Oak Creek's March Madness

Tonight's Games to Watch

2012-02-15T14:02:00.001-07:00

Northwestern at Indiana
The Wildcats need this bad. Currently one of the first four out a road victory of this magnitude could give them a lift into the bracket as early as tomorrow

North Carolina at Miami
Miami just re-entered the bracket last night with VCU’s loss. Is this stay just as short as the last one?

Purdue at Illinois
Kurly’s prophecy 2 months ago when the Illini were 11-1 was that they weren’t going to make the tournament. Does a loss tonight drop them out?

New Mexico at San Diego State
Both teams are in but New Mexico needs this game more. Game of the evening for me.

Brent Blizzard

2012-02-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

That is all. Carry on with your day.

Daily Bubble Watch

2012-02-15T08:55:00.001-07:00

Bubble out
Mercer – Atlantic Sun auto bid moves out after Belmont wins
VCU – A George Mason three at the buzzer removes VCU from the bracket and quite possibly from at-large contention. Must be perfect until the CAA tournament championship for any at-large chance

Bubble In
Belmont – the win last night gives them a tie for the conference lead and a better RPI gives them the auto bid
Miami – does nothing but replaces VCU as a last 4 in

Wichita State, Flavor of the Week

2012-02-14T16:52:00.003-07:00

Fresh off a thrashing of Creighton, Seth Davis in his 20Q segment on twitter today called the Shockers one of his Sweet 16 sleepers. At 22-4, with a RPI of 17 and ranked 9th in KenPom, it seems hardly far-fetched. The best win is at home by 19 over another Sweet 16 Seth Sleeper, UNLV. Of their 4 losses, 3 of them are against top 40 RPI teams having lost at home to Creighton and winning there. Don't be surprised to see them meet each other again in the Arch Madness title game.

Wichita State is very much liked by KenPom, ranked 9th in AdjO and 24th in AdjD. Effective FG% on o is 53.8 (25th) and on d is 45.2% (40th). Overall, they're 20th in scoring and a respectable 76th in scoring d, a healthy 15 point scoring margin. They have a solid turnover % on offense but don't force too many turnovers on d. They make up for that deficiency on defense by only allowing a 26.5% offense rebound %, 11th best in the nation. They are also above average on the offensive boards.

They protect the ball and share the ball pretty well. They're 32 in assist/TO ratio and 49th overall in turnovers per game. They also shoot 75% from the charity stripe, 29th in the land. They get there at a national average, so they don't necessarily draw a lot of fouls per game and actually committ more per game, though it's neglible. They're not prolific from behind the arc, getting slightly less from beyond the arc than most teams but shoot it well enough they have to be respected.

The players to know are three Seniors. Center Garrett Stultz is the leading scorer and rebounder with 14 & 8. Stultz also shoots 82% from the line. Guard Joe Ragland scores 13 pg on a nifty 55.2% shooting and a solid 47% from beyond the arc. G Toure' Murry is another contributor who can get to the line. He played better as a junior but he's still on the floor more than any other player.

Wichita State is coached by Gregg Marshall who took Winthrop to 7 NCAA's out of the Big South in his 9 years there. We know them as the team whose heart was broken by Tennessee in 2006 but upset Notre Dame in 2007. Funny thing about 2006, it was the Shockers who ended up beating Tennessee in the next round to get them their first Sweet 16 since 1981. The Shockers did win the NIT last year, fwiw.

Unlike Creighton, Wichita State isn't one dimensional and probably is the Missouri Valley's best shot at a Sweet 16 run. With a solid coach and seniors in the middle and backcourt, there is no reason why they shouldn't be a trendy pick in a few weeks.

Again, kiss of death. Sorry fan o shocker.

Here's your dunk of the year/week

2012-02-14T16:21:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of DII

Tonight's Games to Watch

2012-02-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Florida @ Alabama
Florida has lost two in a row while Alabama is reeling. Bama needs this to stay off the bubble

Creighton @ Southern Illinois
The Blue Jays have lost 3 in a row. Although still a 6 or 7 seed another loss drops them down to a 9 or 10

Texas @ Oklahoma
It’s been a long road back into the bracket for Texas, a win here is needed to stay on the right side of the bubble.

Ohio State @ Minnesota
Currently out of the bracket Minnesota can jump back in with a home win over Ohio State. How will OSU respond after the weekend loss to Michigan State?

We'll See Lunardi...We'll see.

2012-02-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

Brian (Oak Creek)

If GM, VCU, and/or Drexel tie for the conf title and meet in the tourney championship is the CAA a two bid league?

Joe Lunardi (4:18 PM)

Doubtful. Who did anyone beat outside of the CAA??

I seem to remember multiple years where the conference champion got a at-large after they lost in the tournament. 2011 -VCU, 2007 - George Mason, etc...

March Madness Memories - Yoda Wins a Game

2012-02-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

It'a a bit long and very grainy but worth it.

Monday Morning Bracketology

2012-02-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kentucky (SEC) vs Stony Brook(Aeast)/MissValley(SWAC)
Syracuse (Beast) vs NorfolkSt(MEAC)/Tex-Arlington(Sland)
Missouri (Big12) vs UNC-Ashville (Bsouth)
Kansas vs Long Island (NEC)
2 seed vs 15 seed
Ohio State (B1G) vs Weber St (BigSky)
Duke vs Mercer (Asun)
Michigan State vs Bucknell (Patriot)
North Carolina vs Valparsio (Horizon)
3 seed vs 14 seed
UNLV (Mwest) vs Drexel (CAA)
Marquette vs Davidson (SoCon)
Baylor vs Nevada (WAC)
Georgetown vs Akron (MAC)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Wisconsin vs Iona (MAAC)
Indiana vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Michigan vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Louisville vs Texas/VCU
Florida State (ACC) vs Illinois/Cincinnati
Florida vs North Carolina State
Gonzaga vs Washington
6 seed vs 11 seed
San Diego St vs BYU
Wichita State (MVC) vs Kansas State
Vanderbilt vs Arizona
Temple (A10) vs Seton Hall
7 seed vs 10 seed
Creighton vs Purdue
Mississippi State vs California (Pac12)
Murray State (OVC) vs Alabama
Notre Dame vs St. Louis
8 seed vs 9 seed
Memphis vs Harvard (Ivy)
Virginia vs West Virginia
Southern Miss (Cusa) vs Iowa State
Connecticut vs New Mexico

First Four Out
Xavier
Miami
Northwestern
Minnesota
Next Four Out
Belmont
Oregon
St. Joseph's
Colorado State
Also Considered
Mississippi
Northern Iowa
Central Florida
South Florida
Marshall
Arkansas
Wyoming
South Dakota State
Dayton
Massachussets
Colorado
LSU
Pittsburgh
Wagner
New Mexico State
Cleveland State
Missouri State
Loyola-MD
LaSalle
Maryland
George Mason
Oklahoma
Stanford

Saturday afternoon musings

2012-02-11T13:31:00.002-07:00

- Baylor is dead to me

- Good win for Florida State at home against Miami. North Carolina blew out Virginia at home. Virginia's fatal flaw, lack of offense exposed by Carolina who dominated them in the paint.

- UConn actually looked good today and lost big. Syracuse blew them out in the final four minutes. West Virginia has hit the skids. They blew a double digit, second half lead at home. They now find themselves squarely on the bubble.

Long Lost Brother?

2012-02-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

2012-02-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kentucky (SEC) vs Stony Brook(Aeast)/MissValley(SWAC)
Ohio State (B1G) vs NorfolkSt(MEAC)/Tex-Arlington(Sland)
Syracuse (Beast) vs UNC-Ashville (Bsouth)
Missouri (Big12) vs Long Island (NEC)
2 seed vs 15 seed
Kansas vs Weber St (BigSky)
Duke vs Belmont (Asun)
Michigan State vs Bucknell (Patriot)
Baylor vs Valparsio (Horizon)
3 seed vs 14 seed
North Carolina vs Drexel (CAA)
UNLV vs Davidson (SoCon)
Marquette vs Nevada (WAC)
Georgetown vs Akron (MAC)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Florida vs Iona (MAAC)
Wisconsin vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Indiana vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
Michigan vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Florida State (ACC) vs Arizona
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Xavier/Seton Hall
San Diego St (Mwest) vs BYU/Miami
Gonzaga vs Colorado State
6 seed vs 11 seed
Creighton vs North Carolina State
Vanderbilt vs Cincinnati
Louisville vs Purdue
Mississippi State vs California (Pac12)
7 seed vs 10 seed
Murray State (OVC) vs Illinois
Wichita State (MVC) vs St. Louis
Temple (A10) vs Iowa State
Virginia vs New Mexico
8 seed vs 9 seed
Alabama vs Southern Miss (Cusa)
Connecticut vs Harvard (Ivy)
Memphis vs Notre Dame
West Virginia vs Kansas State

First Four Out RPI
VCU 96
Northwestern 36
Texas 53
Minnesota 56
Next Four Out
Wyoming 69
Cleveland State 70
Oregon 66
Massachussets 63
Also Considered
Arkansas 67
Northern Iowa 59
Dayton 76
Oklahoma 81
Central Florida 55
South Florida 68
Marshall 61
LSU 78
Missouri State 83
New Mexico State 87
Stanford 99
Maryland 92
George Mason 105
LaSalle 73
Colorado 77
Ohio 89
Pittsburgh 65
Washington 75
Mississippi 52
St. Joseph's 47

Yes Virginia, the Cavaliers are a Bennett coached team

2012-02-09T15:36:00.003-07:00

Fresh off their emotional loss to Duke last night, the Tar Heels get a home game against the grinding Virginia Cavaliers. Aren't they lucky? Make no bones about it, this Virginia team is a Tony Bennett team and like his father, their is always the potential for U-G-L-Y. Poor Huckleberry Roy.

Barring a late season swoon, the Cavaliers are poised to go dancing again. KenPom likes them. They're 17th (ADJ O 87; ADJ D 6). The RPI is 42. They're best win is at home against Michigan who struggled on the road early in the year. Virginia does have wins at LSU and Oregon. Not great wins but good wins. Any team going cross country early and getting a win is good. Road losses to Duke and FSU were hard fought games that went down to the wire.

The calling card, of course, is defense. They have an effective FG% on defense of 43.6 (14th in the nation). They DO NOT give up second chance baskets. Offensive rebound % against is 24.4. The national average is 32.3 They're slightly below average on the offensive side and they simply don't score alot (260th in the nation) but that is not a concern to them. They don't foul either. FTA/FGA%, they're 28.7, below the national average of 36.6. Opponents get 16.9% of their points at the line. Again, the national average is 20.5%. Nationally, they're 17th in PF per game.

This'll be the team that announcers will warn you about not wanting to face and Tony Bennett was 3-2 in tourney appearances at Wazzu, no small feat. In one of those games, UNC ran them off the court in the 2nd half. Ultimately, the offense will let them down. They don't make 3's, averaging only 5 a game. They protect the ball fairly well and are "efficient". 5th-year Sr. Mike Scott is their best player. He averages 17 & 8 per game. They lack the dynamo to take them to a Final Four but a win or two shouldn't come as a surprise.

Key announcer words for Virginia: Tempo, efficient, discipline, slow, smart

A Quick Look At Tonight's Games

2012-02-09T14:25:00.002-07:00

Tonight's big games include Illinois at Indiana and St. Mary's at Gonzaga. Indiana is looking to build off their last win while Illinois is trying to right their ship and stay above .500 in the B1G. At home the Hoosiers have been very consistant and I don't expect that to change this evening. Indiana prevails and Illinois slide done one more seed to a 10. In the nightcap Gonzaga looks to avenge the slaughter at St. Mary's a couple weeks ago. Both teams are in the bracket comfortably but the Zags need this one more than the Gaels do. Home court prevails and the Zags hand St. Mary's their first 2012 West Coast Conference loss.

Happy Days

2012-02-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Top Of The World Ma!

2012-02-08T22:13:00.001-07:00

Top of the World!!!

That just happened.

2012-02-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Really.

Picture of the Day

2012-02-08T15:07:00.002-07:00

More likely

Tonight's Top 10 Matchups

2012-02-08T12:09:00.002-07:00

Georgetown-Syracuse -9
In the first of the 3 top 10 matchups tonight we have the Hoyas visiting the Orange of Syracuse. A couple days ago Kurly posted a good article on Georgetown and the fact that they are overachieving this year based on preseason expectations. Although Georgetown has fared well up to this point they are in a hard spot tonight. I think Syracuse comes out hot and rolls to the win and cover. Syracuse 68, Georgetown 55

Kansas-Baylor -1.5
The game of the night if you aren’t an ACC fan the biggest surprise of this game is the spread. Baylor only by 1.5? Home court advantage dictates 3 or 4 points so on a neutral court Kansas would be favored? I don’t get it. I like Baylor home, away, near, far, etc. Kansas keeps it close most of the way but Baylor pulls away in the last 5 minutes. Baylor 73, Kansas 65

Duke-North Carolina -6.5
Ah, the true Game of the Night, Week, Month! Time to find out if these Blue Devils are for real. The Tar Heels have strung together a bunch of wins since that Florida State debacle but didn’t look especially good against Maryland over the weekend. Duke has been Jekyll and Hyde all year long and I expect it to continue tonight. Duke goes into the half with the lead but wilts down the stretch. UNC wins but Duke covers (as if that even matters). North Carolina 79, Duke 75

Picture of The Day

2012-02-08T06:54:00.002-07:00

Bluegrass Brawn

2012-02-07T18:50:00.002-07:00

Kentucky is playing a game the rest of the nation is not familiar with.

Anthony Davis is worth the price of admission just to watch play defense. Michael Kidd Gilchrist is so fast and explosive, too. This is easily Cal's best Kentucky team

Let's Review the Big 10

2012-02-07T16:30:00.001-07:00

Ohio State (1 seed) – RPI of 4 and a SOS of 42, OSU has been in the top 5 all year long and I would expect that trend to continue. A number 1 seed at the moment I don’t envision that changing anytime between now and Selection Sunday. The Buckeyes will be one of the favorites come March but their lack of depth gives me concern. I reserve the right to change my mind but I think they lose before the Final Four

Michigan State (3 seed) – RPI of 7 and a SOS of 2 Sparty has been consistent all year long. 6-5 against the top 50 and 9-3 in their last 12 games Michigan State is rounding into shape as we hit the stretch run. Taking last year out of the equation Tom Izzo always has his team primed for a deep March run. Currently projected as a 3 seed I see them rolling into the tourney as a 2 seed. This team (like all Izzo teams) will be ready and are a Final Four dark horse.

Wisconsin (4 seed) – RPI of 30 and a SOS of 29 the Badgers will end up being who you thought they were…over seeded and ripe to be upset. This team has already lost 4 games at home and seem to never be able to score more than 57 points. Their tournament run will end as soon as they play an athletic team and it doesn’t even matter what seed they end up with. I think I’d actually like to see them as a 4 seed against 13 seeded Iona just to see them lose by 22.

Indiana (5 seed) – RPI of 17 and a SOS of 38 Indiana is still living off those Kentucky and Ohio State upsets. Computer numbers are solid but only 6-6 in their last 12 and 3-5 against the top 50. If they split the Kentucky and Ohio State games instead of winning both are they even in the top half of the bracket? Good news is there is plenty of time to solidify their profile and work back up to a 3 or 4 seed. If I told you this team would get a 4 and lose in the first round would you be surprised? If I told you they would get an 8 and upset Syracuse in the 2nd round would you be surprised? Me either….and I’m an expert.

Michigan (6 seed) – RPI of 15 and a SOS of 16. Ah, the Wolverines who gave Duke a scare last year will probably put a scare into a couple teams this year. 7-5 against the top 50 they’ve played better than most people probably think. Their issue is an extreme lack of depth (so does OSU) and their reliance on the 3 ball. If they are hot from the outside this team has the savvy to run to the Elite Eight. If they aren’t….say hello to Mitch McGady and goodbye to Harvard who just beat them.

Illinois (9 seed) – RPI of 41 and a SOS of 30. Without that vomit inducing 42-41 “win” over Michigan State last Tuesday is this team even in the bracket today? Unfortunately the answer is yes because expansion to 68 is causing us to find 37 at large teams. 5-5 vs the top 50, 55 in conference, 6-6 in the last 12 this team is AVERAGE! The schedule down the road is so-so and they’ll probably finish 9-9 in conference. That’ll give them a 8-10 seed and hopefully a date with a mid-major that outplays them.

Purdue (10 seed) – RPI of 62 and a SOS of 57. This team looks, plays, and smells like Illinois….Crappy. The numbers are the same as Illinois but their next couple games are a bit tougher. Tonight they get Ohio State and I see a finish of 8-10 in the conference. It might get bad enough that they are a play in game participant….and an underdog. Yuck!

Minnesota (12 seed) – RPI of 45 and a SOS of 69. This is not the same team since they lost Trevor Mbakwe. They’ve fought valiantly and are still hanging on but their computer numbers aren’t that great and the second half of the schedule involves Wisconsin twice, Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana, and a trip to Northwestern. This team is NIT bound.

Northwestern (First Four Out) – RPI of 37 and a SOS of 11. Is this the year the Wildcats finally break through and make the big dance? That’s a definite…..maybe. 3-7 against the top 50 leaves a lot to be desired but there are plenty of opportunities in the stretch run. Iowa twice, plus Penn State and Minnesota provide the backbone of a couple wins. Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio State are the big ones. Northwestern needs 1 of those marquee wins to be considered on March 11. Will they get there?

March Madness Memories - Drew Nicholas

2012-02-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Worst grainy file ever. Best I could do.

Our Second Sponsorship

2012-02-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

The first “food” sponsorship of 2012 comes out of the Fiery family.,,Frito-lay brand Funyons. When you’re downing copious amounts of Busch Light nothing cures those hunger pains like a heaping pile of Onion favored fried hot crispy food product. Bet you can’t eat just 1.

Remember, you can’t spell Fun with Funyons. I guess you can’t spell Funaki without Fun either but I digress.

Monday Afternoon Bracketology

2012-02-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kentucky (SEC) vs Stony Brook(Aeast)/MissValley(SWAC)
Ohio State (B1G) vs NorfolkSt(MEAC)/Tex-Arlington(Sland)
Syracuse (Beast) vs UNC-Ashville (Bsouth)
Missouri (Big12) vs Long Island (NEC)
2 seed vs 15 seed
North Carolina (ACC) vs Weber St (BigSky)
Baylor vs Belmont (Asun)
Kansas vs Bucknell (Patriot)
Duke vs Drexel (CAA)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Michigan State vs Akron (MAC)
Georgetown vs Davidson (SoCon)
Florida vs Nevada (WAC)
UNLV (Mwest) vs Cleveland State (Horizon)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Marquette vs Iona (MAAC)
Creighton (MVC) vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Wisconsin vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Florida State vs Xavier
Murray State (OVC) vs BYU/Miami
Indiana vs Minnesota/NC State
San Diego St vs Cincinnati
6 seed vs 11 seed
Michigan vs Colorado State
Gonzaga vs Washington (Pac12)
Vanderbilt vs California
Louisville vs St. Louis
7 seed vs 10 seed
West Virginia vs Purdue
Mississippi State vs Notre Dame
Wichita State vs New Mexico
Connecticut vs Harvard (Ivy)
8 seed vs 9 seed
Alabama vs Illinois
Southern Miss (Cusa) vs Iowa State
Virginia vs Memphis
Temple (A10) vs Kansas State

First Four Out
Seton Hall
VCU
Northwestern
Pittsburgh
Next Four Out
Texas
Mississippi
St. Joseph's
Arizona
Also Considered
Arkansas
Northern Iowa
Dayton
Oklahoma
Central Florida
Massachussets
South Florida
Oregon
Marshall
LSU
Missouri State
New Mexico State
St. Bonaventure
Wyoming
Stanford
Maryland
George Mason
LaSalle
Colorado
Ohio

Hoyas

2012-02-05T12:12:00.002-07:00

There weren't a lot of expectations for Georgetown this year but they now sit in second place in the puzzling Big East. The Hoyas have very good computer numbers along with their 18-4 (8-3) record. KenPom has them 14th and they have a RPI of 13. They've played a tough schedule as well (22nd SOS). Their best non-con wins are two wins over 20 RPI Memphis and at 35 RPI Alabama. Their only four losses are against likely tourney teams with Cincinnati being the only one on the bubble.

This is a very good defensive team, a JTIII staple. They're 6th in AdjD and 9th in defensive effective fg% d. They're also above average on defensive rebound %. Teams don't get good looks from beyond the arc. 24% of opponent scoring is from beyond the arc vs. a national average of 27.5%. Nationally, they're 10th in 3pt made against. The traditional numbers favor them, too. 22nd in scoring defense and 30th in fg% defense.

They're 56th in AdjO. Not great but not brutal. They're deficient from beyond the arc and their go to guy, C Henry Sims shoots only 46%, slim for a big guy. They only make 6 3 balls per game so their defense against it is key.

Give Georgetown credit. They came into the season unhearlded and I think a lot of people keep waiting for a fall and it hasn't happened. I don't expect a big March run and they'll be a trendy upset pick but it's still been a wonderful season.

Note - They'll lose to Syracuse this week. These little snippet pieces have been a kiss of death for teams.

Urban Meyer Rebuttal

2012-02-04T17:29:00.002-07:00

Call a WAAAAAAHmbulance. The B1G is littered with meathead coaches like Fingerbang who can appease a fanbase with bowl exhibitions and now has to compete against a guy and a staff that doesn't back down to anyone or accept anything less than competeting for mythical national titles.

Bartime's going to have to lay off following Nickelback around the country and get better players. Good luck when Brady Hoke and Pat Fitzgerald already backed Uncle Urb and said it's go time.

There's no crying in recruiting except in Madison and East Lansing.

Urban Meyer

2012-02-04T16:41:00.002-07:00

Ok, I just don't get this love affair with Urban Meyer. He used his family as an excuse to work his way out of, back in, and then out of Florida. Went to ESPN for a year and then took a job at Ohio State. That's like me quitting my job to spend more time with my family and then going to Potowotomi 5 days a week.

He's dirty but just hasn't been caught. Beilema can't coach a big game but he's on to something with this...

Saturday afternoon musings

2012-02-04T16:08:00.005-07:00

- Syracuse and Georgetown looked thoroughly dominant in wins over St. John's and USF. Need to look at the Hoyas.

- The Mountain West is fascinating (well, to me it is). UNLV lost a close one at a good Wyoming team today. The non-BCS conferences have really been battles this year.

- Florida pressures the daylights out of Vandy who lost again. There's something about the collection of players there. Turnovers galore. Florida State had a grind 'er out W at home against pain in the side Virginia. Remember, no more UNC for FSU. Still have Duke at home and a return trip with UVA. They'd be a surprise ACC champ.

- And the state teams today lost in two different ways. Marquette simply couldn't convert around the rim and Notre Dame was making everything. I give Marquette credit. I'd have rochambeaud all those Irish players. Nice overrated chant from the student section. That's rich coming from a Notre Dame crowd. As for Bucky, don't worry. Uncle Urb will probably get 60 against you so you held their hoops team below that. Wonder if Bo Ryan will ask Barry to address the talent discrepancy with commissioner Jim Delaney? It just isn't fair! Sorry, I have a man crush on Urban Meyer

Contributor Challenge Answer #2

2012-02-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

1. The easy pick is Duke but I'm going to go with Ohio State and their lack of depth

2. With the matchups I would agree with Kurly and take Iona over Georgetown. Based on teams I would go with Wisconsin or Florida

3. Again, matchup's it Iona. Team strength I go with Middle Tennesee State who almost upset Vanderbilt and is at a very strong 20-3. I would have said Long Beach State but they are a 12 seed.

4. I like Michigan but they have no bench. Deep sleepers would be Wichita State and St. Louis

5. Sticking with my preseason pick of Syracuse but Kentucky is right there.

Contributor Challenge Answer

2012-02-03T12:53:00.002-07:00

1. Duke would be the most likely to lose during the first weekend but Syracuse wouldn't surprise me.

2. IF Georgetown were to actually play Iona, I'd pick them to lose in the first round. Wisconsin will be a popular choice, too, depending on matchup.

3. Iona, Cleveland State and Weber State

4. Non-top 3 to make the Final Four, my choice would be Wisconsin if they shot like they did in 2000 but I think they lack a depth, an issue for Michigan, too. Vanderbilt is a sexy choice but I don't think they're consistent enough. If not Bucky, then Florida.

5. Kentucky is my favorite. This is Calipari's best team. tOSU is choice number two with Syracuse a distant third.

* - Subject to change

OC March Madness Contributors Challenge

2012-02-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

I challenge all Contributors to this blog to post an article answering these questions using this mornings posted bracket.

The most likely #1 seed to lose the first weekend will be…

The most likely 2-4 seed to be upset in the 1st round will be…

The most likely 13-15 seed to spring that upset will be…

The most likely non-top 3 seed team to make the Final Four will be…

My favorite to win it all is….

Friday Morning Bracketology

2012-02-03T07:07:00.001-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kentucky (SEC) vs UNC-Ashville(Bsouth)/MissValley(SWAC)
Ohio State (B1G) vs Stony Brook(Aeast)/Tex-Arlington(Sland)
Syracuse (Beast) vs Norfolk State (MEAC)
Duke (ACC) vs Long Island (NEC)
2 seed vs 15 seed
North Carolina vs Weber St (BigSky)
Kansas (Big12) vs Belmont (Asun)
Baylor vs Bucknell (Patriot)
Missouri vs VCU (CAA)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Marquette vs Akron (MAC)
Creighton (MVC) vs Davidson (SoCon)
UNLV (Mwest) vs LaSalle (A10)
Michigan State vs Cleveland State (Horizon)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Georgetown vs Iona (MAAC)
Florida vs Nevada (WAC)
Wisconsin vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
St. Mary's (WCC) vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Vanderbilt vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
Michigan vs NC State/Cincinnati
Murray State (OVC) vs Minnesota/Colorado State
Florida State vs Xavier
6 seed vs 11 seed
West Virginia vs Washington (Pac12)
San Diego St vs Seton Hall
Gonzaga vs California
Indiana vs Notre Dame
7 seed vs 10 seed
Virginia vs St. Louis
Louisville vs New Mexico
Mississippi State vs Harvard (Ivy)
Wichita State vs Iowa State
8 seed vs 9 seed
Connecticut vs Memphis
Southern Miss (Cusa) vs Purdue
Illinois vs Temple
Alabama vs Kansas State

First Four Out
Mississippi
BYU
Dayton
Miami
Next Four Out
Texas
Northwestern
Marshall
St. Joseph's
Also Considered
Arkansas
Northern Iowa
Pittsburgh
Oklahoma
Central Florida
Massachussets
South Florida
Oregon
Ohio
Drexel
LSU
Missouri State
New Mexico State
St. Bonaventure
Colorado
Wyoming
Stanford
Arizona
Maryland
George Mason

February Musing

2012-02-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

February’s here and that brings twice a week Bracketology updates. It also brings teams falling in and out on a daily basis. Time to separate the boys from the men, the pretenders from the contenders, the Wolverines from the Hoosiers.
Yep, that last statement has meaning as Michigan had a big statement win last night against Indiana. I pegged the Hoosiers as the Big Ten team most likely to fall last month and I’m not backing down from that statement. Indiana was as high as a 2 seed in early January but at this point have fallen to a 6 seed. With a tough road ahead I see a further drop for them and unless that win a couple games they won’t be favored in I’m not seeing anything higher than a 8 or 9 seed come March.
Michigan on the other hand looks to be one of those 4-6 seed teams that can make a surprise run to the Elite Eight and perhaps even the Final Four. I’m not ready to go that far out on a limb but I like what I see from them and they might….just might be the Big Ten team that goes the furthest come Madness time.

March Madness Memories - He Got It!

2012-02-02T07:03:00.002-07:00

This will be remembered in the basement as the snowball game as sometime during it somebody got drilled through the side window while cleaning off the Dish.

Mid Major Watch - Long Beach State

2012-02-01T07:54:00.003-07:00

Long Beach State is currently sitting at 16-6 and first place in the Big West. Although they are projected to win the Big West automatic bid a closer look at their profile suggests they should get some at-large consideration should they slip up in the conference tournament. KenPom has them rated as the 40th most efficiency team coming in at 32nd in adjusted offensive efficiency and 75th in defensive efficiency. Their RPI is 36th and SOS sits at a very respectable 62nd which is phenomenal for a Mid-Major team. What is the most telling number though is the Non-Conference SOS which is currently #1 in the nation. Long Beach State scheduled some tough opponents including 6 that are currently in the top 25. Close losses at San Diego State (by 4), at Louisville (by 9), at Kansas (by 8), at North Carolina (by 6), and at a neutral site vs Kansas State are offset slightly by wins over Xavier, Pittsburgh and Auburn. The Beach will have 1 more shot at a monumental win over Bracketbuster weekend when they travel to Creighton. I believe a win here will give the selection committee enough to think about come Selection Sunday if they don’t grab the auto-bid. If they lose to Creighton however they may look back at those losses as a missed opportunity.
Should Long Beach get into the tournament I have them projected as a very dangerous 12 seed. They are battle tested and will not roll over for a 5 seed in round 1. They'll be a very sexy 12 over 5 pick come March 15 and potentially a Sweet Sixteen team come the following weekend

2012 1st sponsor.

2012-01-31T19:34:00.001-07:00

5 Hour Energy - It's like liquid armor for your liver!

Re: you can't be serious.

2012-01-31T19:30:00.001-07:00

Noooooo!!!-YESSSSSS!!!!!!

Michigan State-Illinois Instant Reaction

2012-01-31T19:29:00.001-07:00

Pure, garbage basketball. A viewing root canal.

Creighton Sans Benoit

2012-01-31T17:26:00.003-07:00

In his latest projections, Brian has Creighton as a 3 seed. Sitting at 20-2, they have a RPI of 15 and their SOS is 105. Thus far, their best win is at San Diego State. The two losses were at St. Joe's and against a middling Missouri State team. They should have a gaudy record come tourney time and lead by POY candidate Doug McDermott, they'll be a trendy pick.

Creighton's game is based around its offense and its ability to hit the three. 6th in AdjO, they are #1 in Effective FG% (FG + .5*3/FGA), 1st in the nation in 3PT. FG%, 8th in 3PT made pg and shooting a nice 51.4% overall. The 'Jays also pass the rock well. They're 2nd in the nation in A/FGM and turn the ball over less than the national average. They're slightly below average in offensive rebounding % and in getting to the line, so if the three isn't falling, how will they cope? We'll get to that.

As for the other side of the ball, they're an average defensive team. 120th in AdjD and 197th in scoring defense. They don't block shots (282nd in nation). They also don't force turnovers as they're 329th in turnover % and are -1.5 in turnover margin. Give them this, they board on d better than on o as opponents only get 27.5%of available misses, bettering the national average of 32.4%. FWIW, they are 36th in rebound margin.

That's all nice and well. The key to Creighton is National POY candidate Soph. F Doug McDermott, son of head coach Greg McDermott. McDermott the younger is averaging 23.5 ppg shooting 61% overall, 50% from beyond the arc. He does have more turnovers than assists. But he's a special player and special players from mid-majors make a splash in March. For Creighton to get to the second weekend and beyond, they'll ride McDermott and an explosive offense.

March Madness Memories - You Can't Be Serious

2012-01-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

2012's First Sponsorship

2012-01-30T13:04:00.001-07:00

It may feel like it is too early but the sponsorships for 2012’s March Madness have started to come in. I’m proud to announce we will be supported for the 4th year in a row by the fine people at 5 Hour Energy. When its 11am on Friday morning and you feel like you need a nap instead of another round of geek dice what are you going to do? Grape flavored 5 Hour Energy! When its 10pm on Friday evening and there are so many people in my basement it looks dark what’s going to get you through those last couple hours? Pomegranate 5 Hour Energy. When it’s midday on Saturday what do you need to help you drink as much green beer as humanly possible? Orange 5 Hour Energy! Thank you 5 Hour Energy!

Monday Morning Bracketology

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kentucky (SEC) vs L.Island(NEC)/MissValley(SWAC)
Ohio State (B1G) vs Stony Brook(Aeast)/Tex-Arlington
Syracuse (Beast) vs UNC-Ashville (Bsouth)
Duke (ACC) vs Norfolk State
2 seed vs 15 seed
North Carolina vs Weber St (BigSky)
Kansas (Big12) vs George Mason (CAA)
Michigan State vs Belmont (Asun)
Missouri vs Bucknell (Patriot)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Baylor vs Nevada (WAC)
Marquette vs Cleveland State (Horizon)
Creighton (MVC) vs Akron (MAC)
Vanderbilt vs Davidson (SoCon)
4 seed vs 13 seed
UNLV (Mwest) vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
Florida vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Wisconsin vs Massachusettes (A10)
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Iona (MAAC)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Georgetown vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
Indiana vs Colorado State/VCU
Kansas State vs St. Louis/Cincinnati
Murray State (OVC) vs Dayton
6 seed vs 11 seed
West Virginia vs Minnesota
San Diego St vs Xavier
Michigan vs Iowa State
Gonzaga vs Purdue
7 seed vs 10 seed
Florida State vs Notre Dame
Connecticut vs New Mexico
Virginia vs Harvard (Ivy)
Louisville vs Southern Miss (Cusa)
8 seed vs 9 seed
Mississippi State vs Temple
California (Pac12) vs Southern Miss (Cusa)
Wichita State vs Alabama
Seton Hall vs Memphis

First Four Out
Texas
North Carolina State
Mississippi
BYU
Next Four Out
LaSalle
Northwestern
Marshall
Oregon
Also Considered
Miami
Arkansas
St. Joseph's
Northern Iowa
Oklahoma
South Florida
Central Florida
Washington
Ohio
Pittsburgh
LSU
Wyoming
Missouri State
Colorado
Virgina Tech
Stanford
St. Bonaventure
Drexel
Denver
Arizona
New Mexico State
Maryland

Saturday Afternoon Musings

2012-01-28T14:13:00.002-07:00

- Good win for Marquette. But at some point, it'd be nice to start some game without being down by double digits before the first TV timeout. DJO took over today.

- I am a Baylor non-believer. They beat Texas today but if Texas hits their freebies, Baylor has another Saturday loss. How can Texas get that many second chance looks against that front line?

- Syracuse got an ugly win today thanks to some shoddy officiating. Bit of a Fab Melo malaise still but give them credit. They are 2-1 without him with two gritty wins over Cincinnati and West Virginia.

- Iowa State and the Mayor gets that signature win by defeating a sluggish Kansas team. Iowa State is a program on the rise.

He's Back

2012-01-26T17:33:00.002-07:00

A year later than expected, the St. Louis Billikens are bullying their way back to the Big Dance. An efficiency machine, the Billikens are 13th overall in KenPom thanks to a 26th AdjO and 11th AdjD. The efficiency is on offense with an emphasis on defense.

The defense is very good with a chance to be great. They're 7th in scoring defense and are strong on stopping teams beyond the arc. They're weaker inside and foul too much, sending teams to the line more often than most. They make up for it by giving away less second opportunities on rebounds and force turnovers on 24.7% of opponent possessions.

Offensively, they're, well, efficient. They don't turn the ball over and make three pointers, 29th in the nation. They don't get to the line a lot and are weak on the boards offensively but their possessions are typically productive if not glamorous. Think old school Wisconsin, so there is potential for ugly.

St. Louis has a SOS of 105 and a RPI of 42. At 15-4, 3 of their 4 losses are to top 50 RPI teams. The only home loss is to Temple, a likely tourney team. St. Louis also poached a nice win at reeling Xavier the other night. Brian has them as an 11 seed and I think they might move up but as a potential second round matchup for a 2 or 3, they'll be a difficult matchup, especially with only 2 days between games. They will be a team to watch as a surprise Sweet 16 participant depending on matchups as they could really frustrate some younger teams that are sloppy with the ball or trigger happy. Good job, fat Rick Majerus. You're a disgusting man but a heckuva coach.

Final Four Revisited

2012-01-26T08:10:00.001-07:00

At the start of the season I nominated the following teams as my Final four picks. Let’s see how we’re doing so far.

Duke: Of course I took them, what did you expect? They have a gaudy record but the numbers behind the scenes aren' as glamorous, just 87th in defensive efficiency. Last night’s game showed me something though as they still won shooting horrendously from behind the arc. Is Mason Plumlee coming into his own or was last night a fluke. This is the difference between a Final Four run or a Sweet Sixteen elimination

Kentucky: Looked good on paper and looks good during the season. Terrence Jones has been a no-show all year but this team is loaded with talent. Preseason I had them as 1 of 2 possible champions and I’m sticking with it so far. The other possible champion….

Syracuse: 1A to Kentucky’s 1B, I loved them leading up to the season and nothing has changed. I thought the Bernie Fine scandal might be a distraction but they seemed to have moved on and forgot all about it. A recent bump against Notre Dame is a non-factor and as long as Fab Melo comes back I’m penciling them in for another Final Four run.

UCLA: And Boom goes the Dynamite. This team was a disaster from the get go. Losing to Loyola Marymount and booting Reeves Nelson, their best player, off the team it has been one mistake after another. Not only is this team not going to the final four, they might not even be going to the NIT. Is Ben Howland’s job safe?

My other 4 preseason Elite Eight teams were North Carolina, Ohio State, Louisville, and Michigan. Louisville is a reach but the other 3 are still in it.

March Madness Memories - The Fro

2012-01-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

Team Spotlight - Marquette

2012-01-25T08:54:00.002-07:00

Today let’s take a look at everybody’s favorite Gold standard school , Marquette. Currently ranked #17 by the AP, this season has been surprisingly different than the past 5-6. Usually Marquette has approximately the same record as this year at 17-4 but this year’s squad is actually supported by their computer number. Sitting comfortably with an RPI of 13 they are greatly helped by their SOS which is hovering around 25. In years’ past this number has been around 150 at this point and normally drags down their RPI into 60+ bubble range. Not this year though.
Marquette’s 4 losses have come against teams ranked in the RPI 100 with the lowest being at #71 LSU. The other three losses, vs Vandy, @ Georgetown, and @ Syracuse are all understandable. Their upcoming schedule only features two ranked teams, @ UConn, and vs Georgetown. With 6 road games sprinkled in I can see them only losing 2 more games the rest of the regular season. If this holds true the Warriors look to go into the Big East tournament at a very healthy 25-6 with a 3 seed in the NCAA bracket. Outside of 1st round Big East loss that 3 seed is most likely for this squad although a 2 seed can be had with a decent Big East tournament showing.
I never thought I would say this about a Buzz Williams led Warrior team but things are looking up and they may be dangerous come March.

Tuesday Bracketology

2012-01-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Kentucky (SEC) vs L.Island(NEC)/MissValley(SWAC)
Ohio State (B1G) vs Boston(Aeast)/Tex-Arlington
Syracuse (Beast) vs UNC-Ashville (Bsouth)
Kansas (Big12) vs Norfolk State
2 seed vs 15 seed
Missouri vs Weber St (BigSky)
North Carolina vs George Mason (CAA)
Duke (ACC) vs Belmont (Asun)
Michigan State vs Bucknell (Patriot)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Georgetown vs Nevada (WAC)
Baylor vs Cleveland State (Horizon)
Marquette vs Akron (MAC)
Creighton (MVC) vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Vanderbilt vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
Wisconsin vs Davidson (SoCon)
Florida vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
Connecticut vs New Mexico State
5 seed vs 12 seed
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Oregon/Minnesota
Indiana vs Central Florida (Cusa)
UNLV vs Cincinnati/Colorado State
Kansas State vs Dayton (A10)
6 seed vs 11 seed
San Diego St (Mwest) vs Xavier
Murray State (OVC) vs St. Louis
Michigan vs Iowa State
West Virginia vs North Carolina State
7 seed vs 10 seed
Seton Hall vs Harvard (Ivy)
Illinois vs New Mexico
Gonzaga vs California (Pac12)
Wichita State vs Temple
8 seed vs 9 seed
Florida State vs Southern Miss
Virginia vs Purdue
Louisville vs Memphis
Mississippi State vs Alabama

First Four Out
Mississippi
Texas
BYU
Marshall
Next Four Out
VCU
Colorado
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Also Considered
Northern Iowa
Arkansas
St. Joseph's
Massachusettes
Miami
South Dakota State
Virgina Tech
Oklahoma
LSU
South Florida
LaSalle
Arizona
Denver
Stanford
Ohio
Missouri State
Washington
Wyoming
New Mexico State
Wagner
Pittsburgh
Maryland
Drexel

RIP Jim Irwin

2012-01-23T15:35:00.001-07:00

One of the cherished memories of being a sports fan

Mississippi State

2012-01-22T14:42:00.003-07:00

After 12 hours of college basketball yesterday (I was actually productive while doing it, remarkably enough) I think the thing that impressed me most was the win Mississippi State picked up at Vandy, one of the nation's hotter teams. Though they have 2 losses on the road in conference, they're probably the 2nd best team in the SEC right now. At 16-4, their only losses are against top 67 RPI teams, including a loss to the Zips of Akron and a neutral court loss to Baylor by two points. Their best win is against West Virginia and last night. The RPI is 39.

Ranked 57th overall by KenPom, they seem like just another team but the more I looked at them, the more upside I saw. They protect the ball with only 17% of possessions ending in TO, 3 less than the national average and good for 23rd overall. Though 112th in AdjD, they do things well on defense. They don't foul, only averaging 14 per game. They also protect the glass. The national average for offensive rebounding % is 32. MSU is only giving up 28%, so second shot points are limited. Their one flaw on defense is they don't force a lot of turnovers. They're also a little soft in the paint. They also don't get to the line enough, averaging about 18 throws a game, below the national average.

The two most productive players have been 6' 11" SOPH F Arnett Moultrie who averages 16.1 ppg and 11 boards per game, 8th in the nation. JR. G Dee Bost averages 16 ppg. The most talented player is JR. Renardo Sidney who shows flashes of brilliance but hasn't lived up to the hype he had coming out of high school. One of the reasons they're soft in the paint is because he's not a good help defender and Vanderbilt consistently blew by him to the rim. MSU can be dangerous if he plays better.

This is a good team capable of a Sweet 16 run.

Saturday afternoon musings

2012-01-21T16:23:00.003-07:00

- Florida State just ended Duke's 45-game home winning streak in a wildly entertaining game. No reason for Duke to hang their heads, though. Florida State can win the ACC.

- Jarnell Stokes is a monster for Tennessee and he's only played 3 games.

- West Virginia wins at home against Cincinnati. Who's the second best team in the BEAST? I type that as Notre Dame is clowning Syracuse, albeit early.

- Almost forgot, Mizzou goes into Baylor and wins by a point though this game didn't seem that close. Baylor is loaded with NBA prospects but Mizzou was much more impressive. Only one player taller than 6'8" and it seemed like they were scoring at will in the paint and had little rebounding issues. Helps that Phil Pressey is a defender like his old man.

More Early Saturday musings

2012-01-21T12:39:00.002-07:00

- Georgetown and Rutgers played one of the worst games of the year but Georgetown escapes with the win. Rutgers is going to upset some teams down the road. And it'll be ugly.

- Kentucky survived a hot-shooting Alabama team in the kind of game announcers like to call "character builders". Don't know about that but if should be a coaching moment. Kentucky did alot of dumb things in the final minutes that make coaches age faster. Quick shots, dumb fouls.

- Fab Melo of Syracuse will miss the next two games at Notre Dame and Cincinnati. ESPN is reporting academic reasons. Probably as good as any other time for them to get that first loss. Incredible insight, dontcha think?

March Madness Memories - Parking Lot

2012-01-21T07:03:00.001-07:00

I'm still amazed at how deep that three was...

Great article on former Iowa star Chris Street

2012-01-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

It was 19 years ago today when he passed away.

Steve Fisher Can Coach

2012-01-19T08:10:00.002-07:00

Last night, while Indiana was inexplicably losing to Nebraska, San Diego State went into new Meixco and won a big road game in the Mountain West bringing their record to 16-2 overall. The only two losses for Fisher's team thus far have been a road loss to Baylor and a home court loss to Creighton, two teams that will have a realistic shot at the second weekend in March.

Last year's team was largely known for a defensive prowess and this year's team is no different. Though they give up a few more points per game, they are scoring more and actually holding opponents to a lower FG%. So, despite giving up 3 more pg, they're scoring 3 more pg. The one thing that has repeated itself this year is, they don't foul. They're 9th in the nation in fouls averaging only 14.9 p.g, roughly the same as 2011. The national average for offensive possessions ending in a free throw attempt is 36.6%. SDSU only has 25% of its defensive trips end up with free shots. Couple that with their other defensive numbers and you get an idea why they are right back at the top of the Mountain West. The other numbers don't jump out at you but this is steady, efficient team whose confidence should only be growing.

This team is led by a three-headed monster at the guard position. JR. Chase Tapley leads the way scoring 16.7ppg on 50% shooting. The other two guards are sophomores Jamaal Franklin and Xavier Thomas (A Washington St. transfer). Franklin is the other scorer while Thomas is the PG. In their closer games, Thomas has been sloppy with the ball but when he protects it, they win handidly. He has 79 dimes and 40 TOs. If he gets better, SDSU should have a chance in any game.

UNLV was the flavor of the month in December but the Mountain West lead dog might just end up being the Aztecs.

Indiana Hoosiers

2012-01-18T20:16:00.002-07:00

One of the biggest stories of the year has been the rise of the Indiana Hoosiers. After suffering a road loss to Nebraska this evening let's take a longer look at the early season darlings. Crean's team vaulted out to a 12-0 start including handing Kentucky their only loss of the season on a last second three pointer. After dropping a road game at Michigan State the Hoosiers rebounded with 3 straight wins including one over Ohio State. However, since then they've dropped 3 games to Minnesota, Ohio State, and now Nebraska. Considering the hot start 3-4 is not where Indiana wanted to be 7 games into the conference season. Their schedule doesn't get much easier with road games at Wisconsin, Michigan, Purdue, Iowa, and Minnesota while Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois visit them. It is not outside the realm of possibility that they finish below .500 in conference. As of the last bracket Indiana is listed as a 4 seed. When all is said and done I'm projecting them as a very vunerable 6 or 7 seed.

Predicting the SEC

2012-01-17T07:44:00.001-07:00

From the ACC to the SEC the whirlwind of Conference breakdowns continue.

NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER – Kentucky: The Wildcats look poised to be a #1 seed come Selection Sunday with the probability of only losing 1 more time all year (if that). Currently sitting at 17-1 Kentucky’s lone loss came at Indiana on a last second 3 pointer. There have been other small bumps in the road along the way, most glaring the 1st half debacle against Arkansas Little Rock. As bad as that game was at half though, Kentucky won by 20. Right now Kentucky stands as 1B behind Syracuse’s 1A as it pertains to National Title Dreams.

FINAL FOUR CONTENDER – Vanderbilt: A slow start has lulled the media to sleep on the Commodore 64’s. 4 losses and an RPI of 30 has many people ranking Vandy behind Florida but a large portion of that slow start can be attributed to Festus Ezeli early season absence (7-0, L7). SOS of 19 shows they’ve played a tough enough schedule to make a solid run come March. Don’t sleep on Vandy this year.

TOP SEED RIPE FOR AN UPSET – Florida: Currently slotted as 3 seed I can see Vanderbilt and Florida flip-flopping come March. Florida has a ton of talent but they are all under 6 foot 3. A strength of schedule of 140 isn’t anything worth writing home about either. If the Gators get a tough matchup as a 5 or 6 seed I can see a 1st round exit in their future.

LIKELY DANCING – Alabama: a non-descript team the Crimson Tide are greatly helped by their computer numbers. All 4 loses have come against teams currently in my bracket (Dayton, Georgetown, Kansas State, and Mississippi State) contributing to a top 20 RPI. I think their ceiling is low with a 6 or 7 seed most likely at this point

Mississippi State: The toughest team in the SEC to figure out, I could see the Bulldogs making an Elite Eight run out of a 8 or 9 seed or completely getting crushed in the first round. Arnett Moultrie has been a beast since transferring from UTEP but I think the season rests on the maturity of Renardo Sidney and ball handling of Dee Bost. If those two put it together at the right time this is a dangerous team. If not welcome to an early exit.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN – Arkansas, LSU, and Ole Miss. These three can be lumped in together. Average SOS and RPI for all 3 I believe they all get eaten up by the 5 teams listed above. At this point the SEC is a 5 bid league and I don’t think any other team has the strength to climb up into the bracket.

ACC GACK

2012-01-16T14:18:00.002-07:00

Taking a look a Brian's bracket, it's shaping up as another sorry season for the ACC. Before the B1G-ACC challenge, we addressed some of the reasons but let's look at what may happen and what needs to happen as the conference heads towards March.

NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER - North Carolina: The Tar Heels took a stomping at FSU on Saturday. On one hand, the Seminoles were on fire, hitting everything. On the other hand, UNC's defense was non-existent, they didn't get back and looked generally disinterested. Only one team since 1979 took a beating like they did and went on to win a national title, the 1993 Tar Heels. They're still a legit threat but one wonders if they aren't capable of another outing like this one should they face adversity against a talented team in March.

FINAL FOUR CONTENDER - Duke: They could still move up a notch heading into March and it wouldn't surprise me if they won the ACC but they still look like a team searching for an identity.

LIKELY DANCING - Florida State: The Seminoles had their "statement" game on Saturday. Now, the question, can they build on it or as has been a popular phrase in the last 24 hours, was that a fart in the wind? A SOS of 12 and a RPI at 48 helps but that home loss to Princeton makes you wonder if they're just inconsistent enough to land on the bubble. If they get to 10 wins in conference, they should be in.

Virginia: At this time, two years ago, Virginia seemed like a team on the rise and then roster trouble ended that hope. That won't happen again. Tony Bennett finding success isn't a surprise. They have only two losses, a hard fought 3 point loss at Duke and a neutral court loss to TCU. Their best wins are against Michigan at home and Oregon on the road. Both sit at 26 and 51 in RPI with Virginia at 36. barring an indifferent performance in conference, they'll be the proverbial team you don't want to see in the tournament.

BUBBLING - NC State: Kudos to Mark Gottfried for getting them to this spot. 29 SOS and 57 RPI are okay numbers. They need to protect the home court, though. That loss to Georgia Tech could haunt them.

OUTSIDE AND DREAMING - Maryland: I don't think Brian has them in the considered column but they are 12-4 and 9-1 in their last ten. 117 SOS and 85 RPI are blah with their best win over Iona (RPI 35). They do have a neutral court win over Notre Dame. Mark Turgeon may not be the most glamorous coach in the land but his A&M teams made the dance yearly and that's no easy feat.

Miami, FL - Better numbers than Maryland, 26 SOS and 60 RPI. They have 6 losses but all are to top 55 RPI squads. Good losses but they don't have a good win per se with a victory over UMass being their best victory. Short of 10 ACC wins and I doubt they get in.

Clemson - Yeah, 150 SOS, 167 RPI...Maybe they get to host a NIT game.

Virginia Tech - Losing their first three ACC games doesn't bode well for the Hokies. 71 SOS and 82 RPI but no good wins. Their two best wins are over Norfolk State (77) and St. Bonaventure (93). One of their three losses are at Boston College. Not good. They'll need 10 wins for sure in conference. Good luck.

Wake Forest - I throw Wake on here simply because they're 10-7 (2-1) and have a 65 SOS and RPI of 102. Not flashy or good, I suppose but I just like typing Jeff Bzdelik. They lost by 28 to ASU (prior to that team getting decimated) and at home to Wofford and Richmond. Granted, those are two perennial tourney teams but home losses nonetheless. As of today, their best win is over a weak Virginia Tech team.

What do we have here? A lot of mediocrity with potential for a dubious March.

Monday Afternoon Bracketology

2012-01-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Syracuse (Beast) vs L.Island(NEC)/MissValley(SWAC)
Kentucky (SEC) vs StonyBrook(Aeast)/NorfolkSt (MEAC)
Baylor (Big12) vs UNC-Ashville (Bsouth)
Ohio State vs Bucknell (Patriot)
2 seed vs 15 seed
Kansas vs Weber St (BigSky)
Missouri vs Milwaukee (Horizon)
Duke (ACC) vs Texas-Arlington (Sland)
North Carolina vs Nevada (WAC)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Michigan State (B10) vs George Mason (CAA)
Florida vs Davidson (SoCon)
Georgetown vs Akron (MAC)
Connecticut vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Vanderbilt vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
Indiana vs Iona (MAAC)
Marquette vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
Creighton (MVC) vs Dayton (A10)
5 seed vs 12 seed
St. Mary's (WCC) vs NC State/Xavier
Wisconsin vs Northwestern
Illinois vs Temple/VCU
UNLV vs Marshall (Cusa)
6 seed vs 11 seed
Michigan vs Texas
Kansas State vs Cincinnati
Seton Hall vs Belmont (Asun)
Alabama vs Harvard (Ivy)
7 seed vs 10 seed
New Mexico (Mwest) vs Memphis
Murray State (OVC) vs Florida State
Mississippi State vs St. Louis
Virginia vs BYU
8 seed vs 9 seed
Louisville vs Purdue
Gonzaga vs Stanford (Pac12)
West Virginia vs Wichita State
Califonia vs San Diego State

First Four Out
Minnesota
Iowa State
Arizona
Notre Dame
Next Four Out
Washington
UCLA
Southern Miss
Virgina Tech
Also Considered
Oklahoma
Oregon
Miami
Clemson
Central Florida
Oregon State
Drexel
Kent State
Ohio
Georgia State
LSU
Arkansas
LaSalle
Pittsburgh
Northern Iowa
Missouri State
St. Joseph's
Colorado State

OK Then.

2012-01-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

I guess my full attention can be focused on March Madness. Stupid football.

UNC getting blasted

2012-01-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Even Dick Vitale is taking shots at UNC who is about to go down 30 at FSU.

Scratch Pittsburgh

2012-01-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

39 points against Rutgers? WTF?

NIT first round: Pitt vs. Bucky

This is only a test.

2012-01-11T21:27:00.001-07:00

Meh.

Backwards BEAST?

2012-01-11T14:56:00.002-07:00

A year ago, there was little doubt the Big East was the nation's best basketball conference. That is not the case this season but it might be just as interesting. Using Brian's bracket projections, here's a quick look at the conference two weeks into conference play.

NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER: Syracuse - If there's been any fallout from the Bernie Fine fiasco, the Orange are showing no effects. About the only thing missing might be a true go-to guy.

DANCERS:

Louisville - Now 1-3 in conference, Pitino needs to stop the free-for-all ASAP. Can they slide all the way out? I don't think so but depth is an issue.

Georgetown - Was suppose to be a rebuilding year. Smells like a 6-9 seed to me once the season ends.

UConn - Off all the teams in, this one has the potential to go deepest. Also capable of a quick exit. On the 4 line, they have the most ability to bump that.

Marquette - The epitome of the BEAST this year. Playing at home against St. John's, you'd think they'd handle them. Despite that, I could see it going either way. Not a must win by any stretch but it wouldn't be a good loss.

Seton Hall - Hall has the nation's 4th toughest schedule and are 2nd in RPI. Hello, Arturas Karnishovas! Having a great season thus far. Deserve a deeper look later.

West Virginia - As expected

Notre Dame - After losing Abromatis, they could have melted down. Now 11-6, 3-1, they seem to have found their way. Of those 6 losses, two are against Indiana and Gonzaga with other losses against Mizzou and Maryland. All losses are on neutral sites or on the road. With a RPI of 96, if they can continue winning at home in conference, they should get in.

OTHERS:

Pitt - Jamie Dixon is in the throes of one of "those" years great coaches inexplicably have, see Roy Williams 2009-10. At 11-5, they have inexplicable losses to Wagner and DePaul. While Wagner has a RPI of 67, Pitt should beat them. Still plenty of time to rally and I'll bet on Dixon. Maybe they're ACC dreaming.

Villanova - Nova's SOS is 30 but with a RPI of 115, they need to put together a bunch of W's and fast. Jay Wright joins Jamie Dixon in having one of those years. Three years removed from a Final Four, the Wildcats are still searching for an identity.

Cincinnati - 8-1 since the infamous brawl, Cincinnati needs a strong showing through the remainder of the BEAST season. They're off to a nice start (3-1) but a SOS of 212 hangs over their heads as do losses to Presbyterian and Marshall. At least Marshall has a Top 50 RPI.

St. John's - I throw them in here just because they're a young, talented team that has been w/o Steve Lavin for most of the season. I wouldn't cmpletely write them off yet but they have some brutal losses losing at home to Northeastern and at Detroit. Normally a loss to Texas A&M doesn't seem egregious but they have a RPI of 222 and are fighting for most disapointing team of 2012.

Tuesday Evening Brackology

2012-01-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Syracuse (Beast) vs Ashville(Bsouth)/TexSouthern(SWAC)
Kentucky (SEC) vs Albany (Aeast)/NorfolkSt (MEAC)
North Carolina (ACC) vs Long Island (NEC)
Ohio State vs Buffalo (MAC)
2 seed vs 15 seed
Michigan State (B10) vs Lamar (Sland)
Baylor (Big12) vs Bucknell (Patriot)
Missouri vs Weber St (BigSky)
Kansas vs Nevada (WAC)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Indiana vs Cleveland State (Horizon)
Duke vs Davidson (SoCon)
UNLV (Mwest) vs Colorado (Pac12)
Florida vs George Mason (CAA)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Kansas State vs Southern Miss (CUSA)
Georgetown vs Oral Roberts (Summit)
Louisville vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Connecticut vs Iona (MAAC)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Gonzaga vs Notre Dame/Arizona
Alabama vs Long Beach State (Bwest)
Marquette vs Virginia Tech/Cinncinati
Vanderbilt vs Illinois
6 seed vs 11 seed
Virginia vs Dayton (A10)
Michigan vs Memphis
Creighton (MVC) vs Harvard (Ivy)
Seton Hall vs Florida State
7 seed vs 10 seed
St. Louis vs Belmont (Asun)
Murray State (OVC) vs San Diego State
Purdue vs BYU
Mississippi State vs New Mexico
8 seed vs 9 seed
Wisconsin vs Wichita State
Temple vs Califonia
West Virginia vs Stanford
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Texas

First Four Out
Marshall
Northern Iowa
Xavier
Pittsburgh
Next Four Out
Iowa State
VCU
Missouri State
Northwestern
Also Considered
NC State
Oklahoma
Villanova
Miami
Clemson
Washington State
Oregon State
Georgia
Kent State
Ohio
Georgia State
St. Joseph's
LSU
Arkansas
Minnesota
Washington
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State

Well then...

2012-01-08T20:03:00.002-07:00

If Duke is NIT bound where is Wisconsin going?

College Insider.Com tournament?

Ignore rankings

2012-01-07T12:43:00.003-07:00

Seth Davis is blathering on about West Virginia beating Georgetown at home as an upset. WVU was a 5.5 point favorite and covered that relatively easily. West Virginia is now 12-4 and 3-1 in conference. What a huge upset

K-State is smoking Missouri at home (K-State is a notoriously tough place to play), up 21 at half. Though Missouri is undefeated, is that an upset? Road conference game against a likely tourney team? Methinks not.

Oops

2012-01-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

Arizona probably won't play in the Final Four

Rebuttal

2012-01-05T15:22:00.003-07:00

Wisconsin - Bo will not change plus they have no depth to push tempo even a touch more. Why does it seem all SR. point guards play their worst basketball in year four? No Badger fan likes to hear this but where's the needed athleticism going to come from? In the B1G Gasser and Brust are fine but how do you think they do against tOSU backcourt?

Duke - Has Cameron hosted a NIT game?

Marquette - Who knew they'd miss Otule so much. The upper class men should play smarter but aren't. Could one argue Todd Mayo has been the team MVP thus far? I don't think, if that is the case, that's a good sign. Hayward or Butler should be replaced by Odom or Crowder.

Still only January 5 for all 3 teams

Home Team Remedies

2012-01-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

After losses by Marquette, Wisconsin, and Duke over the past 48 hours I thought I would analyze what each team needs to do to right the ship before March.

Wisconsin – the easiest solution of the 3 their weakness is their outside shooting. Once their opponent senses that they are cold from the outside they pack the middle and dare Wisconsin to get hot from 3 point land. What Wisconsin needs to do is to pick up the pace sporadically to get easier, quicker shots. They can’t guarantee that they’ll turn around their outside shooting but by picking up the pace they should be able to get a couple extra easy shots. 6-8 additional points can make a huge difference when the first team to 55 wins.

Duke – Although they lost last night something good came out of it. Miles Plumlee got more playing time and put up solid numbers. It was very reminiscent of 2010 when Coach K began playing Brian Zoubek more. If he can provide the same consistency in the paint that would be step 1. Step 2 is the exact opposite of Wisconsin. Duke feels they need to push the pace and get the score in the 80’s. This has led to too many turnovers and bad shot selection (not to mention poor point play). Again, going back to 2010 this is what plagued them. Putting Scheyer in at point, slowing down the game, and playing tough defense worked back then and would work again this year.

Marquette – this one is the hard one because quite frankly I don’t think there is anything that can help them. It’ll come down to whether they are hot or not in March. They have a defensive deficiency and don’t play smart. That’s not something that can be fixed after 4 years of it. Their March prospects will probably come down to matchups. It’s not out of the realm for another Sweet 16 but a Final 4 is probably not possible.

Rebuttals?

Timing is Everything

2012-01-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

I guess the pretender comment couldn't have come at a better time. Temple 78, Duke 73.

More ACC fodder

2012-01-04T14:04:00.002-07:00

Mike Decourcy of the Sporting News believes for any ACC team to get a bid, they'll have to win TEN games in conference. Will be interested to see how that plays out but seems pretty close to right

Found on twitter @kurly99

ACC Contender/Pretender

2012-01-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

Pretender:
It hurts but as of today the biggest pretender are the Duke Blue Devils. Sure they’ve played a tough schedule and only lost once but the pretender status has more to do with the lack of point guard play. Currently they are averaging more turnovers than assists. Stats like that usually lead to early round exits. It’s still early in the season and Rivers or Curry may figure it out but as of today it’s not looking good in March

Contender:
Although already 9-4 the Miami Hurricanes are still poised to move up in the conference. Jim Larranaga was hired in April and has to start from scratch this year after 14 years at George Mason. Larranaga has a knack for getting his teams ready for March and I envision this team slowing getting better as the year goes on. Come March this is going to be an 10 or 11 seed that nobody wants to see in their bracket.

Tuesday Evening Brackology

2012-01-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

1 seed vs 16 seed
Syracuse (Beast) vs Campbel(Bsouth)l/PrairieView(SWAC)
Kentucky (SEC) vs Maine (Aeast)/NorfolkSt (MEAC)
North Carolina vs CS-Fullerton (Bwest)
Ohio State vs Wright State (Horizon)
2 seed vs 15 seed
Duke (ACC) vs Lamar (Sland)
Michigan State (B10) vs Charleston (SoCon)
Baylor (Big12) vs Weber St (BigSky)
Missouri vs Fairfield (MAAC)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Indiana vs Robert Morris (NEC)
Wisconsin vs South Dakota State (Summit)
Florida vs LeHigh (Patriot)
Kansas vs New Mexico State (WAC)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Louisville vs Southern Miss (CUSA)
Connecticut vs Ohio (MAC)
Georgetown vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Marquette vs Missouri State (MVC)
5 seed vs 12 seed
UNLV (Mwest) vs Illinois/Arizona
St. Louis (Asun) vs Seton Hall
Kansas State vs VCU (CAA)
Gonzaga vs Virginia Tech/Minnesota
6 seed vs 11 seed
Alabama vs Wichita State
Mississippi State vs Memphis
Virginia vs Temple
Michigan vs Harvard (Ivy)
7 seed vs 10 seed
Pittsburgh vs Belmont (Asun)
Texas vs San Diego State
Creighton vs Califonia
Purdue vs Florida State
8 seed vs 9 seed
Xavier vs New Mexico
Murray State (OVC) vs Stanford (Pac12)
St. Mary's (WCC) vs Vanderbilt
BYU vs West Virginia

First Four Out
Northwestern
Cincinnati
Washington
Texas A&M
Next Four Out
Oklahoma State
George Mason
St. Joseph's
Marshall
Also Considered
Iona
Long Beach St
NC State
Oklahoma
Villanova
Miami
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Washington State
Georgia State
Iowa State
Notre Dame
Oregon State
Oral Roberts
Indiana State
Georgia
Kent State
Cleveland State
Northern Iowa
Dayton

Lock up your daughters

2012-01-03T15:44:00.003-07:00

Could be worse Bart, you probably put up more points than Bo's team will at some point in March.

Conference Play Begins

2012-01-03T10:12:00.002-07:00

Well, it's January and most teams are either in their conference play or just finishing up their non-conference schedule. A lot of teams have gaudy records as of today but this is where the teams begin to separate. Bracketology becomes a weekly theme and the cream will rise to the top. Each conference has as pretender creeping at the top of the rankings and each has a contender that is just getting ready to get going. Let's start out today with the Big Ten.

Pretender:
I wanted to go with Illinois but I'll save the Illini bashing for Kurly. My pick for pretender is Indiana. Sure they've had a lot of high profile wins so far but I think they are peaking too early. Now, I'm not going over board and saying they won't make the dance but I think a top 10 ranking is way too high. The Big Ten schedule will where them down. Look for a 9-7 conference record and an 8 seed come March.

Contender:
Wisconsin and Michigan State have too lofty of statures to be labeled as a team on the rise so my pick is Northwestern. Every year they play just well enough to not make the tournament. This year is the breakthrough. A couple big road wins along with defending their home court and 10-6 is within reach. For the first time ever, Northwestern goes dancing.

My 2012 Projections

2011-12-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of the new year here are my predictions for 2012.

1. This year’s tournament will be even more unpredictable than last year. Kurly claims chalk, I claim otherwise
2. The Big 10 breaks a record for highest percentage of teams in a conference to make the dance. None make the Final 4
3. 4 Mid Major’s make the Sweet 16 and 2 in the Elite Eight
4. 2 of the Final Four are not in the top 15 as of this Monday’s ranking
5. A #1 seed won’t make it past opening weekend. I’m looking at you Ohio State
6. We break a record and clear out 9 quarter barrels
7. Marquette gets a 4 or 5 seed and bows out to a more disciplined 12 seed
8. Bo Ryan refuses to change his offense in the tournament and they lose 61-48 to a Big East school
9. Gonzaga peaks in March and makes a run
10. 9 of these predictions fall apart and I look foolish

2012's Twelve Fearless predictions

2011-12-31T12:14:00.002-07:00

1. Bo Ryan's Badgers will score less than 40 in a March game and say "deal with it" afterwards.
2. Buzz Williams will be able to tell the exact amount of hours his team has practiced since October at any time you'd like.
3. Northwestern will make the dance.
4. Illinois won't.
5. Dick Vitale's head will explode during the ACC tournament
6. The Big East will have the most compelling tournament and then bow out with a whimper in the Big Dance
7. Seth Davis will be relegated to the little kids table again in March
8. Chalk will rule the day by time we get to the Final Four
9. The B1G will be the most successful conference in the dance but won't have a national champion again
10. Baylor will make it a double-double with Perry Jones being named player of the year
11. Duke won't make it to the second weekend
12. I won't pay to use KenPom's site or jsonline. I'll miss one

Good Vanderbilt

2011-12-30T09:11:00.003-07:00

Vanderbilt turned Marquette into a Bo Ryan team in March last night. Down 31-6 at one point and putting up bricks like me and I do that alone in my driveway.

I do like Marquette fan needling Seth Davis on twitter about him not ranking them early this season. Remember, this isn't college football. Rankings in AP or coaches poll do not matter. Respect is earned. I just made that up.

Better watch out!

2011-12-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

Big Sis is Watching!

I hope every one had a Merry Christmas. I had a strain of the recent virus outbreak that goes around every year. After counting down the days I made a complete recovery. You know the drill.

While I was sick I watched some USC Trojan Basketball. They lost to Georgia after a late collapse.

Illegal immigrant.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

Now if we could just get through these crappy bowl games and on to Conference play and NFL playoffs it would be wonderful!

And some snow wouldn't hurt.

The 'Cuse & Saturday musings

2011-12-17T18:23:00.002-07:00

Syracuse gets a nice victory at N.C. State tonight. The eye test to me shows a well-balanced team that plays solid on both ends. Jardine and Joseph had nice moments down the stretch attacking the defense and getting to the basket. If they play unselfish like they did in the final ten minutes tonight, they'll be a tough out in March. Duh.

Give Tom Crean an awful lot of credit for bringing Indiana back to the forefront. Lots of people in Milwaukee are sort of torn on him but he did such a good job embracing the past and building for the future here (upgrading the facilities and making Marquette capable of contending in the Big East) I have a hard time rooting against HIM. Indiana, on the other hand...but having villains in sports make it more enjoyable at times. If I were Indiana fan though, I'd be weary in March...

Am I wrong in thinking Illinois won't even make the dance again?

Despite some bad luck on the injury front coming into the season, Louisville has the look of that Pitino team that puts it together for a deep March run. Memphis made a nice run at them in the second half and played them tough but Louisville showed an ability to make the big shot and big stop on defense. I'll be watching them. I sort of like this team this year.

Finally, if Perry Jones stays healthy, he's my early POY. Imagine that. RG3 and Jones both in Waco. 2012, indeed.

Thing that made me say hmmmm....

2011-12-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Pitino has been at Louisville for 11 years now. That's three years longer than his Kentucky tenure

The Season's First Bracketology

2011-12-13T14:29:00.002-07:00

It's a little rough right now. With only 8-9 games of non-conference played there are a lot of gaudy records without much behind it. Here's my first attempt.

1 seed vs 16 seed
Syracuse (Beast) vs Lamar(Sland)/AlabamaA&M (SWAC)
Kentucky vs Albany (Aeast)/NorfolkSt (MEAC)
North Carolina vs CS-Fullerton (Bwest)
Ohio State vs Campbell (Bsouth)
2 seed vs 15 seed
Duke (ACC) vs South Dakota State (Summit)
Louisville vs Charleston (SoCon)
Baylor (Big12) vs Weber St (BigSky)
Marquette vs Loyola MD (MAAC)
3 seed vs 14 seed
Missouri (Big12) vs Robert Morris (NEC)
Stanford (Pac12) vs MidTennState (Sbelt)
Florida vs LeHigh (Patriot)
Wisconsin vs Nevada (WAC)
4 seed vs 13 seed
Indiana vs Tulane (CUSA)
Connecticut vs Wyoming (Wmest)
Pittsburgh vs George Mason (CAA)
Georgetown vs Cleveland State (Horizon)
5 seed vs 12 seed
Xavier (A10) vs Murray State (OVC)
Califonia vs Kent State (MAC)
Kansas vs Wichita State/Minnesota
Michigan State vs Northern Iowa/Kansas State
6 seed vs 11 seed
UNLV vs Memphis (Cusa)
Alabama vs Temple
Gonzaga vs Harvard (Ivy)
Michigan vs New Mexico
7 seed vs 10 seed
Texas A&M vs Belmont (Asun)
Purdue vs Northern Iowa
Mississippi State (SEC) vs St. Mary's (WCC)
Illinois (B1G) vs Florida State
8 seed vs 9 seed
Virginia vs Creighton (MVC)
Arizona vs Texas
St. Louis vs Vanderbilt
BYU vs West Virginia

First Four Out
Virginia Tech
Oklahoma State
Washington
Northwestern
Next Four Out
Seton Hall
VCU
San Diego State
Marshall
Also Considered
Washington
Iona
Long Beach St
NC State
Oklahoma
Villanova
Cincinnati
Miami
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Missouri State
Washington State
Ohio
Georgia State
Iowa State
Notre Dame
Oregon
Oral Roberts
Indiana State
Georgia
Old Domionion
Central Florida

Cronin comments

2011-12-11T09:26:00.001-07:00

Cronin Post Game

Kentucky-Indiana

2011-12-10T22:01:00.002-07:00

We had a couple people over for Carson's birthday...watched the second half of that game and the atmostphere was like March Madness. Every possesion was awesome. Ending was great.

Can it get better than that? Maybe if it was on steroids, like a certain 100 million dollar hypocrite.

PS. I love Mick Cronin

KY-IU

2011-12-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

95 days until March Madness. Hopefully we see a lot of this.

Holy fuuuuuuuu......

2011-12-10T17:36:00.002-07:00

Indiana beats Kentucky at the buzzer.

I'm not sure what was more impressive, Indiana's win or Kentucky having a chance with Davis in foul trouble all game and Terence Jones riding pine at the end.

Whatever the case, college basketball was the winner. It's a better sport when Indiana is relevant.

Marquette

2011-12-07T09:47:00.001-07:00

Geez, you would have thought Demski would have been all up in here tooting his Marquette Gold Horn after that Wisconsin win.

Either way it's another big win for the Warriors as they squeak one out over Washington. If they keep playing like this they'll have a top 50 RPI by the end of the year!

I prefer the "Al" over the Tebow

2011-12-06T18:40:00.001-07:00

Even in the 70's Bagder fans were a-holes. 61-54 without Cadougan

Even I Can Tebow!

2011-12-05T14:03:00.001-07:00

ACC Woes continue

2011-12-03T14:11:00.001-07:00

Tulane over Georgia Tech

Richmond over Wake Forest

Boston over Boston College

UNC-Kentucky

2011-12-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Won't see many better than that this year.

Big Ten

2011-12-01T09:07:00.002-07:00

Well, the Big Ten wins third third challenge in a row 8 to 4. My picks also went 8-4 missing on Duke over Ohio State and Michigan over Virginia on Tuesday and NC State over Indiana and Nebraska over Wake on Wednesday. So, what does the mean for the overall prospects of each conference come March? As it pertains to number of teams from the conference I think we'll definately see more B1G teams make it, even if they are all in the 8-11 seed range. However, this is only teams that could possibly make the tournament. If we are pairing down to potential Final Four teams I think both conferences bottom out at two. Duke and North Carolina in the ACC and Wisconsin and Ohio State in the B1G. At this point Duke and Wisconsin are still far away from being National Title contenders but with the season still early they have time to make up ground.

A good article about the "decline of the ACC" by Kurly is below. The real question is how do the mid-level ACC teams bounce back? It wasn't that far ago that Georgia Tech and Maryland were in the championship game!

ACC-B1G (tee hee B1G) challenge, part deux

2011-11-29T12:00:00.002-07:00

No disagreement on Brian's choices. It is interesting the decline of the ACC the last few years. Decline is too strong a word I suppose when they still have more National Champs in the last decade than all the other BCS conferences combined but you know what I mean.

What happened? The blue bloods are still National Title contenders (Duke & UNC) but the next tier has dropped precipitously. Maryland & Georgia Tech are in regime changes and Wake has been wondering the wilderness since the untimely passing of Skip Prosser.

N.C.State and unrealistic expectations jettisoned their best coach since Jimmy V (Granted, Herb Sendek has largely failed at ASU) and Virginia has probably underperformed for going on 15 years. Clemson probably falls into that category, too of underachievers.

Virginia Tech and FSU are likely the next best teams after the blue bloods and capable of a few wins in March but not threats like Wake, Tech & Garyland used to be.

Both Miami & BC are capable programs but aren't likely to be nothing more than middle of the pack teams. Until the "others" return to winning ways, the B1G will probably keep winning this thing.

And it doesn't hurt the top programs and even the middling schools have had the same coaches for a fair amount of time. Hear that, ACC athletic directors?

Big Ten - ACC Challenge

2011-11-28T20:21:00.002-07:00

Here's my picks for the Big Ten-ACC Challenge starting tomorrow night through Wednesday.

Tue, Nov 29
Miami at Purdue - Big Ten 1, ACC 0
Northwestern at Georgia Tech - Big Ten 2, ACC 0
Illinois at Maryland - Big Ten 3, ACC 0
Michigan at Virginia - Big Ten 4, ACC 0
Clemson at Iowa - Big Ten 4, ACC 1
Duke at Ohio State - Big Ten 4, ACC 2

Wed, Nov 30
Indiana at North Carolina State - Big Ten 4, ACC 3
Penn State at Boston College - Big Ten 5, ACC 3
Florida State at Michigan State - Big Ten 6, ACC 3
Virginia Tech at Minnesota - Big Ten 7, ACC 3
Wake Forest at Nebraska - Big Ten 8, ACC 3
Wisconsin at North Carolina - Big Ten 8, ACC 4

And the Big Ten takes a second Challenge!

PS...I ain't that confident Duke wins at Ohio State either

Amending my Final Four pick

2011-11-27T08:41:00.002-07:00

With what is about to hit the fan at Syracuse, I can't see them staying focused so I'll put Wisconsin in ahead of them.

UNLV should be interesting to watch as we move ahead, too. Dave Rice is an old Tark player who wants to push tempo like back in the glory days. Don't know if they're ready to build off the UNC win but keep an eye on them through the course of the season.

the Ohio State LOSES

2011-11-26T15:34:00.001-07:00

Arrogance personified, responsibility dodging, football factory, cheating scum. Wear it and good luck with the quitter who doesn't mind winning with criminals.

Atlantis?

2011-11-25T18:28:00.001-07:00

Yep, Harvard vs Central Florida in the championship, although Harvard there isn't too much of a surprise.

And did I see Norfolk State in the Paradise Jam championship?

I hope this this a harbringer of things to come....

Oak Creek's March Madness

Tonight's Games to Watch

Brent Blizzard

Daily Bubble Watch

Wichita State, Flavor of the Week

Here's your dunk of the year/week

Tonight's Games to Watch

We'll See Lunardi...We'll see.

March Madness Memories - Yoda Wins a Game

Monday Morning Bracketology

Saturday afternoon musings

Long Lost Brother?

Yes Virginia, the Cavaliers are a Bennett coached team

A Quick Look At Tonight's Games

Happy Days

Top Of The World Ma!

That just happened.

Picture of the Day

Tonight's Top 10 Matchups

Picture of The Day

Bluegrass Brawn

Let's Review the Big 10

March Madness Memories - Drew Nicholas

Our Second Sponsorship

Monday Afternoon Bracketology

Hoyas

Urban Meyer Rebuttal

Urban Meyer

Saturday afternoon musings

Contributor Challenge Answer #2

Contributor Challenge Answer

OC March Madness Contributors Challenge

Friday Morning Bracketology

February Musing

March Madness Memories - He Got It!

Mid Major Watch - Long Beach State

2012 1st sponsor.

Re: you can't be serious.

Michigan State-Illinois Instant Reaction

Creighton Sans Benoit

March Madness Memories - You Can't Be Serious

2012's First Sponsorship

Monday Morning Bracketology

Saturday Afternoon Musings

He's Back

Final Four Revisited

March Madness Memories - The Fro

Team Spotlight - Marquette

Tuesday Bracketology

RIP Jim Irwin

Mississippi State

Saturday afternoon musings

More Early Saturday musings

March Madness Memories - Parking Lot

Great article on former Iowa star Chris Street

Steve Fisher Can Coach

Indiana Hoosiers

Predicting the SEC

ACC *GACK*

Monday Afternoon Bracketology

OK Then.

UNC getting blasted

Scratch Pittsburgh

This is only a test.

Backwards BEAST?

Tuesday Evening Brackology

Well then...

Ignore rankings

Oops

Rebuttal

Home Team Remedies

Timing is Everything

More ACC fodder

ACC Contender/Pretender

Tuesday Evening Brackology

Lock up your daughters

Conference Play Begins

My 2012 Projections

2012's Twelve Fearless predictions

Good Vanderbilt

ACC GACK