Selection Sunday Thread

[Neutral Corner]

I saw Stephen F. Austin this season. They play with tons of effort and energy. The key to beating them is to get the ball inside, and they don't make that easy. That game will depend on who is on the other side of the bracket.

 

[Steak Snabler]

SFA was a popular bracket buster last year, and lost in the first round.

Iowa State was one of the hottest teams in the country going into the tournament last year, having just beaten Kansas in KC to win the Big 12, and was literally the first team eliminated.

You just never know about these things.

 

[DanOregon]

Stony Brook will be the team "everyone is talking about."
It's going to be a crap shoot this year. The good teams aren't that good, some lower seeds hampered by their conference RPI.
As "wide open" as it is expected to be this year, I wouldn't expect a seed lower than 4 to win the thing, most likely a school that has won a title in the last 20 years with a coach who has also won in the last 10 years. Doesn't really narrow it down much (Kansas, UK, MichSt, NC,) but there is something to be said for being there before.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Stony Brook will be the team "everyone is talking about."
It's going to be a crap shoot this year. The good teams aren't that good, some lower seeds hampered by their conference RPI.
As "wide open" as it is expected to be this year, I wouldn't expect a seed lower than 4 to win the thing, most likely a school that has won a title in the last 20 years with a coach who has also won in the last 10 years. Doesn't really narrow it down much (Kansas, UK, MichSt, NC,) but there is something to be said for being there before.

I buy this. It's been nearly a decade since a non-traditional power won the tournament. That was Florida in 2006 and 2007. Since then it's been Kansas, UNC, Duke twice, UConn twice, Kentucky and Louisville. Interesting that for all the Michigan State dominance, it has only one title under Izzo. I'm sure very few teams have won more games the last 10 years than MSU. Maybe with all these traditional powers taking turns the last few years it is MSU's turn this year ... although Izzo stretches the coaching win back about 15 years.

 

[Steak Snabler]

It's been 26 years since a team that was never in a Big 6 conference has won it all, that being UNLV in 1990. I add the "never in a Big 6 conference" qualifier to account for 2014 Connecticut, which was in the American at that point, but had obviously been in the Big East for years prior to that and was an established national power (and even UNLV had been to a couple of Final Fours before 1990).

People love to talk about Cinderellas and upsets and "anyone can win" in the early going, but once you get past the first weekend, the cream generally rises. George Mason in 2006 and Butler in 2010 and 2011 are major exceptions, though they still didn't win it all. (And the first year Butler made it to the title game, it was a 5-seed that had beaten Ohio State and Xavier and lost close games to Clemson and Georgetown that year).

 

[micropolitan guy]

VCU also made a Final Four, in 2011, as much as it pains me to say that. And I think they were in a play-in game that year as well.

 

[Moderator1]

Yep. First four to Final Four. Richmond and VCU were at the same site for the Sweet 16, would have been cool to see them play for a spot in the Final Four.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Good point. However, VCU had beaten Duke a couple of years before that, so they didn't exactly come out of nowhere.

Speaking of Connecticut, I believe their 1999 team was the last one to win the national championship without previously making it to the Final Four. Before that, it was Texas Western in 1966.

 

[Moderator1]

2007 victory over Duke, didn't win another NCAA game until winning five to get to the Final Four in 2011.

 

[Big Circus]

Gonna be a lot of bummed co-workers when U.Va. loses in the Sweet 16.

Don't worry. I'm sure the committee will see fit to pair them with Sparty before then.

 

[Cosmo]

That loss to UNC probably dropped UVa into an 8-9 game, so you're right.

 

[Cosmo]

Oregon gets a No. 1 over Michigan State. Wow.

 

[HanSenSE]

Is there anything more cliche than teams cheering their seeding? Let's see a team that didn't make it get all Trump supporter on someone.

 

[Big Circus]

The South looks brutal.

 

[HanSenSE]

And Chef is about to get his wish re Wichita.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

This two-hour selection show is beyond brutal.

 

[Steak Snabler]

This I love ...

 

[Big Circus]

Good lord, Barkley trying to work the touchscreen.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Good lord, Barkley trying to work the touchscreen.

And picking all chalk when he did get it to work. It's almost like he hasn't watched any college basketball all year.

 

[DanOregon]

College basketball analysts were so much better back in the day.