March Madness

[Timmypg]

the expansion of the tourny is still confusing me ... the tourny starts on tuesday with 68? and then will be down to 64 on Thurs? and all will be back normal? as a commissioner for a bracket league, am I to ask for all the brackets by Monday? or can we just wait til thursday for the 64 team bracket?

 

I'm running my bracket like normal. Get them in by Thursday as Tuesadays games don't count.

[Scooby's Hubby]

that is what I am wanting to do. We use CBS for our management, it is still free. I am hoping their system will sort all this out for me.

[Gopher]

the expansion of the tourny is still confusing me ... the tourny starts on tuesday with 68? and then will be down to 64 on Thurs? and all will be back normal? as a commissioner for a bracket league, am I to ask for all the brackets by Monday? or can we just wait til thursday for the 64 team bracket?

There has been a play-in game on Tuesday for the past few years, already. Now, there will be four... two on Tuesday (with the winners then playing in Thursday's games), and two more on Wednesday (with those winners playing in Friday's games). So, I would imagine that you could just not include the four play-in games in your bracket. It becomes a little bit more tricky, though, in the sense that the winner of a couple of those play-in games COULD potentially win the next round as well (since they are basically the last four at-large teams, rather than 16-seeds). So, essentially, if you're filling out your bracket, you would want to wait and see who wins those play-in matchups between the last four at-large teams (12-seeds). After all, it's not that uncommon for a 12 to beat a 5, especially if they now have the momentum of winning a "tournament" game earlier in the week. In years past, you could just pencil in the 1-seed, because the winner of the only play-in game (between two 16's) wasn't going to beat anybody on Thursday/Friday.

[Gopher]

I'm just not sure that Nova deserves a bid after bowing out so early, and playing so poorly of late.

They are definitely the least deserving of the three (Georgetown and Marquette being the others). Still, though, if I ask myself who are the 38 best at-large teams (or more importantly, the 38 teams most likely to win a tournament game), I would have a very hard time leaving them out, and putting somebody like VCU (who didn't play a schedule half as difficult as Nova's) in the field instead. It really comes down to the question of how much weight is the committee putting on how teams finished. In Nova's case, I don't believe they lost a key player, or anything... They are just playing very poorly lately. In other words, there's nothing saying that they couldn't play very well next week... who knows.

[detlef]

Nice breakdown Gopher.

My thoughts exactly

[detlef]

There has been a play-in game on Tuesday for the past few years, already. Now, there will be four... two on Tuesday (with the winners then playing in Thursday's games), and two more on Wednesday (with those winners playing in Friday's games). So, I would imagine that you could just not include the four play-in games in your bracket. It becomes a little bit more tricky, though, in the sense that the winner of a couple of those play-in games COULD potentially win the next round as well (since they are basically the last four at-large teams, rather than 16-seeds). So, essentially, if you're filling out your bracket, you would want to wait and see who wins those play-in matchups between the last four at-large teams (12-seeds). After all, it's not that uncommon for a 12 to beat a 5, especially if they now have the momentum of winning a "tournament" game earlier in the week. In years past, you could just pencil in the 1-seed, because the winner of the only play-in game (between two 16's) wasn't going to beat anybody on Thursday/Friday.

Sorry, but could you explain this again? You're saying the play-in games are not between what you would consider to be the 16th and 17th seeds in each region?

 

So it's basically the 12 and 12a in each region?

[Gopher]

Missouri Valley

Larry Bird's alma mater stole the conference tournament title, leaving Missouri State on the outside looking in. Still with an RPI of 42, they're worth another look, as is WSU (even though they're even more unlikely to get an at-large bid than MSU).

 

Wichita State 24-8 (14-4)

Road Record: 9-2

Neutral court: 2-2

RPI - 60

SOS - 107

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): Tulsa (82) and swpet Indiana State (84)

Bad Losses: Southern Illinois (205) at home

Bottom Line: Sweeping ISU doesn't mean so much when you consider that they wouldn't be in the tournament, either, if they hadn't won the Missouri Valley tournament. So, even though WSU technically has a couple of wins against tournament teams, they don't really have any against tournament-caliber teams, if that makes sense. They are out.

 

Missouri State 25-8 (15-3)

Road Record: 7-6

Neutral court: 3-1

RPI - 41

SOS - 121

Last 10 games: 8-2

Best wins (RPI): Swept Wichita State (60)

Bad Losses: @Evansville (139)

Bottom Line: Better resume than WSU, including beating them twice, but the thing that they both share in common is that they didn't really beat anyone note-worthy, out of conference. Better shot at getting in than Wichita State, but still very unlikely that either makes it in.

[Gopher]

Sorry, but could you explain this again? You're saying the play-in games are not between what you would consider to be the 16th and 17th seeds in each region?

 

So it's basically the 12 and 12a in each region?

Yeah, I was as confused as anyone else, when I first saw this. When I originally heard that they were adding three additional play-in games (several months ago), I just assumed (like you and many others, I'm guessing) that it would basically be a 16 vs. 17 game, featuring the eight "worst" teams in the field of 68. But, in layman's terms, this is how I understand it... There will be two play-in games between the worst four teams in the field (so, basically, there are six 16-seeds instead of just four), and two more play-in games between the "last four in"... essentially, the worst four at-large teams. Since the last at-large teams selected each year usually fall right around the 12-seed spot, that's where the winners of those two games will be placed... to face a 5-seed. So, basically, there are six 12-seeds, just like there are six 16's.

 

Sort of strange, I know, but I do think it makes the Tuesday/Wednesday games slightly more interesting, since like I mentioned earlier, you now have a possible scenario where the winner of at least two of those games actually has a shot of winning something more on Thursday/Friday.

 

Here is a link to CBS' Bracketology... Just like Joe Lunardi's predictions on ESPN, the last four teams in are considered 12-seeds, that will be playing Tuesday/Wednesday:

 

CBS Bracketology

[detlef]

Yeah, I was as confused as anyone else, when I first saw this. When I originally heard that they were adding three additional play-in games (several months ago), I just assumed (like you and many others, I'm guessing) that it would basically be a 16 vs. 17 game, featuring the eight "worst" teams in the field of 68. But, in layman's terms, this is how I understand it... There will be two play-in games between the worst four teams in the field (so, basically, there are six 16-seeds instead of just four), and two more play-in games between the "last four in"... essentially, the worst four at-large teams. Since the last at-large teams selected each year usually fall right around the 12-seed spot, that's where the winners of those two games will be placed... to face a 5-seed. So, basically, there are six 12-seeds, just like there are six 16's.

 

Sort of strange, I know, but I do think it makes the Tuesday/Wednesday games slightly more interesting, since like I mentioned earlier, you now have a possible scenario where the winner of at least two of those games actually has a shot of winning something more on Thursday/Friday.

 

Here is a link to CBS' Bracketology... Just like Joe Lunardi's predictions on ESPN, the last four teams in are considered 12-seeds, that will be playing Tuesday/Wednesday:

 

CBS Bracketology

Wow, thanks for the breakdown. Interesting indeed. One does have to wonder, however if that's the most equitable way of doing it. When it was just the one play-in game, it didn't matter whether the 1 seed who played the play-in winner was at a disadvantage or advantage because the team they were playing had just played a game a few nights earlier because they should kill them regardless.

 

However, 5 v 12 is another thing entirely and we could find that either the 5s who play a known opponent or the play-in could fare noticeable better than the others.

[Gopher]

Mountain West

 

BYU and San Diego State are both in, and very high seeds at that... If one of them manages to win their conference tournament, they'll probably land in a 2-spot, with the other potentially being no worse than a 3 or 4-seed. Meanwhile, UNLV is also pretty much a lock (but I'll check them out, anyway), while Colorado State is more on the bubble.

 

UNLV 23-7 (11-5)

Road Record: 9-3

Neutral court: 3-0

RPI - 25

SOS - 38

Last 10 games: 8-2

Best wins (RPI): Wisconsin (14), @Kansas State (18), @Colorado State (42), Virginia Tech (64), swept New Mexico (71)

Bad Losses: UCSB (194) at home

Bottom Line: Plenty of solid wins, including at least two (and maybe as many as four) against tournament teams... all of which were away from home. This team is very road-tested, winning 12 games away from home this year (including a perfect 3-0 record at neutral sites). They are in, for sure, and should fall somewhere in the 5-8 range, in terms of seed.

 

Colorado State 19-11 (9-7)

Road Record: 6-6

Neutral court: 3-1

RPI - 42

SOS - 30

Last 10 games: 5-5

Best wins (RPI): @UNLV (25), Southern Miss (54), New Mexico (71)

Bad Losses: Sam Houston (166), Hampton (168)

Bottom Line: Probably didn't get enough done, to this point, to make it in. They meet New Mexico today (Thursday), and then would potentially meet BYU on Friday. Win today, and they at least improve their chances. Lose today, and they're out, in my opinion. If they can beat NM and BYU, I think they might sneak in.

[Gopher]

Pac 10

Arizona is in, for sure... I think they're no worse than a 7-seed, but probably closer to a 5 or 6, especially if they can win the Pac-10 tourney. UCLA is also likely in, but will be closer to the 8-10 range. As for the others....

 

 

Washington 20-10 (11-7)

Road Record: 5-6

Neutral court: 1-2

RPI - 45

SOS - 49

Last 10 games: 5-5

Best wins (RPI): Arizona (15), swept UCLA (31), swept Cal (65), won @USC (71)

Bad Losses: @Oregon (146), @Stanford (152), @Oregon State (215)

Bottom Line: Here is a good example of why RPI is only worth so much, in terms of a measurement of a team's value. The Huskies' worst three losses look pretty bad, in terms of RPI (of their opponents in those losses), but they're still conference road losses. I take those with a grain of salt... In most conferences, winning ANY road game is difficult, no matter who you are playing. Meanwhile, Washington has three wins against the best two teams in their conference, which is more than enough to get them in. Would have liked to see them do better against non-conference opponents (lost to Kentucky, Michigan State, and Texas A&M), but that will only hurt their chance at a higher seed (not the likelihood of them getting in). I see them falling into a 9-11 seed, depending on how they do in the Pac-10. Still, this team is talented enough to not only win a game in the first round, but I believe they CAN play competitively with most of the 1, 2, or 3-seeds in the second round as well. The question is whether or not they can play with enough efficiency and discipline to reach their potential. Recent history shows that they can't, but the talent is there.

 

USC 18-13 (10-8)

Road Record: 5-8

Neutral court: 1-1

RPI - 70

SOS - 43

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): Texas (13), Arizona (15), UCLA (31), @Tennessee (37), @Washington (45), @California (65)

Bad Losses: Bradley (234) on neutral court, @Oregon State (215), @TCU (206), swept by Oregon (146)

Bottom Line: This is a team that I am somewhat torn about... They have at least four wins over tournament teams, including two on the road. On the other hand, they have a couple of pretty ugly losses as well. Still, once again, it's all about who can beat a tournament-level team, and USC has proven that they can. I think that, if they beat Cal today (and play Arizona close in the next round), they have a decent chance at getting in. Unfortunately, USC (like most of the Pac-10) is an "RPI-victim" due to the conference as a whole not winning a lot of quality non-conference games. I still think the Trojans are good enough to be considered one of the top 38 at-large teams, as long as they get by Cal.

 

California 17-13 (10-8)

Road Record: 5-5

Neutral court: 1-2

RPI - 65

SOS - 20

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): Temple (29) on neutral court, UCLA (31), @USC (70)

Bad Losses: @Stanford (152)

Bottom Line: A more conservative version of USC... not as many flashy wins, but not really any bad losses, either. What's interesting about that, though, is that Cal actually has the stronger SOS of the two. Cal finished by winning their final four games of the year, which could help their cause. This could come down to who wins the Cal-USC (4-5) matchup today, in the Pac-10 tournament. Cal would probably need to beat Arizona in the next round as well, though, to be considered "likely" to get in.

 

Washington State 19-11 (9-9)

Road Record: 5-6

Neutral court: 3-1

RPI - 76

SOS - 84

Last 10 games: 5-5

Best wins (RPI): Swept Washington (45), Gonzaga (57), Cal (65), and USC (70) at home.

Bad Losses: Stanford (152) at home, @Arizona State (157), @Oregon (146)

Bottom Line: By far, the least likely of the four teams to have a shot at getting in. The one thing they have going for them is that they beat the other three, including Washington twice. Unfortunately, for them, Washington is the least likely of the other three to be on the bubble... it probably would have helped WSU more, had they swept Cal or USC. If they can somehow get to the Pac-10 final, I think they have a shot. Otherwise, they're out.

 

Pac-10 will likely get four teams in... AZ, UCLA, Washington, and the winner of Cal-USC, in my opinion. Unless something crazy happens... then, who knows. Either way, I don't see more than four teams making it.

[Gopher]

SEC

IN - Florida, Kentucky

Maybe - Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi State

 

Vanderbilt - 21-9 (9-7)

Road Record: 5-5

Neutral court: 2-1

RPI - 27

SOS - 15

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): UNC (6), Kentucky (11), swept Georgia (40), St. Mary's (47), Belmont (53), Marquette (58), Alabama (78)

Bad Losses: Arkansas (112) at home, @South Carolina (128)

Bottom Line: No real terrible losses, but a bunch of decent wins, including neutral site win over UNC and road win @Georgia. Beating Belmont is more impressive than many people realize, and the win over bubble team St. Mary's helps as well. Vandy should be in as no worse than a 7-8 seed, I'm guessing. Win another game or two, though, and I could see them climbing up to the 5-6 range.

 

Alabama - 20-10 (12-4)

Road Record: 4-7

Neutral court: 0-3

RPI - 78

SOS - 126

Last 10 games: 7-3

Best wins (RPI): Kentucky (11), @Tennessee (37), Georgia (40)

Bad Losses: Iowa (172), @Providence (150)

Bottom Line: Yikes... The idea that a 12-4 team in the SEC could possibly not make the tournament seems hard to fathom. But, Bama's RPI and SOS are brutal. They did beat Kentucky, and the road win at Tennessee might be their best, but they didn't do much else, going a combined 4-10 away from home. A win in the second round, over the Auburn-Georgia winner, would certainly help, but even that might not be enough.

 

Georgia - 20-10 (9-7)

Road Record: 7-4

Neutral court: 1-2

RPI - 40

SOS - 35

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): Kentucky (11), UAB (28), @Tennessee (37), Colorado (67)

Bad Losses: The Bulldogs' "worst" loss is at Alabama. Next worst is at home to Tennessee.

Bottom Line: I actually like Georgia's resume quite a bit. Most of their losses are games that you would expect them to lose, if that makes any sense... Notre Dame, Temple, Xavier, as well as Florida and Vanderbilt twice each. In other words, they're tournament-tested, in and out of conference, and they beat most of the teams that they should beat (but not much more than that). I think they're likely in, probably as a 9-10 seed.

 

Tennessee - 18-13 (8-8)

Road Record: 5-5

Neutral court: 1-0

RPI - 37

SOS - 2

Last 10 games: 4-6

Best wins (RPI): Pittsburgh (6), swept Vandy (27), Villanova (36), Memphis (39), @Georgia (40), Missouri State (41), VCU (49), and Belmont (53) twice

Bad Losses: @Charlotte (218), Mississippi State (115) at home.

Bottom Line: The record, at first glance, isn't all that impressive, but the Vols may have the most impressive list of wins out there... Out of conference, they knocked off tournament squads Pitt, Nova, Memphis, Georgia, and Belmont twice. Plus, the suspension of coach Pearl didn't make their road any easier this year... They should be in, probably somewhere in the same range as Georgia (9-10).

 

Mississippi State - 17-13 (9-7)

Road Record: 4-5

Neutral court: 1-3

RPI - 115

SOS - 88

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): Florida (10), @Tennessee (37)

Bad Losses: @Auburn (253), LSU (223) at home, @Hawaii (151)

Bottom Line:Probably not a strong enough resume to get in, unless they can win multiple games in the SEC tourney.

 

I see the SEC getting five teams in, unless something unusual happens.

Edited March 10, 2011 by Gopher

[Gopher]

West Coast

Gonzaga is in, but they're not as strong as in some past years... Probably a 8-9 seed, at best.

 

St. Mary's - 24-8 (11-3)

Road Record: 6-4

Neutral court: 4-2

RPI - 47

SOS - 100

Last 10 games: 6-4

Best wins (RPI): St. John's (24), @Gonzaga (57)

Bad Losses: @San Diego (317)

Bottom Line: Here is the strange thing about St. Mary's... They actually have a non-conference game (with Weber State) this Friday, a week after their conference tournament has ended. Not sure why they scheduled that game, and I'm also not sure whether or not they're happy about it now. But, it could actually be the game that keeps them in or out. I watched the Gaels play several times this year, and from a strict eye-test perspective, they're on the same level as Gonzaga. Actually, Gonzaga is the more talented roster, up and down... St. Mary's just happens to have a pair of experienced guards that are far better than any of Gonzaga's guards. In a tournament setting, talented/experienced guards mean everything, which is why I lean towards St. Mary's being in. I don't think they're talented enough to make a run like last year, though... They have no inside presence anywhere close to what they had with Omar Samhan last season. Still, I think they'll get into the tournament, as long as they get by Weber State on Friday night. Lose that game, and they're probably out.

[Gopher]

Western Athletic

 

Utah State is probably in, whether they win the WAC or not. But, I like to take a look at these small-conference teams who are highly ranked, just to see exactly what they're made of.

 

Utah State 28-3 (15-1)

Road Record: 11-3

Neutral court: 0-0

RPI - 16

SOS - 124

Last 10 games: 9-1

Best wins (RPI): @St. Mary's (47)

Bad Losses: @Idaho (130)

Bottom Line: Not an extremely tough schedule, so it's hard to judge the Aggies on their good wins. They did lose at BYU by only six points. This team is an example of a veteran squad where you really have to look at certain factors, other than the obvious numbers. For example, this team has six seniors who have been a part of four straight WAC championships. They were also 11-3 on the road this year... Even though none of those wins (other than maybe St. Mary's) are impressive from an RPI standpoint, they still beat some quality teams from mid-level to smaller conferences... Boise State (120), NMSU (136), Hawaii (151), San Jose State (167), and Nevada (185). None of those are tournament teams, most likely, but they're still decent wins because they're on the road. For those reasons, Utah State is likely in the tournament, whether they win the WAC, or lose early. If they do lose, and a second bid in the WAC is created, though, it could come at the cost of a team like St. Mary's (who Utah State beat).

[Gopher]

My projected field is updated in the first post of this thread. I may be wrong about USC, but they've got a number of impressive wins, and I like their resume better than the others (Colorado, CSU, Penn State, St. Mary's, etc.). A lot can change in the next couple of days, though, so I will be updating as I see fit.

[Gopher]

By the way, compared to CBS and ESPN, I have a couple of discrepancies... ESPN has St. Mary's and Colorado in, while I have USC and Memphis. CBS has VCU and St. Mary's, while I have USC and Memphis.

 

ESPN

 

CBS

[Gopher]

Memphis beats SoMiss.

USC beats Cal.

Colorado upsets KSU.

 

The more these teams win, the worse things look for St. Mary's. All they can do is beat Weber State, but that's a game they're expected to win easily. Meanwhile, Michigan State and Colorado State both trail in the second half... A loss for either one would almost certainly seal their fate (in the wrong direction). If Michigan State loses to Iowa, it will open a spot in my bracket for Colorado, most likely.

 

UAB is upset in OT, BYU barely hangs on against lowly TCU, and Kansas beats Okie State by one point.

 

In the Big East, UConn (who seemed to struggle at the end of the conference schedule) seems to be catching fire... They blew out Georgetown yesterday, and upset Pitt today.

[gilthorp]

My Illini are going to be fodder if they do squeeze in as a 9 or 10. Brutal.

[Kid Cid]

Add another win for the Huskies, taking out Syracuse in OT. That's 4 wins in 4 days. Now they have to play the Cardinal for the Championship. Thankfully, Louisville got taken into OT as well, but they definitely have fresher legs. If nothing else, the BET has been a much needed shot of confidence for the Huskies.

 

BTW, great job on the analysis Gopher.

 

On a side note, Penn State clipped Wisconsin in one of the ugliest games of basketball I've ever seen played 36-33. Penn State may be creeping back onto the bubble's edge and may hop onto it with a good showing against Michigan State today.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Kid Cid

[detlef]

Gotta say, if the big dance is half as interesting as the little dances have been, we're in for a great March.

 

Duke's got to be holding their breath about Smith's toe. That would truly be a shame if he's out for any significant stretch. To think they were arguably the best team in the nation before Irving went down and then to lose a Natl Player of the Year candidate as well. Effing brutal.

 

I'm not sure whether I should be confident at the fact that UNC keeps figuring out how to win or worried that, by and large, they're scraping by teams that are really not that good. Oh well, since it really doesn't matter how I feel, I'll go with confident.

 

My chef is from Bristol, so he's freaking giddy about the Huskies. What a run and that Walker kid is a beast!

[Gopher]

Add another win for the Huskies, taking out Syracuse in OT. That's 4 wins in 4 days. Now they have to play the Cardinal for the Championship. Thankfully, Louisville got taken into OT as well, but they definitely have fresher legs. If nothing else, the BET has been a much needed shot of confidence for the Huskies.

 

BTW, great job on the analysis Gopher.

 

On a side note, Penn State clipped Wisconsin in one of the ugliest games of basketball I've ever seen played 36-33. Penn State may be creeping back onto the bubble's edge and may hop onto it with a good showing against Michigan State today.

Yeah... I didn't get a chance to watch much of the Wisky-PSU game, but I'm kind of glad I didn't. Actually, I was watching ACC and Big East, mainly, last night. Notre Dame played about as good of a half as is possible, in the first half, then were terrible in the 2nd. UConn seems to be the team of destiny in this year's Big East tourney. Of course, the bad part about that is that it's pretty common for teams to run the table in their conference tournament, and then be a quick out in the NCAA's. Not saying that's going to happen to UConn, but it wouldn't surprise me. Very difficult to regain that momentum, after 4-5 days off (after the conference tournament). On the other hand, I think UConn is definitely much better than the 9th seed in the Big East... They played like a top-10 team, early in the season (knocking off several tough non-conference opponents), then struggled during the middle of the Big East schedule. Now, they seem to be back to that early-season form... once again, one of the top 10-15 teams in the country, possibly.

 

Gotta say, if the big dance is half as interesting as the little dances have been, we're in for a great March.

 

Duke's got to be holding their breath about Smith's toe. That would truly be a shame if he's out for any significant stretch. To think they were arguably the best team in the nation before Irving went down and then to lose a Natl Player of the Year candidate as well. Effing brutal.

 

I'm not sure whether I should be confident at the fact that UNC keeps figuring out how to win or worried that, by and large, they're scraping by teams that are really not that good. Oh well, since it really doesn't matter how I feel, I'll go with confident.

 

My chef is from Bristol, so he's freaking giddy about the Huskies. What a run and that Walker kid is a beast!

Fun tournaments to watch, so far, for sure. Even the Memphis-UTEP game (going on right now) is extremely entertaining. Must-win for both teams, probably, although Memphis has a MUCH better shot of getting in than UTEP. Unfortunately, for Memphis, they're playing on UTEP's home court, which is a definite disadvantage.

 

Walker is a beast... Reminds me (body frame, etc.) of Ben Gordon, although I think Walker is much more quick and dangerous with the ball (while Gordon might be the better spot-up long-distance shooter, at least right now). I don't think it matters that Walker is barely six feet tall... He's going to be a very good pro.

 

Meanwhile, UNC is struggling against Clemson early. Clemson may have knocked BC out last night, as well... BC looked very nonchalant, in a game that they didn't necessarily HAVE to win, but losing ugly certainly doesn't help their case, either.

 

As I'm typing, Memphis pulls out the one-point win at UTEP, securing an automatic bid. The question in Conference USA is whether that knocks UAB out. Earlier in the week, it was considered a given that UAB was in, with their high RPI, etc. Now, I'm not so sure. I'll update my projected field later today... A lot has happened in the past two days, almost certainly changing a couple of the last teams in, in my opinion.

[Gopher]

Updated my "field" (in the first post), as of about 3 PM EST. The last few teams, though, could still go either way.

 

Last FIVE in: Penn State, UAB, Richmond, Colorado, St. Mary's

Last FIVE out: Georgia, Alabama, BC, VCU, USC

 

I could see any of those ten going either way, and I'll share some more thoughts on each of them later.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Gopher

[Gopher]

Side notes... Two things you can always count on in early March:

 

- Kalin Lucas playing with a lower-leg injury in the Big Ten tournament.

- Virginia Tech being on the bubble, despite having played no quality opponents outside of the ACC.

 

I swear, it seems like those two things have happened for about the past half-dozen years or so. Other random thoughts...

 

Did anybody see Digger Phelps' forehead the other night? I'm not sure what it was, but it looked like his head was starting to cave in, right in the middle of his forehead. Today, it's gone. Not sure what it was, but I'm 99% sure it wasn't my TV.

 

Not sure what it is about him, but Jay Bilas bugs me. Actually, most of the hoops experts on ESPN bug me, for one reason or another.

 

I'm interested to see how Jim Nantz and Steve Kerr pair up for this year's Final Four. All I can say is that ANYTHING is better than that old troll, Billy Packer.

 

Lastly, just as an example of how college hoops have changed, I'm not sure you could put together a better starting five than the following freshman... Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Terrence Jones (Kentucky), Harrison Barnes (UNC), Tim Hardaway Jr. (Michigan), and Kyrie Irving (Duke). OK, Irving is hurt, so let's insert Kendall Marshall (UNC), instead. Actually, you could insert a half-dozen other freshman (Brandon Knight - Kentucky, Tristan Thompson - Texas, Perry Jones - Baylor, Josh Selby - Kansas, etc.) players into this list instead, and it would still be a pretty potent five... maybe better than any group of five upperclassmen in the country.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Gopher

[kentmore_kid]

Finish the rest tomorrow....

Anyone have any brackett pools open I am looking to join one.

bobh1402@comcast.net

[Gopher]

Anyone have any brackett pools open I am looking to join one.

bobh1402@comcast.net

Cunning Runt is running one here

 

I believe Huddler geeteebee is running one as well (referenced in the above linked thread).