(03-14-2021 05:47 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  Michigan State in play-in game.

I knew they were a close call.

it'll be interesting to see the seed list to see just how close.

Pretty boring bracket in terms of the low number of interesting matchups.

Oddly enough, TruTV gets a more ratings-friendly matchup for the First Four (Michigan State-UCLA) and even a sort-of rivalry (Wichita State-Drake), whereas every main field first round game is pretty generic. People (other than Illini fans) will want to see Loyola try to take down Illinois in the second round, though.

The X factor this year is the absence of the usual pseudo-home-court advantage in the first two rounds for the higher seeds. Baylor doesn't get to play Hartford and then North Carolina or Wisconsin in Dallas. Kansas doesn't get to bring west coast teams to its second home court in Kansas City. Maybe the Big Ten teams have a built-in advantage playing close to home and, in some cases, in an arena they have played in many times. But that's about it.

I was completely stupid about Mississippi. But I was right about Louisville out.

Honestly I didn't even have Wichita State on my radar, they weren't even in my First Four out. Their NET after Saturday's game was 72, even lower than Michigan State (70). Their Quad data: Quad 1: 2-3, Quad 2: 2-1, Quad 3: 6-1, Quad 4: 4-0. The difference between Michigan State and Wichita State, MSU's Quad data: Q1: 5-10, Q2: 4-2, Q3: 2-0, Q4: 4-0. You make an exception for a NET in the 70's for a team that beat Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio State, not for a team that lost in its conference tournament to a Quad 3 team.

Wichita State was listed on 49 of 90 early brackets at the Bracket Matrix. They were on the most # of brackets for anyone not in the Matrix field. This isn't the official Bracket Matrix, the site host usually uploads a lot more after the field is unveiled. I have a feeling that Wichita State is this year's most undeserving NCAA team by the Matrix although a lot of brackets will still say they belong. Louisville will be the team most will say got screwed (although I do agree they should be out, actually I think they should be in and Oregon State shouldn't be in the tournament but hey, those are the rules).

(03-14-2021 05:51 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 05:47 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  Michigan State in play-in game.

I knew they were a close call.

it'll be interesting to see the seed list to see just how close.

Here you go. Drake was the last team in.

yeah so Michigan St not really close at all to being left out even with the 2 bubble busters.

Bottom line: P6 get 38 teams, five conferences (AAC, WCC, MWC, MVC and A10) get two each and twenty get just the one. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. Still, I wish the P6 were limited to 32 bids.

Drake should thank the Ivy League for their place in the tournament. If the Ivy had not opted out this year, the Ivy League champ would be in the main field, Drake would be out, and Utah State would be in the First Four instead of the main field.

(03-14-2021 05:44 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 05:28 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Whew boy - Loyola Chicago was the one team Illinois did not want to draw before the Sweet 16. Loyola is #9 in KenPom.

Lord I hope that matchup happens. And so does CBS.

I noticed everybody on Planet Earth pretty much wrote a line through Georgia Tech immediately. Of course if Pastner weren't a moron who didn't practice because he was too scared of COVID they wouldn't have lost to Mercer and Georgia State to open the season and wouldn't be a 9 seed. So congrats Pastner ... not practicing means you draw Loyola-Chicago and Illinois back to back. Hope you have a backup plastic welder's mask.

Which RS champs missed out?

Seed list:
https://mobile.twitter.com/MattNorlander...9295202305

First Four is split between TBS and TruTV. UCLA/Michigan St presumably to TBS, Drake/Wichita presumably to Trutv.

I believe it is Selection Committee policy to pit the bottom four seeds such that the two bottom teams play each other and the next two play each other. That is the case this season. What does that mean? One of the two worst teams gets to win and one of the "better" First Four teams has to lose. If you want to really be fair, you pit #65 vs. #68 and #66 vs. #67 because #65 and #66 deserve to win the most and make the main field, they don't deserve to play each other and only one gets to make the round of 64 while the two biggest losers gets a free pass. That would be like Gonzaga and Baylor playing each other in the semifinals. Same with the First Four at large teams.

(03-14-2021 06:27 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I believe it is Selection Committee policy to pit the bottom four seeds such that the two bottom teams play each other and the next two play each other. That is the case this season. What does that mean? One of the two worst teams gets to win and one of the "better" First Four teams has to lose. If you want to really be fair, you pit #65 vs. #68 and #66 vs. #67 because #65 and #66 deserve to win the most and make the main field, they don't deserve to play each other and only one gets to make the round of 64 while the two biggest losers gets a free pass. That would be like Gonzaga and Baylor playing each other in the semifinals. Same with the First Four at large teams.

totally agree with you.

interesting-

(03-14-2021 06:09 PM)ken d Wrote:  Bottom line: P6 get 38 teams, five conferences (AAC, WCC, MWC, MVC and A10) get two each and twenty get just the one. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. Still, I wish the P6 were limited to 32 bids.

Never happen, P5 will always get the most units in the first round. While not Football money, still a nice chunk of change when there are double digits units,

(03-14-2021 05:44 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 05:28 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Whew boy - Loyola Chicago was the one team Illinois did not want to draw before the Sweet 16. Loyola is #9 in KenPom.

Lord I hope that matchup happens. And so does CBS.

Me too!
Go Loyola!
Only big 10 I’m rooting for is Iowa

(03-14-2021 06:34 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 06:27 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I believe it is Selection Committee policy to pit the bottom four seeds such that the two bottom teams play each other and the next two play each other. That is the case this season. What does that mean? One of the two worst teams gets to win and one of the "better" First Four teams has to lose. If you want to really be fair, you pit #65 vs. #68 and #66 vs. #67 because #65 and #66 deserve to win the most and make the main field, they don't deserve to play each other and only one gets to make the round of 64 while the two biggest losers gets a free pass. That would be like Gonzaga and Baylor playing each other in the semifinals. Same with the First Four at large teams.

totally agree with you.

Yeah, that's what I mean by getting in last. I don't care if the committee really seeded UCLA and Michigan State in the 20s. If you get put in a play-in game, you obviously are in a lower-level game than anyone who is in the actual field of 60.

Georgetown is a #12, but I'd much rather be #12 and not have to do the play-in thing than be an alleged #11 that has to.

(03-14-2021 06:27 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I believe it is Selection Committee policy to pit the bottom four seeds such that the two bottom teams play each other and the next two play each other. That is the case this season. What does that mean? One of the two worst teams gets to win and one of the "better" First Four teams has to lose. If you want to really be fair, you pit #65 vs. #68 and #66 vs. #67 because #65 and #66 deserve to win the most and make the main field, they don't deserve to play each other and only one gets to make the round of 64 while the two biggest losers gets a free pass. That would be like Gonzaga and Baylor playing each other in the semifinals. Same with the First Four at large teams.

Wonder if they did it for tv reasons. Michigan St vs UCLA is a big tv draw and Wichita vs Drake are former rivals.

(03-14-2021 06:42 PM)msm96wolf Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 06:09 PM)ken d Wrote:  Bottom line: P6 get 38 teams, five conferences (AAC, WCC, MWC, MVC and A10) get two each and twenty get just the one. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. Still, I wish the P6 were limited to 32 bids.

Never happen, P5 will always get the most units in the first round. While not Football money, still a nice chunk of change when there are double digits units,

I agree. The P6 won't give up any of their bids.

That's why I have a different proposal. I would give every P6 school with a record of .500 or better against their own conference, including conference tournaments, (and only those schools) an autobid into the field of 64. In 2019-20, the last regular full regular season, they would have received the same 38 bids they got this year.

Then I would have the bottom 16 conference champions play down to 4 teams to advance to the field of 64. That would give non-P6 conferences 12 at large bids every year. That's 7 more at large bids than they got this year (and most years).

(03-14-2021 06:46 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 06:34 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-14-2021 06:27 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I believe it is Selection Committee policy to pit the bottom four seeds such that the two bottom teams play each other and the next two play each other. That is the case this season. What does that mean? One of the two worst teams gets to win and one of the "better" First Four teams has to lose. If you want to really be fair, you pit #65 vs. #68 and #66 vs. #67 because #65 and #66 deserve to win the most and make the main field, they don't deserve to play each other and only one gets to make the round of 64 while the two biggest losers gets a free pass. That would be like Gonzaga and Baylor playing each other in the semifinals. Same with the First Four at large teams.

totally agree with you.

Yeah, that's what I mean by getting in last. I don't care if the committee really seeded UCLA and Michigan State in the 20s. If you get put in a play-in game, you obviously are in a lower-level game than anyone who is in the actual field of 60.

Georgetown is a #12, but I'd much rather be #12 and not have to do the play-in thing than be an alleged #11 that has to.

it's funny how the 1st 4 teams have done traditionally though. extremely well.