tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post8623753023351548044..comments2024-01-27T06:41:13.204-05:00Comments on Bracketology 101: B101's Weekday Tweets - ThursdayBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-66578365065129018062010-02-26T16:47:21.524-05:002010-02-26T16:47:21.524-05:00Yes, I judge BCS coaches by how well they do in th...Yes, I judge BCS coaches by how well they do in the NCAAT -- especially when the sample size spans 17 years, most of which was in the ACC and PAC 10. Not being able to win a single game in the Sweet 16 over 17 years with a long list of future NBA players is not indicative of a "terrific" BCS coach. We aren't talking about Mid Major expectations here. Is this a shock to you?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14528272793562071068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-15313952844858277912010-02-26T16:29:49.894-05:002010-02-26T16:29:49.894-05:00So you just judge coaches by their tournament perf...So you just judge coaches by their tournament performance? Just making the NCAA tournament is tough, which NC State is finding out right now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-89831864729710566732010-02-26T15:41:02.821-05:002010-02-26T15:41:02.821-05:00Sendek is a good coach -- not a terrific one. I d...Sendek is a good coach -- not a terrific one. I don't see how you possibly could label a coach "terrific" when, in 17 years as a head coach, he has reached the sweet 16 a grand total of 1 time (and proceeded to immediately lose that 1 time). with that being said, he is much better than what they currently are enduring with.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14528272793562071068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-50898995895730998752010-02-26T15:37:36.827-05:002010-02-26T15:37:36.827-05:00URI has nothing very impressive on their resume, b...URI has nothing very impressive on their resume, but also nothing bad. If they can win out to get to 11-5 in conference they should safe barring a loss in the 5/12 opening round game of the A-10 tourney (should they end up the fifth place team in league). If they end up 11-5 or even 10-6 but make it to the A-10 semis they should be safe. What they don't want to do is lose to Charlotte next week and then lose in the 4/5 or 3/6 game of the A-10 tourney. Then they may get squeezed.<br /><br />We think the A-10 will ultimately end up with 4 bids. They have a chance for 5 if things break their way in the conference tourney, but 3 is possible if all their bubble teams (Dayton, URI, Charlotte, and St Louis) flop here in the last few weeks.Bracketology 101https://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-56042193284115872962010-02-26T15:27:56.415-05:002010-02-26T15:27:56.415-05:00I agree with AG. Herb Sendek is a terrific coach a...I agree with AG. Herb Sendek is a terrific coach and wasn't appreciated in Raleigh. They ran him out of town cause he couldn't get deep enough in the tournament. At this point, Wolfpack fans would just like to make the tournament one of these years. Do you think Steve Lavin could have succeeded if he had taken the job at NC State?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-27528016103945989112010-02-26T15:22:03.031-05:002010-02-26T15:22:03.031-05:00What does Rhode Island need to do to secure a bid?...What does Rhode Island need to do to secure a bid? How many Atlantic 10 teams do you see in the field on March 14th?Dwayne Holtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-3767971763414961012010-02-26T14:50:31.496-05:002010-02-26T14:50:31.496-05:00As a Tennessee student and diehard Vols fan, I can...As a Tennessee student and diehard Vols fan, I can tell you with 100% confidence that we are not nearly as good as Maryland.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-55023695276605000362010-02-26T13:57:55.409-05:002010-02-26T13:57:55.409-05:00You have a point mag900. The argument you make ha...You have a point mag900. The argument you make has some validity and why I think Syracuse should be higher on the s-curve than Kentucky. However, Vandy and Tennessee are a little better (IMO) than whoever is the ACC's #2 (Maryland I guess?). Kentucky also doesn't have the losses that Duke has. And although it shouldn't matter, it's not going to hurt that Kentucky has 4 future 1st rounders on their team.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-7486228279076970692010-02-26T13:33:57.513-05:002010-02-26T13:33:57.513-05:00i'm not sure why you decided to flagellate duk...i'm not sure why you decided to flagellate duke for potentially being a 1 seed after not beating anyone better than a 5 seed. the same thing could be said of kentucky. its best wins are tennessee and vandy, both of which will be right around a 5 seed (they currently are projected as a 4 and 5 seed).Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14528272793562071068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-86773181024403461962010-02-26T13:14:56.155-05:002010-02-26T13:14:56.155-05:00You do mean Va Tech is a lock at 10-6 (not 9-7) ri...You do mean Va Tech is a lock at 10-6 (not 9-7) right? They're 8-5 right now. They have 2 wins (Wake and Clemson at home) the whole year that are worth anything (maybe 3 if you include Seton Hall on a neutral court). I'm not sure they'll be safe even at 10-6.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see what happens to Duke. They have beaten some okay teams OOC (UConn, Gonzaga, Charlotte, ASU?). But they've been beat by the 2 best teams on their schedule (Gtown and Wisky). In normal years, where UNC and another ACC team might be elite, this wouldn't be a big deal because Duke could just beat those teams in conference to prove its eliteness. Their computer numbers are very strong by beating teams ranked 25-75 a lot. They could very well get a #1 seed and have beaten nobody stronger than a 5-7 seed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-8044580342425605332010-02-26T13:13:29.167-05:002010-02-26T13:13:29.167-05:00Man, how on earth did NC State ever let Herb Sende...Man, how on earth did NC State ever let Herb Sendek get away? He's built a competent basketball program out of nothing in short order.<br /><br />As for Duke, the RPI is starting to remind me of US News college rankings. In the same way US News starts with the assumption that Harvard/Princeton/Yale are the best schools and just measures the rest based on how closely they resemble those 3, the RPI seems to start with the assumption that Duke is good, and measures other teams by how closely they resemble Duke.AGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-14169901433895353722010-02-26T13:07:42.951-05:002010-02-26T13:07:42.951-05:00Lunardi fixed the Duke-Maryland screw-up in his br...Lunardi fixed the Duke-Maryland screw-up in his bracket. We will of course make fun of him for this in a special Friday Questions for the Competition post later today.Bracketology 101https://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-72001825266765520802010-02-26T13:02:44.923-05:002010-02-26T13:02:44.923-05:00If Purdue beats Michigan State this weekend we lik...If Purdue beats Michigan State this weekend we likely won't move them from the 1 line. Although people may hate it, Duke is next in line for a 1 seed right now. They have the 2nd best RPI in the country, have some solid OOC wins and are the best team in the ACC (the 3rd rated conference).<br /><br />If VT loses to Maryland this weekend we will entertain conversations on their at-large status.<br /><br />The Cal-ASU game this weekend is the easily the biggest game in the Pac-10 this year. If they can win out and then were to lose to Cal in the conference final they would be a tough call since they would have a share of the regular season title. Anything less and they have no chance.Bracketology 101https://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-4990297769520012762010-02-26T12:58:43.860-05:002010-02-26T12:58:43.860-05:00Oklahoma State has earned its way into the field w...Oklahoma State has earned its way into the field with some big wins in conference (at Kansas State, A&M, Baylor), but they are by no means a lock at this point. They are going to have to beat Kansas or A&M to lock up a spot (we think they'll win one of the two). If they don't, they'll finish 8-8 in conference and they'll have to do some damage in the Big XII tourney to get a bid. Despite their big wins in conference, their weak OOC resume is holding them back considerably.Bracketology 101https://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-55381662886534605182010-02-26T12:41:09.998-05:002010-02-26T12:41:09.998-05:00Lunardi must be having his students doing his brac...Lunardi must be having his students doing his brackets now. <br /><br />We have a great idea for a new contest. Whoever finds the most mistakes and oversights in a Lunardi bracket gets to be B101's honorary bracketologist of the day.Bracketology 101https://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-6822902977162599122010-02-26T12:34:08.812-05:002010-02-26T12:34:08.812-05:00At what point do we start talking about ASU as a b...At what point do we start talking about ASU as a bubble team? I know the committee may not place as much stock in the Pomeroy ratings as I do, but it’s tough to ignore their No. 27 standing. That’s better than a lot of teams considered mortal locks for the tournament …Nusshttp://cougcenter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-33610539509947410202010-02-26T12:29:36.825-05:002010-02-26T12:29:36.825-05:00Lunardi did it again today! -- Duke and Maryland ...Lunardi did it again today! -- Duke and Maryland square off in the 2nd round. I also caught Georgetown in a potential 2nd round matchup v. ODU (a team they already played)...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-33784689717666045552010-02-26T10:18:29.189-05:002010-02-26T10:18:29.189-05:00I was a bit surprised to see Oklahoma State in you...I was a bit surprised to see Oklahoma State in your field. Are you predicting/projecting that they will beat Kansas or Texas A&M?Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-2851431784468483402010-02-26T10:02:48.441-05:002010-02-26T10:02:48.441-05:00I think I understand where Jeff is coming from. V...I think I understand where Jeff is coming from. Vanderbilt seems to eke out close wins in games that a 4 seed should kick ass and take names, and they have some forehead-scratching losses (semi-home v. Western Kentucky, @ Georgia by 14). <br /><br />Their 68th-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency (kenpom.com) goes a long way in explaining that they take possessions off at that end of the floor. <br /><br />If they win their next 3, they probably deserve the #4 seed. I don't think they'll beat Florida away from Memorial. <br /><br />Like everyone else has said, they are fairly strong with the other metrics.Paymonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04179522944078513967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-47852021222476392372010-02-26T09:43:52.969-05:002010-02-26T09:43:52.969-05:00Will the Purdue injury give the committee an excus...Will the Purdue injury give the committee an excuse to reward media darling Duke?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-67189391816200630782010-02-26T09:41:34.591-05:002010-02-26T09:41:34.591-05:00The loss of Hummel will hurt some, no doubt. But P...The loss of Hummel will hurt some, no doubt. But Purdue still has a very good team. Grant and Hart can step in and get the job done. I think it would be unfair to other teams if Purdue's seed is dropped too far. He is not as valuable to Purdue as Kenyon Martin was to Cincinnati. You could argue that Etwan Moore and JaJuan Johnson are Purdue's best players. Chris Kramer's great defense can't be ignored either. The loss of Hummel will hurt some, but Purdue is still a very good team.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-63579651725166297952010-02-26T09:24:08.815-05:002010-02-26T09:24:08.815-05:00Unless you grew up in Philly or went to school the...Unless you grew up in Philly or went to school there, you don't understand the Big 5. In 2001-2002Penn won the Big 5. Is the Ancient 8 better than the A-10 or Big East? Of course not but it shows you that anything can happen in those games. SJU is horrible this year, as someone who's had to watch them play 5-6 times, the only two games where they looked like some semblance of a Div I team were at the Palestra against two top 20 opponents. Now, call that what you will but there is just something about that place that tends to make those games close. But is the SEC a better conference top to bottom than the A-10, sure but a loss to SJU at the Palestra in a Big 5 game should not be the black eye for the Committee that you suggest it is.Bobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-74364311044542483432010-02-26T09:11:16.109-05:002010-02-26T09:11:16.109-05:00Does it hurt Virginia Tech that Rhode Island was a...Does it hurt Virginia Tech that Rhode Island was able to win at Boston College, but VT got destroyed by BC? Do you think that the committee will put more weight on Va Tech's gaudy record or the fact that so many of those wins came against teams outside the top 100? VT also got an easier ACC schedule only having to play Maryland, Wake, and Duke once. VT also lost to 2 of the worst teams in the conference, UNC and BC. Will the committee look at all these factors about VT? Or just reward that gaudy win-loss record?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-90989176718125890702010-02-26T09:02:11.994-05:002010-02-26T09:02:11.994-05:00Arizona State has been playing very good ball late...Arizona State has been playing very good ball lately and could beat Cal on Saturday. What would be ASU's at large chances if they can win at Cal and sweep the LA schools next week? The Sun Devils have to be wishing they could have pulled out that game against Baylor.49ers Fannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-56358433154908423882010-02-26T08:47:53.508-05:002010-02-26T08:47:53.508-05:00Thanks for that Anon. Without doing a bit of resea...Thanks for that Anon. Without doing a bit of research, I would not know for certain, but I bet players have home/road splits that would make those odds a little different. <br /><br />And as someone who grew up watching A-10 ball, I do know about the Big 5. You are saying that Big 5 ball is more intense than SEC conference play, however. I can't quantify that outside of looking at conference RPI or qualify that outside of personal experiences attending SEC games, neither of which tells the whole story. What I can say is that Georgia has finished out tough games with wins (UT, SC, Vandy, GT, Illinois) and has a respectable RPI (93). St. Joseph has an RPI near 200 and their best wins are Dayton and Boston College.<br /><br />Again, though, you deflect from defending your initial statement. If you were just blowing off some steam after a disappointing game, that's fine. As a Vandy alum, I was annoyed, too. But I am curious by what basis you made your original statement.Murphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14845583283239126965noreply@blogger.com