Bracketology

[stever20]

question.....

if that's the bracket in March, do you really believe Creighton fans wouldn't complain about having to face Wisconsin in Milwaukee? I mean, look how much Providence fans complained about playing UNC last year in Raleigh. And the altitude situation with Seton Hall yet again.

And the last I checked, the goal just isn't to just get into the tournament, but actually you know win in the tournament. No one knows how many teams the ACC got in last year, just the ACC got 2 final 4 teams in there.

That matchup wouldn't happen in the field in the second round. The bracket doesn't allow for you to face a team you already played during the season until the regional semifinals and finals. Creighton is playing Wisconsin next week.

Actually, that only applies to conference opponents. They aren't allowed to put a rematch in the 1st round, but anything after that is fair game.

[aughnanure]

question.....

if that's the bracket in March, do you really believe Creighton fans wouldn't complain about having to face Wisconsin in Milwaukee? I mean, look how much Providence fans complained about playing UNC last year in Raleigh. And the altitude situation with Seton Hall yet again.

And the last I checked, the goal just isn't to just get into the tournament, but actually you know win in the tournament. No one knows how many teams the ACC got in last year, just the ACC got 2 final 4 teams in there.

No, the point is that the likelihood of any of these speculative matchups being correct is so small that its a waste of time and energy to analyze them like you have. The bracket never plays out the way the predictors go. Not one game has been played and you're already doing the "oh no, ___ team would not like to play ____ team." Focus on the big picture, not some team's hypothetical path to the Final Four.

[milksteak]

Focus on the big picture, not some team's hypothetical path to the Final Four.

Until the official brackets are released, yes. Match-ups are key to getting to the Final Four though.

[stever20]

I'd almost separate Creighton from the others on the good side. They seem to be pretty universal in that 6-8 or 9 range. The others- Butler(with just the 2 we're looking at with 12(PIG)/9, Georgetown with 9/11(next to last team with a bye), Seton Hall with 11(one of last 3 teams with a bye)/10, and Marquette being just out- are a bit more precarious.

Eh. Maybe.

If you really think about it though, you aren't "favored" to make the Sweet Sixteen unless you are a four seed.

EDIT: Quotations around favored because the best teams with the best resumes aren't always seeded the highest.

No doubt. But I'm just saying that Creighton is viewed a bit more of a "lock" in the tourney than the others(who all have been either one of the last teams in or last teams with a bye- or even Georgetown in the College Sports Madness one where they were the next to last team out). Just look at the NBC and ESPN ones that are on this thread. Both of them in as a 6. That's like a 15-20 team buffer in making the tourney. Creighton not necessarily a sweet 16 team, but maybe a sweet 16 contender category(would say like teams seeded universally 4-6).

I love the categories..... but not only would I add the sweet 16 contenders, I'd add the safe NCAA contenders.

final 4 contenders- teams projected in that 1-3 range
sweet 16 contenders- teams projected in that 4-6 range
Safe NCAA contenders- teams in the 7-9 range universal
NCAA contenders- teams in that last 8 in/first 8 out range
not near the tourney- everyone else

based on what we've seen from the bracketology so far....
final 4 contenders- Villanova, Xavier
sweet 16 contender- Creighton
Safe NCAA contenders- none
NCAA Contenders- Butler, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Marquette
not near the tournament- St John's, Providence, DePaul

thoughts?

[aughnanure]

Focus on the big picture, not some team's hypothetical path to the Final Four.

Until the official brackets are released, yes. Match-ups are key to getting to the Final Four though.

Agreed, just pointing out that Stever sweating over matchup breakdowns of fake brackets is silly.

[stever20]

Focus on the big picture, not some team's hypothetical path to the Final Four.

Until the official brackets are released, yes. Match-ups are key to getting to the Final Four though.

yeah matchups can be huge in basketball. I mean there is a 3 team league that I coach in with youth basketball....

Team A is 3-2 right now. 2-0 vs Team b, but 1-2 vs team c
Team B is 3-2 right now. 0-2 vs team a, but 3-0 vs team c
Team C finished 2-4. 2-1 vs team A, but 0-3 vs team B

I would also say though that the home courts can be huge. I mean, seeing Wisconsin in Milwaukee, or Duke/UNC normally in Raleigh/Charlotte/Greensboro, or Kentucky in Louisville/Indianapolis- is pretty fatal normally. It can be just as detrimental as the matchups(if not frankly more detrimental). I mean, just look last year with PC or Butler playing UNC/UVA in Raleigh.

[TAMU Eagle]

What these brackets are telling me is that there are three tiers in the Big East this season.

Final Four Contenders
Villanova
Xavier

NCAA Contenders
Creighton
Butler
Georgetown
Seton Hall
Marquette

Not Near the Tournament
Saint Johns
Providence
Depaul

The middle of the conference is going to be a bloodbath

I'd almost separate Creighton from the others on the good side. They seem to be pretty universal in that 6-8 or 9 range. The others- Butler(with just the 2 we're looking at with 12(PIG)/9, Georgetown with 9/11(next to last team with a bye), Seton Hall with 11(one of last 3 teams with a bye)/10, and Marquette being just out- are a bit more precarious.

I don't disagree. Creighton is definitely on top of that group. I just think they have more in common with BUT/GTWN/HALL/MU then they do with X/NOVA.

[stever20]

CBS/Jerry Palm with his initial one...
Nova 1
Xavier 4
Creighton 6
Butler 7
Seton Hall 11

dinged Xavier with the Myles Davis situation .

[ThrowDownDBrown]

People nationally seem to be much higher on Butler and much lower on Seton Hall.