I actually heard someone on the radio during my two-hour drive today (major network) insinuate that the ommission of Mississippi State is a prime example of why the tournament needs to expand.
I couldn't agree more. Let's blow up the greatest three weeks in American sports for Mississippi State. Makes prefect sense to me.
But alas there are a few teams with legit reason for some madness at being left out of the Madness (and yes, the Bulldogs are probably the foremost).
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Seth Greenberg and Virginia Tech got screwed. Granted the author of the quote is usually none other than Seth Greenberg, but this time, the Maniac will echo his sentiments. And for all those of you who say "you shouldn't have gotten blasted by Miami in the ACC tourney" I say, hold on just a quick second.
You know who else bowed out early in their conference tourney? This year's most glaring over-seed and ill-admission, the Florida Gators. Perhaps the committee owed Jeremy Foley a favor or was afraid to see a "marquee" coach's seat get quite as hot as Billy's D's en route to NIT-Three... The Hokies finished THIRD in a conference that sent SIX teams to the Dance, including Georgia Tech. Granted the Jackets made it all the way to the ACC final, but their regualr season ACC performance was 7-9. Read it again. Seven and Nine. That puts them three full games behind the Hokies in conference.
So... if conference tournaments are that important, let's put every deep advancer IN the the Dance. And that's exactly HOW it happened. Read: Minnesota. The Gophers were outclassed by Illinois all Big Ten season, but in tourney play The Gohpers beat Sparty in OT, and the Illini failed to get off a game-winning attempt in regulation, and again in OT against Ohio State. When the clock finally expired in Double OT, the Illini's season was over. Perhaps if they instead drew the depleted Boilermakers (like Minnesota) it would be Chief Illini and the ridiculous headdress this March. On a side note - Congrats Tubby.
Conference tourney's matter. The committee showed this clearly. Georgetown's deep run launched them from a 4/5 to a solid #3 and Notre Dame's Semi-Final run took them from "bubble" to six seed. Baylor's nice late tourney run landed them as the pesky #3 seed no one knows enough about and Cal's near-win against Washington landed them on safe ground as a #8.
In fact, every major conference conference finalist MADE the tourney...EXCEPT Mississippi State. To make things further perplexing, espite rolling Florida and Vandy en route to a thrilling OT loss to Kentucky (the second time they had UK flat-out BEAT this season) and finsihing with the same record (9-7) in conference, and a one-game better record overall, a last week win OVER the Gators and an RPI one spot higher... the final spot goes to???? The Gators.
Look, I get that a lot of my readers are Gator fans, and I also get that one stupid ten seed (or eleven or twelve) is not that big of a deal. My only point is, with THOSE numbers I just gave you, HOW is Florida a #10 and Missippis State is completely OUT?
By every quantifiable number the Bulldogs are equal or better. RPI, conference record, play down the stretch, quality wins, head-to-head on a neutral floor three days before the selection process, and overall record.... HMMMM. That's all I'm saying. HMMMMMM.
OK, onto my awards for the Selection Committee:
Most over-seeded teams:
1. Florida (in case you missed that point earlier)
2. Wisconsin as a #4. if the tourney were played in the Kohl Center, perhaps. I think the committee placed far too high a premium on pre-conference HOME wins over Duke and Marquette. Down the stretch, the Badgers were average at best
3. New Mexico State as a #12. A number 12 means they were a bubble team had they not earned the auto-bid by upsetting Utah State. I have no problem with Utah State as a #12, but New Mexico State?? Would they have even been in the First Ten Out had they not won? No, of course not. So HOW are they a #12 while Siena is a #13?
Under-Seeded Teams:
1. Temple as a #5. They win the A-10 Regular Season, they won the A-10 Tourney. They are 27-5 with an RPI of #9. How this team fell to a #5 behind teams like Vandy, Pitt (LOOK at their non-conference schedule, nothing of quality with losses to Texas and INDIANA), and Wisconsin is baffling to me.
2. Butler as a #5. They played a solid non-conference slate. Then they went 16-0 and won their conference tourney. The Horizon league isn't a dazzler but you can't ask for more than perfection. Last year they fell in the conference tourney and Cleveland State went out and bounced #4 Wake Forest... They also have an RPI of #12 with wins over Xavier and Ohio State...
3. BYU as a #7. Perhaps Florida will at least get their due as the over-seeded #10 to face the under-seeded #7. Let's just close our eyes and call it what it is: a 5/12 classic.
Isn't it Ironic?
Don't worry, there is no intention of linking a topless photo of Alanis Morisette on this post... seriously, that scared me...
It is an ironic afternoon in college hoops, with more than a few interesting coincidences occuring.
Today Purdue will look to become the #1 team in the country (not really, Syracuse will be #1 no maktter what in my estimation) when they host the Michigan State Spartans. Last month Purdue beat State in Lansing while their top player, Kalin Lucas, was injured (yes he played sparingly). Today, the tables turn as Sparty heads to Lafayette to meet the Boilers sans Robbie Hummel.
Tennessee, who was left for dead with little chance of posting bail just seven weeks ago now owns victories over the top two teams in the country, and two sure-fire #1 seeds in Kansas and Kentucky. No one else in the nation can boast such an accomplishment. Even more impressive, they were one possession away from beating Purdue way back in November. That would have given them possibly three wins over #1 seeds.
Iowa? Terrible. Indiana? Even worse. New Mexico? In line for a #2 seed after beating BYU in Provo yesterday. Hats off to Steve Alford and his Lobos. I'm interested to see how well they handle March Madness. As of now they are 6-0 against ranked opponents.
North Carolina finally got a conference win yesterday to keep their plus-.500 NIT hopes alive. Their struggles have deflected attention from the truly worst team and coaching performance in the country, the absolute meltdown in Austin. Texas lost again yesterday to fall to 5-7 over their last 12 games. At seventh place in the Big 12, and looking at their final 12 games one could argue the Longhorns are inching close to the bubble (exaggeration, they are safely in). It is hard to put them any higher than a #7 seed if the tourney started today.
And in a final ironic twist, how about Cincinnati blowing a 17-point lead to West Virginia, essentially ending their hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats still have not made the field of 65 since now-West Virginia coach Bobby Huggins patrolled the sidelines in the Queen City. I am sure Bobby is was far above such pettiness, but one has to think "suck it Nancy Zimpher" entered his head on several occasions...
It is an ironic afternoon in college hoops, with more than a few interesting coincidences occuring.
Today Purdue will look to become the #1 team in the country (not really, Syracuse will be #1 no maktter what in my estimation) when they host the Michigan State Spartans. Last month Purdue beat State in Lansing while their top player, Kalin Lucas, was injured (yes he played sparingly). Today, the tables turn as Sparty heads to Lafayette to meet the Boilers sans Robbie Hummel.
Tennessee, who was left for dead with little chance of posting bail just seven weeks ago now owns victories over the top two teams in the country, and two sure-fire #1 seeds in Kansas and Kentucky. No one else in the nation can boast such an accomplishment. Even more impressive, they were one possession away from beating Purdue way back in November. That would have given them possibly three wins over #1 seeds.
Iowa? Terrible. Indiana? Even worse. New Mexico? In line for a #2 seed after beating BYU in Provo yesterday. Hats off to Steve Alford and his Lobos. I'm interested to see how well they handle March Madness. As of now they are 6-0 against ranked opponents.
North Carolina finally got a conference win yesterday to keep their plus-.500 NIT hopes alive. Their struggles have deflected attention from the truly worst team and coaching performance in the country, the absolute meltdown in Austin. Texas lost again yesterday to fall to 5-7 over their last 12 games. At seventh place in the Big 12, and looking at their final 12 games one could argue the Longhorns are inching close to the bubble (exaggeration, they are safely in). It is hard to put them any higher than a #7 seed if the tourney started today.
And in a final ironic twist, how about Cincinnati blowing a 17-point lead to West Virginia, essentially ending their hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats still have not made the field of 65 since now-West Virginia coach Bobby Huggins patrolled the sidelines in the Queen City. I am sure Bobby is was far above such pettiness, but one has to think "suck it Nancy Zimpher" entered his head on several occasions...
Good Day to Wear Orange
It's a good day to wear orange for sure, particularly if the orange is the trim on the white jerseys.
Tennessee and Oklahoma State secured their at-large bids today by knocking off the Top 2 teams in the country, respectively. A few things showed through in the games. One, Kentucky was impressive in the comeback, even though they lost. Fortunately there are no road games in the NCAA Tourney, and seeing how Kentucky fans travel like mad it will never feel like a road game come March. The second thing is that James Anderson needs to be on the list with Wall, Turner, Wesley Johnson and Scottie Reynolds for National Player of the Year. I'm not saying he should win it, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation.
The pair of losses raises an interesting question. With #1 and #2 losing, suppose Purdue wins tomorrow at home against Michigan State. Do voters have the cajones to vote a Robbie Hummel-less Purdue squad #1 in the country?? I think they don't.
If Syaracuse gets the win over a tough Villanova team tonight at the Carrier Dome, expect the 'Cuse to be the nation's top ranked team on Monday.
If ALL FOUR lose, I really have no clue what voters will do. Don't be surprised if the polls remain largely the same at the top, with only Nova and K-State creeping up...
As we say often, the best thing about polls is that strippers use them. In college hoops, we settle it on the court, but the next few weeks are going to get crazyin terms of jostling for seeds.
Tennessee and Oklahoma State secured their at-large bids today by knocking off the Top 2 teams in the country, respectively. A few things showed through in the games. One, Kentucky was impressive in the comeback, even though they lost. Fortunately there are no road games in the NCAA Tourney, and seeing how Kentucky fans travel like mad it will never feel like a road game come March. The second thing is that James Anderson needs to be on the list with Wall, Turner, Wesley Johnson and Scottie Reynolds for National Player of the Year. I'm not saying he should win it, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation.
The pair of losses raises an interesting question. With #1 and #2 losing, suppose Purdue wins tomorrow at home against Michigan State. Do voters have the cajones to vote a Robbie Hummel-less Purdue squad #1 in the country?? I think they don't.
If Syaracuse gets the win over a tough Villanova team tonight at the Carrier Dome, expect the 'Cuse to be the nation's top ranked team on Monday.
If ALL FOUR lose, I really have no clue what voters will do. Don't be surprised if the polls remain largely the same at the top, with only Nova and K-State creeping up...
As we say often, the best thing about polls is that strippers use them. In college hoops, we settle it on the court, but the next few weeks are going to get crazyin terms of jostling for seeds.
Judgement Saturday Picks
Ok, the Gold Medal Hockey game is tomorrow, so there is no excuse not to gorge on a bounty of fantastic basketball games today. Most of today's games likely won't affect who is "in" and who is "out", but there are about a dozen fantastic games that provide a nice look at who is ready for March and who might be a little overvalued.
The glamour game is tonight in Syracuse, where they are expecting more people in attendance than have EVER attended an on-campus basketball game. As in EVER. That's pretty impressive, and the Maniac imagines they will get their money's worth. Villanova matches up well with the Orange, in the sense that their guard-dominated lineup is well suited to shoot teams out of the zone. My only question with Nova tonight is how they will bang with the Cuse bigs. If Syracuse can limit the Wildcats to one shot I like their chances. The winner of tonight's game gets the inside track on a #1 ssed, particularly if the Cuse win (it pretty muck locks their #1, Villanova would still have a little work to do).
On to the quick picks:
Notre Dame +11 @ Georgetown: The Irish have found something special in the past few games without Luke Harangody. Their crushing win over Pitt puts them oddly back in the tourney mix, despite having lost three straight before that contest. It's been a while since ND was blowout, and Georgetown seems oddly susceptable to the home upset to bubble teams. Gimme the Irish with the bevy of points.
Boston College @ Georgia Tech - 7: For some reason every mock bracket has the Jackets tucked safely in the field, despite a 6-7 record in an average ACC. I think that's a mistake, and I think GT knows they have work to do. Expect them to finally do it today at home.
Kentucky -2 @ Tennessee: Yes, the Vols will be amped up today. The crowd will be electric. But this is a terrible matchup for UT. They just don't have the depth or the guard play to hang with Kentucky. Expect Cousins and Patterson to get Chism in some foul trouble early and the Vols have no one to turn to after that.
Rhode Island -5 @ St. Bonnaventure: The Rams are in danger of playing themselves out of the tournament with another bad loss. Fortunatly for them St. Bonnie is terrible. I like the Rams to get well and win by double digits on the road.
Arizona State @ Cal -6: Knock the Pac 10 all we want, but I think Cal locks up a comfortable tourney spot with a win tonight. One thing nearly every Pac 10 team has done this year is pack it in on the road. I like Cal, one of the nation's hottest teams, to roll at home and grab the conference regualr season crown. However, should the Devils steal on on the road, they move into the soft bubble mix.
New Mexico +9 @ BYU: Syracuse gets all the attention tonight, but the game of the day is right here in Provo, Utah. Both teams are NCAA locks, the winner today likely sews up a Top 4 seed. New Mexico is absolutely on fire and is more athletic than the Cougars. I like them to control the looks Jimmer Fredette gets from the perimeter and to control the glass. I'm not sure the Lobos get the huge road win, but I'll take them with the points.
The glamour game is tonight in Syracuse, where they are expecting more people in attendance than have EVER attended an on-campus basketball game. As in EVER. That's pretty impressive, and the Maniac imagines they will get their money's worth. Villanova matches up well with the Orange, in the sense that their guard-dominated lineup is well suited to shoot teams out of the zone. My only question with Nova tonight is how they will bang with the Cuse bigs. If Syracuse can limit the Wildcats to one shot I like their chances. The winner of tonight's game gets the inside track on a #1 ssed, particularly if the Cuse win (it pretty muck locks their #1, Villanova would still have a little work to do).
On to the quick picks:
Notre Dame +11 @ Georgetown: The Irish have found something special in the past few games without Luke Harangody. Their crushing win over Pitt puts them oddly back in the tourney mix, despite having lost three straight before that contest. It's been a while since ND was blowout, and Georgetown seems oddly susceptable to the home upset to bubble teams. Gimme the Irish with the bevy of points.
Boston College @ Georgia Tech - 7: For some reason every mock bracket has the Jackets tucked safely in the field, despite a 6-7 record in an average ACC. I think that's a mistake, and I think GT knows they have work to do. Expect them to finally do it today at home.
Kentucky -2 @ Tennessee: Yes, the Vols will be amped up today. The crowd will be electric. But this is a terrible matchup for UT. They just don't have the depth or the guard play to hang with Kentucky. Expect Cousins and Patterson to get Chism in some foul trouble early and the Vols have no one to turn to after that.
Rhode Island -5 @ St. Bonnaventure: The Rams are in danger of playing themselves out of the tournament with another bad loss. Fortunatly for them St. Bonnie is terrible. I like the Rams to get well and win by double digits on the road.
Arizona State @ Cal -6: Knock the Pac 10 all we want, but I think Cal locks up a comfortable tourney spot with a win tonight. One thing nearly every Pac 10 team has done this year is pack it in on the road. I like Cal, one of the nation's hottest teams, to roll at home and grab the conference regualr season crown. However, should the Devils steal on on the road, they move into the soft bubble mix.
New Mexico +9 @ BYU: Syracuse gets all the attention tonight, but the game of the day is right here in Provo, Utah. Both teams are NCAA locks, the winner today likely sews up a Top 4 seed. New Mexico is absolutely on fire and is more athletic than the Cougars. I like them to control the looks Jimmer Fredette gets from the perimeter and to control the glass. I'm not sure the Lobos get the huge road win, but I'll take them with the points.
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On the Ropes
Ah, what a difference a week makes when March Madness looms around the corner. Once the Superbowl passes and the masses join us junkies, hanging on every hoops score, the hyperbole ramps up with every passing Bracketology. Two weeks ago Louisville was left for dead. Now? Win tonight hosting Georgetown and they move into a tie for fourth in the Beast at 10-5 and become a stone cold lock for the tourney.
So it goes as the snow melts in college hoops. Two games tonight feature teams hanging on a thread after promising views just a few weeks ago.
After Illinois knocked off Wisconsin at the Kohl Center to force a virtual five way tie for the Big Ten lead it seemed to lock up their spot in the Dance. Tonight they visit Ann Arbor as three point underdogs to Michigan. Casinos don't go under often in Vegas, so that tells me my perception of the Illini teetering ain't just me. A loss tonight puts them on the bubble and puts the Big Ten in the position of earning only four bids.
Florida looked solid on paper, but using the eye test Ive had them as a bubble team for weeks. Watching them get out-physicaled by Xavier on the home floor was a huge red flag. A loss tonight to Tennessee could even pop the bubble for Billy D. Two banners versus three straight NIT appearances... Do the whispers start in Gainesville??
Maniacs Picks:
Michigan +3
Tennessee +2.5
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
So it goes as the snow melts in college hoops. Two games tonight feature teams hanging on a thread after promising views just a few weeks ago.
After Illinois knocked off Wisconsin at the Kohl Center to force a virtual five way tie for the Big Ten lead it seemed to lock up their spot in the Dance. Tonight they visit Ann Arbor as three point underdogs to Michigan. Casinos don't go under often in Vegas, so that tells me my perception of the Illini teetering ain't just me. A loss tonight puts them on the bubble and puts the Big Ten in the position of earning only four bids.
Florida looked solid on paper, but using the eye test Ive had them as a bubble team for weeks. Watching them get out-physicaled by Xavier on the home floor was a huge red flag. A loss tonight to Tennessee could even pop the bubble for Billy D. Two banners versus three straight NIT appearances... Do the whispers start in Gainesville??
Maniacs Picks:
Michigan +3
Tennessee +2.5
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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