Questions For The Competition is a weekly column that addresses our issues with the brackets of other bracketology "experts." Today's questions are reserved for ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBSSports.com and CollegeRPI.com's Jerry Palm. Keep in mind that these questions are about each expert's most recent brackets, which were released before Friday's games.Joe Lunardi (ESPN) - Feb. 26 Bracket
On Monday it was Purdue-Wisconsin, today it's a potential Duke-Maryland match-up in the SECOND round? Joe, all kidding aside, we're starting to get a little worried about you...
(UPDATE: Nice job fixing the Duke-Maryland screw up...too bad we had already spotted it and our readers had already posted comments about it this morning. You can't get anything past our Bracketing Principles mafia.)
UConn and Mississippi State in? SDSU out? That sounds very familiar...oh wait, it's our bracket from five days ago.
BYU's up to a 3 seed now? Is it because of their impressive total of two wins over tourney teams? OK, we understand then.
How mad were you when Northeastern lost to Hofstra? So much for keeping them in as the Colonial "automatic" and avoiding making a tough decision on the bubble.
Jerry Palm (CBS, CollegeRPI.com) - Feb. 26 Bracket
OK, we give up on calling you out about the A-10. Dayton is STILL in after losing at Temple?? You STILL have six A-10 bids? We're speechless.
Just to clarify: If the season ended today, Dayton's in, Charlotte's in, and UConn's out. You may want to repeat that to yourself out loud and listen to how ridiculous it sounds.
Nice job dropping URI from a 7 to 8 even though they haven't played this week yet. Are you slowly taking our advice on the way overseeded Rams?
Where's Mississippi State?
Question for Bracketology 101: Why is Minnesota in your bracket? They are NIT bound.
ReplyDeleteReal Time RPI has mistakes in their bracket as well. They have a possible 2nd round matchup of Illinois and Michigan State. They also have possible Duke-Virginia Tech and Syracuse-Louisville 2nd round games. Why do they insist on putting Syracuse in Oklahoma City?
ReplyDeleteWhere's Mississippi State? In the NIT, where they belong. RPI 58, SoS 109, Non-conf SoS 226. Best (and only good) win is over Old Dominion on a neutral Court. Four sub-100 RPI losses, including an inexcusable 14-point debacle against Rider. As much as I respect your picks, I can't fathom why you have Mississippi State in.
ReplyDeleteDC, You also have the fact that Mississippi State plays in the weak SEC West. Mississippi State needs to pick up another quality win before they earn a bid. The Bulldogs have beaten up on bad teams this year.
ReplyDeleteBoth of you guys are right about Mississippi State's resume - they've benefited from the weak SEC West, their best OOC win is ODU, and they have a mediorce RPI (58) and a few head-scratching losses. That said, we still have them in the field because we think they can at worst split their remaining road games, and then beat Tennessee at home (where they've lost just once - to Kentucky - since the Rider disaster) and finish 10-6 in conference. They'll still need to win their quarterfinal game in the SEC tourney to be in the mix, but we think if they win that game, they'll probably get an at-large.
ReplyDeleteIn other years, a team with Mississippi State's resume would be futher down the bubble. This year, though, the bubble is so weak that they are still very much in the mix. If the Bulldogs are out right now, who's in?
And you're reading Real Time RPI why, again?
ReplyDeleteWe should have been more specific on the Miss St. comment for Palm. He doesn't have them on his last four out out line, but includes Mississippi on that line. This is simply inexcusable. Miss State has swept Ole Miss and is two games better in conference.
ReplyDelete"BYU's up to a 3 seed now? Is it because of their impressive total of two wins over tourney teams? OK, we understand then."
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you're the only site that gets this. Don't get me wrong, BYU is a top 20 team, but they haven't really beaten anyone that good, and have been overranked for playing a pillow soft schedule.
Btw, did you forget to point out for Lunardi that Temple would potentially get Gonzaga in Spokane in the 2nd? Shouldn't we be protected?
Mississippi State will be in the NCAA tourny. They have one of the best defenses in the country. They have the all time leading shot blocker in the middle (and counting). They have 4 3pt shooters in the game at all times. They are exciting and dangerous. MSU will win 2/3 to finish the season and win the SEC tourny. If you watched the UK game, its obvious they can beat them. Varnado only played 4 mins in the 2nd half and still went to ot. I predict a 8/9 seed.
ReplyDeleteLunardi also has potential 2nd round rematches between ODU-Georgetown and Siena-Butler.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS TO BUTLER FOR RUNNING THE TABLE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE!!!!
ReplyDeleteHasn't been done in about 16 years?
Shows how weak the Horizon is this year...although Butler isn't.....
With all the comparisons to 2006, here's another one: the possibility of multiple teams running the table in conference, with Butler and (I hope) Kansas. That year, Gonzaga and George Washington ran the table in their conferences in the regular season. Somebody else might have but I don't remember for sure.
ReplyDeleteCan you believe that they're seriously questioning whether Tennessee is in on CBS right now?
ReplyDeleteI *STILL* think Butler losing in the Horizon League tournament is a foregone conclusion. Its going to happen. Either Detroit, Loyola, Valpo, or Wright State will take them down.
ReplyDeleteI also warn you all against taking OSU to go far in the NCAA Tournament. Their lack of depth is going to burn them.
Oh snap, ND beat G'Town. Talk about playing your way IN to the tourney!
ReplyDelete