Glendale Region
Memphis Region
Boston Regional
Seed Switchers for Bracketing Rules Purposes:
Michigan dropped from 11 to 12, switching places with Utah State
Maryland dropped from 11 to 12, switching places with Davidson
Last Four In:
UNLV
Florida
Maryland
Michigan (last in)
Last Four Out:
Providence
Miami (FL)
Rhode Island
Georgetown
Next Four Out:
Saint Mary's
Cincinnati
San Diego St
Kentucky
Next Four Out:
Virginia Tech
Southern California
Alabama-Birmingham
Kansas State
You Say Goodbye:
Saint Mary's
Kentucky
I Say Hello:
Oklahoma State
Michigan
Conference Breakdown:
Big 10: 8
ACC: 7
Big East: 7
Big 12: 6
Pac 10: 5
SEC: 4
MWC: 3
Atlantic 10: 2
C-USA; Southland; Sun Belt; Big West; SWAC; Ivy; Atlantic Sun; NEC; MAC; MAAC; WCC; MEAC; CAA; Summit; WAC, OVC, America East, Patriot; Big South Horizon; Big Sky, MVC & Stephen Curry: 1
5 comments:
Far be it from me to second-guess the Buffet, but Louisville at a 3-seed? I think they are a pretty solid 2. While the 33 pt loss to Jesus U looks terrible, they are likely to finish at least tied for the Big East regular season title.
Of course if 8 Big Slow teams make the tourney we're all in for a horror show of epic proportions!
Second-guessing is what this time of year is all about. And, this is a tough call, Louisville is definitely one of 5 teams with a legit #2 seed gripe.
But, taking a closer look -- Kansas has certainly played their way into a #2 seed, and if they can beat a Blake-present OU team in the Big 12 tourney, they could argue for a #1. So, ITBO (in the Buffet's opinion) they stay.
Duke's resume is just too good to move down, ITBO, they stay.
Michigan State can be argued with a bit, but they are the reg season champs of an 8-bid league, have virtually won the B12 regular season title (wins over Texas, Oklahoma St and Kansas), and have no bad losses (and certainly no 30 point losses to a non-tourney team), so, ITBO, they stay.
And Memphis is flirting with a #1 seed, plus road wins @ Tennessee & Gonzaga -- now Memphis is movable, although Buffet chatter had them as a potential #1 replacement for Pitt (which was a bit panicky, ITBO) ... but, I'm comfortable keeping them there.
Louisville: What the Buffet doesn't like about Louisville is not only the ND loss, but a complete lack of non-conference resume. For a #1 or #2 seed, the Buffet hates losses to 9-13 seeds (which they have done so, to Western Kentucky (by 14), Minnesota, and UNLV) -- UAB is their only non-conference win of note, and that's not much of a note. Beating Pitt is nice, but struggling to beat Marquette at home without Dominic James isn't. In the Buffet's eyes, they are a 3, with upward potential
I have definitely moved to the opinion that the current #1 seeds are no longer locks at their positions.
With the addition of Pitt to the bad-loss club, it's very easy to see each #1 seed lose their grip on said slot. If Louisville, Kansas, or DTS win their conference tournies with UConn, Pitt, OU or PansieBleu falling early it will be hard to argue that Memphis, and the other 3 don't deserve to move up...
Quick note:
Pitt is not a member of the bad loss club, losing to the #68 team in the RPI, and a team fighting for a spot in the NCAAs, and on the road is not a bad loss. Especially since they cut it to single digits and show fight.
Only teams with bad losses in the #1/#2 seed range are Oklahoma (@Arkansas) and Kansas (UMass), and arguably Louisville losing by 35+ to a non-tourney team is bad no matter what Notre Dame's final RPI is.
Mich St & Louisville each have 3 losses to teams ranked 51-100, that should keep them out of a top seed, ITBO -- too much is being made of a share of BE reg season title.
Now, if they run the table in the BET - new conversation, BE reg & tourney title will probably leap them into #1 seed territory -- but that's assuming a road win @W.Virginia to close the season.
I think Cincinnati may have re-invented the Bad Loss club with an atrocious surrender at South Florida last night.
I think Rhode Island (RPI 49) might be an interesting team to watch in the next two weeks. Their non-conference slate was ambitious and they lost a ton of very close games (DTS, Okla St, Nova, Providence) with a few decent wins (VCU and Penn State). But they've been rolling in the A-10 and will probably finish with 11 wins in their last 12. If they get to the final (which would probably entail beating Dayton again), they might have a legit argument with a 43 RPI or so.
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