Selection Sunday - General discussion (merged threads)

[triaddukefan]

Glad to see a lot of the HPU fans stick around for the WBB Team

 

[WBBTakeover]

The ACC being down this year but getting the most teams in than they’ve ever had is so contradicting. Lol

It's almost like it's a tired and extremely lazy narrative.

 

[WBBTakeover]

This selection committee is turrible....

Simply awful, especially focusing on the ACC. A P4 team that wins its conference and conference tournament titles--gets a 3 seed. An 11-loss team that got blown out by 35 by a Stanford team that wasn't even in the field gets an 8 seed ahead of two teams that beat them. A team that only beat one ranked team all year gets to host. Madness.

We definitely get the toughest 2 seed in Vanderbilt, how does South Carolina get Iowa?

Because LSU and Vandy couldn't be placed in Texas' or South Carolina's bracket. Michigan and Iowa could not be placed in UCLA's bracket. This means that UConn could only face the SEC teams (because both Texas and South Carolina had to be paired with the Big Ten teams). The weaker of the two went to UConn, hence Vandy being paired with UConn and LSU being paired with UCLA.

South Carolina and Texas were paired with the Big Ten teams. Because Iowa was deemed to be stronger than Michigan, they were paired with the weaker 1 seed--South Carolina.

Besides, LSU is the toughest 2 seed.

BTW, the ESPN selection show was very hard to watch. To many cooks, too much talking and laughing over each other, and if they insist on having all these teams screaming and jumping around on camera, at least fix the tape delay problem so that some of them aren't just sitting there.

This! The production was absolutely horrific.

 

[ConnMotors]

Because LSU and Vandy couldn't be placed in Texas' or South Carolina's bracket. Michigan and Iowa could not be placed in UCLA's bracket. This means that UConn could only face the SEC teams (because both Texas and South Carolina had to be paired with the Big Ten teams). The weaker of the two went to UConn, hence Vandy being paired with UConn and LSU being paired with UCLA

This is not true. Teams from the same conference can meet in the Elite Eight game.

 

[southie]

This is not true. Teams from the same conference can meet in the Elite Eight game.

If upsets occur, yes. But, the original seeds prevent it. Tonight's seedings prove it.

 

[Stagnant]

As if we couldn't have predicted Shea's Vanderbilt team as our #2. That's SO lame

I want to kick their ass. They were campaigning for Blakes to be player of the year. (And I think she has a case.) but that makes them adversarial in my books. Let’s demolish them.

 

[WBBTakeover]

This is not true. Teams from the same conference can meet in the Elite Eight game.

Sure, but that's not what I said.

Conference and rematch rules: The first four teams from the same conference are placed in different regions.

Building the brackets: A deep dive on the NCAA tournament selection and seeding process - NCAA.org

How do teams get selected and seeded for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships? Take a deep dive into the March Madness selection process,

www.ncaa.org

Texas and South Carolina are #1 seeds in their respective regionals (Fort Worth 3 and Sacramento 4). That means that LSU and Vandy, the other two of the top four SEC seeds, have to be placed in different regionals. Hence, LSU to Sacramento 2 and Vanderbilt to Fort Worth 1.

 

[triaddukefan]

I don’t know that they ever had one. It’s a UConn thing, just like never cutting down the nets when they win a Regional Championship.

The Huskies don’t celebrate getting chosen for the Big Dance and they don’t celebrate winning the Regionals. There is just one celebration, when they win the National Championship, which they’ve done 12 times.

I'm not sure if Connecticut never cut down regional nets from 1990-2007 or from 2009 to the present, but they absolutely cut down the nets in the 2008 Greensboro Regional. They definitely celebrated, got up on the ladders and took snippets of the net. I was there, and took pics with a Canon PowerShot

 

[dtbtbtb]

i was just happy that UConn got the 1st overall seed, so they'll play in Fort Worth (If they win as expected the 2 first games) as i have tickets to the games 😀

 

[Stagnant]

I am really pleased with the bracket as a UConn fan. We avoided a potential matchup with Tennessee from the 8/9 game. They dropped to a 10 seed.

Frankly, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma are the 4/5 seeds that concerned me. We avoided them as well.

LSU has incredible talent and any team could be in danger if they bring their A game. We avoided them and get Vanderbilt instead. And Vanderbilt is good, but I just don’t see players like Pissott and Galvan torching our defense.

We have a favorable path to at least the final four. I know everyone wants to win a championship. But making the final four means something to me. I would rather lose in a final four than in a sweet 16.

 

[JstVisiting]

As a UConn fan, I am happy with the draw.

…

Vandy is very good and a match up with them will not be easy, but I would prefer them to LSU. The LSU program is not that far removed from a National Title of their own, and I think that counts for something.

UConn’s path was potentially rocky for about 5 minutes when Vandy was slated as a 1, which would have put Texas or LSU as the Huskies’ 2.

Agree completely that y’all have nobody to fear with that draw. Avoiding any of the SEC 4/5s who have all played like a top ten team at least a couple times this year would be big for any 1 seed.

 

[H Dog]

Simply awful, especially focusing on the ACC. A P4 team that wins its conference and conference tournament titles--gets a 3 seed. An 11-loss team that got blown out by 35 by a Stanford team that wasn't even in the field gets an 8 seed ahead of two teams that beat them. A team that only beat one ranked team all year gets to host. Madness.


Because LSU and Vandy couldn't be placed in Texas' or South Carolina's bracket. Michigan and Iowa could not be placed in UCLA's bracket. This means that UConn could only face the SEC teams (because both Texas and South Carolina had to be paired with the Big Ten teams). The weaker of the two went to UConn, hence Vandy being paired with UConn and LSU being paired with UCLA.

South Carolina and Texas were paired with the Big Ten teams. Because Iowa was deemed to be stronger than Michigan, they were paired with the weaker 1 seed--South Carolina.

Besides, LSU is the toughest 2 seed.


This! The production was absolutely horrific.

I agree that the committee and the supposed rules or guidelines it operates under is terrible. The SEC,ACC and Big 10 teams we played this season ( all of whom were ranked when we played them) could not even give us a competitive game, with the notable exception of MICH yet those conferences got undeserving teams in the tournament for beating each other. These same conferences teams also benefit unfairly when it comes to seeding as they won’t put their top teams in the same regional so for example the # 1 and #2 teams ( UConn and UCLA this year) don’t get to play the true # 7 and # 8 seeds as they’ve earned and deserve and instead the SEC teams who aren’t as highly rated or seeded or deserving are slated to play lesser 2 seeds. These supposed big time conferences also have overrated teams that benefit from upsetting each other and getting highly ranked based on both these wins and losses because it artificially increases their strength of schedule. I know many will disagree but there’s no way TN, So Cal or Virginia should be in the tournament, they are terrible teams who lost too many games. TN is an especially egregious case as they get credit for their high strength of schedule yet they were badly beaten by the top tier teams they played and beat nobody really good and have 13 losses and have lost 7 straight and 10 of 12. The other 2 have 13 and 11 losses and were not competitive against any good teams. Something has to be changed and the conferences should not be protected by not having to play their own teams in the regions.

 

[Stagnant]

Nebraska is the team that bothers me. 2-7 in their last 9 games. 7-11 in conference play. They had a lot of opportunities to beat good teams this year. They managed a win over Illinois and a win over Washington. That’s it.

 

[Bone Dog]

Vanderbilt is good, but I just don’t see players like Pissott and Galvan torching our defense.

This is my reading too. Vandy reminds me a bit of Syracuse two seasons ago, with Dyaisha Fair and Georgia Woolley, and a few freshmen who had career shooting nights from 3. Fair, like Blakes, is a free throw generating machine. UConn beat them narrowly with one of their thinnest teams in recent years, essentially Paige Nika Aaliyah KK Ash and Ice. In that game, Fair was held almost scoreless for most of three quarters and then went on a tear in the final stretch. I attribute that mainly to the inevitable fatigue of a thin roster. Nika fouled out, also fatigue related in my view.

This time around, UConn has one of its deepest rosters in recent memory, with five excellent ballhandliers and on-ball defenders and four really solid post players. In a game like this, I don’t think it’s even necessary to key on Blakes. She can score 30+, but if Galvan and Pissot are shut down UConn wins by a lot. UConn’s press will probably exhaust Galvan before the fourth quarter.

In terms of the headlines, I have a feeling both Azzi and Sarah will dominate, and the networks will get to sell the idea of a head-to-head duel with Blakes, irrelevant as it will really be. And Blanca may run wild on offense and defense.

 

[oldude]

I'm not sure if Connecticut never cut down regional nets from 1990-2007 or from 2009 to the present, but they absolutely cut down the nets in the 2008 Greensboro Regional. They definitely celebrated, got up on the ladders and took snippets of the net. I was there, and took pics with a Canon PowerShot

I stand corrected. But at some point they stopped cutting down the nets at the Regionals. In Albany in 2017 I was at the Regionals when they rolled out the ladder after the game. It just stood there, like a lonely guy on the dance floor.

it’s a player tradition now. Geno and the coaches have nothing to do with it.

 

[HuskyNan]

No offense, ND friends, but go Stags! Fairfield is an in-state team, one which gave us Lou Lopez-Senechal. And careful, Irish, Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis knows what she’s doing on the sideline

 

[GoChips20]

My thoughts on the non-SC regions (posted those in the Gamecocks thread)

Region 1 Fort Worth
-Looks like a cake walk for UConn, as it should be for the overall #1. Blakes and Shea are a formidable duo for Geno but I think Vanderbilt matches up terribly. I don’t see anyone here who threatens them.
- I’m really excited for Blakes vs. Cambridge however.
-Maryland fell out of hosting but at least they got UNC who has been bewitched by offensive lethargy for years and isn’t as far away

Region 2 Sacramento
-Likewise think UCLA is the clear crown jewel of this region but I’m sure they aren’t thrilled to see LSU. If LSU harnesses its speed and athleticism properly I can see this being a troublesome showdown for the Bruins. Fortunately they don’t have Sa’Myah Smith anymore who at 6’2” really bothered Betts last year.
-Ole Miss is a really bad matchup for Minnesota

Region 3 Fort Worth
-Each year there’s a region that’s an absolute gauntlet. Texas, Michigan, Louisville, and WVU are all tough as nails. Harmon against Press Virginia should be stellar.
-Also can’t think anyone loves seeing Kentucky in there as a 5. They haven’t put it together often but are really tall and long.
- NC State/Tennessee rematch is intriguing. I’d really like to see Tennessee/Michigan after that.
-Oregon/VT wins the award for this year’s game that I don’t care about but could be a 2OT nailbiter

 

[ERWUC65]

A couple great things about UConn being the #1 overall seed. They announce it right away so I can now watch USA Baseball play the Dominican Republic and secondly, UConn will never host a watch party with the team cheering and carrying on. Tell me who we play, where we play and when?

I would expect that a few of us, especially newbies, would like to see our Huskies participate in the watch party tradition. It reflects genuine enthusiasm for the event and shows a willingness to acknowledge the privilege of the process.

 

[LETTERL]

My thoughts on the non-SC regions (posted those in the Gamecocks thread)



Region 3 Fort Worth

- NC State/Tennessee rematch is intriguing. I’d really like to see Tennessee/Michigan after that.

Crossing another name off this year's Christmas card list.

 

[Bobcat73]

So Texas is the number 4 overall even though they beat SC on the sec tourney interesting

Texas is number 3

 

[Bobcat73]

I would expect that a few of us, especially newbies, would like to see our Huskies participate in the watch party tradition. It reflects genuine enthusiasm for the event and shows a willingness to acknowledge the privilege of the process.

I’m sure they have their own private, low-key watch party

 

[oldude]

I would expect that a few of us, especially newbies, would like to see our Huskies participate in the watch party tradition. It reflects genuine enthusiasm for the event and shows a willingness to acknowledge the privilege of the process.

Sarah & Azzi were both interviewed after the Selection show. They indicated that the players were together in some fashion. Azzi described the mood as “chill.”

So for UConn the process is all about the team. It doesn’t reflect any less enthusiasm or disrespect for the process because we are not invited to share the experience on tv.

 

[Zanzman]

Texas is number 3

I understand that now I thought cause both were in Fort worth they would play each in final four

 

[Bone Dog]

Sarah & Azzi were both interviewed after the Selection show. They indicated that the players were together in some fashion. Azzi described the mood as “chill.”

So for UConn the process is all about the team. It doesn’t reflect any less enthusiasm or disrespect for the process because we are not invited to share the experience on tv.

I saw that too. It’s like they don’t want to invite the networks to whatever gathering they may have or to perform for the cameras. I guess they’re not so impressed by the limelight.

 

[oldude]

I saw that too. It’s like they don’t want to invite the networks to whatever gathering they may have or to perform for the cameras. I guess they’re not so impressed by the limelight.

There’s plenty of limelight for these Huskies. But honestly, if it comes to sitting in the stands waiting to perform for the cameras when your team’s name is called, or getting together in a dorm room with some chips and salsa and your teammates, I’ll choose the latter every time.