Questions For The Competition is a weekly column that addresses our issues with the brackets of other bracketology "experts." This week's questions are reserved for ESPN's Joe Lunardi, SI.com's Andy Glockner, and CBSSports.com and CollegeRPI.com's Jerry Palm. As the season goes on, and more major sports websites consistently post weekly brackets, we will ask questions to them as well. Keep in mind that these questions are about the experts' most recent brackets, which were released before Monday's games.Joe Lunardi (ESPN) - Jan. 11 Bracket
We know we cover this every season, but could you please stop giving the first place teams in conference the automatic bid this early in the season? You know that the MWC will not get four bids and you know that Colorado State will not make the tourney, yet you still put the "first place" 2-0 Rams in your bracket. Please just put Cornell in too, instead of Harvard. We know you want to do it.
We like how you copied our lead with the one-bid Pac-10, but does Cal's resume really warrant a 9 seed?
We know Florida has gone through a rough stretch, but their resume - with wins over Michigan State and FSU - isn't better than what Oklahoma State, Tulsa, or Rhode Island have done?
Are you basing your UConn 4 seed on their even more absurd #15 AP ranking?
Where the heck is Richmond? The Spiders aren't even worthy of a spot on the Last Eight Out list? Tulsa is in over them? Xavier and Rhode Island are in over them from the A-10? Memphis and Marquette are more deserving of a Last Eight spot?
Will Bracketology 101 get a mention in your collegiate bracketology course? If anyone enrolls in this course, please let us know.
Jerry Palm (CBS, CollegeRPI.com) - Jan. 11 Bracket
Before we get into your bracket, please settle a debate for us: Did you seed your teams this week by picking out of a hat or with a 1-16 numbered dartboard? It was neither? Then how do you explain...
UConn getting a 5 seed? Baylor getting a 5 seed? Rhode Island a 6 seed (a 6?!) Oklahoma State a 7 seed? Louisville an 8 seed? (Wait, Louisville is in??) How do any of those seeds make sense based on the season ending today?
How in the world, if the season ended today, would St. John's (which has lost four of five and is 0-3 in the Big East) and California (who is just plain awful) be in the field? What have they done to earn an at-large?
How is Mississippi an 11 seed?
How is Richmond, who has three wins over tournament teams, four seed lines worse than Rhode Island, who has one?
If the season ended today, the Big East would get 9 bids? The A-10 would get 5? How is Xavier in at all?
We love William & Mary as much as anyone, but isn't a 7 seed a tad high? Isn't UNLV a bit high as a 6?
Andy Glockner (SI.com) - Jan. 11 Bracket
What does UConn have to do to fall off the 4 line? Do their results even matter anymore?
Reason #8,974 why "season ended today" brackets are stupid: you put five A-10 teams in your bracket this week, and then in your write-up you said that this would never happen. Sooo, why do it then?
You also said in your wrtite-up that you had to move Florida State and Miami down to the 12 line because of numbers issues. Why didn't you just put them on the 8 or 9 line where they belong instead? You'd have no numbers issues, and your seeding would be whole lot more accurate.
If the season ended today, what has Cal done to earn a 7 seed? By what criteria are they seeded ahead of Missisippi, Georgia Tech, and New Mexico? Alphabetical order?
What has UNLV done to earn a 5 seed? How is Xavier in?
8 comments:
Another one for Glockner/SI... how does a 4-seed Connecticut draw Buffalo ahead of 3-seeds West Virginia and Michigan State, both of whom you have booked on long plane rides for the first weekend?
Umm, guys -- I love you all dearly and B101 has been a must-read for years now -- you're all my boys and all. And please know that I have very little love for Lunardi, et al. But it seems to me a bit inconsistent to take Lunardi and Glockner to task for using a "season ending today" methodology (like who is leading a conference right now), but to get on Palm (hilarious by the way) for NOT doing what you slam the others for -- using a "season ending today" method. Just a thought.
Just to clarify, Palm does his bracket the same way Lunardi and Glockner do theirs - "as if the season ended today." He used to project results in his CBS bracket, but now he does a "season ending today" bracket. (He made note of this in his bracket write-up.) That's why we called him out on so many of his seeds this week. They make little to no sense based on the season ending today.
Thanks -- my bad. Then you are right and his picks are really very interesting (read as "not so good").
So you really don't think the Mountain West deserves 4 bids? Please tell us why. They were very good in non-conference play. Even a mediocre Utah team has nice wins. I'm not saying the Utes belong in, but it should speak for the strength of the MWC. If your going to let a million Big Ten teams in, then you better give the MWV at least 4.
With the MWC people forget that there are only 9 teams in the league. So for 4 teams to making the dance is almost half the league and 3 teams is 33%. Lots of things would need to break right for the 4th place conference team which likely has at best 10 conference wins to make the tourney.
What has BYU done to warrant a five seed sure they beat UNLV should have lost the game but thats it there really wasn't anything else on their nonconference UNLV has wins at New Mexico and at home against Louisville lets see if the BYU can actually win a good road game before you give them anything
We have BYU currently on the 6 line not the 5 line. They are there because of their 16-1 record, 22 RPI, and they look like the top team in the MWC right now. I think you are selling their resume a little bit short though. They don't have any big wins, but the overall body of work is solid. They have won 5 true road games and 3 neutral court games. Realistically BYU won't climb higher than a 5, unless they can manage to get through conference play with only 1 or 2 losses. If UNLV can pick up a win this weekend over Utah they will surely climb at least one seed line if not two and be just behind the Cougars.
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