarios for us, there's a couple key facts:

If Purdue is overall #1 (as it likely stands right now)

• If UNC is #1, Tenn goes South to Dallas. We end up with Iowa St as our 2 pretty much 100% of the time since Arizona wants West and Marquette can't be in our region..
• If Tenn is #1, UNC goes East with us as they can't go to Detroit.

If Purdue is NOT overall #1, then it doesn't really matter if it's us or Houston, the same stuff plays out.

• Both UNC and Tenn (whichever doesn't get the #1) as the top #2 would go with Purdue to Detroit due to closer distance. We end up with Iowa St as our 2 for the same logic as above (Arizona goes West and Marquette can't be in East).

So if I were a betting man, I think it's pretty likely we end up with Iowa St except in the scenario where Purdue is the overall #1 and Tenn gets the 4th #1. This is one of the most likely scenarios, though.

This hinges on Marquette hanging on to a 2 seed without Kolek playing in BET. Creighton winning the BET and joining Marquette as a 2 would probably force UNC/Tenn as the 2 in our East since neither could be in our region and Arizona has strong West preference. Creighton instead replacing Marquette makes it a similar outcome to the bullets above.

If Baylor supplants Iowa St as the Big 12's 2 seed, the same would apply (unless they finished ahead of Arizona, in which case we'd probably end up with Arizona. Baylor is the rare team in the top 16 that is closer to LA than Boston).

So basically we want Tenn to flame out and UNC to win their respective conference tournaments.

 

[UConNick]

Last year we played St Mary’s and Gonzaga before the final four. Those two teams were clearly in the top three of the same conference but appeared in the same bracket. I think the rule is they can’t play each other in the first two rounds but I am not certain. Just know we played both of those WCC schools in the tournament b4 we got to final four.

That was because the Gaels were a 5, so that rule didn’t apply. In such cases as that one, the rule is as you stated, generally to avoid teams from the same conference from playing as much as possible, whether that’s until the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight.

The rule will apply since both Creighton and Marquette will be top 4 seeds.

 

[FlexOnEm]

I’m taking us to make the Final 4 no matter who is in our region, but Tennessee would pose the toughest matchup. Very tough and physical team. Knecht is one of the best scorers in the country. They’d give us a game.

 

[bendm]

Field of 68? More like field of eight teams that could win the national title

Every Division I team according to its chances to make it to the very end (or not) of March Madness. Which bucket does your team fall into?

www.espn.com

the 8 teams espn think can win it all:
Arizona, UConn, Creighton, Duke, Houston, Kentucky, Purdue or Tennessee,

not surprising that espn thinks Duke can win it all but not UNC even tho the latter swept the former.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I’m taking us to make the Final 4 no matter who is in our region, but Tennessee would pose the toughest matchup. Very tough and physical team. Knecht is one of the best scorers in the country. They’d give us a game.

You kind of have a point with Tennessee, but that point goes out the window with two words:


Rick Barnes.

 

[gsmooth]

Last year we played St Mary’s and Gonzaga before the final four. Those two teams were clearly in the top three of the same conference but appeared in the same bracket. I think the rule is they can’t play each other in the first two rounds but I am not certain. Just know we played both of those WCC schools in the tournament b4 we got to final four.

It's usually that teams from the same conference can't play each other until the Elite Eight.