Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Questions For The Competition

Questions For The Competition is a weekly column that addresses our issues with the brackets of several other bracketology "experts." This week's questions are for ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi, CNNSI.com's Stewart Mandel, and Bracketography.com's David Mihm. In the issue of fairness, we asked a few questions to ourselves as well.

Joe Lunardi - ESPN.com
Please explain how South Alabama, if it loses on its home floor in the Sun Belt conference tournament, has the credentials to be an at-large. Do you really think they are bid-worthy, or are you (again) taking the easy way out in deciding which major conference bubble teams should be in or out?

If South Alabama were to get an at-large under your magical scenario, how in the world would they be an 11 seed?

How are both Houston and UAB in your Last Eight Out? You can't really think C-USA is that close to three bids, right?

How does Stanford move up to a 2 seed after losing to Arizona State?

How does Vanderbilt move from a 10 seed to a 7 seed in one week?

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Stewart Mandel - CNNSI.com
You finally realized Tennessee is pretty decent, huh?

How could UMass possibly be in over St. Joseph's, when the Hawks swept the Minutemen and are two games ahead of them in conference?

South Alabama...really? How?

We're confused...why do you put eight Pac-10 teams in your bracket, only to say in your write-up that eight from the Pac-10 won't happen?

USC is a 7 seed? Arizona State a 9?

Isn't Mississippi State a little low as a 10 seed?

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David Mihm - Bracketography.com
Do you really think eight from the Pac-10 will happen, or are you unsure of who else to put in?

How is Southern Illinois (at 14-12!) on your Last Four Out list...and closer to the field than UNLV?

We don't like South Alabama as an at-large either, but shouldn't they be ahead of Seton Hall, Temple, and the Salukis in your Last Eight Out?

How could Syracuse (a 10 seed) possibly be ahead of West Virginia (Last Four In)?

How is VCU, after a home loss to Old Dominion, an 11 seed?

Ohio State a 10 seed? They're really that safe right now?

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Chris and Craig - Bracketology 101
Did you guys both get rejected from Syracuse?

Isn't West Virginia a touch high as a 9 seed?

What is it you like best about Miami...their 4-6 conference record or their 3-6 record in their last nine games?

Does Florida have to lose to N.J.I.T. before you take them out of your field?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

How does Vanderbilt move from a 10 seed to a 7 seed in one week?

Because Lunardi had VU ridiculously underseeded at 10. It's as though he hadn't looked at their resume for a couple of weeks and was just catching up.

Plus the Kentucky win was subjectively impressive, even though it shouldn't really improve VU's resume much.

Unknown said...

What I really want to know is how Butler can be the best ranked team in Indiana, will most likely win its conference, and can make a case as one of the top 3 mid-major teams this year end up as a 5 seed, placing it 16th or lower in everyone's rankings?

Anonymous said...

I think you're being a bit harsh on South Alabama, which has a strong RPI, has 2 top 50 RPI wins, and took Vandy to 2OT on the road. Granted they are no lock, but they're not the absurd bubble-in choice that you are making them out to be.

And if you had for some reason put Vanderbilt as a 10 seed last week, you would have moved them up to at least a 7 seed as well!

Anonymous said...

Agreed on harshness towards South Alabama. They're not worthy of an at-large bid, but should be in the conversation (i.e. last 4-8 out if they are not the Sun Belt auto bid) given the ineptitude of other teams in the 30-34 at-large conversation.

VCU probably got an 11 seed despite a loss because of a highly publicized, criticized no call as time expired.

Bracketology 101 said...

Don't get us wrong - South Alabama belongs in everyone's Last Eight Out list, but they don't deserve to be in people's brackets - yet. They certainly shouldn't be an 11 seed like they are in Lunardi's bracket this week.

Keep in mind: this debate will be meaningless if the Jaguars can't win at Western Kentucky tonight. A loss tonight and their at-large chances are microscopic at best.

Anonymous said...

Salukis and St Joes need to win their tourneys to get in.

Salukis unable to win on the road in MVC.

St Joe loss to LaSalle devastating