Selection Sunday

Figured there might as well be a thread on this, so I'll start with a question. I understand the seedings, but how do they determine which teams go to the various sub-regional locations? Do they just give the top four seeds in each region the closest location and let it all flow from there or what?

 

Generally, they start by seeding the top 16 and bottom 16 teams and doing their best to not send the lower seeds too far from home. It happens on occasion (Belmont played UCLA in San Diego a few years back, Hampton got sent to Boise for their famous upset of Iowa State), but for the most part, I wouldn't expect to see Morehead State going to Portland or Radford going to Boise.

They'll try to put the higher seeds closer to home, so yes, I'd expect UNC and Duke to both be in Greensboro for round one. That's the nice thing about the pod system is that it allows some flexibility. Virginia Tech and Virginia weren't in the same bracket two years ago, but they both got put in Columbus in the same pod, so it was easy for fans to watch both teams.

UConn and Pitt will probably both open in Philadelphia, and I'd be shocked if Louisville didn't anchor one of the Dayton pods. I'd guess Oklahoma and Missouri will both open in Kansas City.

Once that's all figured out, then they'll start pairing the rest of the teams with geography in mind, along with the rules not allowing conference teams to meet until a certain round. That's where it gets tricky. Then you add in a team like BYU, which has to be in a Thursday-Saturday bracket, and it becomes tougher.

 

I'm going to show my bias here, but I'm not sure there's any reason Oklahoma should be sent to Kansas City as opposed to KU. The Jayhawks won head-to-head in Norman, won the regular-season title by a full game and exited the conference tournament in the same round as the Sooners. KU also has three more wins (6) against top-25 RPI opponents than the Sooners (3, which includes Oklahoma State twice).

 

I believe the selection committee tries to avoid rematches in the first two rounds. So, if Louisville makes it to Dayton, you probably won't see Morehead State go there since the two teams played to start the season. Now if two No. 1s go to Dayton, then the Eagles will probably make it there.

 

Uh, whose loss tonight? Because Louisville won the Big East tonight.

 

UNC, Pitt, Louisville and ... maybe Memphis, I think.

 

....HUH?

Memphis is in the C-USA, which is a pansy conference. I think it should be Louisville and whoever the selection committee pulls out of a hat. North Carolina, of course, will get the nod because they are the GREATEST school to ever play the sport of basketball from the GREATEST conference eva, because ESPN says so.

I think there will be two from the Big East get No. 1s (Louisville for sure), one from the ACC (North Carolina) and I have no idea who else.

 

Oh, wow. Shows how well of a memory I have. Brain fart!

Well, having remembered that; Louisville is likely a lock to get a #1 seed with Memphis getting some nods, but likely still pulling in a two seed. Michigan State is probably still out of it, but I think is still likely to get at least a two or three seed.

 

Selection Sunday ... aka ... a day off on my beat.

 

For those of us from the middle-West, it will be interesting to see how many Big 10 teams get in.

If I'm picking the field, no more than six Big 10 squads get in ... and I think I'm being generous. I say Creighton is a tougher team than either Minnesota or (especially) Penn State.

I don't think the league will fare too well in the tourney. Maybe Michigan State and Purdue make the Sweet 16.

But hey ... we'll kick ass at the NCAA wrestling tourney!

 

Totally won't bash your opinions, but why not UConn?

 

Louisville won the conference and the tournament. Why should UConn get it?