Random Thoughts - The Madness of March
The biggest factor in this year's Selection Sunday was Bob Bowlsby, Iowa AD and head of the committee. He gave his Hawkeyes a bid over Indiana "just because"* and he put Illinois with every team that backed into the tourney with the exception of Oklahoma St. Mich St a 5, Wisconsin a 6, Minny a 9, expect the Big Ten to jump out to a 5-0 start after the first round, followed up with everyone losing...thats right, everyone. Nevada is really good and will beat Iillinois, you heard it hear first.
* - not an actual quote from Bowlsby but just something I envision him saying if he were ever asked the question why Iowa got in not Indiana.
UNC has a rough bracket and I will admit their coach is known for underacheiving and the team lacks the throat-slashing instinct...but that doesn't mean that they won't come out of the East unscathed. I don't understand how Dan could say that UNC will " fold like a deck of cards" in the Sweet Sixteen but he can also see the Top 3 seeds in the East winning it all. I am assuming that "winning it all" means winning the Championship, and that the "Top 3 seeds" means UNC/UConn/Kansas, and that "see" means....well you get my point. It doesn't seem to make any sense. Its like the previous paragraph where I said Illinois has an easy draw but they will lose in the second round. I have no idea what the hell is going on.
Wake Forest has the best draw in my opinion..much better than if they were a #1 seed. They will have to beat only one good team to get to the Elite 8 if that. Gonzaga is better off as a 10 seed Cinderalla team, they cannot win when they are favored, it is bizarre. In contrast, Washington might have to beat a tough 2nd round opponent (Pitt/Pacific) and then most likely Ga Tech or Louisville. I can't see them advancing too far in the tourney.
Syracuse could possibly lose the first round matchup against Vermont and I am going to leave it at that.
I love the experts that go out on a limb and take Illinois, Duke, UNC, and their sleeper, Wake Forest. Way to get ballsy boys, keep up the good work. The reason why teams are #1 is because people expect them to make it all the way. No one is going to have a final four that includes Miss. St, Oklahoma, Arizona and Bucknell. No one that is, except me.
I tried to organize an NIT pool at work today, no one seemed interested.
* - not an actual quote from Bowlsby but just something I envision him saying if he were ever asked the question why Iowa got in not Indiana.
UNC has a rough bracket and I will admit their coach is known for underacheiving and the team lacks the throat-slashing instinct...but that doesn't mean that they won't come out of the East unscathed. I don't understand how Dan could say that UNC will " fold like a deck of cards" in the Sweet Sixteen but he can also see the Top 3 seeds in the East winning it all. I am assuming that "winning it all" means winning the Championship, and that the "Top 3 seeds" means UNC/UConn/Kansas, and that "see" means....well you get my point. It doesn't seem to make any sense. Its like the previous paragraph where I said Illinois has an easy draw but they will lose in the second round. I have no idea what the hell is going on.
Wake Forest has the best draw in my opinion..much better than if they were a #1 seed. They will have to beat only one good team to get to the Elite 8 if that. Gonzaga is better off as a 10 seed Cinderalla team, they cannot win when they are favored, it is bizarre. In contrast, Washington might have to beat a tough 2nd round opponent (Pitt/Pacific) and then most likely Ga Tech or Louisville. I can't see them advancing too far in the tourney.
Syracuse could possibly lose the first round matchup against Vermont and I am going to leave it at that.
I love the experts that go out on a limb and take Illinois, Duke, UNC, and their sleeper, Wake Forest. Way to get ballsy boys, keep up the good work. The reason why teams are #1 is because people expect them to make it all the way. No one is going to have a final four that includes Miss. St, Oklahoma, Arizona and Bucknell. No one that is, except me.
I tried to organize an NIT pool at work today, no one seemed interested.
posted by Eric at 10:06 p.m.
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