The Big Ten is showing up the selection committee

[jabstep]

Indiana made it to the elite 8 with an upset of NC State. Iowa made it to the sweet sixteen and gave UConn a good game as a 5 seed and Michigan went overtime as a 6 seed with Baylor. Maryland is playing as well as anybody as a 2 seed. The ACC seemed to be overrated with NC State loss and Louisville just winning against lesser competition. It was hard to judge teams without some of the many canceled games because of COVID. The Pac 10 will now show us what they can do. It is so great to have a tournament this year with most of us staying couped up. This has been a great diversion.

 

[ABCDFE]

I also fell victim to the fact that the Big 10 wasn't that strong. But now seeing the teams play in the tournament, it looks like the league is certainly the top or second in the country to Pac-12.

 

[Boreifs]

Incredible poor seeding involved here. Both Iowa and Michigan are better teams than Indiana, yet they were seeded lower. Either of them would have beaten NC State.

 

[triaddukefan]

Incredible poor seeding involved here. Both Iowa and Michigan are better teams than Indiana, yet they were seeded lower. Either of them would have beaten NC State.

Yet Indiana swept both Indiana AND Michigan.... IU finished 16-2 in conference.... Iowa finished 11-8. It would have been foolish to seed Iowa over them.

 

[Boreifs]

Yet Indiana swept both Indiana AND Michigan.... IU finished 16-2 in conference.... Iowa finished 11-8. It would have been foolish to seed Iowa over them.

Good point

 

[Vowelguy]

I don’t think the BiG was overlooked at all this year. Was pretty clear it was having a good year, and it deservingly got a lot of teams in — 7 (prob 8 if Ohio st were eligible).
That said its ncaa performance has been much better than expected.

 

[Waquoit]

If the Big 10 was underrated going in, what that does that say about UConn?

 

[southie]

Except for Rutgers, that is . . .

 

[UcMiami]

If the Big 10 was underrated going in, what that does that say about UConn?

Nothing - Uconn didn't play any B10 teams until today.
I think the history of the Big10 being disappointing in tournaments has a pretty long history. OSU was always falling a round or two before their seed, and except for Maryland, a new arrival, they haven't sent a team to a FF since 2005. And except for a loss to OSU Maryland hardly broke a sweat in their Big10 games. With so few outside games, I don't think anyone outside the midwest expected this showing.

 

[Waquoit]

Nothing - Uconn didn't play any B10 teams until today.

And they won by three touchdowns. That says something.

 

[darkstar1]

Incredible poor seeding involved here. Both Iowa and Michigan are better teams than Indiana, yet they were seeded lower. Either of them would have beaten NC State.

Consistency is the key in a multi game tournament against the best competition. NC State had great a games and not so great games. Same with Iowa. I agree seeding was way off in many cases. Just unlucky that Iowa and Michigan got placed in the toughest bracket. I would have loved to see UConn and Baylor in the final, not the elite 8.

 

[Rocket009]

It will be interesting to see if there are any SEC teams left in the tournament after tomorrow. So much for the "Toughest" league

 

[bbsamjj]

While I'm still getting over RU's first round loss, I don't think the committee got the B10 seedings that wrong:

#2 seed MD: yep
#4 seed Indiana: you can argue they deserved a #3 seed, but they were upset in the B10 quarterfinals, while the #3 seeds were UGA (SEC runner ups), AZ (Pac12 semis), UCLA (Pac12 finals), and Tennessee (who beat Indiana in the regular season).
#5 seed Iowa: one of hottest teams in country, though a very uneven season. The fact that they beat a #4 seed is not really an upset.
#6 seeds RU & Michigan: This seeding makes sense for RU (who forgot how to play defense in the 4th quarter of their game versus BYU (though BYU also almost upset Arizona). With Michigan, they had 10 games postposed throughout the year, and finished their last 5 game 2-3, including a loss in B10 quarters to Northwestern. They did not seem to be trending up heading into NCAAs.
#7 seed Northwestern: had been a bit disappointing in regular season, had a nice win over Michigan in B10 tournament. This feels about right.
#10 Michigan St: were on the bubble before upsetting Indiana in B10 tournament.

 

[UcMiami]

While I'm still getting over RU's first round loss, I don't think the committee got the B10 seedings that wrong:

#2 seed MD: yep
#4 seed Indiana: you can argue they deserved a #3 seed, but they were upset in the B10 quarterfinals, while the #3 seeds were UGA (SEC runner ups), AZ (Pac12 semis), UCLA (Pac12 finals), and Tennessee (who beat Indiana in the regular season).
#5 seed Iowa: one of hottest teams in country, though a very uneven season. The fact that they beat a #4 seed is not really an upset.
#6 seeds RU & Michigan: This seeding makes sense for RU (who forgot how to play defense in the 4th quarter of their game versus BYU (though BYU also almost upset Arizona). With Michigan, they had 10 games postposed throughout the year, and finished their last 5 game 2-3, including a loss in B10 quarters to Northwestern. They did not seem to be trending up heading into NCAAs.
#7 seed Northwestern: had been a bit disappointing in regular season, had a nice win over Michigan in B10 tournament. This feels about right.
#10 Michigan St: were on the bubble before upsetting Indiana in B10 tournament.

Thanks for some reasoned analysis - always easy to reseed a tournament after the games are played. Could have a field day doing that with the men - what was the committee thinking?!!
7 seeds for the Big10 must be record tying if not an outright record in this century.

 

[Vowelguy]

Thanks for some reasoned analysis - always easy to reseed a tournament after the games are played. Could have a field day doing that with the men - what was the committee thinking?!!
7 seeds for the Big10 must be record tying if not an outright record in this century.

Also Had 7 in 2015

 

[cancontent]

I think we missed out on some interesting match ups with the BIG10 - ACC challenge being cancelled for the women's side this year. There could have been some interesting out of conference match ups for fans to enjoy.

Maryland vs Louisville would have been fun. NC State versus Iowa could have been another I believe too.

 

[MSGRET]

Yet Indiana swept both Indiana AND Michigan.... IU finished 16-2 in conference.... Iowa finished 11-8. It would have been foolish to seed Iowa over them.

How can Indiana sweep Indiana?

 

[triaddukefan]

crazy how the best team in the Big 10 didn't even live up to their seed. That's why they play the game.

 

[UcMiami]

And then the Big 10 lays a big turtle egg! Just to prove that the committee did make a huge mistake in the two seeds!

Elite eight is three 1 seeds, two 2 seeds, a 3, 4, and 6 seed. The missing one seed probably would have made the elite 8 if they hadn't lost their #2 starter so I'll give the committee a half pass on that one. And really, this isn't that unusual an event in the women's tournament 3 surprise entrants and only one greater than a 4 seed.

So conferences in E8:
BE 1 expected , 1 delivered
SEC 2 expected, 1 delivered
ACC 2 expected, 1 delivered
Big 10 1 expected, 1 delivered (a trade out)
Big 12 1 expected, 2 delivered
Pac12 1 expected, 2 delivered

 

[bbsamjj]

In one game eliminations, upsets are bound to happen.

 

[UcMiami]

I would also say that:
The Pac12 additional entry was a 'luck of the draw' and that a good team from any of the conference could have ended the embarrassing run of TA&M who were just playing bad ball.
The Big10 benefited a little from an injury to get a good Indiana team in. And were shocked by ...
The biggest surprise is a surging B12 team that I believe was seeded correctly but has seriously played up - nothing in the TX resume suggested they could get to the E8 (swept by WV and Baylor (3x) and ended fifth in B12)

 

[GW15MJ4MM23]

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