We’re number . . . 57!

[brihman]

Nice pre-season article by Bilas (I’m a fan, even if he’s from Duke) 12 seed here we come!

ESPN Preview

 

[Hey Adrien!]

In general, I find many of the season previews very fair. UConn will be much better this year, but not a likely tournament team.

Also, it's fair to think none of the players are top-100 in the nation, but that could change this year with Carlton, Alterique and Vital in the mix.

This team is trending up and it's exciting to start the season with open expectations!

 

[McLovin]

Remember that with 36 auto bids (most of which are going to teams not on this list), we probably need to finish top 40ish to get an at large bid. I'm hopeful we can do it!

 

[billybud]

I do hate it when AQ's play while a better team must sit....

A team that is legitimately a top 50 team should play.

 

[CL82]

Dan Hurley's squad is looking to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015-16. The Huskies are in the midst of their longest tournament drought since missing it in 10 straight seasons from 1979-80 to 1988-89.

Lol, not much of a write up is it? Well, it's the thought that counts. FWIW, Harvard is 26th on the Bilas list.

 

[CL82]

I do hate it when AQ's play while a better team must sit....

A team that is legitimately a top 50 team should play.

I understand your point, but it is a part of the charm of the March Madness that every conference gets to send someone to the tourney, even if it is a de facto bye week for the high seeds.

 

[CL82]

I have to say, @FriarJ I'm really looking forward to next year in the NBE. We will be a better team and poised to make at least a little noise. I am looking forward to the regional games against teams we care about.

 

[UConnStats]

I do hate it when AQ's play while a better team must sit....

A team that is legitimately a top 50 team should play.

At least in the American. Seton Hall made it at 60th last year, but they’re in a great conference and have one of the most exciting players in the country.

 

[auror]

At least in the American. Seton Hall made it at 60th last year, but they’re in a great conference and have one of the most exciting players in the country.

Remember that with 36 auto bids (most of which are going to teams not on this list), we probably need to finish top 40ish to get an at large bid. I'm hopeful we can do it!

50% of non-autobid teams ranked between 40 and 60 in KenPom the last 2 years have made it as an at-large bid (17/34). The committee usually ignores a few top 40 teams in favor of those outside of the top 40.

 

[businesslawyer]

I do hate it when AQ's play while a better team must sit....

A team that is legitimately a top 50 team should play.

I don't hate it. Polls, even based on computer rankings, just aren't sure how good small conference champs are in March. The only way you find out is to let them play. If the 45th best team in the country, whatever that means, doesn't get in, who cares. You already know that the team that went 8-10 in the Big East isn't a top team having had all season to prove otherwise.

 

[billybud]

FSU recently went 9-9 in the ACC....and squeaked into the tourney as a 9th seed at large....to go to the Elite Eight..beating Mizzou, Xavier, and Gonzaga.

Maybe my thought is from where I am sitting...FSU isn't a bad team...maybe better than their ACC record...they have to play Duke, UNC, and Virginia twice as well as Louisville.

Going 9-9 ain't that bad.

 

[billybud]

UConn won a NC after looking pretty middling during half the season.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't hate it. Polls, even based on computer rankings, just aren't sure how good small conference champs are in March. The only way you find out is to let them play. If the 45th best team in the country, whatever that means, doesn't get in, who cares. You already know that the team that went 8-10 in the Big East isn't a top team having had all season to prove otherwise.

But there was a time when a 9-9 Big East team won it all!

 

[AZHuskiePop]

But there was a time when a 9-9 Big East team won it all!

That 9-9 record was misleading because the Big. East teams got to beat Kemba Up especially on the road.You shut him down and you shut down the team.
With a bigger audience even at MSG the rules changed a bit.
That team was 21-0 in tournaments or non conference.
They won Maui,Big East , and NC tournaments .
They had 3 number 1 NBA picks
and 2 number 2. But most importantly they had Kemba and no one else did.

 

[Huskybass]

But there was a time when a 9-9 Big East team won it all!

4 > 1

9-9 > 8-10

69 > 68

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

That 9-9 record was misleading because the Big. East teams got to beat Kemba Up especially on the road.You shut him down and you shut down the team.
With a bigger audience even at MSG the rules changed a bit.
That team was 21-0 in tournaments or non conference.
They won Maui,Big East , and NC tournaments .
They had 3 number 1 NBA picks
and 2 number 2. But most importantly they had Kemba and no one else did.

Exactly!

(Faint cries: "But Ben. But Jimmer")

 

[businesslawyer]

UConn won a NC after looking pretty middling during half the season.

UConn was a 4 seed that year. They took a lot of losses but had a huge number of quality wins against an SOS that was unbelievably high. That is not the type of team that loses a slot to a minor conference champ.

As for the Missouri statement of an earlier poster, so what. So a team that you know didn't deserve a national championship gets hot and advances to the quarters. So what? Yes, anyone can beat almost anyone on a given day but why did they deserve a chance to be national champion?

 

[McLovin]

50% of non-autobid teams ranked between 40 and 60 in KenPom the last 2 years have made it as an at-large bid (17/34). The committee usually ignores a few top 40 teams in favor of those outside of the top 40.

This is true and looking at the KenPom further, there were 9 KenPom top 40 teams that were left out over the past 2 seasons. But even with those 9 teams, 89% of the top 40 teams (including both auto-bids and at-large bids) made the tournament.

However, only 13% of the 136 NCAA spots from the last 3 seasons were filled with at-large bids of teams that finished outside of the top 40. Not good odds on Selection Sunday for teams outside the top 40 hopeful for an auto-bid.

Hopefully we just win the AAC tournament to make all of this moot.

 

[HooperScooper]

UConn was a 4 seed that year. They took a lot of losses but had a huge number of quality wins against an SOS that was unbelievably high. That is not the type of team that loses a slot to a minor conference champ.

3 seed. Which was remarkable because I think they were being talked about for a 5 or 6 seed before the BET.

 

[ucawn]

I do hate it when AQ's play while a better team must sit....

A team that is legitimately a top 50 team should play.

But those are the Cinderella’s and upset producers that make March madness what it it

 

[businesslawyer]

3 seed. Which was remarkable because I think they were being talked about for a 5 or 6 seed before the BET.

They won 5 games in 5 days, four of them against teams that had spent most of the year ranked and three against teams that were all in the top 12 or so at the time. As I told my sons as we left the arena, whoever wins the national championship this year will be champion for a year, but we aren't likely to ever see a team have the week that UConn just did.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I think we’ll win all the games we should and a few we’re not expected to.
22-23 wins and a 9 seed. Knock off Duke on Saturday en route to number 5.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I do hate it when AQ's play while a better team must sit....

A team that is legitimately a top 50 team should play.

Billy, that's very P5 of you, trying to keep the little guys out.
I get your point, but as others have said, it's David beating Goliath that makes it special.