So, what is the concensus on these NCAA brackets? Any thoughts? I'll go first.

1. How is Duke a #1? They lose their conference tournament. They're 6-4 in their last 10 games.
2. Not trying to be biased, but Pitt got screwed. For doing almost exactly what Duke did (except not losing to a non-Top 25 opponent like Maryland), Pitt gets rewarded by possibly traveling to Milwaukee to play Wisconsin.
3. How is Utah a #11 seed? I must have been the only person to stay up and watch that game.
4. Air Force??? What?
5. Why does the selection committee prepare these brackets before all the tournament games are finished?
6. Overall, Duke is not a number one, Pitt is not a number three, and I am anxiously awaiting Lehigh vs. Florida A&M... that one will be exciting.

Too late. You ARE letting you regional bias show for the one issue of seeding you didn't mention. St Joe? Speaking of losing their conference tournament - what a way to lose - blown away by 20 pts by the last place seed in the first round! If anything "screwed" Pitt is was this - had nothing to do with the Dookies.

I guess you must be a Duke fan. ;) Alright, I'm over the fact that Pitt is a 3 seed, and I am over my regional bias. It's just the way it's gonna be, however...

Rant on...

How many games does Duke have to lose before they aren't a 1 seed? Why isn't Mississippi State a 1 seed? They won their conference championship and have 2 fewer losses. Oklahoma State won the Big 12 and have 2 fewer losses, but they're not a number one seed. Heck, even Gonzaga won their WCC championship and have 3 fewer losses than Duke. I agree with you that St. Joe's shouldn't be there because they got crushed by Xavier. However, if St. Joe's doesn't win their conference championship, and Duke doesn't win either, why are they number one seeds? Take Duke and St. Joe's out and put OK St. and Miss. St. into number 1. However, it can't be corrected now, so...

Rant off...

Ok, it's softball season anyway -- PLAY BALL. :D

John - I'm a UConn fan (hope that doesn't make us mortal enemies ;-) - and even I was surprised at the #3 seeding for Pitt. If they won - possibly a #1 seed?? - Apparently not. FWIW - I think UConn is better with Okafur on the bench that with him playing injured. Everyone seemed to feel that it was their responsibility to step up to the plate - if only they would do that with him in the game too.

Interesting 2nd round match up could be UConn vs. DePaul. DePaul is coached by one of Calhoun's former assistants.

-Kono

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BigUmpJohn

Quote:

I guess you must be a Duke fan. ;) ... Rant on... How many games does Duke have to lose before they aren't a 1 seed? Why isn't Mississippi State a 1 seed? They won their conference championship and have 2 fewer losses. Oklahoma State won the Big 12 and have 2 fewer losses, but they're not a number one seed. Heck, even Gonzaga won their WCC championship and have 3 fewer losses than Duke. I agree with you that St. Joe's shouldn't be there because they got crushed by Xavier. However, if St. Joe's doesn't win their conference championship, and Duke doesn't win either, why are they number one seeds? Take Duke and St. Joe's out and put OK St. and Miss. St. into number 1. However, it can't be corrected now, so... Rant off...

Whoa, there pardner... How many Dook fans do you know that call them Dookies? (Hint - NONE! It is a spelling used by Dook's regular - i.e. ACC - opponents to make the Dookies mad.) All I was saying is the real reason Pitt didn't get a higher seed was the committee had to make room for St Joe at the top. I agree Dook gets too much benefit of the doubt, but until some of those other teams you name have a multi-year record to back up the whining... You do have to give Dook their due.

Besides, all conferences are not created equal. Losing to MD in the ACC final <u>shouldn't</u> hurt as much as losing to Xavier in the first round of the Atlantic 10.

And, the ACC was judged to be a tough conference this year, so they didn't penalize Dook so much for their conference losses.

Was this judgment accurate? Well, at least in basketball they have to play the games, so we'll see.

I believe that I was mostly unconscious when I wrote my previous post. Mississippi State did not win their conference, Kentucky did. Okay... I'm on the bandwagon now... St. Joe's isn't a number one. To lose like they did in an inferior conference should keep them out alone. Can we agree that a Big East team should have gotten a number one seed? How about Connecticut, and no, kono, we're not eternal enemies... unless UConn and Pitt meet in this tourney. ;)

I'm definitely not trying to get into an intense argument over this and I honestly had no idea that the misspelling of Duke meant that.

Isn't March great? March Madness and the softball season start. I love it.:D

Probably... but as with all things committee, they seem to try to "balance" things instead of just going by raw record / team ability. I'm sure it is a shock and surprise that politics happens in the NCAA selection committee! NNNNOOOOOOO!!!! I can't STAND Connecticut - and it is entirely irrational, I admit. Their <b>stupid</b> pun of a mascot name just makes my teeth grind!

OK - maybe their basketball team deserved a higher seed. But I just LOVE it when they lose!

Why not a big argument? That's half the fun of March Madness (c) NCAA. Dook-hating is just one of the things that adds spice! (And for an alum of one of the ACC schools that never does well in basketball and that regularly gets beat up by Dook, it comes naturally - although I have a greater animosity toward UNC!)

NNNNOOOOOOO!!!! I can't STAND Connecticut - and it is entirely irrational, I admit. Their <b>stupid</b> pun of a mascot name just makes my teeth grind!

OK - maybe their basketball team deserved a higher seed. But I just LOVE it when they lose!
[/QUOTE]

Probably the most confusing game if the Big East tourny was the UConn/Nova game. I was never completely sure if the announcers were talking about Villanova or Villenueva :-D

FWIW - The team I dislike the most is the Tennessee women's team. I love seeing the scowl on Pat Summit's face when they get beat by UConn.

-Kono

Speaking of the ladies, all I've got to say is <center>
<font size=7><font color=red><blink>GO</blink></font></font> <font size=7><font color=black><blink>LADY</blink></font></font> <font size=7><font color=red><blink>RAIDERS</blink></font></font> <font size=7><font color=black><blink>!</blink></font></font> <font size=7><font color=red><blink>!</blink></font></font> <font size=7><font color=black><blink>!</blink></font></font> <p><img src=http://graphics.fansonly.com/store/Vendor6/thumbs/champashsportee-t.jpg></img></center>

SamC

Surprise!!!!!!!!!

Texas is still in the hunt....<i>For a little while
longer.</i>

[Edited by whiskers_ump on Mar 21st, 2004 at 09:37 AM]

Great scowl!

This discussion should be on the basketball forum.

Hard to get a word in edgewise there.

Anyone want to make book on when the basketball forum tops 100,000 posts?

Yes, even though this topic is on the basketball board. I just wanted to see what others think. Besides, it really is tough to get a thought mentioned in that post.

I sometimes wonder why I bother with these brackets. After the Kentucky loss, let's just say I had enough fuel for the fire with what are now OLD brackets. Well, since my money winner is lost, GO PITT!!!!!

I'm with you - Kentucky killed my bracket too.

Two games and a couple of days rest - then 2 more games - maybe Emeka <b>can</b> pull it off.

Go UConn!!!

FWIW - you have to like the way the women have been playing the last couple of days too.