Feendz!! Bracketology 09′
So ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi is a Bracketology god and seems to know everything that will happen in college basketball come march. As of this week he is reporting that the last four into the tourney are South Carolina, Maryland, Michigan and New Mexico. The last four out then would be Arizona, Kentucky, Providence, and San Diego State, and he also includes the next four out which are Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), Rhode Island, and Saint Mary’s. Taking all this information in I truly believe that Providence is getting the total shaft here, Michigan does have some wins against top 5 teams but they play in a much weaker conference than Providence (who also have a couple very nice wins). I also have to shudder at the fact that New Mexico a team from the Mountain West could make it over most of the 8 final teams out.
If it wasn’t enough to debate the last teams in, here is a breakdown of some of the teams and their seeds:
1’s : Pittsburgh, UConn, UNC, and Oklahoma (Does the Big East deserve two, is Oklahoma a true #1)
2’s: Duke, Memphis, Michigan St, and Louisville (Memphis is questionable and does the Big East deserve 2 1’s and a 2?)
3’s: Wake Forest, Villanova, Kansas, and Missouri (Does the Big 12 rank this high, and Wake has a bunch of bad losses)
4’s: Xavier, UCLA, Washington, and Clemson (Big ?’s with Washington and Clemson)
Wisconsin is a 10 seed and Marquette is a 5 seed (I had to add them because I’m such a homer)
This is just a run down of the top 4 seeds as Lunardi has them if you want the full list here is the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology
Finally, the other interesting thing I noticed while studying up on my bracketology is the conference breakdown and whether or not the conferences are deserving of so many teams or not enough.
Big Ten (8), ACC (7), Big East (7), Big 12 (6), Mountain West (4), Pac-10 (4), SEC (3), A-10 (2), Missouri Valley (2)
I think it’s a joke that the Big East and ACC don’t have more and that the Mountain West having as many teams as the Pac-10 or more than the SEC (which is a question in it’s own right; what has happened to SEC basketball)??
What do you all think? What teams should be in and what teams should be out, what should the seeding look like, and what conferences deserve the most bids? Let’s all try to put on our best Joe Lunardi impressions…
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I, for one, am hoping the badgers do end up with that 10 seed. I would much rather play a 2 seed like a MSU, or Duke (assuming a first round w). As an 8 or 9 we would have to turn around and play 1 seed who are all incredibly tough inside. Does anyone know, are the 11 seeds the lowest at-large bids teams can have?
Wake is a tough team for sure, but they do have some bad losses this year, they might even be a #4 seed
Can Oklahoma pull a one seed off and not even win the Big 12 (currently Kansas holds a one game lead over OU) I would also say that every 2 seed is pretty beatable with exception to Louisville. Even with lunardi giving the big ten 8 spots I for one would be very surprised to see multiple big ten schools reach the sweet 16
No I think you can be a 12 seed as an at-large
Louisville is by far the best #2 and totally agree the others are beatable (WE had MSU, Memphis = Conf USA = shit, Duke<Wake Forest )
I don’t understand how the Big Ten gets more teams then the Big East!!!!
Well i think we can always count of duke being overrated, no surprise there
I would make the argument that Oklahoma is the most overrated of the teams listed as being top 4 seeds. The B12 is clearly down with perennial powers (Kansas and Texas) not as strong as usual and typical bottom-feeders like KSU, Missouri and A&M playing solid ball. I will give credit where credit is due, and say the B. Griffin is a manchild and Willie Warren will be a nice player but this team will not make the final four. You look at the top 16 teams Lunardi has identified, and one characteristic common to all those teams is that they have multiple guys who can get it done. I think OU is far too Griffin-centric to succeed in the tournament.
The only argument I can see against that johnson is that certain dominant forces have carried their teams far into the tournament, Curry last year, Camby for UMass, Tucker for the Badgers, the list can go on an on…. but there is also a long list to counter mine.
However I think that Griffin is an especially great player that can put it on his back and win a title
Oklahoma is weak and Griffen is a bitch! The one seeds should be Pitt, UCONN, UNC and Louisville. Can we allbe honest if James wouldn’t have gotten hurt Marquette would be the 4th 1 seed. Memphis’s toughest team they have played this year is Tennessee at the start of the season and TU is at best a 6 seed. So Memphis should get a 3 but we all know they will get a 2. I bet Kansas will prolly get a 3 or 4 and I think they could be an interesting team in the tourney. Also if you think Wisconsi deserves to be in, yo have them at a 10 seed, what justifies that at all? They are awful they should be in the NIT no doubt, there is no one you can justify the Badgers over anyone.
The are 29th in the RPI and 8th in strength of schedule, they play in apparently the hardest conference in the country (they currently have the most teams in). Their resume is pretty stout in my opinion which gets them in the tourney… sorry Kittels without a rebuttle you have lost this one (your anger towards their play has clouded your perceptions)
Okay well lets chat about this for a second. The Badgers have lost to UCONN, Marquette,Texas, Purdue, Minnestoa, Iowa, Purdue again, Northwestern, Michigan State and Minnesota. Out of that list I count 5 tourney teams out of their 10 losses so thats 5 loses against teams who won’t be dancing not to mention their biggest victory this season is against who Penn State? They haven’t beaten a tourney team. Seet they have a tough strength of schedule there is a problem though, you still have to win a game for it to count in your advantage homes
kit. cmon. Iowa is the only team they lost to that isn’t making the tourney. I would imagine, after Northwestern beats Ohio State this weekend that they will get a bid, as strange as it is to hear - Northwestern is going dancing. They don’t have any “big” wins so to speak, but the committee just as much looks at bad losses, and as far as i am concerned they don’t really have any. They are an NCAA team but are very much deserving of the 9 or 10 spot.
You are also forgetting that they swept the 21-9 nittany lions, beat the23-8 Illini and OSU. Va Tech is another tournament team that we beat. I would like to know who the 34 teams ahead of the Badgers who are deserving of an at large. Its been a weird year in college bball but you’re just delirious.
k here ya go 1. Pitt, Uconn, UNC, Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Memphis, Duke, Michigan state, Purdue, Wake forest, Clemson, Syracuse, Marquette, Minnesota, Lsu, Gonzaga, Missouri, Xavier, UCLA, ASU, Washington, Kansas, Villanova, Washington, Butler, Illinois, FSU, Creighton, West Virgina, Providence, thats 32 and Notre Dame and Georgetown both have better resumes. Thats 34 so blow me tomorrrow
I’m afraid you’ve gone mad. ND and Gtown? You just love the Big East don’t you. The thing that we forget is that the majority of these teams will win their tourneys and get automatic bids. Lets say 5 do so. Who are the next 5 teams in your mind?
Arizona, BYU, Davidson, Boston College, California. Any more questions?
So, according to you, 4 B10 teams get in and 11 Big East teams. Ok
So are you teling me i’m worng? Yes your right the Big 10 has been just amazing this season so great, no they are a bad conference with bad teams. Im sorry but the Badger don’t deserve to sniff the big dance. Trevon Hughes is a terrible point gaurd and Mekenvil is soft as fuck
The Big 10 might end up actually having the most bids this year…
Well thats the dumbest comment ever posted on this site. The Big East will have 8 minumum
lunardi’s been known to be right. as of today 8 B10, 7 Big East. Sure there are tournament games to be played but its looking up for the b10
Wow, that would be pretty embarrassing for Kittels…
stir the pot papa bear