Selection Sunday

[TheVictors]

my bracket is usually busted by the second weekend and I lose interest. I don't think I have watched a final 4 or championship game in years.

I haven't filled out a bracket in a few years and I think some of the hype/drama around "March Madness" is predicated on whether Holy Cross the 12th seed upends Oklahoma State in a thriller ...because of the brackets. When the TV coverage balances it out so everyone gets to see all the final few minutes, it lends to that sense of excitement.

 

[Michchamp]

my bracket is usually busted by the second weekend and I lose interest. I don't think I have watched a final 4 or championship game in years.

Hahahah, unlike you, I'm USUALLY still in it as of the final weekend, or at least elite 8 round.

Last year, I had Michigan over someone (not Villanova), and like 5 of the final 8. I won my office pool.

Had it been Michigan-Duke, I would've won a bigger pool with a pot of about $2000 run by a guy a friend-of-a-friend knows. Too many people had Villanova winning it though.

If you want, I'll send you some updates of how I'm doing this year so you don't feel left out after the first weekend. >

 

[SpartyNash]

In other news ESPN accidentally released the women’s bracket hours early. Par for the course for that network.

 

[tomdalton22]

Hahahah, unlike you, I'm USUALLY still in it as of the final weekend, or at least elite 8 round.

Last year, I had Michigan over someone (not Villanova), and like 5 of the final 8. I won my office pool.

Had it been Michigan-Duke, I would've won a bigger pool with a pot of about $2000 run by a guy a friend-of-a-friend knows. Too many people had Villanova winning it though.

If you want, I'll send you some updates of how I'm doing this year so you don't feel left out after the first weekend. >

how about you just give me some pointers instead...then we can both win!

 

[dubbsco]

In my perfect world it would only be the top 16 teams and no auto bids for small conferences. Get it down to 4 teams the first weekend and the finals the following weekend.

Yeah, you are probably on an island with that train of thought. That would take everything that makes the tournament so special and turn it into bore-city.

 

[Spartanmack]

In other news no one cares about, ESPN accidentally released the women?s bracket hours early. Par for the course for that network.

Fixed it for you...

 

[Spartanmack]

Well, because if he wants to exist in the NBA, he better learn how to shoot. The game has done an entire evolution since Shaq. There's a reason guys like him don't exist in today's game, and if they do, they aren't super impactful. He can't play bully ball at the next level. The game is space 5 players around the court.

He's gotta expand his game. There have been plenty of case studies of uber athletic guys that own the interior but couldn't do much else beyond that. Not saying that's Zion, but he needs to develop a jumper if he wants to be an all-timer.

I don't disagree with most of this but the argument isn't about his future, it's about whether or not he's the best player in college and he clearly is. Plus, he isn't a horrible shooter - granted he's only taken 54 three's which doesn't get him even close to the top 250 for attempts but he shoots over 30% and a not great but not horrible 65% on FTs. And it's not like a kid that athletic can't develop a mid range jumper or a hook shot or a Juwan Howard-esque drop step, it's just that right now, he's still the most dominant (and best) player in college basketball without it.

edit: and the reason guys like Shaq don't exist in the game today is because other than Shaq, guys like Shaq don't exist anywhere. I don't watch much nba basketball but I would think Shaq could have just as dominant a career if he was coming out of LSU as a sophomore this year instead of 29 years ago.

 

[Spartanmack]

Just out of curiosity because I genuinely don't have a solution, but what would you do if a team won the regular season, and the 2nd place team won the tournament (mid-major conferences)?

I think the autobid should go to the conference champion, not the tournament champion, particularly for the below mid major conferences. Or something like I think you suggested earlier, like having the top 2 or 4 teams play for the bid. I think that would maintain a level of excitement and improve the quality of the field. Of course you're going to risk eliminating some teams that get hot late because they lost a key player for a few weeks early on or whatever, but on balance I think that would improve the field.

 

[Spartanmack]

my bracket is usually busted by the second weekend and I lose interest. I don't think I have watched a final 4 or championship game in years.

I used to be really into bracket pools and have won about 5 or 6 of them, but as I watch less and less non-B1G hoops it's gotten much more difficult. a couple years ago a friend got me into Ron & Mike's survival pool which was fun but they got arrested a couple years ago - it was pretty big news on ESPN, Fox Sports, etc

This year I bought into a squares pool similar to a super bowl pool. $100/box so the total pot is $10k, each win is worth $1.6k/# of games in the round, except the final which is worth $2k. You keep the same box for every game of every round for the entire tourney (one axis represents top seed, the other the bottom seed) and you get paid each time they hit. Seems like it will be fun but it probably wouldn't help keep your interest since all that matters is the final score.

 

[Michchamp]

Fixed it for you...

It's kind of interesting, but only because I remember a couple years ago ESPN promoting Joe Lunardi as some kind of Nostradamus who always got the final selections exactly right, but it's less impressive if it turns out he was just getting the bracket fed or leaked to him by someone on the committee.

 

[tomdalton22]

This year I bought into a squares pool similar to a super bowl pool. $100/box so the total pot is $10k, each win is worth $1.6k/# of games in the round, except the final which is worth $2k. You keep the same box for every game of every round for the entire tourney (one axis represents top seed, the other the bottom seed) and you get paid each time they hit. Seems like it will be fun but it probably wouldn't help keep your interest since all that matters is the final score.

I got into one of those this year. I like that format for basketball since the numbers don't seem to matter as much as they do for football.

 

[Spartanmack]

It's kind of interesting, but only because I remember a couple years ago ESPN promoting Joe Lunardi as some kind of Nostradamus who always got the final selections exactly right, but it's less impressive if it turns out he was just getting the bracket fed or leaked to him by someone on the committee.

there's that I suppose but I meant it more sarcastically from the standpoint that no one really cares all that much about women's basketball. I suppose it's not a very PC position to have and there are a couple people who follow it here, but I find it incredibly boring - it's like watching 40 minutes of lay up drills and 3 pointers heaved from the hip or maybe the top of the shoulder.

 

[tinselwolverine]

there's that I suppose but I meant it more sarcastically from the standpoint that no one really cares all that much about women's basketball. I suppose it's not a very PC position to have and there are a couple people who follow it here, but I find it incredibly boring - it's like watching 40 minutes of lay up drills and 3 pointers heaved from the hip or maybe the top of the shoulder.

I watched the ladies of Michigan in two games in the B1G tournament.

It?s the first time I recall ever turning women?s basketball on.

They are an #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, first game is this Friday, 11 AM West Coast time.

If nothing pressing comes up, I suppose I?ll turn it on and see what happens.

 

[Spartanmack]

I got into one of those this year. I like that format for basketball since the numbers don't seem to matter as much as they do for football.

they don't matter as much - I'm sure there are some combos that are better (obviously, you don't want pairs, which I got for one of my boxes - 3/3) but it's not like in football where a few numbers are clearly better than others. The downside to that is the format doesn't really incentivize you to watch the games, you can just scroll through the score page on espn.com

 

[biggunsbob]

If I am home I will try to watch the women’s game.

 

[Spartanmack]

I got into one of those this year. I like that format for basketball since the numbers don't seem to matter as much as they do for football.

the other format I like is the spread pool. I've put one together for the Sweet 16 for the last 15 years or so. It's a pretty simple format - as long as you cover the spread, you move on so if you have the dog and they lose but cover, you take the favorite into the next round.

 

[MSUMatt28]

I think the autobid should go to the conference champion, not the tournament champion, particularly for the below mid major conferences. Or something like I think you suggested earlier, like having the top 2 or 4 teams play for the bid. I think that would maintain a level of excitement and improve the quality of the field. Of course you're going to risk eliminating some teams that get hot late because they lost a key player for a few weeks early on or whatever, but on balance I think that would improve the field.

I value regular season championships more than tournament championships (though not as much now with all the unbalanced schedules) but you still need to have the tournament mean something, otherwise why have it?

I think giving the regular season champs some advantages like home court or maybe a bye to the semi's is a way to tilt things in their favor as a bit of a reward and still have a meaningful and inclusive conference tournament. In the end there will still be upsets (Gonzaga this year) so it's not perfect. But I'll take imperfect, but exciting, over the alternative.

However, I will say that watching in 2014 a 7 seed vs an 8 seed in the NCAA finals had me re-thinking a lot of things about all the tournaments in general.

 

[tomdalton22]

the other format I like is the spread pool. I've put one together for the Sweet 16 for the last 15 years or so. It's a pretty simple format - as long as you cover the spread, you move on so if you have the dog and they lose but cover, you take the favorite into the next round.

that's a fun one too. We do it as a random draw at the start of the tournament. We have 16 guys and each guy draws 4 teams out of a hat. You could have 4 teams in one region.

If you have the underdog and they cover but lose, you steal the other guy's team. You have that team regardless of the next game's point spread. If you have the favorite and they cover you just move on with your original team.

I have more fun gambling on the tournament than actually watching it.

 

[biggunsbob]

Predictions

East

All you have to do is slow Duke down and make them guard for the whole shot clock. Get the lead, and get those freshmen rattled, and close them out if that is possible. Msu has the offense to frustrate Duke if Winston is on.#3 LSU, #4 Virginia Tech, #1 Duke, #2 MSU, and the long shot is #7Louisville coming out of the east.
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West
Zags may not have the schedule but they did beat Duke so that has to count for something. Winner of this region are coming from a group of #1 zags,#2 wolverines , #4 Fsu, and longshots Buffalo,and Nevada. Before #6 Nevada was banged up I thought they were decent and #7 Buffalo is a experienced team. I worry to many pundits are picking Michigan and let’s face it the wolverines bench just is not deep. Get Teske tired and we are in trouble. Plus Poole, and Iggy tend to go hero ball to much and waste to many possessions. Mathews should come back unless he has a monster ncaa, as he was disappearing to much even before his ankle injury.
=================
South
Can #1 Virginia not choke ? It’s ncaa time. Get a lead on them, and watch the noose tighten... Same can be said for #3 Purdue in the ncaa. Both seem to get bounced early a lot. So is #2 Tennessee legit? Pretty tough region . #5 badgers, #6 Villanova, #4 Kansas st. #12 Oregon is hot coming into the ncaa , and their coach is decent. Can #3 Purdue
Do it.
======================
Midwest
I guess #1 Unc is the favorite but I just don’t like them. #2 Kentucky is playing decent ball. #5 Auburn is playing fantastic but is the sec overrated? #3 Houston is tough , and it is weird that no one is talking about #4 Kansas. I just hope Unc and Kentucky get bounced but this looks like a easiest bracket to me sleeper team is the winner of the #6 Iowa vs. #11 osu game. #3 Houston is the pick maybe .

 

[Spartanmack]

that's a fun one too. We do it as a random draw at the start of the tournament. We have 16 guys and each guy draws 4 teams out of a hat. You could have 4 teams in one region.

If you have the underdog and they cover but lose, you steal the other guy's team. You have that team regardless of the next game's point spread. If you have the favorite and they cover you just move on with your original team.

I have more fun gambling on the tournament than actually watching it.

I've been toying w/ the idea of doing it for the entire tournament but that's a lot of work - 48 additional games I would need to track the spread and result.