Third and final top-16 reveal

[PAHuskeyFan]

Have you seen UConn's regional sites the past seven years? At least Lexington is driving distance for a bunch of schools with good basketball programs. But honestly, what other good teams are within driving distance of UConn's sites the past few years (Maryland is over 5 hours from all these sites)? And UConn fans dominate the attendance in these arenas, further adding to the advantage that UConn doesn't really need.

2018 Albany (132 miles, 2 hours 15 minutes)
2017 Bridgeport (78 miles, 1 hour 18 minutes and another site for UConn home games)
2016 Bridgeport (78 miles, 1 hour 18 minutes)
2015 Albany (132 miles, 2 hours 15 minutes)
2014 Lincoln Nebraska (1419 miles 21 hours, need to fly)
2013 Bridgeport (78 miles, 1 hour 18 minutes)
2012 Kingston (55 miles, 1 hour 29 minutes)

For contrast, during this span, here are Notre Dame's regionals:
2018 ??, but either Lexington (326 miles but very doubtful), Kansas City (578 miles), or Spokane (1880 miles)
2017 Lexington (5 hours 13 minutes 326 miles)
2016 Lexington (5 hours 13 minutes 326 miles)
2015 Oklahoma City, OK (12 hours, 50 minutes 862 miles) Got to play 31-3 B12 champ Baylor in regional final
2014 South Bend (home site no distance at all)
2013 Norfolk VA (12 hours 6 minutes, 796 miles)
2012 Raleigh, NC (12 hours 2 minures, 728 miles)

I've read your response to other comments on this...but you seem to be overlooking a few things...
1. UConn was the overall #1 seed in many if not all those years.
2. Even if they weren't the overall #1, I'll bet the Team that was #1 went to a sight a heck of a lot closer to their home than if they had been sent to Albany or Bridgeport, or where ever UConn was sent... I mean let's say Baylor was #1 seed one of those years... wouldn't it make more sense to send them to Dallas, or KC, or OKC...rather than to Albany or Bridgeport, just so UConn had to travel???
3. This is a factor of the Bidding Process for Regional Tournaments...and frankly the decisions are made well before anyone has any clue as to which teams are really going to make it to the Regional Tournaments.

 

[Orangutan]

Don't fret. With the new Wintrust arena now available the city of Chicago will host a regional in 2019. Notre Dame will of course be sent there. And in 2020 I see where Fort Wayne, Indiana will host a regional. I suspect Notre Dame will be sent there as well. Clearly the NCAA heard the Notre Dame complaints.

Despite being a ridiculous white elephant, Wintrust Arena is going to be great for me as a women's basketball fan.

 

[Centerstream]

Well this thread took a turn



Good thing you're not in charge

I am going to swerve it again seeing my question has nothing to do with the reveal...

Fellow BYer UConn fans: is it a common practice for you to join WBB forums of opponents and post how great the Greatest WBB Team of the last 23 years is? I am just curious. (maybe I should make this ? a thread???)

 

[southie]

Have you seen UConn's regional sites the past seven years? At least Lexington is driving distance for a bunch of schools with good basketball programs. But honestly, what other good teams are within driving distance of UConn's sites the past few years (Maryland is over 5 hours from all these sites)? And UConn fans dominate the attendance in these arenas, further adding to the advantage that UConn doesn't really need.

I am perfectly aware of Regionals up East as Texas as been sent there twice recently.

But, it is not the same as UK getting to host three consecutive regionals at Rupp Arena (even if the women play at the coliseum). Just my opinion, but Lexington had done nothing in the past to prove they supported women's basketball regionals. Perhaps award them one, and see how it goes, and then re-visit future regionals there.

UConn fans have proven that they will travel to all the locations you noted. They aren't on campus, or even in nearby Hartford. NCAA like fan attendance and ticket revenue. If UConn hasn't been a high seed, and was shipped out to another regional in a different time zone, then those regional sites in Bridgeport and Albany would probably have empty arenas; but, the NCAA was willing to take that risk, and the attendance has been more than ideal.

 

[southie]

I think holding the FF in NY would be incredibly unfair, as UConn would have a huge advantage in fans.

Didn't Indianapolis host a couple of Final Fours? Forget if Notre Dame played in them or not, but they had every opportunity to do so. And, to everyone else, it would seem like an unfair advantage.

 

[UConnCat]

Didn't Indianapolis host a couple of Final Fours? Forget if Notre Dame played in them or not, but they had every opportunity to do so. And, to everyone else, it would seem like an unfair advantage.

Indianapolis hosted the FF in 2011 and Notre Dame lost to Texas A&M in the championship game. Indianapolis also hosted the FF in 2016 but Notre Dame didn't make it.

 

[Fightin Choke]

I've read your response to other comments on this...but you seem to be overlooking a few things...
1. UConn was the overall #1 seed in many if not all those years.
2. Even if they weren't the overall #1, I'll bet the Team that was #1 went to a sight a heck of a lot closer to their home than if they had been sent to Albany or Bridgeport, or where ever UConn was sent... I mean let's say Baylor was #1 seed one of those years... wouldn't it make more sense to send them to Dallas, or KC, or OKC...rather than to Albany or Bridgeport, just so UConn had to travel???
3. This is a factor of the Bidding Process for Regional Tournaments...and frankly the decisions are made well before anyone has any clue as to which teams are really going to make it to the Regional Tournaments.

Responding to point #1, UConn was the #1 overall seed in 4 of the 6 previous years and will probably be the number 1 seed this season making it 5 out of the past 7. But that is not at all what I am arguing, as I stated fairly clearly in my response to JoePgh (link here).

Responding to point #2, of course the higher ranked team went to a closer site to their school than the site where UConn ended up. That's largely due to the fact that UConn is the only good school near Bridgeport, Albany, and Kingston. That is in fact the point I am trying to make! In the 2 years that UConn was not the overall 1-seed, UConn ended up closer to their campus than the #1 overall seed did. In 2012, the overall 1-seed was undefeated Baylor and they were sent to the closest regional site (Des Moines, IA, 829 miles away.) UConn went to Kingston, RI (55 miles away). In 2013, Baylor was again the overall #1 seed, and they traveled to Oklahoma City (288 miles away). The #2 overall seed was Notre Dame, which was sent to Norfolk, VA (729 miles). UConn (3rd overall 1-seed) was sent to Bridgeport (78 miles). You see, it doesn't matter where UConn is seeded among the 1-seeds, because they have almost always (6/7) been assigned to their local site.

Responding to point #3, yes I know that these sites are awarded in advance. But they were clearly chosen because they are close to Storrs. Correct? That is the point I am trying to make. It's great for UConn fans and the UConn Huskies but it is not great for competitive balance and every team that is not UConn. You guys are awesome so it's not like you need another advantage.

 

[Fightin Choke]

Didn't Indianapolis host a couple of Final Fours? Forget if Notre Dame played in them or not, but they had every opportunity to do so. And, to everyone else, it would seem like an unfair advantage.

I completely agree with your statement. See link (here) and (here) from earlier in this thread.

 

[Vowelguy]

But would the fans flock there for regionals?

No.

 

[Centerstream]

Responding to point #1, UConn was the #1 overall seed in 4 of the 6 previous years and will probably be the number 1 seed this season making it 5 out of the past 7. But that is not at all what I am arguing, as I stated fairly clearly in my response to JoePgh (link here).

Responding to point #2, of course the higher ranked team went to a closer site to their school than the site where UConn ended up. That's largely due to the fact that UConn is the only good school near Bridgeport, Albany, and Kingston. That is in fact the point I am trying to make! In the 2 years that UConn was not the overall 1-seed, UConn ended up closer to their campus than the #1 overall seed did. In 2012, the overall 1-seed was undefeated Baylor and they were sent to the closest regional site (Des Moines, IA, 829 miles away.) UConn went to Kingston, RI (55 miles away). In 2013, Baylor was again the overall #1 seed, and they traveled to Oklahoma City (288 miles away). The #2 overall seed was Notre Dame, which was sent to Norfolk, VA (729 miles). UConn (3rd overall 1-seed) was sent to Bridgeport (78 miles). You see, it doesn't matter where UConn is seeded among the 1-seeds, because they have almost always (6/7) been assigned to their local site.

Responding to point #3, yes I know that these sites are awarded in advance. But they were clearly chosen because they are close to Storrs. Correct? That is the point I am trying to make. It's great for UConn fans and the UConn Huskies but it is not great for competitive balance and every team that is not UConn. You guys are awesome so it's not like you need another advantage.

But it is an advantage that is earned year after year, so...

 

[LoTrader]

I agree.

Vegas sounds like heaven when compared to spending a long weekend in Fort Wayne or Albany.

Or Spokane, WA when there is still snow on the ground-YUK!

 

[nwhoopfan]

Or Spokane, WA when there is still snow on the ground-YUK!

It should be melted out by the time the Regionals role around. Hey it snowed today just north of Seattle. It is still winter.

 

[southie]

Baylor at this point doesn’t need to improve its RPI. It just needs some quality wins. Another win over Texas would be significant. Another win over Oklahoma would help as well (even if OK finishes outside the RPI top 25).

As for Oklahoma State and West Virginia, I’m sure the committee is aware that they are undervalued in the RPI. OkSt is safely in the tournament IMO despite its low RPI, and WV is a bubble team.

The main point is that Baylor’s resume is nowhere near as weak as Maryland's was last year. Maryland was the overall #9 on selection day while Baylor is already at #5.

Oklahoma State suffers a very bad loss at Kansas on Wednesday night. Charlie Crème tweeted that the Big 12 is now in danger of only having two teams in the NCAA tourney. Obviously, this loss hurts in "quality wins" for both Texas and Baylor, and the reputation as to where the conference ranks nationally.

 

[Plebe]

Oklahoma State suffers a very bad loss at Kansas on Wednesday night. Charlie Crème tweeted that the Big 12 is now in danger of only having two teams in the NCAA tourney. Obviously, this loss hurts in "quality wins" for both Texas and Baylor, and the reputation as to where the conference ranks nationally.

Ha well, when I said safely in that was before they lost to Kansas. :-/

It won't really hurt Texas or Baylor appreciably. It hurts Oklahoma and the other bubble teams in the Big 12 quite a bit, though.

 

[southie]

Ha well, when I said safely in that was before they lost to Kansas. :-/

It won't really hurt Texas or Baylor appreciably. It hurts Oklahoma and the other bubble teams in the Big 12 quite a bit, though.

Miss. State and Tennessee also had narrow home non-conference win over OSU. So, that win no longer looks as good as it did a week ago or so. And, OSU throttled UCLA.

Honestly, I thought OSU would be a team who would give a #1 or #2 seed a real tussle depending on the player matchups. There still might be time for them to turn it around (if they secure an invite to the big dance).

 

[triaddukefan]

If Duke ends up as a #5 seed............. Im hoping they head to Athens

 

[LoTrader]

If Duke ends up as a #5 seed... Im hoping they head to Athens

View attachment 28804

So many games, Duke is still in the hunt for hosting!

 

[Plebe]

If Duke ends up as a #5 seed... Im hoping they head to Athens

View attachment 28804

I've heard Greece is nice in March!

 

[triaddukefan]

So many games, Duke is still in the hunt for hosting!

Maryland losing certainly helped.... I was hoping Bama would do Duke a solid tonight...... but alas they couldnt block out #4 for UGA

Duke is virtually entrenched as the #4 seed in the ACC tourney next week. I was thinking perhaps it would it be better to be a #5... and pick up a extra victory........ even if it would be over a Sub 100 opponent....

I've heard Greece is nice in March!

 

[LoTrader]

Maryland losing certainly helped.... I was hoping Bama would do Duke a solid tonight. but alas they couldnt block out #4 for UGA

Duke is virtually entrenched as the #4 seed in the ACC tourney next week. I was thinking perhaps it would it be better to be a #5... and pick up a extra victory... even if it would be over a Sub 100 opponent....

So many games left before NCAA Selection Committee finalizes the bracket, and top 16. As long as Duke takes care of their own business, I believe Duke is well positioned for moving in to the top 16. It could even be a #3 seed that gets bounced (Tennessee could implode). But I think the top candidates for moving out of the top 16 are: Stanford, Maryland, and Ohio State. In any case, I'll be happy for Duke if they end up hosting.