Way too early bracketology

[Urshurak]

Women's Bracketology: LSU, Iowa open on top line, but UConn is No. 1 overall

LSU and Iowa open as top seeds along with UConn and Utah. The Huskies are No. 1 overall in our first projection for 2023-24.

www.espn.com

 

[ucbart]

Who else did a little dance when you saw 'Big East' next to our name?

 

[eebmg]

Who else did a little dance when you saw 'Big East' next to our name?

More dancing seeing us in Albany as a 1 seed.

 

[eebmg]

also, this linked article explains some of the seedings by Charlie

Women's Bracketology: Transfers, coaching changes impact first 2020-21 bracket

Maryland's transfers, Destiny Slocum's move to Arkansas and new homes for Vic Schaefer and Niele Ivey had a domino effect on the bracket.

www.espn.com

The UConn blurb is here

But despite losing Megan Walker a year sooner than expected to the WNBA and Crystal Dangerfield to graduation, UConn looks like the team that gets the most upside. Even though the Huskies haven't gained any transfers, they move up as others fall back.

Before the upheaval at Maryland and Mississippi State, UConn was projected as a No. 2 seed, just as it likely would have been had the 2020 NCAA tournament been played. The Huskies now are back on the No. 1 line (No. 3 overall) and seeded in comfortable territory in the Albany Regional.

HoopGurlz's second-ranked recruiting class, led by No. 1 overall prospect Paige Bueckers, helps offset the personnel losses and coach Geno Auriemma still has Christyn Williams, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aubrey Griffin.


Hey Charlie. How about Ana???

 

[EricLA]

Who else did a little dance when you saw 'Big East' next to our name?

More than that - the Big East with 4 teams in. Almost ready to go up against the traditional power conferences for numbers...

I know we were starting to see AAC schools improve and land better recruits, but now as far as I'm concerned, that conference can rot away. Hopefully the Big East now sees bumps in talent and rankings since UCONN has joined...

 

[Kaizen]

ND #7 seed in Austin ...big improvement LOL

 

[PoppaBear]

Does anyone else think Texas as an #8 seed is a bit low for a program loaded with talent and a newly minted $2M coach that is on a mission?

 

[Geew1992]

Technically they do have a transfer... Westbrook

 

[MSGRET]

More than that - the Big East with 4 teams in. Almost ready to go up against the traditional power conferences for numbers...

I know we were starting to see AAC schools improve and land better recruits, but now as far as I'm concerned, that conference can rot away. Hopefully the Big East now sees bumps in talent and rankings since UCONN has joined...

Charlie must be on something because he has 3 teams from the Big East in the same bracket. If there are 4 teams from the Big East, the NCAA would most likely have one in each bracket. If that was not possible, then the most that they would have is 2 teams in one bracket.

 

[bballnut90]

Does anyone else think Texas as an #8 seed is a bit low for a program loaded with talent and a newly minted $2M coach that is on a mission?

Usually takes a year or two before we see results. Texas was barely a tournament team this year and they lose 4 of their top 6 players. The cupboard is pretty bare outside of Collier and maybe Taylor.

 

[bballnut90]

Charlie must be on something because he has 3 teams from the Big East in the same bracket. If there are 4 teams from the Big East, the NCAA would most likely have one in each bracket. If that was not possible, then the most that they would have is 2 teams in one bracket.

I'm not 100%, but I don't think that rule applies if teams are unlikely to meet up. The odds of an inconference match up in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 are incredibly slim for an 11 seed, a 9 seed and a 4.

 

[Lucelab113]

I'm a little surprised that Baylor is a 1 seed. I know Cox graduated. Seems like they'd take a step back but I admit I am unfamiliar with who else is back for them.

 

[triaddukefan]

Hampton as the auto-bid from the Big South? This HPU disrespect is gonna have to stop....

 

[SECbbfan24]

I'm a little surprised that Baylor is a 1 seed. I know Cox graduated. Seems like they'd take a step back but I admit I am unfamiliar with who else is back for them.

Baylor should be very good next year but I was thinking more 2 seed given they lose Cox, Cooper and Landrum. Smith, Egbo, Ursin, Richards, J. Oliver, and Bickel should be a nice group, add in very talented freshmen like Gusters and Andrews. Unless they make some additions via the grad transfer portal which Kim has been using quite a bit these last two years. I think they are about a two seed. They need more shooters IMO. Gusters, Smith, and Egbo should be a very strong post group.

I don't know what Louisville and NC State look like next year. Oregon while extremely talented, lose so much that I don't think they will be a 1 seed. I think Miss St is a 2 or 3 seed. Maryland would have been in the discussion but that roster disintegrated within the last month.

So I don't know who you would replace them with

 

[SCspur]

Baylor should be good next year but I was thinking more 2 seed given they lose Cox, Cooper and Landrum. Smith, Egbo, Ursin, Richards, J. Oliver, and Bickel should be a nice group, add in very talented freshmen like Gusters and Andrews. Unless they make some additions via the grad transfer portal which Kim has been using quite a bit these last two years. I think they are about a two seed. They need more shooters IMO. Gusters, Smith, and Egbo should be a very strong post group.

I was thinking 2 seed for them as well but I don’t know who would go to the 1 line to replace them. It’s hard for me to imagine anyone other than them in the Austin Regional.

 

[Centerstream]

Technically they do have a transfer... Westbrook

Gotta love Charlie...failed to mention 2 likely starters, Evina and Ana...

 

[SECbbfan24]

I was thinking 2 seed for them as well but I don’t know who would go to the 1 line to replace them. It’s hard for me to imagine anyone other than them in the Austin Regional.

Looking at Louisville, they return Dana Evans, Elizabeth Balogun and other bench kids but they lose Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook, and Dunham. Now they did add Hailey Van Lith and Cochran which are two great incoming freshmen with potential major impact. They also have a transfer available that sat out in Kianna Smith. While I think Louisville will be strong they have their share of questions as well.

NC State, they had a lot of very young talent last year. They return Cunane, Brown-Turner, Jones, and Cruthfield from their starting 5 which is very strong. They do lose Konig, who was a freaking monster at the end of the year. They add two talented 4 star guards. While I believe NC State is definitely top 8, are they 1 seed quality? We will see. I had them as a 2 seed as well but the potential is there.

Again these teams all are extremely talented and have potential but I just don't know about certain teams being a 1 seed but who else would go in their places? I think you have a core group of teams that will vie for these spots, then there is a little bit of a gap.


Sorry for my rambling, I'm bored today

 

[chrissaran]

More than that - the Big East with 4 teams in. Almost ready to go up against the traditional power conferences for numbers...

I know we were starting to see AAC schools improve and land better recruits, but now as far as I'm concerned, that conference can rot away. Hopefully the Big East now sees bumps in talent and rankings since UCONN has joined...

Why do you want the conference to rot away? That makes no sense. We were lucky to have other teams join us, so we could play in a conference.

 

[VA Huskie]

also, this linked article explains some of the seedings by Charlie

Women's Bracketology: Transfers, coaching changes impact first 2020-21 bracket

Maryland's transfers, Destiny Slocum's move to Arkansas and new homes for Vic Schaefer and Niele Ivey had a domino effect on the bracket.

www.espn.com

The UConn blurb is here

But despite losing Megan Walker a year sooner than expected to the WNBA and Crystal Dangerfield to graduation, UConn looks like the team that gets the most upside. Even though the Huskies haven't gained any transfers, they move up as others fall back.

Before the upheaval at Maryland and Mississippi State, UConn was projected as a No. 2 seed, just as it likely would have been had the 2020 NCAA tournament been played. The Huskies now are back on the No. 1 line (No. 3 overall) and seeded in comfortable territory in the Albany Regional.

HoopGurlz's second-ranked recruiting class, led by No. 1 overall prospect Paige Bueckers, helps offset the personnel losses and coach Geno Auriemma still has Christyn Williams, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aubrey Griffin.


Hey Charlie. How about Ana???

Ana... how about Evina? ESPN recently listed her as a potential POY candidate. Sometimes I wonder about Charlie’s homework. That’s a pretty big miss!

 

[SCspur]

Looking at Louisville, they return Dana Evans, Elizabeth Balogun and other bench kids but they lose Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook, and Dunham. Now they did add Hailey Van Lith and Cochran which are two great incoming freshmen with potential major impact. They also have a transfer available that sat out in Kianna Smith. While I think Louisville will be strong they have their share of questions as well.

NC State, they had a lot of very young talent last year. They return Cunane, Brown-Turner, Jones, and Cruthfield from their starting 5 which is very strong. They do lose Konig, who was a freaking monster at the end of the year. They add two talented 4 star guards. While I believe NC State is definitely top 8, are they 1 see quality? We will see. I had them as a 2 seed as well but the potential is there.

Again these teams all are extremely talented and have potential but I just don't know about certain teams being a 1 seed but who else would go in their places? I think you have a core group of teams that will vie for these spots, then there is a little bit of a gap.


Sorry for my rambling, I'm bored today

I don’t see either team being better than Baylor next year or good enough to bump them from the Austin regional. Next year will probably be more interesting than this past year being so many talented player graduated. It’s going to be fun to watch the younger players step up to be the next face of WCBB.

 

[Alydar]

I'm not 100%, but I don't think that rule applies if teams are unlikely to meet up. The odds of an inconference match up in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 are incredibly slim for an 11 seed, a 9 seed and a 4.

Not so incredibly slim. Top 16 teams host and the rule prohibits 2 top 16 conference teams being in the same region, and if that's not possible (5 teams from one conference in the top 16) then they are not to meet until the E8. A one and four seed from the same conference would meet in the S16 and a 9 seed would face a 1 seed in the second round so Creme got it all fouled up. He ends up correcting his mistakes later. I think there is also mention of teams playing for a third time. Since the BE plays H&H it's likely that a NCAA meetup would be their 4th game. UConn and N Dame had that 4th game in 2012 & 2013. The winner of the first 3 lost the 4th in both years.

After seeing the bracket I see that it's the "other" 3 BE teams that all get up in the Spokane region.

 

[MSGRET]

I'm not 100%, but I don't think that rule applies if teams are unlikely to meet up. The odds of an inconference match up in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 are incredibly slim for an 11 seed, a 9 seed and a 4.

I believe that the rule is, unless absolutely necessary no more than two teams per conference per bracket.

 

[bballnut90]

Not so incredibly slim. Top 16 teams host and the rule prohibits 2 top 16 conference teams being in the same region, and if that's not possible (5 teams from one conference in the top 16) then they are not to meet until the E8. A one and four seed from the same conference would meet in the S16 and a 9 seed would face a 1 seed in the second round so Creme got it all fouled up. He ends up correcting his mistakes later. I think there is also mention of teams playing for a third time. Since the BE plays H&H it's likely that a NCAA meetup would be their 4th game. UConn and N Dame had that 4th game in 2012 & 2013. The winner of the first 3 lost the 4th in both years.

The 1 seed (UCONN) isn't in the same bracket as the 4/8/11. So the 8 seed (Marquette, who I incorrectly listed as a 9 prior would have) has to beat the #1 seed to meet up with the 4 in the Sweet 16.

3 teams from the same conference in the same regional is not uncommon at all. Last NCAA tournament had the following:
-3 ACC Teams in Portland and Greensboro
-3 SEC Teams in Greensboro
-3 Big Ten Teams in Albany

 

[Alydar]

The 1 seed (UCONN) isn't in the same bracket as the 4/8/11. So the 8 seed (Marquette, who I incorrectly listed as a 9 prior would have) has to beat the #1 seed to meet up with the 4 in the Sweet 16.

3 teams from the same conference in the same regional is not uncommon at all. Last NCAA tournament had the following:
-3 ACC Teams in Portland and Greensboro
-3 SEC Teams in Greensboro
-3 Big Ten Teams in Albany

I didn't know that. But those conferences had more than 4 teams in. When you get 8 teams in like the SEC has done that's 2 per region at best.

 

[bballnut90]

I believe that the rule is, unless absolutely necessary no more than two teams per conference per bracket.

For the men's tournament, these are rules I found:
Each of the first four teams selected from a conference shall be placed in different regions if they are seeded on the first four lines.

Teams from the same conference shall not meet prior to the regional final if they played each other three or more times during the regular season and conference tournament.

Teams from the same conference shall not meet prior to the regional semifinals if they played each other twice during the regular season and conference tournament.

Teams from the same conference may play each other as early as the second round if they played no more than once during the regular season and conference tournament.

I know the first point holds true on the women's side, but I'm not sure about the bottom 3. Regarding keeping it to 2 conference teams per regional, I just did a little research of last few years and if it's the rule, it doesn't often hold true:

2019:
-3 ACC Teams in Portland and Greensboro
-3 SEC Teams in Greensboro
-3 Big Ten Teams in Albany

2018:
-4 ACC Teams in Albany
-3 Big Ten Teams in Kansas City

2017:
-3 SEC Teams in OKC

2016:
-3 Big Ten Teams in Lexington
-3 SEC Teams in Sioux Falls (forced to with 9 teams from SEC)