Some of you may be wondering where I've been...
Well I just turned in a final draft of my 93-page thesis, so... GET OFF MY BACK!
What's happened since my last post?
- Duke won the National Championship (which I actually predicted in one of my brackets) nine years after there last title, which was nine years after their first title.
- Tiger Woods returned to golf and was mediocre... I'd love to throw in a joke about him finishing 5 strokes behind, but he makes my brain hurt and can go to hell.
- The baseball season started, this time in the U.S., and the Royals have already been mathematically eliminated (just kidding, it's the Orioles that have been eliminated already).
- The NHL and NBA playoffs started... apparently the NHL hasn't heard of home-ice advantage.
- The NFL Draft is tomorrow and I can't wait.
Analysis of Duke...
Did the Dukies get a favorable draw? A 16 seed, an over-rated Cal, a depleted Purdue, an inexperienced Baylor, a depleted West Virginia, and "the Cinderella that comes close but never wins" Butler... I'd say it wasn't easy, but it was favorable. Look at Butler's draw... the 12-seed every was picking UTEP, a vastly underrated Murray State, a depleted-but-still-favored Syracuse, a dangerous K-State, the experienced Michigan State, and an all-time-great Duke. If Gordon Haywood makes one of the two shots in the final seconds, Butler's run goes down in history as THE toughest (maybe second to NC State's in '84 or Kansas' in '88).
Speaking of Gordon Haywood's final two shots...
Did he really fade away from a slow-moving big man with 4 fouls on a drive (when the big man could not have drawn the charge because he was the secondary defender)? Was he intimidated? Did he think his shot was better than a lay-up attempt with a possible foul? If LeBron is in that situation, he goes to the rack and gets at least 2 points out of it. Hell, even Kobe wouldn't have shied away from the contact. Haywood's move was akin to Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson... and how many titles do those guys have?
I try for the 3-point play, sink my free-throws and play defense. But let's say he misses the lay-up and no foul is called. He still has the final shot... which there was nothing wrong with. Although, why can't any team run the double-screen, home-run pass at the opposite basket play. You know you're getting 4-on-4 because Duke (of all teams) has to guard the inbounder. The big men back-screen for the speed guys (like Howard did for Haywood, only before the inbounds) and the speed guys are flying towards the opposite basket with the ball in the air. The inbounder throws the hail mary for a possible lay-up... some day I'll be coaching a team and have a chance to run this, and mark my words, it will work.
By the way... how does Zoubek miss that second free-throw?? Take the points! Butler had like 6 points in the final 10 minutes of that game, even if they hit the three and send the game to overtime, you think they are going to pour in points in overtime?? It's like in football when you score a touchdown to go up 5... you NEVER kick the extra point, you ALWAYS go for 2, no matter how much time is left. In basketball when you are shooting 2 and up 1, ALWAYS try to make both... being up 3 is ALWAYS better than being up 2! It forces the other team to make the 3-pointer and gives your defense more flexibility... like the ability to foul if you get beat in the open court. Then they would have to intentionally miss the second free throw.
On Tiger...
Welcome to the list of guys I will always root against! Oh, and your new Nike commercial is offensive to anyone with intelligence.
On the start of baseball...
Rays, Twins, Mariners, Yankees in the AL.
Cardinals, Phillies, Dodgers, Marlins in the NL.
Cardinals over Twins in 5...
Give Pujols and Mauer their MVPs back, they'll be keeping them another year.
Cy Youngs go to Carpenter and King Felix. (Don't forget, I called the Cy Youngs right last year)
On the NHL Playoffs...
Who cares? Capitals over Blackhawks in 5.
On the NBA Playoffs...
Cavs over Bulls in 4, Magic over Bobcats in 5, Hawks over Bucks in 4, Heat over Celtics in 7.
Lakers over Zombie Sonics in 4, Mavs over Spurs in 7, Blazers over Suns in 7, Nuggets over Jazz in 7.
Cavs over Heat in 5, Hawks over Magic in 7, Lakers over Nuggets in 7, Mavs over Blazers in 5.
Cavs over Hawks in 7, Mavs over Lakers in 7.
Cavs over Mavs in 4 (once LeBron gets there, there is no hope for anyone)
On the NFL Draft...
Moving it to Thursday sucks, but I guess that's the winds of change talking. I don't do a Mock Draft because trades are possible and I don't have a complete grasp of the whole sport yet. If I were a GM, I'd draft the best player available for a position I've identified as a need. I prefer the college game because salaries aren't an issue. If every pick had a locked salary (like the NBA) then the best player available makes the most sense... Look at what Michael Crabtree pulled last year. HE felt he was the best receiver. When he was the second receiver drafted (10th overall) he MADE the 49ers (the team nice enough to pick him) pay him MORE than the first receiver taken (Darius Heywood-Bay... who can't catch).
If I'm the Rams, I take Mr. Suh. Sure, he's a sworn enemy (being from Nebraska), but what other defensive tackle can win games for you... seriously? The only way Sam Bradford succeeds in the NFL is if he is given time to learn under a veteran who is on his way out (say Favre) who has a great offensive line (say the Vikings). Would I try to trade up if I'm the Vikings? NO. I might trade up in the second for Colt McCoy, or wait until the later rounds and get Tony Pike.
How about this... here is a breakdown of late-rounders to watch by position:
QB - Dan LeFevour, Cent. Michigan - For quarterbacks, I like winners who are "multi-tooled." LeFevour has the arm, the legs, the head, and the guts. He'll do damage for someone.
RB - Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech - Everyone's been hating on him since the combine, but you don't torch ACC defenses and fade into obscurity. He's a workhorse-like guy who would be great paired with a speedy pass catcher or blocking H-back.
WR - Seyi Ajirotutu, Fresno State - When you are a receiver for a team that runs the ball, runs the ball, then runs it some more, it's hard to make a name for yourself as a receiver. I saw this guy make some great catches in big moments last year.
TE - Colin Peek, Alabama - He just won a National Title while catching a bunch of balls in big moments as the third option or worse. If his QB trusted him, so can yours.
FB - John Conner, Kentucky - If only for his name and nothing else.
OT - Nic Richmond, TCU - 6'-7"? And how often did you see TCU loose last year?
OG - Kurtis Gregory, Missouri - It's hard not get called for holding a lot when you block for the spread and your idiot quarterback won't get rid of the ball... plus, when Mizzou ran the ball, he was a beast.
C - John Malecki, Pittsburgh - Remember how well Pitt ran the ball last year?
DT - Jaron Baston, Missouri - Sift through the mess at the top of this position, then look for a run-stopper with huge motor. The only guy who can say he helped sack Todd Reesing (and win a game) twice in the same end zone in the same career.
DE - George Selvie, South Florida - At what point did the most feared pass rusher in the Big East get passed by his teammate no one had heard of in 2008? Just because Pierre-Paul beat him to several sacks doesn't diminish the effect he could have as the #2 pass rusher.
OLB - A.J. Edds, Iowa - The guy who came after Chad Greenway and A.J. Hawk at an underrated Linebacker U? No doubt.
ILB - Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers - Another pick just for the name.
CB - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Indiana (PA) - There's just something about corners from small schools, with hard to pronounce names, and hyphenated last names... and this guy has all three.
S - Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech - This kid hits like a freight train.
I'll be back to do a draft rap up later. Hope this holds you over until then
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sweet 16 Action
Is it just me or has the Tournament lost a little bit of luster. Sure, there are the underdog/cinderellas still out there (UNI, Cornell, St. Mary's, Washington... and Butler?), and there are the cagey 4/5/6-seeds (Michigan St., Purdue, Tennessee, Xavier... and Butler?) that may have been undervalued, and 6 of the top 8 seeds are still alive. I guess I'm just not sure who to root for... do I go with Cornell or UNI or Butler? Or do I go with a Big 12 team that has a favorable match-up line (Baylor, KSU)?
Tough call...
Midwest:
UNI over Michigan State... had the Panthers had to turn around and beat Sparty two days after pulling off the greatest upset since Bradley over kU, I would have taken Michigan State. But, they've had some time to re-focus, they seem like a smart team, and I see them getting a ton of points inside.
Ohio State over Tennessee... the Vols road has been anything but bumpy. I'd like to think their pressure defense should wear down the 6-deep Buckeyes, but I don't see them scoring much against the 2-3 zone.
East:
Kentucky over Cornell... they beat Temple and Wisconsin because neither team scores points. I'm pretty sure Kentucky is 10 times faster and scores much, much more.
Washington over WVU... Missouri was 4 or 5 makes away from pulling off the upset, and without depth at point, the Mountaineers are due to fall. Washington can play any style they need, WVU's only hope is to pull out the 1-3-1 early and force a ton of turnovers.
South:
Purdue over Duke... they're like a freight train... a pissed-off, out-of-control freight train. The pundits should take note. When a team dominates a strong conference for 90% of the season, then loses their best player and drops a few games down the stretch, give them the seed they deserved with the best player. Purdue is a 2 (maybe a 3). Flip them with Ohio State and everything is right in the world... watch out Dukies.
Baylor over St. Mary's... Udoh vs. Samhan. Wow. Take the lanky, agile, shot blocker.
West:
Syracuse over Butler... I just see the zone frustrating the smaller Bulldogs, it should be REAL close, though.
Xavier over KSU... they've got to fall at some point. They're too out-of-control, too whiny, too physical, too fast. They finally have an opponent with better guards and they're playing far away from Manhattan now.
Round 2: 11-5
Total: 36-12
Tough call...
Midwest:
UNI over Michigan State... had the Panthers had to turn around and beat Sparty two days after pulling off the greatest upset since Bradley over kU, I would have taken Michigan State. But, they've had some time to re-focus, they seem like a smart team, and I see them getting a ton of points inside.
Ohio State over Tennessee... the Vols road has been anything but bumpy. I'd like to think their pressure defense should wear down the 6-deep Buckeyes, but I don't see them scoring much against the 2-3 zone.
East:
Kentucky over Cornell... they beat Temple and Wisconsin because neither team scores points. I'm pretty sure Kentucky is 10 times faster and scores much, much more.
Washington over WVU... Missouri was 4 or 5 makes away from pulling off the upset, and without depth at point, the Mountaineers are due to fall. Washington can play any style they need, WVU's only hope is to pull out the 1-3-1 early and force a ton of turnovers.
South:
Purdue over Duke... they're like a freight train... a pissed-off, out-of-control freight train. The pundits should take note. When a team dominates a strong conference for 90% of the season, then loses their best player and drops a few games down the stretch, give them the seed they deserved with the best player. Purdue is a 2 (maybe a 3). Flip them with Ohio State and everything is right in the world... watch out Dukies.
Baylor over St. Mary's... Udoh vs. Samhan. Wow. Take the lanky, agile, shot blocker.
West:
Syracuse over Butler... I just see the zone frustrating the smaller Bulldogs, it should be REAL close, though.
Xavier over KSU... they've got to fall at some point. They're too out-of-control, too whiny, too physical, too fast. They finally have an opponent with better guards and they're playing far away from Manhattan now.
Round 2: 11-5
Total: 36-12
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Round 2 Picks/Analysis
Awesome Round 1... enough upsets to keep it interesting and a ton a great games. The first four games of the tournament were decided by a total of 10 points with 3 overtimes... wow!
Midwest:
Kansas over Northern Iowa... usually it's good to pick against kU win they haven't been challenged for 3 or 4 games. Unfortunately for the Panthers, you never pick against kU when they've just lost or almost lost a game they should have won easily.
Michigan State over Maryland... even with all their distractions and troubles, the Spartans looked motivated and held on. Maryland will struggle with their strength.
Tennessee over Ohio... two people had Ohio and Murray State, I hope they didn't have the Bobcats in the Sweet Sixteen.
Ohio State over Georgia Tech... the Ramblin' Wreck was impressive, unfortunately the Buckeyes looked in top form.
West:
Gonzaga over Syracuse... well, I would have taken the Orange over FSU because the Seminoles are still looking up offense in the dictionary (or having some else do it for them, or is that the football team?). The Zags should shoot the Orange out of the gym, and without their center, Syracuse will try to force it too much.
Butler over Murray State... when I picked the Racers I thought they'd win by much more than 1 point, and the Bulldogs are too well coached.
Pittsburgh over Xavier... the X-men struggled to get it going against a good defense, and the Panthers' defense is much better than Minnesota's.
BYU over Kansas State... time for a wake-up call Wildcats. Jimmer Fredette is going to get to the free throw line about 60 times today, just watch.
East:
Kentucky over Wake Forest... the Wildcats looked TOO good... as in look out everyone else.
Cornell over Wisconsin... if the Ivy brains can score on Temple's defense, they can score on Wisconsin's defense.
Washington over New Mexico... the Pac-10 is no longer being laughed at after they went 2-0 versus the "best" conference, the Big East.
West Virginia over Missouri... I can't do it. We looked good yesterday, but not good enough. It will be close, but we need to hit more than 5 threes to win this one.
South:
Duke over California... what happened to Louisville's defense? Expect more from Coach K.
Texas A&M over Purdue... had Utah State pulled off the upset, I'd have Purdue. I think the Aggies are too much for Purdue without Hummell, especially the way they shot the ball yesterday.
Baylor over Old Dominion... the best game of day 3. These guys match up well and if ODU watched how SHSU defended the Bears, they have a shot. Unfortunately, Baylor may be too quick for ODU.
St. Mary's over Villanova... honestly, the Wildcats should have been voted off the island. Robert Morris out played them and deserved to win that game. My hat is off to the Colonials.
Round 1: 25-7 (better than Obama)
Midwest:
Kansas over Northern Iowa... usually it's good to pick against kU win they haven't been challenged for 3 or 4 games. Unfortunately for the Panthers, you never pick against kU when they've just lost or almost lost a game they should have won easily.
Michigan State over Maryland... even with all their distractions and troubles, the Spartans looked motivated and held on. Maryland will struggle with their strength.
Tennessee over Ohio... two people had Ohio and Murray State, I hope they didn't have the Bobcats in the Sweet Sixteen.
Ohio State over Georgia Tech... the Ramblin' Wreck was impressive, unfortunately the Buckeyes looked in top form.
West:
Gonzaga over Syracuse... well, I would have taken the Orange over FSU because the Seminoles are still looking up offense in the dictionary (or having some else do it for them, or is that the football team?). The Zags should shoot the Orange out of the gym, and without their center, Syracuse will try to force it too much.
Butler over Murray State... when I picked the Racers I thought they'd win by much more than 1 point, and the Bulldogs are too well coached.
Pittsburgh over Xavier... the X-men struggled to get it going against a good defense, and the Panthers' defense is much better than Minnesota's.
BYU over Kansas State... time for a wake-up call Wildcats. Jimmer Fredette is going to get to the free throw line about 60 times today, just watch.
East:
Kentucky over Wake Forest... the Wildcats looked TOO good... as in look out everyone else.
Cornell over Wisconsin... if the Ivy brains can score on Temple's defense, they can score on Wisconsin's defense.
Washington over New Mexico... the Pac-10 is no longer being laughed at after they went 2-0 versus the "best" conference, the Big East.
West Virginia over Missouri... I can't do it. We looked good yesterday, but not good enough. It will be close, but we need to hit more than 5 threes to win this one.
South:
Duke over California... what happened to Louisville's defense? Expect more from Coach K.
Texas A&M over Purdue... had Utah State pulled off the upset, I'd have Purdue. I think the Aggies are too much for Purdue without Hummell, especially the way they shot the ball yesterday.
Baylor over Old Dominion... the best game of day 3. These guys match up well and if ODU watched how SHSU defended the Bears, they have a shot. Unfortunately, Baylor may be too quick for ODU.
St. Mary's over Villanova... honestly, the Wildcats should have been voted off the island. Robert Morris out played them and deserved to win that game. My hat is off to the Colonials.
Round 1: 25-7 (better than Obama)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Round 1 Picks/Analysis
Here we go. I'm picking every game as it comes up. Don't worry about my "office pool" brackets, I've got four of them and each is way different from the other (what? Kansas losing to Lehigh is insane?). It would take way to much to explain the convoluted process I went through.
Okay, let's go each seed match-up at a time. Knock out the easy ones first...
1 vs. 16:
Since a 16 has NEVER beaten a 1, Kentucky over ETSU, Duke over Ark-PB, Syracuse over Vermont, and (I wish I could go against history) Kansas over Lehigh. I don't need to say much else here.
2 vs. 15:
West Virginia over Morgan State, Villanova over Robert Morris (who has a player named Rob Robinson), K-State over North Texas, and Ohio State over UCSB. None of these 15s are good enough to do what Hampton did to Iowa State in '01. None of these 2s are as overrated as Iowa State was that year.
3 vs. 14:
UNM over Montana, Baylor over SHSU, Pitt over Oakland, and Georgetown over Ohio. Nope, still no serious analysis for these four, but the most likely upset is Montana over New Mexico.
4 vs. 13:
Wisconsin over Wofford... easy, Wofford has one scorer and 'Sconsin is the best defensive team in a defensive conference.
Purdue over Siena... stop that Siena Bandwagon before it goes right off a cliff. Just because Purdue doesn't have the best big man in the Big Ten any more doesn't mean their length and defense won't frustrate a mid-major who's been reading too much of their own press.
Murray State over Vanderbilt... here's a bandwagon I can get on. The Racers play a pressing, turn-you-over style and Vandy has not handled pressure defense well (other than when they beat Mizzou).
Maryland over Houston... the Cougs are lucky to beat here and Maryland is truly the class of the ACC.
5 vs. 12:
Cornell over Temple... when an Ivy team makes the tournament three years in a row, you have to respect them. Cornell can win low scoring games (because they have to in the Ivy) so Temple's defense shouldn't phase them too much.
Texas A&M over Utah St.... Aggies versus Aggies? The Aggies are a trendy pick, but I think the Aggies' defense will be enough to snuff out the Aggies' mojo.
Butler over UTEP... I'll take experience over "hot prospect" talent.
Michigan St. over NMSU... the Spartans are not in good shape, but look for them to get by the surprising Aggies (hey, there's that word again).
6 vs. 11:
Marquette over Washington... look at it this way, Marquette has like 8 losses by less than 5 points, so if it's close take the Huskies... but it won't be close.
ODU over Notre Dame... whether or not Harangody is back, I think the Irish used up all their energy getting in the tournament.
Xavier over Minnesota... Gophers are in the same boat as the Irish, only it's a smaller boat.
SDSU over Tennessee... Aztecs are hot, they've played a bunch of tough games and Tennessee is not the same team that beat Kansas.
7 vs. 10:
Missouri over Clemson... I think the motto at Clemson is "Underachieve or Die." On a serious note, Mizzou misses Justin Safford like Jason Alexander misses Seinfeld. Here's hoping Mizzou doesn't miss 3-pointers in the same way.
Richmond over St. Mary's... it took the Gaels three chances to beat Gonzaga and Richmond is possibly the best 7-seed ever.
BYU over Florida... remember, Florida would have been out of my bracket. BYU is probably the best statistical team in the region.
Georgia Tech over Oklahoma St.... look at all that wasted talent on G-Tech, you'd think they'd have challenged Duke in the ACC. The Cowboys rode a sweep of the state of Kansas into the tournament and is slightly over-seeded. Should be very close.
8 vs. 9:
Texas over Wake Forest... as the tournament approached and these two were still considered locks (they combined to go 13-14 since my birthday), I thought they were locks for first round exits. Then the committee matched them up... DAMN! Oh well, maybe the former #1 will pull it out.
Lousiville over Cal... don't be surprised if this is a blow-out... either way.
Florida St. over Gonzaga... I'll take the #1 shooting defense in the country over an underwhelming, over-hyped, no-longer-cinderella west coast team.
Northern Iowa over UNLV... watch out for the Panthers. Seriously, if the Jayhawks are over-confident (and they will be), they might exit early to great mid-major.
NOTE: I've been watching some NIT action the last two nights and... DAMN, these games are just as exciting (if not more). Seriously, St. John's and Memphis had 16 made 3-pointers and 6 ally-oops at halftime!
Okay, let's go each seed match-up at a time. Knock out the easy ones first...
1 vs. 16:
Since a 16 has NEVER beaten a 1, Kentucky over ETSU, Duke over Ark-PB, Syracuse over Vermont, and (I wish I could go against history) Kansas over Lehigh. I don't need to say much else here.
2 vs. 15:
West Virginia over Morgan State, Villanova over Robert Morris (who has a player named Rob Robinson), K-State over North Texas, and Ohio State over UCSB. None of these 15s are good enough to do what Hampton did to Iowa State in '01. None of these 2s are as overrated as Iowa State was that year.
3 vs. 14:
UNM over Montana, Baylor over SHSU, Pitt over Oakland, and Georgetown over Ohio. Nope, still no serious analysis for these four, but the most likely upset is Montana over New Mexico.
4 vs. 13:
Wisconsin over Wofford... easy, Wofford has one scorer and 'Sconsin is the best defensive team in a defensive conference.
Purdue over Siena... stop that Siena Bandwagon before it goes right off a cliff. Just because Purdue doesn't have the best big man in the Big Ten any more doesn't mean their length and defense won't frustrate a mid-major who's been reading too much of their own press.
Murray State over Vanderbilt... here's a bandwagon I can get on. The Racers play a pressing, turn-you-over style and Vandy has not handled pressure defense well (other than when they beat Mizzou).
Maryland over Houston... the Cougs are lucky to beat here and Maryland is truly the class of the ACC.
5 vs. 12:
Cornell over Temple... when an Ivy team makes the tournament three years in a row, you have to respect them. Cornell can win low scoring games (because they have to in the Ivy) so Temple's defense shouldn't phase them too much.
Texas A&M over Utah St.... Aggies versus Aggies? The Aggies are a trendy pick, but I think the Aggies' defense will be enough to snuff out the Aggies' mojo.
Butler over UTEP... I'll take experience over "hot prospect" talent.
Michigan St. over NMSU... the Spartans are not in good shape, but look for them to get by the surprising Aggies (hey, there's that word again).
6 vs. 11:
Marquette over Washington... look at it this way, Marquette has like 8 losses by less than 5 points, so if it's close take the Huskies... but it won't be close.
ODU over Notre Dame... whether or not Harangody is back, I think the Irish used up all their energy getting in the tournament.
Xavier over Minnesota... Gophers are in the same boat as the Irish, only it's a smaller boat.
SDSU over Tennessee... Aztecs are hot, they've played a bunch of tough games and Tennessee is not the same team that beat Kansas.
7 vs. 10:
Missouri over Clemson... I think the motto at Clemson is "Underachieve or Die." On a serious note, Mizzou misses Justin Safford like Jason Alexander misses Seinfeld. Here's hoping Mizzou doesn't miss 3-pointers in the same way.
Richmond over St. Mary's... it took the Gaels three chances to beat Gonzaga and Richmond is possibly the best 7-seed ever.
BYU over Florida... remember, Florida would have been out of my bracket. BYU is probably the best statistical team in the region.
Georgia Tech over Oklahoma St.... look at all that wasted talent on G-Tech, you'd think they'd have challenged Duke in the ACC. The Cowboys rode a sweep of the state of Kansas into the tournament and is slightly over-seeded. Should be very close.
8 vs. 9:
Texas over Wake Forest... as the tournament approached and these two were still considered locks (they combined to go 13-14 since my birthday), I thought they were locks for first round exits. Then the committee matched them up... DAMN! Oh well, maybe the former #1 will pull it out.
Lousiville over Cal... don't be surprised if this is a blow-out... either way.
Florida St. over Gonzaga... I'll take the #1 shooting defense in the country over an underwhelming, over-hyped, no-longer-cinderella west coast team.
Northern Iowa over UNLV... watch out for the Panthers. Seriously, if the Jayhawks are over-confident (and they will be), they might exit early to great mid-major.
NOTE: I've been watching some NIT action the last two nights and... DAMN, these games are just as exciting (if not more). Seriously, St. John's and Memphis had 16 made 3-pointers and 6 ally-oops at halftime!
Monday, March 15, 2010
MY Bracket
So we always have questions about the tournament committees decisions, and they always have silly rules to follow. So what if we threw out all those rules. No pods, no concern for conference, just an S-curve ranking. Here it is:
1: Kansas (1) vs. 16: Lehigh (64)/Arkansas Pine-Bluff (65)
2: Villanova (8) vs. 15: East Tennessee State (57)
3: Pittsburgh (9) vs. 14: Murray State (56)
4: Purdue (16) vs. 13: Cornell (49)
5: Vanderbilt (17) vs. 12: Siena (48)
6: Xavier (24) vs. 11: Minnesota (41)
7: San Diego State (25) vs. 10: Gonzaga (40)
8: Wake Forest (32) vs. 9: Notre Dame (33)
1: Duke (2) vs. 16: Vermont (63)
2: Georgetown (7) vs. 15: Montana (58)
3: Tennessee (10) vs. 14: UC-Santa Barbara (55)
4: Maryland (15) vs. 13: Oakland (50)
5: Ohio State (18) vs. 12: New Mexico State (47)
6: Georgia Tech (23) vs. 11: Utah State (42)
7: Louisville (26) vs. 10: Old Dominion (39)
8: Marquette (31) vs. 9: Brigham Young (34)
1: West Virginia (3) vs. 16: Winthrop (62)
2: Kentucky (6) vs. 15: North Texas (59)
3: Baylor (11) vs. 14: Wofford (54)
4: Wisconsin (14) vs. 13: Ohio (51)
5: New Mexico (19) vs. 12: St. Mary's (46)
6: California (22) vs. 11: Dayton (43)
7: Richmond (27) vs. 10: Florida State (38)
8: Texas (30) vs. 9: Northern Iowa (35)
1: Kansas State (4) vs. 16: Robert Morris (61)
2: Syracuse (5) vs. 15: Morgan State (60)
3: Texas A&M (12) vs. 14: Sam Houston State (53)
4: Temple (13) vs. 13: Houston (52)
5: Michigan State (20) vs. 12: Rhode Island (45)
6: Butler (21) vs. 11: UTEP (44)
7: Oklahoma State (28) vs. 10: Missouri (37)
8: Clemson (29) vs. 9: Washington (36)
Last Four In: Utah State, Dayton, UTEP, Rhode Island
First Four Out: Florida, UNLV, Mississippi State, Kent State
Next Four Out: Wichita State, UAB, Memphis, Virginia Tech
Essentially all the same teams accept I'd swap out Florida and UNLV for Dayton and Rhode Island.
Stay tuned... I'll have a game-by-game break down coming next... oh, and I'll take Winthrop over Arkansas-Pine Bluff tomorrow.
1: Kansas (1) vs. 16: Lehigh (64)/Arkansas Pine-Bluff (65)
2: Villanova (8) vs. 15: East Tennessee State (57)
3: Pittsburgh (9) vs. 14: Murray State (56)
4: Purdue (16) vs. 13: Cornell (49)
5: Vanderbilt (17) vs. 12: Siena (48)
6: Xavier (24) vs. 11: Minnesota (41)
7: San Diego State (25) vs. 10: Gonzaga (40)
8: Wake Forest (32) vs. 9: Notre Dame (33)
1: Duke (2) vs. 16: Vermont (63)
2: Georgetown (7) vs. 15: Montana (58)
3: Tennessee (10) vs. 14: UC-Santa Barbara (55)
4: Maryland (15) vs. 13: Oakland (50)
5: Ohio State (18) vs. 12: New Mexico State (47)
6: Georgia Tech (23) vs. 11: Utah State (42)
7: Louisville (26) vs. 10: Old Dominion (39)
8: Marquette (31) vs. 9: Brigham Young (34)
1: West Virginia (3) vs. 16: Winthrop (62)
2: Kentucky (6) vs. 15: North Texas (59)
3: Baylor (11) vs. 14: Wofford (54)
4: Wisconsin (14) vs. 13: Ohio (51)
5: New Mexico (19) vs. 12: St. Mary's (46)
6: California (22) vs. 11: Dayton (43)
7: Richmond (27) vs. 10: Florida State (38)
8: Texas (30) vs. 9: Northern Iowa (35)
1: Kansas State (4) vs. 16: Robert Morris (61)
2: Syracuse (5) vs. 15: Morgan State (60)
3: Texas A&M (12) vs. 14: Sam Houston State (53)
4: Temple (13) vs. 13: Houston (52)
5: Michigan State (20) vs. 12: Rhode Island (45)
6: Butler (21) vs. 11: UTEP (44)
7: Oklahoma State (28) vs. 10: Missouri (37)
8: Clemson (29) vs. 9: Washington (36)
Last Four In: Utah State, Dayton, UTEP, Rhode Island
First Four Out: Florida, UNLV, Mississippi State, Kent State
Next Four Out: Wichita State, UAB, Memphis, Virginia Tech
Essentially all the same teams accept I'd swap out Florida and UNLV for Dayton and Rhode Island.
Stay tuned... I'll have a game-by-game break down coming next... oh, and I'll take Winthrop over Arkansas-Pine Bluff tomorrow.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Next-to-Last Rankings
I started this Thursday afternoon and got bogged down in thesis work. So this includes the RPI for Thursday and was up-to-date with top seeds at about 2pm Thursday. Remember, the teams in Bold are the top seed in the conference tournament (or highest remaining seed) and the teams in Bold Italics have locked their bid.
1: Kansas (Big 12)
2: Duke (ACC)
3: West Virginia
4: Syracuse
5: Kansas State
6: Kentucky (SEC)
7: Pittsburg (Big East)
8: Villanova
9: Georgetown
10: Texas A&M
11: Tennessee
12: Baylor
13: Wisconsin
14: Purdue
15: Maryland
16: New Mexico (MWC)
17: Vanderbilt
18: California (Pac-10)
19: Michigan State
20: Ohio State (Big Ten)
21: Temple (A-10)
22: Butler (Horizon)
23: Xavier
24: Louisville
25: Texas
26: Clemson
27: Oklahoma State
28: Wake Forest
29: Richmond
30: Georgia Tech
31: Brigham Young
32: Florida State
33: Northern Iowa (MVC)
34: Missouri
35: San Diego State
36: Dayton
37: Utah State (WAC)
38: Gonzaga
39: Notre Dame
40: Old Dominion (Colonial)
41: Marquette
42: Cincinnati
43: Florida
44: UTEP (C-USA)
45: Seton Hall
46: Memphis
47: Washington
48: Kent State (MAC)
49: St. Mary's (WCC)
50: Siena (MAAC)
51: Oakland (Summit)
52: Cornell (Ivy)
53: Wofford (SoCon)
54: Sam Houston State (Southland)
55: Montana (Big Sky)
56: UC-Santa Barbara (Big West)
57: East Tennessee State (A-Sun)
58: Murray State (OVC)
59: North Texas (Sun Belt)
60: Robert Morris (NEC)
61: Morgan State (MEAC)
62: Winthrop (Big South)
63: Vermont (Am. East)
64: Lehigh (Patriot)
65: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC)
Last Four In: Washington, Memphis, Seton Hall, Florida
First Four Out: UAB, Rhode Island, UNLV, Wichita State
Next Four Out: Arizona State, Mississippi, Virginia Tech, William & Mary
1: Kansas (Big 12)
2: Duke (ACC)
3: West Virginia
4: Syracuse
5: Kansas State
6: Kentucky (SEC)
7: Pittsburg (Big East)
8: Villanova
9: Georgetown
10: Texas A&M
11: Tennessee
12: Baylor
13: Wisconsin
14: Purdue
15: Maryland
16: New Mexico (MWC)
17: Vanderbilt
18: California (Pac-10)
19: Michigan State
20: Ohio State (Big Ten)
21: Temple (A-10)
22: Butler (Horizon)
23: Xavier
24: Louisville
25: Texas
26: Clemson
27: Oklahoma State
28: Wake Forest
29: Richmond
30: Georgia Tech
31: Brigham Young
32: Florida State
33: Northern Iowa (MVC)
34: Missouri
35: San Diego State
36: Dayton
37: Utah State (WAC)
38: Gonzaga
39: Notre Dame
40: Old Dominion (Colonial)
41: Marquette
42: Cincinnati
43: Florida
44: UTEP (C-USA)
45: Seton Hall
46: Memphis
47: Washington
48: Kent State (MAC)
49: St. Mary's (WCC)
50: Siena (MAAC)
51: Oakland (Summit)
52: Cornell (Ivy)
53: Wofford (SoCon)
54: Sam Houston State (Southland)
55: Montana (Big Sky)
56: UC-Santa Barbara (Big West)
57: East Tennessee State (A-Sun)
58: Murray State (OVC)
59: North Texas (Sun Belt)
60: Robert Morris (NEC)
61: Morgan State (MEAC)
62: Winthrop (Big South)
63: Vermont (Am. East)
64: Lehigh (Patriot)
65: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC)
Last Four In: Washington, Memphis, Seton Hall, Florida
First Four Out: UAB, Rhode Island, UNLV, Wichita State
Next Four Out: Arizona State, Mississippi, Virginia Tech, William & Mary
Monday, March 8, 2010
Championship Week Rankings Part 1
Because these will change quickly by next Monday, I will do another ranking Thursday. For right now, the teams in Bold are the top seed in the conference tournament (or highest remaining seed) and the teams in Bold Italics have locked their bid.
1: Kansas (Big 12)
2: Duke (ACC)
3: Syracuse (Big East)
4: West Virginia
5: Kansas State
6: Kentucky (SEC)
7: Pittsburgh
8: Villanova
9: Georgetown
10: Tennessee
11: Texas A&M
12: Baylor
13: Purdue (Big 10)
14: Wisconsin
15: Maryland
16: New Mexico (MWC)
17: Vanderbilt
18: California (Pac 10)
19: Michigan State
20: Louisville
21: Ohio State
22: Temple (A-10)
23: Xavier
24: Texas
25: Clemson
26: Butler (Horizon)
27: Oklahoma State
28: Wake Forest
29: Richmond
30: Florida State
31: Georgia Tech
32: Missouri
33: Brigham Young
34: Northern Iowa (MVC)
35: Gonzaga (WCC)
36: Utah State (WAC)
37: San Diego State
38: Dayton
39: Florida
40: Marquette
41: Notre Dame
42: Rhode Island
43: UTEP (C-USA)
44: Washington
45: Memphis
46: Old Dominion (Colonial)
47: UAB
48: Kent State (MAC)
49: Arizona State
50: Siena (MAAC)
51: Cornell (Ivy)
52: Oakland (Summit)
53: Weber State (Big Sky)
54: Wofford (SoCon)
55: Sam Houston State (Southland)
56: East Tennessee State (A-Sun)
57: UC-Santa Barbara (Big West)
58: Murray State (OVC)
59: Troy (Sun Belt)
60: Morgan State (MEAC)
61: Winthrop (Big South)
62: Stony Brook (Am. East)
63: Lehigh (Patriot)
64: Quinnipiac (NEC)
65: Jackson State (SWAC)
Just Missed It (Needs a big win or someone else's big loss): UNLV, Virginia Tech, Wichita State, St. Mary's.
Some interesting notes:
- The rankings had just one Pac-10 team (California) all season and now there are three (Washington and Arizona State). The weakness of the Pac-10 is still real, they just took awhile to get rolling in the conference season... plus going 1-11 in the Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series really hurts.
- The only real upset in the early tournaments so far was #5 seed ETSU winning the Atlantic Sun... but when the #1, #3, and #4 lose in round one (and the #2 in round two) it's bound to happen. Of all the conferences, the leader of this one switched multiple times. I've primarily had Jacksonville in the rankings, and sometimes Belmont (and Lipscomb was actually the #1 seed), so was this a strong conference or a really weak one?
- St. Mary's is out. They'll stay out if they don't beat Gonzaga in the WCC Championship tonight. That will make them 0-for-7 against the Zags in the last 3 years.
- All the bubble teams are praying for Gonzaga, Utah State, UTEP, Kent State, and Butler (and no ridiculous upsets in other tournaments, either)... all five of those teams may not need to win their tournament to get in.
1: Kansas (Big 12)
2: Duke (ACC)
3: Syracuse (Big East)
4: West Virginia
5: Kansas State
6: Kentucky (SEC)
7: Pittsburgh
8: Villanova
9: Georgetown
10: Tennessee
11: Texas A&M
12: Baylor
13: Purdue (Big 10)
14: Wisconsin
15: Maryland
16: New Mexico (MWC)
17: Vanderbilt
18: California (Pac 10)
19: Michigan State
20: Louisville
21: Ohio State
22: Temple (A-10)
23: Xavier
24: Texas
25: Clemson
26: Butler (Horizon)
27: Oklahoma State
28: Wake Forest
29: Richmond
30: Florida State
31: Georgia Tech
32: Missouri
33: Brigham Young
34: Northern Iowa (MVC)
35: Gonzaga (WCC)
36: Utah State (WAC)
37: San Diego State
38: Dayton
39: Florida
40: Marquette
41: Notre Dame
42: Rhode Island
43: UTEP (C-USA)
44: Washington
45: Memphis
46: Old Dominion (Colonial)
47: UAB
48: Kent State (MAC)
49: Arizona State
50: Siena (MAAC)
51: Cornell (Ivy)
52: Oakland (Summit)
53: Weber State (Big Sky)
54: Wofford (SoCon)
55: Sam Houston State (Southland)
56: East Tennessee State (A-Sun)
57: UC-Santa Barbara (Big West)
58: Murray State (OVC)
59: Troy (Sun Belt)
60: Morgan State (MEAC)
61: Winthrop (Big South)
62: Stony Brook (Am. East)
63: Lehigh (Patriot)
64: Quinnipiac (NEC)
65: Jackson State (SWAC)
Just Missed It (Needs a big win or someone else's big loss): UNLV, Virginia Tech, Wichita State, St. Mary's.
Some interesting notes:
- The rankings had just one Pac-10 team (California) all season and now there are three (Washington and Arizona State). The weakness of the Pac-10 is still real, they just took awhile to get rolling in the conference season... plus going 1-11 in the Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series really hurts.
- The only real upset in the early tournaments so far was #5 seed ETSU winning the Atlantic Sun... but when the #1, #3, and #4 lose in round one (and the #2 in round two) it's bound to happen. Of all the conferences, the leader of this one switched multiple times. I've primarily had Jacksonville in the rankings, and sometimes Belmont (and Lipscomb was actually the #1 seed), so was this a strong conference or a really weak one?
- St. Mary's is out. They'll stay out if they don't beat Gonzaga in the WCC Championship tonight. That will make them 0-for-7 against the Zags in the last 3 years.
- All the bubble teams are praying for Gonzaga, Utah State, UTEP, Kent State, and Butler (and no ridiculous upsets in other tournaments, either)... all five of those teams may not need to win their tournament to get in.
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