2015 NCAA Tournament thread

[RecoveringJournalist]

We seem to be lacking one of these...

I got my SI today, and they picked no double-digit seeds to make the Sweet 16. It's the least imaginative "expert" bracket I think I've ever seen.

 

[Batman]

I think it's been folded into the college basketball thread. That one's been pretty active this week.

 

[MileHigh]

I have almost zero interest in this, for some reason. I mean, I guess seeing a 53-50 play-in game in the last two minutes has a lot to do with it -- plus another timeout -- and expecting a lot of the same.

As for filling in brackets, not to be political, but Obama selected all 1s, 2s, 3s and 4s except one to reach the Sweet 16 and all 1s to reach the Final Four in his ESPN bracket. Zzzzzzzz.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The ends of college basketball games have become excruciatingly unwatchable. On Sunday, entire holes of PGA Tour golf happened while less than a minute ran off the clock of one game I was scanning. In the tournament, it only gets worse. I would support rules halving the number of time outs allowed and allowing the team fouled to choose to maintain possession rather than shooting in the last two minutes.

 

[Songbird]

10 years ago ...

 

[Donny in his element]

Look how far we've come...

... another reminder that standard definition really sucked.

 

[Songbird]

That last 3 was beyond extreme.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I just want at least two "Holy ****" upsets the first weekend, and a 12 beating a 5 is not a holy **** upset. I'm talking a No. 3 seed out in the Round of 64 and a No. 1 or No. 2 seed out in the Round of 32.

I did a pool ages ago that had rules that you had to follow. You had to have a top 4 seed lose in the first round, you had to pick a No. 1 and a No. 2 to lose in the Round of 32. You had to have two double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16. It was the best pool I was ever in.

I've been in others where you get extra points for upsets, but it was executed very poorly. Picking a No. 9 to beat a No. 8 would get you the same number of points as picking a No. 16 seed to win.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

That's an excellent pool concept.

 

[da man]

Prediction: Stephen F. Austin wins two games.

 

[JackReacher]

SFA is definitely the trendy upset pick this year, and most who picked them to win one game are picking them to win two. Which means I should probably bet against it.

 

[da man]

SFA is definitely the trendy upset pick this year, and most who picked them to win one game are picking them to win two. Which means I should probably bet against it.

Well, since they'll be playing Eastern Washington in the second one...

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

The ends of college basketball games have become excruciatingly unwatchable. On Sunday, entire holes of PGA Tour golf happened while less than a minute ran off the clock of one game I was scanning. In the tournament, it only gets worse. I would support rules halving the number of time outs allowed and allowing the team fouled to choose to maintain possession rather than shooting in the last two minutes.

Driving to work last weekend, I was about 10 minutes out and the game I was listening to was under 2 minutes. The game wasn't over when I arrived.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Actually, I have a simpler idea. At the two minute mark, there will be a mandatory TV time out while both coaching staffs are escorted out of the building.

 

[bigpern23]

SFA is definitely the trendy upset pick this year, and most who picked them to win one game are picking them to win two. Which means I should probably bet against it.

I didn't even realize they were a trendy pick and I have them winning two games. My bracket is mostly chalk, though, definitely one of my most boring pick sets in years. I have Valpo winning two games, but my Final Four is pretty much the douchiest FF possible - Kentucky, Duke, Villanova and UNC, with Kentucky beating Duke in the title game.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

I only care about the headlines. #designerguy

 

[bigpern23]

I just want at least two "Holy ****" upsets the first weekend, and a 12 beating a 5 is not a holy **** upset. I'm talking a No. 3 seed out in the Round of 64 and a No. 1 or No. 2 seed out in the Round of 32.

I did a pool ages ago that had rules that you had to follow. You had to have a top 4 seed lose in the first round, you had to pick a No. 1 and a No. 2 to lose in the Round of 32. You had to have two double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16. It was the best pool I was ever in.

I've been in others where you get extra points for upsets, but it was executed very poorly. Picking a No. 9 to beat a No. 8 would get you the same number of points as picking a No. 16 seed to win.

I've been in one where you get bonus points for upsets, but the points were based on seeding differential. So a 9 beating an eight was worth 1 bonus point, but a 16 seed beating a 1 would be worth 15. It was pretty fun.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I have SFA and Dayton in the Sweet 16. My boldest pick is Michigan State over Virginia. I have Wichita beating KU, but that's a pretty popular pick.

It's really hard not to pick a Kentucky-Duke final. I didn't pick Kentucky, but for no reason other than it's no fun to pick a team that is such an overwhelming favorite.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I've been in one where you get bonus points for upsets, but the points were based on seeding differential. So a 9 beating an eight was worth 1 bonus point, but a 16 seed beating a 1 would be worth 15. It was pretty fun.

That would be a good way to do it. I must admit though, in the one where we had to pick a No. 1 seed and a No. 2 to lose in the Round of 32, it completely changes how you look at the bracket. I think Villanova has the best chance of not making it through the weekend, but I don't feel strongly about it at all. It's not like last year where the bracket was practically begging you to pick Kentucky for the upset over Wichita.

 

[Rhody31]

We made family picks.
I've got Kentucky (because), Wisconsin (white guy basketball), UVA (I don't like Nova, or OK, but could see MSU winning because Izzo) and Gonzaga (I'm a sucker) with Kentucky over Gozaga.
Wife took Kentucky, UNC, Georgia and Duke with Kentucky over Duke (she knows nothing about college basketball. While she was taking her time during a pick, I asked her to name one college basketball player. Just one. Couldn't do it).
My 3-year old daughter has Texas (I have a Texas T-shirt and taught her to do "Hook 'Em Horns), Wisconsin (She liked the "Big Red W"), Albany ("That's a goofy dog daddy) and St Johns ("I like the Red S"). She took Albany over Texas in the final, because goofy dogs always win out.