[FFL]

Getting to be that time again!

Prediction:

Duke once again gets a questionable #1 seed, and both Duke and UNC get to play their first couple rounds in-state.

[Yontsey]

Duke is overrated and plays in a weak ACC conference this year. UNC should be around a 3-4 seed. Their record vs top 25 RPI and top 50 RPI teams is not good and once again, the weak ACC conference this year. That being said, UNC has been impressive lately putting it together since Larry Drew left the team.

[RowdyScot]

Hoping Michigan gets into the dance, but not expecting much if they do. Still a very young team, but some excellent talent.

[SKMDC]

St. Johns.

[Yontsey]

I can see Michigan being one of the last 4 in. Depends on some of the mid-major conf tourneys and power conf tourneys if there's upsets or not. A conf like the CAA should get 2-3 teams in. I do like Michigan though. Big fan of Beilein.

[RowdyScot]

Michigan will be guaranteed in if they reach the Big Ten semis, I think.

[FFL]

If I was a Rutgers fan, I'd be absolutely livid right now.

[SKMDC]

Plus they have to drive back to New Jersey.
What'd the refs miss? a foul, a travel, a stepping out of bounds, and a delay of game technical, which they say wouldn't have been called, but if they would have called him o/b with time on the clock then exuberance would not be an excuse.
But Rutgers most likely would have lost just on the 1.6 seconds but the foul is a different story.

[torifile]

UNC should be a 3 seed unless we win the ACC tourney, giving us a 2, I think. The Heels are playing as solidly as I've seen in a long while and they are fundamentally sound. Except for their abysmal free throw shooting (I think it's like 65% as a team), they are a very solid team. I don't think it would be a stretch at all to have them in the Elite Eight. Final Four if they get a lucky break and the higher seed teams fall early.

Marshall is no Felton or Lawson but he's tall and is always playing with his head up. He's a good floor leader - and he's only a freshman.

Barnes has become a very consistent scorer and he does it quietly without flash. The last few games I've seen he's gotten close to 20 points without my even realizing it.

Zeller and Hensen are good on the inside. Very tall and they both run the floor well. Hensen needs to put on some weight so he will probably get pushed around a bit.

Strickland and others: good role players overall. I don't think we've got a weak link in the bunch. Sure, we lost a few players over the past 10 months (4 total giving us 9 scholarship players), but we're definitely a much more cohesive group now than before.

It's been fun to watch this season progress and grow. 2010 and the beginning of this season were frustrating to be a tarheel fan, but I'm looking forward to seeing this tourney. Roy needs to win a championship in 2013 and this bunch, if they stay together, will be definite contenders for that.

[SKMDC]

A rough 24 hours for the presumptive #1 seeds. Ohio State & North Carolina nearly lose today, Kansas last night nearly lost & Pittsburg DID lose.
Notre Dame a #1 seed now?
Also the Michigan/Illinois game, neither team outscored their football colleagues in their fall matchup.

[PKIDelirium]

Goddamnit UD... Xavier lost by one point.

[FFL]

UNC got very, very lucky.

Nice one going on right now between UCONN and 'Cuse.

[FFL]

Originally Posted by FFL Nice one going on right now between UCONN and 'Cuse.

Cue the Bud Light commercial: "Here We Go!"

[FFL]

Another Big East OT game - this time with the Cards' OT revenge on the Irish!

I hope ND still gets a 1 seed, though. And if Louisville wins again tomorrow, they should get a 2.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by FFL UNC got very, very lucky.

No kidding... finally saw the game, and dear *god* they could not have cut that finer. There couldn't have been more than 3" of air between the ball and his fingertips when the clock hit zero.

[torifile]

Another close UNC game. Another clutch win. Our freshmen have ice in their veins.

[SKMDC]

These tournaments are a big reason why drafting a kid out of High School is rubbish for an NBA team. As a college player you can go through so many pressure packed situations that will serve you well as a pro. Some of these kids are going to have 3 weeks of must win/pressure games.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by torifile Another close UNC game. Another clutch win. Our freshmen have ice in their veins.

No joke. The final should be... interesting.

[torifile]

WTF? We're in OSU's bracket? That makes no sense at all.

[Yontsey]

Biggest joke of the whole bracket is Florida getting a 2 seed. It's laughable.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by torifile WTF? We're in OSU's bracket? That makes no sense at all.

UNC should've been a 3 seed IMHO. RPI vs top 25 and top 50 is not very good.

[FFL]

Originally Posted by FFL Prediction: Duke once again gets a questionable #1 seed, and both Duke and UNC get to play their first couple rounds in-state.

I won't argue too much with Duke's #1 seed, but I sure called the Charlotte games for both Duke and UNC. I can't wait to see if any non-ACC sportswriters call the NCAA on this bullshit.

Hopefully my clairvoyance will carry over to the brackets!


Speaking of brackets - it looks like we can use the same logins as last year:

http://an4life.mayhem.cbssports.com/brackets

[FFL]

Originally Posted by Yontsey Biggest joke of the whole bracket is Florida getting a 2 seed. It's laughable.

This.

And Louisville should have been a 3 instead of a 4.

[Yontsey]

Kentucky should've been a 3 seed.

[SKMDC]

Colorado beat Kansas State 3 times, Colorado doesn't get in? Kansas State does?

[FFL]

Originally Posted by Yontsey Kentucky should've been a 3 seed.

Nope.

Louisville had a better record in a better conference. UK had too many road losses against teams not even in the RPI Top 50. The only reason they got a 4 instead of a 5 is they beat Florida in the SEC final.

[Yontsey]

Kentucky beat them head up @ Louisville, much better RPI record, 6-2 vs top 25 teams (at the time of playing), better overall record, won their conference tourney, harder SOS, and slightly better RPI record vs top 50.

[FFL]

Originally Posted by Yontsey Kentucky beat them head up @ Louisville

That one December game was most likely not a major consideration by the Selection Committee in considering either team's seed.

much better RPI record, 6-2 vs top 25 teams (at the time of playing),

Records are very close vs. RPI top 25, top 50, and top 100.

But - if RPI was everything, then how the heck did Syracuse get a 3 seed with a lower RPI than Louisville?

better overall record, won their conference tourney,

Half-game better record, much weaker conference (see conference RPI rankings).

harder SOS, and slightly better RPI record vs top 50.

SOS strength comes from early OOC games.

Louisville and Kentucky fans can have this discussion all day long and get nowhere. How about we agree that they both should have been a 3, and that Syracuse, BYU, and Florida all got over-seeded ahead of them?

[torifile]

Originally Posted by Yontsey UNC should've been a 3 seed IMHO. RPI vs top 25 and top 50 is not very good.

RPI is only one factor - UNC is playing as well as any team in the country right now. That said, I wouldn't have quibbled with a 3 seed; I did say they'd be a 3 seed unless they won the ACC tourney.

We played like crap today. I guess they had to get one bad game out of their systems to make them stop falling behind early.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by torifile RPI is only one factor - UNC is playing as well as any team in the country right now. That said, I wouldn't have quibbled with a 3 seed; I did say they'd be a 3 seed unless they won the ACC tourney. We played like crap today. I guess they had to get one bad game out of their systems to make them stop falling behind early.

Agreed with them playing really well. They've been playing very good ball ever since Drew left the team. I've been looking over the bracket, and like FFL said, Lousville should've been a 3 seed, and I think Kentucky and Texas should've been one as well. BYU was too high, Florida was waaaaay too high, and I even think Syracuse was too high. Cuse hasn't played great ball lately and I think a 4 would've been more fitting for BYU and Cuse, and I honestly think Florida should've been a 4 or 5 even.

Looking over the bracket though, this is one of the weakest tournaments that I've seen in quite sometime. There's no great teams out there this year. Just a bunch of very good teams. OSU got screwed. Matta should be pissed at Gene Smith for the draw he put them in. Jamie Dixon better be thanking his heavenly stars for the cakewalk bracket he got put in. That bracket is a joke.