Okay. First, sorry for the absence and glad to be back on the ol' blog.
It's Selection Sunday, and Baylor just got spot #65.
EAST: It's the UNC Invitational!! I really don't see anyone beating UNC when they don't even have to leave the state to play all four games. Tennessee and Louisville (seeds two and three) are both coming off conference tournament losses.
MIDWEST: What about KU? Rock Chalk Jayhawk?? Clemson has a chance to have something to say; Georgetown and Wisconsin should have switched positions. After all, the Badgers won their regular season AND conference tourney titles! Big Ten dissed.
SOUTH: Memphis has a gripe; their region is toughest. Michigan State, Pitt, Stanford, Texas are seeds 5 thru 2. Heck, Marquette is number 6!
WEST: UCLA owes the committee a thank you note. They're already in the Elite Eight. UConn? Ha. Drake? Nope. Duke? Not this year. There's no one in that bracket that will beat UCLA, so two of my Final Four picks are already mailed in.
---------------------------------------------
Two teams I think that SHOULD be going to the NIT but they're not:
Arizona (19-14)
Kentucky (18-12, only because they were 12-4 in the SEC playing all the weak sisters. Oh, and they LOST TO GARDNER-WEBB! Yes, with an RPI of #189.)
---------------------------------------------
Two teams that have EVERY RIGHT to be TICKED about not getting in:
Arizona State (19-12, lower RPI (83) but they SWEPT Arizona (RPI 37). Does head-to-head battle mean nothing??
Virginia Tech (19-13, WINNING record in the ACC, which is the NUMBER ONE ranked RPI conference, who BEAT Miami in the ACC Tournament and came within eight-tenths of a second from knocking off No. #1 North Carolina!)
---------------------------------------------
I want you to now look at the names of the teams Kentucky defeated to get their 18 wins.....
Central Arkansas, Liberty, Texas Southern, Stony Brook, Tennessee Tech, FIU, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida.
Two over Georgia, who meant nothing before their miracle ride this weekend. The BIG wins over Vanderbilt and Tennessee. That's all. Period. So, FOUR WINS over teams in the tourney.
NOW, the teams Virginia Tech defeated for their 19 wins.....
Elon, Eastern Washington, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro, George Washington, Liberty, Hofstra, St. Johns, Charleston Southern, Maryland, Virginia, Boston College, Florida State, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Wake Forest, Miami
Yep, just one win against a tourney team (Miami), but it was a convincing win. Two wins against a Maryland team who collapsed at season's end (nothing Tech) can do about that. One point loss to Clemson on the road, then the heartbreak to UNC. The loss to Richmond isn't that bad (it was at Richmond, who played surprisingly well this year in a tougher-than-expected Atlantic 10).
Virginia Tech from the ACC, the TOP ranked RPI Conference.
Kentucky from the SEC, the fourth ranked RPI Conference.
I think we know now that two losses by a combined three points in March on the road must be more damaging than losing to RPI Team 189 in November by 16 at home.
Biased? I'm sure I am. But I just can't believe Kentucky got in.
---------------------------------------
And don't EVEN get me started about Arizona.
Now, as for the Commonwealth, it's George Mason. Our only standard bearer. Go GMU!!
More to come; I'm going to actually go digest some bracket matchups now. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment