2009 Tournament discussion thread

builder_j

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Dec 2, 2008
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This thread is for posting your thoughts on the tournament, from the bracket announcement to the championship game.

Who got a favorable seed?
Who was seeded too high/too low?
Who got snubbed?

Let the Madness begin!
 

Aaron

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Oct 10, 2008
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My LSU Tigers are in! :jump:

But the selection committee absolutely screwed them! :banghead:

An 8th seed for a team that won its conference with a 26-7 record, 13-3 in conference!?! Tough match-up against Butler, then if they win that one, a 2nd rounder against North Carolina. :icon_eek:
 

Jleimer

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Oct 30, 2008
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My thoughts on the tournament. Well all the ones got a fair seeding with the exception of Uconn.
Villanova has the easiest draw to get to the Sweet 16 since they will be playing virtually at home in Philly.
I thought Utah got seeded way to high because who did they beat and play. Wisconsin was seeded way too low because I knew they were in no matter what.
I thought St. Marys , San Diego State and Crieghton were jobbed out of the tournament.
 

Elwood

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SEC got screwed, but at least the 3 teams can all meet up in the final 4.
 

Jleimer

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XM subscribers got snubbed... from what I hear, no tourney games will be aired on the XM side.

But if they have the Mirge or Iphone they can listen to the games. Anyhow the SEC was pretty crappy overall and they deserved to get the 3. Now if Mississippi State didnt win the SEC tourney then they would of had 2. Plus the Mid Major at larges are down to 4 this year which is sad considering we had 14 5 years a go.
 

hwkn

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Oct 14, 2008
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I do remember hearing Scott Ferrall saying the games'd be on Sirius/XM last week[not exclusively Sirius]for what it's worth.
 

Vols44

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Oct 18, 2008
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My team has a steep hill to climb during the first weekend. Once they get past the Cowboys and Panthers it's all down hill.
 

AJ_II

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Oct 13, 2008
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My LSU Tigers are in!

But the selection committee absolutely screwed them! :banghead:

An 8th seed for a team that won its conference with a 26-7 record, 13-3 in conference!?! Tough match-up against Butler, then if they win that one, a 2nd rounder against North Carolina. :icon_eek:

They won a very poor SEC...a conference that would have gotten in only 2 teams had MSU not won today. And their non-conference schedule was awful. They played 3 tournament teams (A&M, Utah, Xavier) and lost each game.

I could have seen LSU as a 7, maybe a 6, but I don't think they got screwed with an 8. Of course, I'm not a Tiger fan either. So I understand where you're coming from. Hey, I'm still wondering why Texas Tech didn't get in.
 
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AJ_II

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My Buckeyes received a fair seeding. They are number 8 vs 9 Siena.

I'd say they were treated more than fairly. They get to play in Dayton? Basically homecourt advantage in the first 2 rounds...as an 8 seed? How's that work? I dare say Brutus must have been turning tricks in that selection committee room.
 

Wolf

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Oct 11, 2008
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I usually root for the Texas Longhorns, but ASU is ranked 6 seed not bad! Also go U of A.
 

Elwood

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They won a very poor SEC

Too much weight is placed on non-conference games. Each ncaa team plays 10-15 of these games, but only a handful against tough opponents - and they are primarily in Nov/Dec.

I think the "SEC is down" perception has been repeated so many times this year it has been adopted as reality - when in fact we have been beating up on each other - like other conferences.

I like Bob Knight's idea - drop the NIT, double the size of the field, and play an extra round!
 

Jleimer

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Another observation I noticed , Utah State getting going to Boise for their first two games. I thought they would be headed to at least KC since only the top 3 seeds get protected for being close to home in the first round.
 

AJ_II

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Too much weight is placed on non-conference games. Each ncaa team plays 10-15 of these games, but only a handful against tough opponents - and they are primarily in Nov/Dec.

I think the "SEC is down" perception has been repeated so many times this year it has been adopted as reality - when in fact we have been beating up on each other - like other conferences.

I like Bob Knight's idea - drop the NIT, double the size of the field, and play an extra round!

Ahh come on man. I've seen a lot of SEC homers, but I think you may just be the biggest of all. Or, maybe I'm just a succer and I've let the media cloud my judgment. I don't think that's the case though. I've watched plenty of SEC games this year and I haven't been impressed. At all. Put LSU or Tennessee in the Big East or ACC, they'd have trouble finishing .500 in conference. As good as they are in football, the SEC is just as bad in basketball. If LSU or UT makes it past the first weekend, I'd be completely shocked. But hey, if you are confident in them making the Final Four, put some money down. LSU and Tennessee are each getting 15-1 odds. Vegas must be out of their minds, right?

It's funny, people saying the SEC got screwed in the selection process. The head of the Selection Committee was none other than the SEC Commissioner himself! So....blame yourselves I guess. One thing you can say about the SEC, they're definitely not guilty of nepotism.

I disagree with doubling the field. Half the fun during selection time is debating the bubble teams. And why screw around with something so good as the Tournament? It's as close to perfect as it'll get. Besides, even if you double the number of teams, you'll still have team #129, or team #130 that'll be upset and whine about not getting in. Then what? Allow all Division I teams in? There has to be some level of exclusivity to the selection process.

I do agree that too much emphasis is probably put on games that are played in November and December. Teams during that time are still trying to figure out how to play, they're experimenting with things. But, that's the way it is. So knowing that, you'd better schedule some tough opponents. And you'd better win some of them. Davidson played a brutal out-of-conference schedule, but they didn't win any of the games (except West Virginia)! So it should come as no surprise that they're now NIT-bound. (By the way, losing Jason Richards really hurt that Davidson team this year.)
 
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Elwood

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Over the last 15 years or so, the SEC trails only the ACC in placing final 4 teams, so I wouldn't best against them.

I'm just saying it makes no sense to define a conference on the basis of two or three non-con games. There isn't that wide a gap between the conferences to have half as many bids for the SEC.


Ha! Woody from Around the Horn on ESPN agrees with me - he said Florida and Auburn were the biggest snubs!
 
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builder_j

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Another observation I noticed , Utah State getting going to Boise for their first two games. I thought they would be headed to at least KC since only the top 3 seeds get protected for being close to home in the first round.

If that were the case, then Missouri should be playing in KC instead of Boise...
 

AJ_II

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Ha! Woody from Around the Horn on ESPN agrees with me - he said Florida and Auburn were the biggest snubs!

Paige went to Tennessee...he's another SEC homer.

Look, if the SEC does anything in this Tourney worth mentioning then I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong. But it ain't happenin'!
 

AJ_II

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And why screw around with something so good as the Tournament? It's as close to perfect as it'll get.

Well, there is one thing I'd change about the Tournament. Get rid of this stupid "play-in" game (which is tonight). It robs one of these schools from getting the true Tournament experience. Or, if they insist on having a play-in game, make it between the last two at-large teams to get in the field. In this year's case, it could be between Arizona and Wisconsin.