From ESPNU's version of Bracketology......
Adrian Branch: Louisville, Kansas, Memphis, UConn (wow!) He didn't get to give us his final.
Andy Katz: UNC, Kansas, Memphis, UCLA (all four ones again!) UCLA over Kansas.
Showing posts with label UCLA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UCLA. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Live Blog on Selection Sunday.....after the announcement.....
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.
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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.)
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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!)
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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.
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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. :)
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. :)
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Quick news and notes......
This morning's Richmond Times-Dispatch front page concerning the death of President Ford was incredibly classy and touching. Probably the best obituary front page photo I've ever seen them published (and I delivered their papers for 14 years).
John Edwards is running for President. Yawn. Joe Biden will get a double yawn.
There were, like, three more bowl games today. Why? A friend at work mentioned all the empty seats at a bowl game in California last night between Florida State and UCLA. I guess so. Do you think fans of schools of that caliber are going to go to San Francisco to see an Emerald Bowl? (Note the "spin" on the attendance figure in paragraph two of the story on the game's website.) Apparently, UCLA fans weren't even excited by the fact they didn't have to leave the state to see the game!
Now, what's the over/under on Miami fans flocking to Boise, Idaho for the MPC Computers Bowl?? 500? Am I being generous??
R.I.P. to my one and only Mama, who passed four years ago tonight. Doesn't seem that long. I continue to miss her, and always will.
In conclusion, 17 days until the return of Jack Bauer and "24"!!!! Therefore, you'll know what over half of the blog entries will be effective January 15th!!
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Third annual New Years Eve blog, "year in review", coming Sunday night. Insomniacs rejoice!!
John Edwards is running for President. Yawn. Joe Biden will get a double yawn.
There were, like, three more bowl games today. Why? A friend at work mentioned all the empty seats at a bowl game in California last night between Florida State and UCLA. I guess so. Do you think fans of schools of that caliber are going to go to San Francisco to see an Emerald Bowl? (Note the "spin" on the attendance figure in paragraph two of the story on the game's website.) Apparently, UCLA fans weren't even excited by the fact they didn't have to leave the state to see the game!
Now, what's the over/under on Miami fans flocking to Boise, Idaho for the MPC Computers Bowl?? 500? Am I being generous??
R.I.P. to my one and only Mama, who passed four years ago tonight. Doesn't seem that long. I continue to miss her, and always will.
In conclusion, 17 days until the return of Jack Bauer and "24"!!!! Therefore, you'll know what over half of the blog entries will be effective January 15th!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Third annual New Years Eve blog, "year in review", coming Sunday night. Insomniacs rejoice!!
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