Running NCAA Basketball Thread 2014-15

I can only surmise because he hasn't wanted to. Lord knows he's had opportunities.

He makes great money, plays in a good conference, sells out every home game, is a hero in his city, no longer has to play body-bag road games, and unlike his top private-school opponents in the A-10, can get absolutely anyone he wants admitted into school. Don't mess with happy.

 

His predecessor, who was as hot a name 7-8 years ago as Smart was 2-3 years ago, just got fired at Alabama.

 

Damn that Badger game was fun.

 

Not only did Duke get a 1 after not winning the ACC in the regular season or the tournament, but the NCAA greased the skids for them. It pays to be a traditional power.

 

Tell UCLA about that.

 

Is that the 30th year in a row Duke has gotten to play its first-round games in the state of North Carolina?
Meanwhile, one of the talking heads on the selection show is talking about how No. 2 seed Arizona has a "virtual home game" in the first round. Arizona is playing in Portland, which is about 1,500 miles away. Arizona is the only No. 1 or No. 2 seed that isn't playing either in its home state (Kentucky, Villanova, Duke, Gonzaga) or within 500 miles of its campus (Wisconsin, Kansas, Virginia).

 

By the way, Poin, I owe you an apology. When I said UVA wouldn't have any trouble with a 7 seed, I hadn't figured on the committee busting fucking Michigan State down to that line. I would buy a farm to bet it on Sparty in that game.

 

And Louisville and Ohio State don't get home games, either.

UCLA? What year was the committee watching??

 

Duke played ONE true nonleague road game this year. Granted, that was at Wisconsin, and it won, but the only reason it played that game was the contractually-obligated ACC-Big Ten challenge. Otherwise it probably would have hosted UNC-Asheville at home.

You don't win your league, you don't even make the finals of your conference tournament, you have a 7 RPI and you still get a No. 1 seed. Gotta love the NCAA.

And things will not ever change and the big conferences will forever be protected until home wins are given a .5 value in computing RPI.

UCLA or Indiana? At the most, put them in the play-in game.

And Scott Barnes has done a great job as USU's AD but at the very least he should have to answer the softball questions the CBS analysts always ask instead of deflecting or giving non-answer answers.

 

A few thoughts ...

1. Wisconsin is a 1-seed even if it LOSES in the Big 10 championship game? How does Virginia not move into a top seed if that happens?

2. Gonzaga got an absolute candy-ass path to the Sweet 16 this year (and yes, I graduated from the University of Iowa. Living in Zags Country, I will have a lot of fun next Sunday if that matchup happens). Not sure they get much farther than that. Iowa State's been awfully good lately (again, I'm saying this as a Hawkeye. When's football season start?)

3. Apparently playing well down the stretch doesn't matter anymore, because Indiana not only gets in the field, but they're a 10 seed. Huh?

 

I would like to know if any team that has ever lost to Northwestern twice in the same season has made the field?

 

Well, the great thing about all of this post-selection outrage is that by Tuesday it won't matter.