Bracketology '17

[DudeAnon]

Seth Davis thinks we get a minimum of 6 and maximum of 7 teams into the dance this year.

https://twitter.com/SethDavisHoops/stat ... 2854981633

[GumbyDamnit!]

It will be interesting if the BE bubble teams get rewarded with wins over X or CU now that they're short-handed, or not. Even with a few more losses CU and X should still make the tourney. Would the additional wins put a couple of the others over the top?

[DudeAnon]

Absolutely not related to bracketology. But I was watching SC and they were interviewing Brent Musberger. He said his favorite game he ever called was Villanova vs Georgetown finals in 1985.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Absolutely not related to bracketology. But I was watching SC and they were interviewing Brent Musberger. He said his favorite game he ever called was Villanova vs Georgetown finals in 1985.

My favorite Musberger called game ever too. Go figure!

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

Even with a few more losses CU and X should still make the tourney. Would the additional wins put a couple of the others over the top?

It could, and that appears to be the thinking at CBS Sports. By comparing RPI Forecast's projected RPI Rankings with CBS Sports' latest Bracketology, it is apparent that CBS Sports expects Marquette and Seton Hall to improve at Xavier's expense:

Big East Conference Projections - through games of Sunday Jan. 29, 2017:

Expected RPI Rank – Team – Projected Regular-season W-L (Projected Conference W-L)

3.3 - Villanova - 27-4 (14-4)
9.4 - Butler - 23-7 (12-6)
18.8 - Xavier - 21-10 (11-7)
19.2 - Creighton - 24-6 (12-6)

56.3 - Marquette - 19-11 (10-8)
64.0 - Seton Hall - 17-13 (7-11)
64.3 - Georgetown - 17-14 (8-10)
80.6 - Providence - 17-14 (7-11)
149.5 - St. John's - 12-19 (6-12)
225.2 - DePaul - 9-22 (2-16) 281

CBS from today:

Seton Hall 9 S vs Ga Tech, then Baylor in Tulsa
Creighton 3 S vs Bucknell, then South Carolina/Iowa St-NC St winner winner
Marquette 8 W vs Dayton, then Gonzaga in Salt Lake City
Nova 1 E vs PIG winner, then SMU/Miami in Buffalo
Xavier 8 MW vs Cal, then Kansas in Tulsa
Butler 4 MW vs Valpo, then Purdue/Illinois St in Milwaukee

For whatever reasons, CBS Sports is seeding Creighton better than projected, and seeding Xavier considerably worse than projected.

No disrespect to Seton Hall fans intended, but at this point, I don't see Xavier and Seton Hall as #8 and #9 seeds.

[Bill Marsh]

Even with a few more losses CU and X should still make the tourney. Would the additional wins put a couple of the others over the top?

It could, and that appears to be the thinking at CBS Sports. By comparing RPI Forecast's projected RPI Rankings with CBS Sports' latest Bracketology, it is apparent that CBS Sports expects Marquette and Seton Hall to improve at Xavier's expense:

Big East Conference Projections - through games of Sunday Jan. 29, 2017:

Expected RPI Rank – Team – Projected Regular-season W-L (Projected Conference W-L)

3.3 - Villanova - 27-4 (14-4)
9.4 - Butler - 23-7 (12-6)
18.8 - Xavier - 21-10 (11-7)
19.2 - Creighton - 24-6 (12-6)

56.3 - Marquette - 19-11 (10-8)
64.0 - Seton Hall - 17-13 (7-11)
64.3 - Georgetown - 17-14 (8-10)
80.6 - Providence - 17-14 (7-11)
149.5 - St. John's - 12-19 (6-12)
225.2 - DePaul - 9-22 (2-16) 281

CBS from today:

Seton Hall 9 S vs Ga Tech, then Baylor in Tulsa
Creighton 3 S vs Bucknell, then South Carolina/Iowa St-NC St winner winner
Marquette 8 W vs Dayton, then Gonzaga in Salt Lake City
Nova 1 E vs PIG winner, then SMU/Miami in Buffalo
Xavier 8 MW vs Cal, then Kansas in Tulsa
Butler 4 MW vs Valpo, then Purdue/Illinois St in Milwaukee

For whatever reasons, CBS Sports is seeding Creighton better than projected, and seeding Xavier considerably worse than projected.

No disrespect to Seton Hall fans intended, but at this point, I don't see Xavier and Seton Hall as #8 and #9 seeds.

I agree about Xavier, but I think Seton Hall controls their own fate and have a shot at an 8-9 seed. It all depends on what happens in those Creighton and Xavier games. Creighton certainly sent signals tonight that they're not going down without a fight. McDermott's a heck of a coach, and for one night at least he looks like he's going to be able to reinvent this thing on the fly.

[stever20]

ESPN update for today-
Nova 1 east(#1 overall)- vs PIG winner, then Dayton/Minnesota- in Buffalo
Butler 6 west- vs Middle Tennessee, then Virginia- in Greenville
Marquette 10 Midwest- vs Northwestern, then Louisville- in Indianapolis
Creighton 5 South- vs Miami/Kansas St winner, then UCLA- in Sacramento
Xavier 7 South- vs Oklahoma St, then Kentucky- in Indianapolis

Marquette 5th team in with a bye.
Seton Hall 3rd team out

[Hall2012]

Seton Hall @ Georgetown on Saturday is looking like an early elimination game. While neither team is dead yet, it's tough to see a path to the tournament for the loser of this one.

You can only lose so many "must win" games before you have to just accept that it's over and the remaining games are meaningless.

[stever20]

CBS Update today-
Seton Hall 11 E (FF) vs Iowa St, then Notre Dame, Kentucky- in Milwaukee
Villanova 1 E (#2 overall) vs PIG, then VCU/Va Tech- in Buffalo
Marquette 10 E vs Minnesota, then Louisville- in Indianapolis
Butler 5 MW vs Illinois St, then Wisconisn- in Milwaukee
Creighton 3 S vs FGCU, then South Carolina/Oklahoma St-TCU winner- in Indianapolis
Xavier 7 S vs Indiana, then Florida St- in Orlando

Georgetown 1st team out

[Hall2012]

CBS Update today-
Seton Hall 11 E (FF) vs Iowa St, then Notre Dame, Kentucky- in Milwaukee
Villanova 1 E (#2 overall) vs PIG, then VCU/Va Tech- in Buffalo
Marquette 10 E vs Minnesota, then Louisville- in Indianapolis
Butler 5 MW vs Illinois St, then Wisconisn- in Milwaukee
Creighton 3 S vs FGCU, then South Carolina/Oklahoma St-TCU winner- in Indianapolis
Xavier 7 S vs Indiana, then Florida St- in Orlando

Georgetown 1st team out

So on one hand, you know you have a strong league when some bracket projections just refuse to drop your 2nd last place team from the conversation...